smitten kitchen best chocolate cake
I regret to tell you that this cake is nothing exactly new, and its not because Im out of ideas (I hope not, at least! It is a pretty easy cake so I highly recommend it for oh no it has come to the end of the day but I *need* it. I plan to make all your chocolate cake recipes (your triple berry bundt cake is a huge hit with my family & friends) from now through Sept. I decorated mine with Smarties! Maybe I just mismeasured, do you think? perfection. I love the ratio of frosting to cake in this, and that it still manages to not be too sweet. This is the BEST chocolate cake Ive ever made. Chum Yes, it would be delicious. Then I went to Copenhagen, staying in a strangers apartment through Airbnb, and your cookbook was in this Danish womans kitchen! If only I had enough patience to wait to make a cake until today. Im currently 7 months pregnant, and Im pretty sure Ill never eat them again after A Very Unfortunate Incident involving your sweet potato tacos (RIP to my favorite SK recipe) in my first trimester. Hi- Do you think whole wheat pastry flour would work in this recipe? 9 by 13 it is!!! My BFF still uses one, and I find it charming. What do you think of powdered buttermilk? Or should I be strong by hand? and I was almost out of everything I combined some cream and some milk and a bit if apple cider vinegar since I didnt have buttermilk and it worked great! I actually wrote about making it that way over here. I know that you do them by hand right now, and I totally admire your patience with that, hence the q :). When can we pre-order the new cookbook? Sometimes Im like Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde when it comes to chocolate. My new go to icing! Yum! Baby # 2! As soon as my daughter took a bite she said Mom, can we make this cake again? The only change we made was using regular non-Dutch cocoa because that is what we had on hand not sure how it changed the flavor because I have only had it this way, which was excellent. Thanks for taking time out to respond so quickly, Deb! Lower than 7 is acidic, higher than 7 is basic/alkali. 2 ounces (55 grams) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled That extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar didnt really hurt the flavor, its still very chocolaty, just not as bitter. Just made this amazing cake for myself for my birthday and want to thank you for the gift the most foolproof recipe ever. Love the looks and sounds of this cake! Finally, this is my note to selfat 25 minutes the cake needed another few minutes, I left it in for 6 minutes, and that was too long, and maybe should have been 3 more minutes. My son requested a chocolate-chocolate cake for his 4th birthday so I doubled the recipe and got 3 6-in. I have a question about the amount of sugar. It is the PERFECT cake to take around to friends places when catching up with Game of Thrones (you know, in preparation for season 5!! I will absolutely try this as cupcakes next time. Beautiful cake, thank you! Thank you! Whim to bite of cake time was 90 minutes, and during that time I also gave the kids a bath, tucked them into bed, and read some books. The batter is a touch saltier but I like that in a layer against such a sweet frosting. The cake is perfect size too, not to big. Used 1/2 cup strong coffe and a 1/4 cup wine instead of the buttermilk. My question: my daughter wants a chocolate-strawberry cake for her birthday. The salt in the frosting is the perfect touch. Looks amazing, making this today (because quarantine). Im so worried about under-baking, even by a little that I forget the residual baking in the pan once I take it out of the oven. Instead of the buttercream I frosted it with a half batch of the seven-minute frosting from the King Arthur website and drizzled with chocolate ganache, but I definitely kept the rainbow sprinkles :). dont quit your day job Made this last night and used the sour cream chocolate frosting from your best birthday cake, I was cheap and had a little left over. ), and had complete faith in the recipe. Better the same day. I tried to make this cake, but the batter curdled when I added the thinned yogurt Funny, I am so the I need chocolate cake now kind of person, and it has nothing to do with hormonal cravings. If round, 8. I was generous with the icing, which brings this cake together. But still it came out nicely, pretty dense almost like a brownie which was a plus. I love the recipe and will have fun making this with her. I have try this one because it look so easy and that frosting has the same bakery texture I so fondly remember. I will keep this one in the mental file folder for sure. The baking time was about 35 minutes, all told. Or just double the frosting? Thank you! rounds. I do know that I want this cake RIGHT NOW! No one will know that there are a few pieces missing, right? Can I use cake flour instead of all-purpose? Dutch-process cocoa (the standard in European brands) differs from natural cocoa (what you have if your cocoa isnt labeled Dutch, or if its an American brand) in that its acidity has been neutralized to form a darker, nuttier cocoa that I prefer. im 9 years old! I try to give