Keep up the sharing! Oh, and funny how I only noticed the s shapes after I read your notes on how to swirl the frosting ;), I made this last night and it is amazing. I only had black cocoa and not regular Dutch-process (apparently black cocoa is very heavily Dutched) and it was super chocolatey and a big hit, even with my 4 year old. The Double Chocolate Layer Cake is amazing, as is the Peanut Butter Chocolate Cakes cake layers (although I prefer the Double Layer) but this just wins. Start with 25 mins, then check every couple of mins, depending on the done-ness of your cake. Great texture! I might even sub some w.w.pastry flour to please the husband. Think I might have to healthify and recreate! Hi Deb I actually found your blog while searching for Apple Tart recipes and accidentally clicked on this Chocolate Cake recipe instead. We love so many of your recipes in our housewe literally make your Favorite Brownies at least a few times a month (my husband somehow remains just as excited every time). Bonus: I saved buttermilk last time I bought it by freezing it in ice cube trays 2 tbsp per cube so that made impulse cake making that much easier. Thanks for having such well written and scrumptious recipes that end up being perfection every time. Hi! Do you think itd work? But why did I have little bits of chocolate in the frosting? It traveled well unbaked in the loaf pan, then brought to room temp and baked the next day, it turned out perfectly. So easy and so quick (was supervising 10yos homework as well). Deb, yes, I will be another one of those commenters that tells you I made this recipe and then explain how I jacked it up. Here, Ive slimmed the base and dropped a little sugar to make a thin chocolate cake layer and topped it with an unholy, unapologetic amount of frosting. I just made this on Friday after hearing about it on Call Your Girlfriend. Thank you, Deb, for all you do! Going to make this this weekend for my nephews birthday. $5.50; 200 . This is one of my favourite recipes from my mom! I have try this one because it look so easy and that frosting has the same bakery texture I so fondly remember. A real end of the week treat. Im here to tell ya, the frosting totally makes the cake! Yes, thats totally normal here. P.S. Hands down the best frosting Ive ever made! I have made this many times and it never disappoints. which i should buy just to havebut in the meantime. Tried to read most of the comments but mostly the conversions were for 913 or cupcakes. deb says to eat it pretty much right away, and i agree. Next time, Ill try your cake recipe, too (only remembered I wanted to try this when the other one was in the oven!). The salt in the frosting is the perfect touch. The baking time was a bit of a problem! the frosting is SO GOOD and i am not a frosting person and 3.5 Years Ago: Naked Tomato Sauce. ps: your banana bread recipe CHANGED MY LIFE. This one is almost brownie-like (especially on day 2) but definitely still cakey and has a great chocolate flavor. 3 times? This is by far my familys favorite cake! Im practically licking my screen. Wipe clean, wash, and dry your electric beater (s), and beat egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until firm peaks form. :) xx. Cupcakes Usually bake for 17 to 20 minutes. I wish I could post a picture of the cake I made from your recipe! In the end, it was still delicious. Smitten Kitchen Every Day: Triumphant and Unfussy New Favorites - Brand I just made your best birthday cake with the addition of chocolate chips for my fiances birthday, and he requested a chocolate buttercream frosting. For softening butter, what anne said (I like to cut it in pieces first, so theres no melty spot in the middle of a big stick). The second batch was even better than the first. Sarah Actually, I find that its very hard to get an even read on cocoa powders because theyre all different, and pack differently in cups. Hi, I am baking this for the second time now and there is no way for it to be done in 22 minutes. and that suited nicely. Smitten Kitten Red Velvet Cake - Cookbook Recipes | House & Garden Better to make triple the batter and divide it between 4 pans. Instead, I used almond milk (since thats what was in my fridge). Your directions for the frosting part of the I Want Chocolate Cake recipe, in the frosting directions you left out the vanilla if you are using a micer, and not a food processor. I followed directions exactly including using Dutch processed cocoa. Worked perfectly. But if youve been there, youve felt this, this is for you. I dont have any personally tested high-altitude baking tips, but understand the ones on King Arthurs site are great. This looks wonderful! ;) Anyway, Im sure you know how well your book is selling by the numbers, but I thought Id share the glee of finding your book and an enthusiastic audience in a couple of different countries. 9 by 13 it is!!! Definitely only two ounces chocolate, right? ahh, you just need to adjust it this way: the speckling is a *feature* rather than a detriment. 