Anyone have a great tasting scratch chocolate cake that will carve easily? I've tried the Hershey's but I find the chocolate cakes with oil are just too soft.

anyone?

Bumping myself again!

I use the WASC cake, but use a DH Devil Food Chocolate cake instead of a white cake. It dense enough for carving.

Hope this helps.

I prefer Scott Wooley's Fudge Brownie Cake! I think that it is the best tasting, dense chocolate cake. It is a customer pleaser, only compliments when it has been delivered!

Here is the recipe, I transfer all of mine to word for personal organization!

Scott Wooley Fudge Brownie Chocolate Cake

Per the suggestions of the posters on egullet.com, I used good cocoa (Callebaut) and good butter (Plugra). Also the original recipe calls for coffee or water, but I don't like coffee so I used water. The baking time is the hardest part; the first time I made it I under baked it, the second time it went for OVER an hour at 300F. Cupcakes were the easiest (275F for 24 mins). Happy baking (and eating!)

from Scott Clark Woolley's "Cakes by Design"
(as reprinted in the egullet forum)

"Fudge Brownie Cake, yield: 2, 9" rounds [or appx 36 cupcakes]

sift together:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. cocoa
1 1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
reserve.

Cream:
3/4 c. butter
with
2 c. sugar

Then add: until creamy
3 eggs
1 c. buttermilk
2/3 c. veg. oil
2 tsp. vanilla

Then mix in you dry ingredients from above.

To this you add:
1 1/2 c, boiling water or hot coffee


Directions: The author recommends 275-300F oven and NOT hotter. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, anywhere from 35min to 1 hour. They are allowed to cool in the pans for ONLY/exactly 5 minutes and then you turn them out and wrap them in plastic wrap, sealing them. This step can't be omitted, it does steam the cake and that does make the cake better then if you air cooled it.

Be forewarned this cake does not rise high in the pan, it will be pretty close to the level of batter when finished. This cake can be baked in any size pan with-out changes. Why this isn't totally perfect: the top domes and cracks." Per the suggestions of the posters on egullet.com, I used good cocoa (Callebaut) and good butter (Plugra). Also the original recipe calls for coffee or water, but I don't like coffee so I used water. The baking time is the hardest part; the first time I made it I under baked it, the second time it went for OVER an hour at 300F. Cupcakes were the easiest (275F for 24 mins). Happy baking (and eating!)

Thanks! Does this cake carve easily?

If you follow the instructions to a tee (like the 5 min rule and wrapping for steaming), I find it works well. If I am planning on carving, I just wait the 5 min., wrap and toss in the freezer. I like to carve a cold cake! Then, after carving, I let come to room temp prior to icing. (I wrap it in plastic wrap again while defrosting- I just think that this helps keep it from drying out any from the freezing/thawing process).

HTH - I love this cake and so does everyone that I have ever served it to. I am going to bake one tomorrow for my father-in-law, can't wait for Sunday desert!!!

Mandi

This is the one I use
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3 cups light brown sugar, packed
4 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 1/2 cups hot coffee
Frosting:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature
8 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/2 cup cooled coffee
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
6 cups confectioners' sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 3 circles of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and eggs and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix. Add 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the sour cream and mix. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. Drizzle in the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), about 35 minutes. Halfway through the baking, quickly rotate the pans in the oven to ensure even baking, but otherwise try not to open the oven. Let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely before frosting.


Once chilled it is great for carving and the flavor is outstanding!

Hope this helps