There is something undeniably comforting about a scrumptious piece of moist and dense chocolate cake. Whether you are celebrating a personal milestone or escaping a bad day, a sweet, classic chocolate cake recipe never fails.
Here is a guide to help you bake your favourite chocolate cake from scratch. Be ready, as it will become a routine.
The Secret to Chocolate Cake Perfection
The perfect chocolate cake offers a perfect balance of richness and tender crumbs. Although cakes can easily run dry or become overtly dense, with a few key techniques, you can bake the perfect decadent chocolate cake every time.
The secret is the quality of ingredients and their proportion. So, when shopping groceries for your chocolate cake, select the best cocoa powder in the market to begin.
Ingredients You Will Need
Before heading out shopping groceries, prepare this list of essentials:
- All-purpose flour. You can use organic and unbleached flour as well. If you are using wheat flour, you will need to add additional water.
- Use high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder. Avoid using Dutch-processed cocoa as they might require you to adjust the leavening agents.
- Vanilla Extract for a better flavour. You can also use grounded cinnamon for additional flavour.
- Sugar or organic cane sugar
- A large egg.
- Full-fat milk
- Neutral oil or extra virgin organic coconut oil
- Water
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar
The Foolproof Method
- Preheat the oven to 175 C or 350 F for at least 15 minutes. Grease and line a 2-—to 6-inch cake pan. For a single-layer cake, use a 7——or 8-inch pan. Grease the insides with flour and cocoa.
- Place a sieve over a mixing bowl and add flour.
- Add in the remaining dry ingredients – baking soda, cocoa powder, salt and sieve them all together.
- Add sugar and mix them all with sugar until it’s uniform.
- Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk, egg, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk all the ingredients together until well combined. Mix until you have a slightly thick batter. Do not overmix.
- Heat half a cup of water in a pot and quickly pour it into the batter, making sure the water is boiling.
- Keep whisking the batter until the water is absorbed and the mixture looks uniform. At this stage, the batter is very runny.
- Pour the mixture into the pans and tap the pan on the counter for 2 to 3 times.
- Bake the batter for 28 to 30 minutes or until the tester comes out without any batter remaining on it. Adjust the timing according to your oven and pan sizes. A 7-inch pan will take 35 to 38 minutes. Once out of the oven, place the pan on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes.
- Now, gently take the cake out by inverting the pan and wait for it to cool entirely before you can start with the frosting.
The Perfect Chocolate Frosting
Once the cake cools completely, prepare the frosting by melting butter and string in the cocoa powder. Gradually add powdered sugar and milk and keep switching between the two. Add the vanilla extract and beat the mixture until it’s smooth and can be spread seamlessly.
Conclusion
By following this chocolate cake recipe and paying attention to the quality of ingredients when shopping groceries, you can create a rich and moist cake that’s sure to become a favourite. Remember, the key to a perfect cake lies in the details, including measuring ingredients accurately.