1. Here's a bit more about each. In terms of leavening power, 1 teaspoon baking powder is equivalent to 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Not sure what else I could do if I sifted the sugar and it was still chunky! Congrats! HOLY HELL, its fantastic. I AM MAKING THIS FOR MY BIRTHDAY IN A FEW WEEKS (and maybe before too, purely to test.). Your name for the cake reminded me of our favorite chocolate cake recipe -That Chocolate Cake. But as youve proven multiple times a person can have several favorites; especially brownies and chocolate cake. Thanks for a perfect chocolate cake recipe! The icing was fluffy goodness perfectly spreadable, delightfully lickable. This was the perfect amount of batter for 12 cupcakes. I love your recipes! YES, YES, YES!!!!!!!!! 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt mine clocks in at 5 grams vs. the 6 grams of table salt. Worked fine. I decided it was fate and made it. I took these to a party and they received rave reviews! Its cold here for S. Texas! I upped the amount of chocolate in the frosting to approx 80grams by accident but it tasted delish. Your amazing photos have made me want cake. Or do I defrost them all now, decorate and then put in the fridge or freezer? Her answer was an unequivocal, Yes! Thanks again. Yum! I thought it wasnt quite chocolately enough (mightve been the quality of my chocolate, to be fair), so I ended up adding a scant 1/4tsp of almond extract and 1/4 tsp of espresso powder, and that livened it up a little. Stir on low until just combined; scrape down bowl a final time. Thanks for the delicious chocolate butter cream recipe! Privacy Policy. I would halve the sugar in the frosting for next time-I havent tried the cake itself so do not know if it is equally as sweet. Marble Cake - Once Upon a Chef 1/4 teaspoon baking soda It looks so jummy! Did you watch the clock and take out the cake when it was barely finished? ), Its there Add the egg, yolk and vanilla and beat until combined, then the buttermilk and mix again. :). Fewer bakeries this time, but more baking in the kitchen. 3/4 cup (145 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar It took about 28 mins to bake the cake and my batter was a thin due to being overly enthusiastic w/ vanilla and coffee extracts (I always add coffee extract to chocolate cakes). I switched buttermilk for mascarpone (I had the latter in the fridge, but no buttermilk which is surprisingly difficult to get here in the UK). But at some point, why not just eat the frosting by itself? Just enough for one ;) Quick question can I use light brown sugar instead of the dark brown? I have a deep appreciation for the way you feel about cake. Ill add a note. Let the pound cake cool completely. It will be on the Christmas menu from now on. I believe its acidic as well, which youll need when using baking soda. I am allergic to dairy what substitute do you recommend for the buttermilk? Two things: I havent read in awhile (not for any reason on your part, but like tv shows, I like to stock up on blog posts I love and then completely bingeI should not admit this unhealthy behaviour, but there it is) so, CONGRATULATIONS!! best chocolate cake ever! I was thinking of making a vanilla version, and looking more carefully at the comments I see youve already offered an answerdecreasing the powdered sugar, increasing vanilla, and leaving out the unsweetened chocolatebut Im glad to know theres more in your new cookbook, I will check it out! The cupcakes stayed moist and were flipping delicious. It was awesome!! Happy baking. To make the soft gooey layer, in a small bowl, whisk together the corn syrup or golden syrup with the milk or cream, and vanilla. I also did simple chocolate ganache instead of buttercream frosting. I recently warned (threatened?) 1/2 cup butter is 8 oz not 4 ozs! Everyone told me I used the wrong pan and I got a chemistry lesson and another one on finding the right pan (which I still dont understand). I plan to make this for a birthday party, and do a double layer 913. I will absolutely try this as cupcakes next time. As luck would have it, my husbands birthday is tomorrow, so Im using this occasion as my excuse! Thank you for sharing the recipe!!!!!!!!!!!! This is a great recipe. My new go to icing! I know powdered sugar affects the structure, so I wasnt sure if this would work. Btw, I added a little cinnamon, New Mexico red chile powder, and a drive-by amount of chipotle to the brownies for a Mexican flavor. Delicious!! Can you PLEASE make The Cake tonight mom?! And I love the suggestion of sour cream thinned with coffee sounds like my kinda cake!! My frosting turned out chunky (fortunately the rainbow sprinkles hide it!). recipes? This was so delicious and easy to tweak to my weird idiosyncratic preferences. Have just put this in the oven. My fiance was going to bake me a cake but he came down with an awful migraine and so I figured Id make this cake and top it with whipped cream and cherries, for an easy but pretty dessert for the dinner we were hosting. Four years ago: Pina Colada Cake Maybe this is a good thing! Today my work email was hacked and my computer was down for several hours so I baked this cake, because obviously it was a day that NEEDED CAKE. Also, for the buttermilk, I mixed 1/2 cup black tea with 1/4 cup yogurt, and that worked really well. Yield: 1 generously frosted 88-inch cake, which we cut into 16 small squares. I wanted a thicker cake layer so halved the ingredients from the fudgy sheet layer cake recipe. while at target i found star sprinkles for a buck as part of an easter baking end cap display. Just made this with my gluten free flour blend. I cooked the cake for 20 minutes in a 9 inch round pan and it was slightly over