Making a chocolate version of Kakeladi's WASC recipe today. Should I combine enough cake mix from a second box to equal 18.25 oz or just use one box of the smaller amount? I'm not sure what size the original recipe is based on. Thanks!

http://www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/584319/the-original-wasc-cake-recipe

I would just use the 1 at 15. Whatever ounces it is at these days.   Still works fine. 

What I used to do (as I no longer make chocolate WASC...I prefer scratch for chocolate) is substitute 1/3 cup of cocoa powder for 1/3 c of the additional flour  to get a more chocolate flavor.  So it's 2/3 c flour, 1/3 c cocoa powder to equal the 1 c for the WASC recipe.

sometimes I also would use 1/2 c strong coffee as part of my 1 c of liquid to enhance the chocolate notes. 

I'm guessing it's based off the old 18.25 oz box. I just added 5T of mix from another box (gave me 2oz) and it came out fine. I will say that it was a tad squishy, if that's the right word. I"m going to try adding an extra egg to see if it make it more dense.

Edited: Forgot to add that I used a 16.25oz box

I forgot to say that I was planning to use a chocolate cake mix.  I bake almost everything from scratch so I will try a scratch came along side of this and see which one I like better. Now to choose a scratch choc cake recipe! Lol do you use one from this site McCantsbakes

*cake*

A Scratch Chocolate cake? Use the modified Hershey's one! It's really good, but very light if that's what you're going for. There's a thread on here for that somewhere. But basically, cut back on the baking powder and soda to 1tsp instead of 1.5 and someone said cut back on the liquid, but I don't remember how much, I never did. Found the thread: http://www.cakecentral.com/forum/t/781697/i-need-to-find-the-perfect-chocolate-cake

Mimifix says to cut back on the leaveners by 33% and reduce the water by 25%. So instead of 1.5tsp of each baking powder and soda, you would only add 1 tsp each. Instead of 1 cup of water, use 3/4 cup.

And if you use brewed coffee for the water it's even better! :)

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake (on back of cocoa powder tins): https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/en-us/recipes/cakes-cupcakes/184/hersheys-perfectly-chocolate-chocolate-cake

 I use sweetapolita's "simple & splendid chocolate cake"

it is chocolate perfection   

I have found in my experience that box chocolate cake just falls flat for me taste wise....no matter what brand or variation of mix I use      

I like a deep robust chocolate flavor for chocolate cake....not the wishy washy weak flavor of box cake   

I am all over white wasc cake   Yum!  But not chocolate  

the Cocoa powder quality is also super important, I like trader joes cocoa powder for depth and price     If I am being super fussy, I like cacao berry extra brute (on Amazon )

let me see if I can link the recipe 

Here is the basic chocolate cake recipe I use.   I have sweetapolitas bake book so in it, it lists just the cake recipe, not the whole cake theme like the link I provided.   But the cake layers itself is the same recipe as her book. 

http://sweetapolita.com/2015/05/midnight-cookies-cream-cake/

I have found in my experience that all box mix chocolate cake just falls flat for me flavor wise.   I like my chocolate cake robust and complex and deep.   This cake is it for me.   It is super moist (I hate that word, but that's the way I can describe it) It tastes just a wonderful cold as it does room temp without sacrifice of moisture.  

I highly recommend using cacao Barry extra brut cocoa powder, it's worth every penny.    But I also really really like trader joes cocoa powder, it's deeply flavored and really cost effective at 2.29 USD for a 9 oz can.   I also use Sacco  cocoa powder if I get a whim to do so.

Gah!  And of course my phone that froze during my first post WOULD in fact actually post my original AFTER I recreated the post to include the link

sorry guys, I swear I am nuts and repetitive with info 

le sigh....technology is supposed to make us "smarter" right?  

Thanks! That cake sounds great. I'm going to make cupcakes in the shape of a football cake for a Sept 17 party for someone that works with my husband. I generally bake for family events as a hobby baker, but I agreed to do this. Do you have any suggestions for Chocolate Buttercream (not too stiff)?