credit to stores where I buy things, and not just Amazon all the time, but I cant help if their site doesnt have permalinks in the year 2015. Hello, My name is Sherrill . Recipes. Make the cake: Heat oven to 350F (175c). Did you see the Tasting Table chocolate cake recipe from a few days ago? Do I reduce the confectioners sugar? If round, you can probably 1.5x it. Chocolate Cake. Making my husband eat it instead of me. I think that I would like chocolate cake better if it were significantly less sweet. If youre looking for some detailed troubleshooting tips on dry cake, this is a site I go to often for baking tips, and has some guidance: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/prevent-dry-dense-cake/. Ive just made this and I find the frosting ridiculously sweet-I dont think I am even going to put it on the cake :-( I think Australian tastebuds must be a lot less sweet. Could I have just put everything in with the previously mixed mixture? happy days all the way from Ireland. 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? I am frosting the bday cake with a double batch of the above chocolate frosting, and making the raspberry buttercream for the chocolate cake. This cake rivals the chocolate cakes from the best bakeries in town. Absolutely delicious, no matter what youre celebrating. Next time Ill try taking them out after 15 or 16 minutes instead. 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (I used this instead of vanilla, purely based on personal taste) Also, I doubled the cake recipe to make a 139 cake but did not double the frosting recipe; it covered it just fine. I love a good simple chocolate cake recipe. Looks absolutely heavenly, making it today!! This was just what I was looking for. I used an 8 round springform and it rose more than your tray version and needed an adjustment in the cooking time but I have got used to listening to my cakes for that little bubbling sound that tells you they need a few more minutes. see? Your swirls are amazing. I may be making it (again) for our Faculty heads birthday next week, as a quick have cake! morning tea Im thinking about using little DINOSAUR sprinkles as well as Stars (my usual go-to sprinkle) because they would just be too CUTE. This recipe will do nicely while the bender is ongoing! Not sure I would make this cake again. Perfection! (See more details on how I figure this out below, but it sounds like you already know. Generously butter sides of pan and parchment round. Il try a simple ganache next time i bake it for myself. Youll want the full yield of frosting for each layer, especially if youre covering the sides. Then Im in trouble. Thank you! I dont change a thing about the recipe. So easy to make, this is my forever birthday cake. So good though for such a quick cake! I made this yesterday, for Chocolate Cake Day, but had no buttermilk handy, and was loathe to go out in the cold to buy some. Smitten Kitchen's Blondies, Infinitely Adaptable is an adaptation of Mark Bittman's recipe that Deb Perelman has baked with every alteration imaginable. Question: Do you have an opinion on buttercreams that use melted chocolate vs cocoa powder? Do I need to double the recipe and how long should I bake them for? . 16 celebration! Oh my gosh, this is happening tonight. Thank you! No one goes without at least a two layer cake for their birthday now. Could also be scaled and stacked as a birthday cake. This one is almost brownie-like (especially on day 2) but definitely still cakey and has a great chocolate flavor. Yummy! Cake is moist and light with a very tasty frosting. Thank you! Aprx. i cannot wait to make this cake! I only realized the mistake after another comment about having the recipe add an additional yolk! I want it. I think it could be it will definitely be thinner. The cake was delicious and the frosting was AMAZING!!! I would like to order it. Or The Nothing Is Ever Going To Be Okay Again If I Dont Have Chocolate Cake Cake. Yes, thats totally normal here. Could I make the frosting a raspberry buttercream by putting in raspberry pure or jam instead of chocolate? I also have a non-standard oven (AGA). Is the swap 1:1 with buttermilk? Ive loved every single Smitten Kitchen recipe Ive tried, and these are no exception. Hubby blew the candles out, served it up, we started eating, and nobody said a word. Im planning to put a cupcake-with-candle into an emptied pop-top can as his present (adapted from http://www.the36thavenue.com/2013/10/birthday-cake-tutorial.html); hes not big on presents. I used King Arthur Double Dutch Dark cocoa, which gave the cake wonderful color and flavor. And so, my absolutely wonderful husband made it for me! I know youve given us variations on it before, but for some reason the photos here really drove home that this chocolate buttercream appears to be the frosting I have been looking for all my life. With lots of sprinkles, of course! Turns out, the 41 grams of butter I used was from the cake recipe instead of the needed 115 grams. 