done. A friend whos feeling low, had a birthday yesterday at 3:30 or so he asked to hang out and what is a birthday without a few sprinkles, so I started this cake at 5 and it was fully ready to go at 7 (and that was mostly cooling time). Chocolate yummy!!!!! my unofficially sanctioned comment is that you probably are overbaking. Do you think this frosting would work to pipe with a star tip? Made this last night great timing as the boyfriends 35th was yesterday and usually my desserts are too fancy for him. I think that I would like chocolate cake better if it were significantly less sweet. Thanks for keeping us all entertained! Last time, (for another recipe) I accidentally mixed the powder with whole milk and it tasted great. I Made thr cake w/out the frosting. I need to stop reading this blog while pregnant First the cornbread muffins, now the chocolate cake. Make the frosting: Place frosting ingredients in a food processor and run machine to to mix. I could kick myself for not getting one ages ago. The cake came out fine, but the batter was just that pourable batter, not the spreadable, brownie batter-like kind in your photo. This frosting looks deliciouscould it be piped, or will it not hold its shape? 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature Finally, a SK cake! I made this twice for 2 dozen cupcakesafter making the 1st dozen and seeing how DELICIOUS they are, theres no way 1 dozen would be enough!! I thought it was an issue with my oven temp (175, standard convection) at first but at 20 mins I had a ring of cooked cake around a pool of batter. We made this with your caramel chunks idea for the brownies sprinkled in, and added a whipped frosting with cream cheese, walnut, and chocolate chopped in. What did I do wrong? Yes! It just didnt have the depth of flavor I had hoped for. Obviously the sizes are different, but is one more chocolaty, moist, etc? I used labneh in place of the buttermilk since we didnt have any, plus two Tbsp coffee. Im in week 11 and only the thought that morning sickness is about to end keeps me going! For doubling the recipe, do you think three eggs or that two whole eggs + two yolks will be much better? Emily Im not sure how well this holds a clear shape (you might use the Chocolate Butter Cake here, for more of a pound cake effect) but this would be otherwise just find in a round pan. Everyone commented how fudgey it was. I have had this recipes saved for YEARS and finally made it. Frosting in the food processor?!!! I substituted buttermilk for greek yogurt and it worked just fine. Rather than a cream cheese frosting, you'll make a quick buttercream frosting, which I found was harder to spread. YUM!!! Im thinking if I work with it while frozen all will be fine.any thoughts? Next time I wont add as much sugar; I shouldve read the comments first, but live and learn! If anyone is curious to try, here are the measurements I used for the cake (I used a different frosting recipe- whipped ganache): 3 tablespoons / 43 g unsalted butter, room temperature It was a big hit with friends, too. It's chocolate-flavored and naturally red, and the texture is so dense and moist that only a little frosting is required between the layers, and that frosting is whipped mascarpone cheese - or cream cheese. Incidentally, this is only a couple of steps away from my go-to brownie recipe. And I regretted that when I asked my husband why we didnt have any chocolate cake, he said because you havent made any? He was correct Id made them dinner, instead and the great unraveling of all that had once been right and good but failed to lead me to chocolate cake continued. Rich but perfect cut in 16 squares, and hit the chocolate spot. An inexperienced baker may appreciate a more precise explanation of just how mixed you were intending. Or is it just a typo, either here or in the book? I adjusted to the 115 g of butter without adjusting for the extra heavy cream. And so easy to make. It was, admittedly, FABULOUS, but the speckling isnt ideal for looks of course. I am making your fudgy chocolate cake and golden vanilla cakes from your 2nd cookbook this week and I am so curious as to why, in your book recipes, you sprinkle the leavening agents on the batter instead of putting them in with the flour/cocoa or flour cornstarch mixture as you do in this recipe? Directions. No one will know except us. Its really easy, a mostly one-bowl cake and frosting. My hubs and I are chocoholics and this cake definitely is a winner. Its weirdly labourous but worth the time. This seems silly to ask, butwhich amount should I use? Chocolate - smitten kitchen Glad you enjoyed the cake in the end. Its definitely a pain this way, but if people like the links, Im happy to add them. Its ludicrously easy and not over the top sweet. I only realized the mistake after another comment about having the recipe add an additional yolk! The photos really drew me in mmmmm. I will never go back to regular. I will definitely make it again. Except for the recommended 16-small-square servings, which she thought were deprivingly undersized. There is a Pin icon at the bottom of each recipe, where it says DO MORE: It will allow you to Pin just that post/recipe. This cake is perfect! I used an 8 round for the cake, and put the extra in a small pyrex which my hubby and I devoured last night, without benefit of frosting. xo. I want it to taste good, but the