Chocolate Cake Help!

Baking By lrlt2000 Updated 29 Nov 2012 , 3:06am by Danilou

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lrlt2000 Posted 7 Nov 2012 , 8:03pm
post #1 of 11

I still have not found a great chocolate cake recipe, but need one to bake today! I only have Baker's semi-sweet chocolate squares on hand, but cannot find a chocolate cake recipe that uses this!! I thought thousands would come up on searches, but they either use cocoa powder or UNsweetened Baker's squares.  I'm not advanced enough yet to be changing and manipulating scratch cakes, so I don't know what to do!!

 

Help, please :)

10 replies
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Danilou Posted 7 Nov 2012 , 9:09pm
post #2 of 11

Hi lrlt2000 I use Shirley O' Corriher (from Bakewise) recipe but I tweaked it so it has more flavour! Yummo! I've tried lots and this is the best I've found so far. Let me know if you want it and I'll type it out for you. A chocolate cake with melted chocolate is not necessarily any better unless you are looking for a mud cake texture.

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lrlt2000 Posted 7 Nov 2012 , 9:25pm
post #3 of 11

I would love that, Danilou! Funny, as an inexperienced baker, I just assumed that using melted chocolate would make the cake richer and more moist ;) Please PM me the recipe so I can look at it. Thanks!

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Danilou Posted 7 Nov 2012 , 10:32pm
post #4 of 11

I recommend you read the whole recipe before starting!!!

This is a recipe from Shirley O'Corrihers Bakewise that I altered. I think this cake has more flavour than the Hershey's chocolate cake, but it does taste better the next day!!!!! You can't taste the coffee but it gives it so much flavour! You don't have to use Dutch process cocoa as long as its dark natural cocoa. Also it's a boiled chocolate cake so it takes a little longer. I converted this recipe to make a wedding cake and countless birthday cakes! I freeze left over egg whites and use them in my caramel swiss meringue buttercream. I hope the measurements don't confuse you, when I altered the recipe I converted it to Aussie cups. I've just put the mls so I don't confuse you. This cake makes two 9" (or 8") layers. I wouldn't recommend putting it in one pan.

 

 

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake (altered)

Ingredients

1 ts. bicarb soda

¾  ts. salt

3 ts. instant coffee powder or less if expresso (omit if using brewed coffee)

69g. dutch process cocoa (I used Woolworths home brand Natural cocoa instead the other day and it was delicious. But it must be natural dark cocoa not the sweetened ones).

110g brown sugar

390g white sugar  (or you can just us 500g white sugar and omit the                                                          brown sugar)

250 ml boiling water (or boiling brewed coffee if not using instant coffee).

166 ml. of canola or vegetable oil

109g plain flour

109g cake flour (Or use 218g plain flour).

83mls of sour cream (or buttermilk or cream. Sour cream has been the best so far)

20 ml. Vanilla extract (use less if concentrated).

2 eggs

4 yolks

 

Preheat oven to 180c. or 350 F. Spray and line the bottom and sides of two 9” cake pans with baking paper. I use wilton bake strips as the cakes do dome a bit, and then line the insides with paper as well so the cake doesn’t stick to the sides.  Then spray paper as well so cake doesn’t stick.

In a large saucepan (to avoid overflow) combine first 6 ingredients and stir. Add the boiling water (or brewed coffee) and on a medium heat keep stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture starts to froth and double in size. Take off the heat for 10-15 minutes. Don’t let the chocolate mixture sit for two long or the bicarb won’t work as well in the cake rising. It will be still quite warm.

 

Put the oil in a large mixer bowl and add the hot chocolate mixture, combine on low-medium for about 20 seconds. With minimal amount of beating add flour in one hit. Mix until JUST combined. Do not overbeat! Stop and scrape down bowl. In a separate small bowl combine vanilla, sour cream and eggs. Lightly whisk. Add to mixer bowl Mix on low until just combined on low.

Divide batter among pans, give a couple of bangs on the bench to get out air bubbles. If possible put cakes on the middle rack in your oven, leaving a gap between them. Cook for about 30 or more minutes. Check after 25 minutes. The skewer should come out fairly clean. A few crumbs is okay, but not doughy. Most of the top should be a little springy, but the middle may be a little soft and sticky that is okay as long as the skewer is fairly clean. Because of all the sugar in this cake it can be sticky at times and hard to tell if it’s ready. The cakes will rise when cooking but collapse a little once they are cooked that is okay. They won’t be very high. 

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Danilou Posted 7 Nov 2012 , 10:34pm
post #5 of 11

This cake is very moist. If making it days ahead of time, I use a little simple syrup on it, especially around the edges.

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lrlt2000 Posted 28 Nov 2012 , 2:52pm
post #6 of 11

Thank you so much for sharing! One question: if this cake is "moist" as you say, why would I need simple syrup especially around the edges? Isn't that presumably for a cake that's dry?

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Danilou Posted 29 Nov 2012 , 1:27am
post #7 of 11

Hi, I thought you'd disappeared...or I'd scared you off with my rather detailed recipe....lol

Since I've been using the wilton baking strips (and lining the sides as well as the bottoms) i've been finding it cooks more evenly and it doesn't really need syrup. But, because my cakes are using baked up to 4 days in advance (or a week if I freeze them), I put a little around the edges. My round tins are mostly cheap dark pans so  the cakes have the potential to go a little crusty on the outside. I'm slowly building up my collection of good Fat Daddio pans. Let me know if you do try the recipe. It's fiddly but worth it. I've made the recipe probably 50+ times so I can do it in my sleep now. And I weigh everything so it I know it will turn out.

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Danilou Posted 29 Nov 2012 , 1:30am
post #8 of 11

Also, I forgot..I have doubled the recipe to make a higher 12 " square cake. But you really need the baking strips I believe or the middle will be higher than the sides.  It's quite a runny recipe, but maybe that's what makes it moist.

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Danilou Posted 29 Nov 2012 , 2:19am
post #9 of 11

Hi Mary, do you have scales? because you can use the grams option on the scales (if it has it)?  For the liquids do you have ml measurements on your measuring jugs or is it all in liquid oz. I'll have a look on my jugs and convert it for you. If you can't use grams on your scales let me know I'll  try and convert it to what you want. Just let me know.

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Danilou Posted 29 Nov 2012 , 2:58am
post #10 of 11

You can use online conversion charts. For instance http://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/flour_volume_weight.html

 

But I don't fully trust them. If your measurements are off so much as a couple of Tablespoons it can affect the recipe. I noticed in some recipes where they have put both cup measurements and weight mesurements that they don't always exactly match. Some people measure a cup different.  You're better off to get some cheap scales. I got some off ebay for $12 they work fine! I weigh all my food it works out better that way. I hope this helps.

 

Danielle

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Danilou Posted 29 Nov 2012 , 3:06am
post #11 of 11

Here you go I found this. This is a link to the original recipe. It's in U.S cups so you don't have to convert it. The only changes I made was that I used half plain flour and half cake flour. I used sour cream instead of buttermilk and I used both white sugar and substituted a little brown sugar. And also I used 3-4 ts. of coffee powder in the boiled water. Hope this helps. http://weekendbakes.com/2012/05/25/dark-chocolate-cake-with-vanilla-buttercream/

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