1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour Your one-bowl chocolate cake is PERFECTION. I used this recipe to make my brothers wedding cake. ps, is there a sub for the unsweetened chocolate? Thank you for sharing a great recipe! Darn! Lucky husband will be having it for his birthday celebrations after work! It made 24 minis plus one regular cupcake. Thanks for the spot-on recipe and the best chocolate cake Ive eaten in a long time. And I love the suggestion of sour cream thinned with coffee sounds like my kinda cake!! thanks! At this point, its usually cooled to lukewarm. This cake hits the spot and is a perfect snack size. I could eat that on celery and be in heaven. Notes: P.S. https://instagram.com/p/z8VQVBy55B/?modal=true. The icing is to die for and such a snap to make. Hi Deb, It was definitely brown-butter-nutty flavored enough that my health conscious husband thought it was whole wheat- did I correct him, no :) I saw some recipes that brown then freeze the butter and use buttermilk instead of cream in the scone. I love your recipes and you are my go to baking site. I upped the amount of chocolate in the frosting to approx 80grams by accident but it tasted delish. My daughter wishes for a chocolate layer cake filled with chocolate chip ice cream for her birthday next week, and 6 cakes are my familys favorite size. You might want to check out the comment guidelines before chiming in. I used two whole eggs for not wasting an egg white, but it turned out fine. Simple, rich, delicious, perfect. Good luck with Elmo! I liked your frosting a lot, but the chocolate didnt fully emulsify. And why I dont have half of these ingredients in the house, RIGHT NOW, I do not know. I also did simple chocolate ganache instead of buttercream frosting. And you delivered! Ive been a lurker heresince I was in highschool? I also did a messier job of splitting the egg than usual, and got a bit of the (second) egg white in there along with the yolk is that likely the source of fluffiness, and doing a cleaner job of egg-splitting next time will take care of it? Thank you so much Deb. I swapped the icing for dark chocolate ganache with whisky, and topped it all with toasted hazlenuts. 3/4 cup (145 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar I decided to divide my cake in to two 9 round pans. What do you think? There is a need for certain things (I went through an egg phase, hamburger phase, chocolate cake phase) that can only be described as a deep aching soul hungerI havent ever been truly starving before, thank goodness, but I imagine pregnant cravings are similarthanks for letting those of us who are past that stage in life live vicariously through you and your delicious soul satisfying recipes! THANK YOU!!!! My daughters licked the frosting bowl clean! I am enjoying cupcakes for breakfast this week! Thanks for a perfect chocolate cake recipe! :) This looks amazing; cant wait to try it! 1/2 cup (41 grams) Dutch cocoa powder It should have been on the rack one level up. Oh my goodness, this looks heavenly! The cake was a little dry. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with oil and dust with flour. . OH.MY.GOD. This was DELICIOUS! Does it take longer to eat as little squares or should I just do my usual with your cakes and pies and scoff the lot at a sitting. Just as you described, the batter seemed curdled at first and suddenly turned into a luscious thick batter. I made this and I just wanted to say that it was so good. Girl, you are speaking my language. Vegetable oil can give it a more plush crumb, so its not a bad move. Put all in the freezer to flash freeze and called it a night. Well, it is a sign from above, so now this cake is definitely getting made today. Made this into a tiny layer cake for my antisocial pandemic birthday by baking it in two six-inch round Pyrex dishes. I want chocolate cake! blood orange, almond and ricotta cake. Its nearly a brownie, but not quite. I thought that I might use this for a birthday cake. Looks lovely! Standard cupcakes usually bake 16 to 18 minutes, but check in a minute or two early to be safe. Quick and easy for a last minute crowd pleaser. I think that sounds delicious. This cake worked WONDERFULLY! OH GOD, WHY! Depending on the recipe, you can melt the butter or shortening and mix in the cocoa until smooth, or just add it to the ingredients as is if it works (like in frosting). Thanks in advance!! I guess Ill be investing in a thermometer! So that doesnt count, right? Was there a brown butter-sugar glaze on it too? If it makes a difference, I am coloring the frosting to make Pigeon and Hungry Caterpillar cupcakes. I frosted my cake and then covered it well with plastic and it was GREAT the next day. YUMMMMmmmmmmm. 