birthday girl (a 6 year old) wants a very specific design. will take more time than simply making the frosting right then. It reminds me of childhood parties and I can just imagine how it tastes my mouth is watering just looking at the pictures! If you did, always start with the lower baking time and increase as needed. (This is a 75% volume of that, so it wont fill out a loaf as well. WOWjust made this for my oversize cupcake cake. I should have listened to your original notes and checked it a few minutes sooner it was a tad dry, which was completely my fault. I just want a few slices of cake, enough to last in our house for two or three nights, even when there is no birthday or holiday or cause for celebration in sight. it is the number one thing boyperson asks for, half in jest but i know he really wants it, but im not going to bake a whole giant two layer cake, and scaling down baking recipes is something i havent wanted to try. Completely organic and perfect. Category Chocolate. Set aside. Could also yield: 1 generously frosted 8-inch or 9-inch round cake, 12 very generously frosted cupcakes, or it could be doubled and baked in a 913-inch pan. This is really embarrassing, but, yesterday when I made the frosting using the food processor (something Ive done a ton of times using this recipe), it curdled on me! Hi Deb, is this cake freezable? How did it taste in the end? I suggest a warning label: You will not be able to lay off the cake slices, nor will anyone else who sees/smells/tastes it. 3. Nina Not sure was the melted chocolate cooled? If I double the recipe and make it a 9 by 13 pan,do I need to increase cooking time? In a small saucepan, melt your butter over medium heat, stirring for even cooking. Thanks again for your wonderful recipes, they never cease to impress me. Ill use this frosting recipe again too: whizzed up this easily in the blender. i got 12 standard size cupcakes plus one bigger one, made in a custard cup. For vanilla, I prefer 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar and a full teaspoon of vanilla extract. I had to make one change to the frosting. Emily If my notes are correct from the last time I converted it, youll get 12 standard. Thank you! Eek! it was still fully raw in the center. Also, can you bake this in a round cake pan instead of a rectangular one? handfulofshadows I dont think theyll be automated because I dont think theres a way to do it the way I want them to look. I have made this several times and absolutely love it! What I really want is chocolate on chocolate. Lifes too short to do that. My BFF still uses one, and I find it charming. It might have needed less baking time; it can happen. Im thinking about making it on Friday to serve on Sunday am Thanks! I really really loved this recipe. Video Notes I was so happy when I saw this recipe as I knew due to schedules including mine Id be home and no one would be making me a cake for my birthday yesterday, so this one fit the bill! He even drove the train around the tracks. chocolatey without being overwhelmingly rich (and thus, every excuse for a second slice ;-)). If I wanted to use this frosting for a 9 inch double layer round cake, would you just double it or do 2 1/2 times? In Smitten Kitchen Every Day, my second cookbook, I turn this cake into a whole party cake section with a mix of base cake flavors (chocolate, vanilla, or spice with pumpkin or apples) and frostings (chocolate, vanilla, cream cheese) that can be kept small and simple like this or built into anything from cupcakes to layer cakes. Baby is now 3 months. Love that you include the alternatives for the liquid moisture. I made it as written with the exception of reducing the sugar in the frosting by a smidge. Ill update accordingly, suggesting you just mix it until smooth. Recipes. I used KAF Triple Cocoa Blend, which worked well. If you follow the instructions TO THE LETTER and mix in the drys just until everything is wet, you end up with a thin batter with tiny butter/sugar capsules distributed throughout. .. is that normal? Generally, once you add your dry ingredients, only mix until its only just combined. I shop there because they have EVERYTHING FOR BAKING but.they arent the most pleasant peeps Ive come across. So glad I didnt read the few negative comments. Im salivating on my keyboard here. I baked it in an 99 square, for just about 21 mins. My 13 yo son baked this for our Sunday dinner dessert. This will be my go to chocolate cake recipe! Gooey Cinnamon Cake - David Lebovitz New here? First time I made this cake (huge success, by the way) I used natural because thats all I had. I found you last year, bought the book, and have since made at least a dozen cakes and more. I love how reliable your recipes are- I always know if I make something it will be really delicious and exactly as you describe it. Rich as can be, uber chocolate-y, not overly sweet (an absolute hallmark of all Smitten Kitchen cakes, and why her cake recipes are THE BEST). I made cupcakes for my daughters birthday. Hey Deb, should it make any difference if I substitute black (extra dutched) cocoa in the cake? I used it for my daughters birthday cupcakes. 1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature Shouldnt matter, right? And so many thanks for including metric measurements. Thank youit looks so good though! Same temperature. If round, 8. I would like to order it.