I typically use an SMB with *cooled* melted chocolate in it.  (About 8-9 oz)   That's pretty much my go to for any icing except when I am making cakes for kids.  (I have found that kids I know tend to gravitate toward a sweeter icing)

for that, I would use this recipe.....it came from a magazine clipping my grandma sent me many years ago....I don't even know what one it came from.  But it has been a tried and true icing for me that isn't gritty from cocoa powder and it pipes really well too.   It doesn't like extreme heat though as it is butter based. you may want to double the recipe however,  it is scaled here to be about 1 1/2 cups of icing 

chocolate buttercream

1/2 c unsalted butter at room temp

2 T milk

1 1/3 c powdered sugar 

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted

1 t vanilla  (I tend to be heavy handed on vanilla in general.....so I usually use more like a tablespoon :/)

instructions:

mix together ingredients until smooth.

Seriously....that's what the recipe says.....it's that easy.   I usually melt the chocolate in the microwave and then throw everything into my mixer and beat it.    If the icing is too soft, pop it the fridge to cool a bit.   

I also really really really like sweetapolitas chocolate cloud icing (it's super convenient too as it is put together in a food processor)

Thanks again mccantsbakes! Lots of things to get busy making and trying out. Can't go wrong with chocolate! LOL

I concur!   Chocolate is the bestest.

I decided to make a chocolate cake today after this thread.......my poor neighbors are gonna be fat and happy once I start doling it out :)    I can't have that chocolate cake in my house any more......I literally ate a whole 8" over the course of 3 days because I could NOT stop.. it was so good!

I just found this thread :(  I have posted on my original recipe thread if anyone has ?s to PM or e-mail me as I don't get on the board every day anymore:(

I have addressed this issue in several threads.  At 1st when they reduced the size of the mixes I was using some  extra dry mix from another box but then one day I was in a hurry and forget to add the extra dry mix but followed the recipe exactly as originally posted and it was just fine w/o that extra dry mix.  So it can be done either way.  If you have another box go ahead and use some of the dry mix but if you don't have any extra or forget there should not be a problem with how it turns out.

kakeladi/Lynne

craftybanana2 I've heard the Hershery's one is good too as well as the frosting. I'm going to make a chocolate cake today (actually cupcakes) and play with decorating them for a football themed party in Sept. Might just make the Hershey's and SweetPolita's that mccantsbakes posted. Now, just to keep my "tasting" under control! I'm not sure what everyone else's "tasting" a bit is like but mine evolves eventually into the whole cupcake or two. LOL

Best chocolate cake recipe is such a personal thing. Some like light & fluffy, milk chocolate, others like moist dense dark chocolate. Colette Peters has a chocolate mud cake recipe, tho I don't have the book with me at the moment. But I usually use the Hershey's Cocoa recipe, and substitute espresso for the boiling water. Sometimes I add grated chocolate and/or cinnamon to the batter just before it goes in the oven, as it's very thin batter. This recipe make a very moist semi dense chocolate cake that will work in a tiered design with great flavor. I've carved this cake, too. It barely rises so I couldn't imagine reducing the leavening agent. It's my #1 most requested flavor for 10 years.

Thank you shashasharon! So many good choices here. My husbands co-worker said she just wanted "simple." Its for a group of men for an opening day football party on Sept. 17th. I'm searching for cupcakes themed for a football party and found one using a simple zig-zag design on top of the cupcake thats shaped like a football and the stitching lines are added in white icing. Looks simple enough. I on the other hand (LOL), wanted to make the cupcakes and arrange them shaped like a football then iced to look like a cake "football".  I think it was a Betty Crocker tutorial. Looked simple enough and very cute!

Any photos or other suggestions would be much appreciated! Simple is what she wants. I guess men don't care about the cutsey part. That for me is the fun part of it all though. LOL