1. next year I am making this chocolate cake. So simple and so perfect. Hi I am trying to figure out how to adapt this to fit a 10.5 inch cake pan. Hmm, in the spirit of, I have to make this cake right nowIve just discovered I dont have unsweetened chocolate for the frosting. While it did turn out for all intensive purposes just fine, I had separated one egg, added the yolk as instructed and was then left very confused on why Id separated them as the whites were never mentioned. However, the book has a slightly different amount of baking powder (3/4 tsp). Pinch of fine sea salt (optional) (I still have a slice left and am having it tonight, in defiance of the only eat food that was cooked less than 24 hours ago rule.). All in all, not a problem. The batter (just made a single batch this time) filled three 6 rounds perfectly and baked for about 18 minutes. I did cut the sugar and butter by about 20% (and replaced it with apple sauce), and it still turned out great! Simply meant to say I dont have Dutch cocoa, so just used standard. What am I doing wrong??? probably if i had filled them closer to 2/3 i could have gotten 16 altogether. I am definitely making and eating this on the weekend. But now I want to make this cake again and again I am in a chocolate cake loop. I recently rediscovered this place. (!!!) The frosting was fantastic, creamy and smooth using the food processor. I shop there because they have EVERYTHING FOR BAKING but.they arent the most pleasant peeps Ive come across. And we ate this delicious cake, marking time and friendship. Make the frosting: Place frosting ingredients in a food processor and run machine to to mix. The frosting is sweet and pairs very nicely with the not overly sweet moist light cake! P.S. Generally, once you add your dry ingredients, only mix until its only just combined. I used natural cocoa and it worked just fine, and doubled the recipe to make 24 cupcakes (they took somewhere aroudn 25 minutes to bake for me, but I would advise anyone trying this to start checking on them as early as 17-18 minutes). A button to press? I recently warned (threatened?) My name for this cake is Why Havent You Baked Me Earlier Cake. Baking time It sounds like its taking up to 5 to 10 minutes extra for everyone. Thank you for being an inspiration to get me started. Thank you! Also, make sure you dont over-mix your batter, that would make it very tough! My boys and I made this tonight. So, tomorrow is my birthday, and Im already planning to make David Lebovitzs salted butterscotch pudding, BUT we are also getting a decent snowstorm, so I think the weekend might require this chocolate cake as well! I need to get some to keep them in reserve for when I want cake (which is today and always). I kept going, because you cant waste eggs in a pandemic, but a little worried if its safe to eat? Thanx For Sharing this recipes. 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. Thanks for your wonderful blog and mazes tov on your pregnancy! Thank you for the laughs and the chocolate as I wrap up my hell week! And then I had to tell my mother that it is better than The Family Recipe for chocolate cake. Thanks in advance! I might even sub some w.w.pastry flour to please the husband. It may not be important, but Im still wondering: have you adjusted the baking powder since posting this recipe here? :). Your cake defies all logic, physics, and natural laws of consumption. Your safest bet might be more of a ganache, which doesnt need to be whipped, only stirred. Rave reviews on the cake and the frosting from my wife and house guest! 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. My mind is blown! We had one at Tilth up here in Seattle this last weekend- it had buttermilk, browned butter, hazelnuts and currants and I want to eat there everyday just for this one scone! Seriously good. After seeing your video, besides wondering if you could be any more adorable, Im curious if this could be baked in a 99 metal pan? Sneha If the knife isnt batter-free (i.e. Not too rich. How did you stacked cake turn out? I think you could go as far as to triple this but as quadrupled, it would be crazy tall. Make sure you use the bake setting, not the broil setting (I did that once when I was a kid!) SOI wondered if this method for making frosting could work for a vanilla frosting using the food processor rather than stand mixer and if so, what youd do about quantities without the liquid that comes from melted chocolate here. I look forward to trying it again with regular Dutch process cocoa. I normally just replace milk with coconut milk/coconut cream in all my baking but tried the wine as dont know if coconut milk has any acid in it and you were saying that was important. Does the baking time need to be adjusted? I love your best birthday cake with the chocolate sour cream frosting, but tonight I wanted chocolate cake, so I thought this was the appropriate recipe to try. Making this tomorrow morning, definitely. (I use this brand.) Baking time for cupcakes is less; I usually start checking at 15 minutes. Check your oven settings too! Thank god for that frosting, because it turned out the ratio and the richness of the frosting balanced with the sturdy, deeply chocolate-y cake that was barely almost a smidge over but not too badly. the frosting is SO GOOD and i am not a frosting person and Do you think it would work if I cut the two tablespoons of granulated sugar? Good luck! big apple crumb cake. Im sorry this will sound similar to a comment I posted on another recipe (marshmallow frosting), but how does this chocolate cake compare with the other chocolate cakes on your site, especially the ones in the double chocolate layer cake and the peanut butter chocolate cake? had seconds. I frosted it with a chocolate Swiss butter-cream and fresh strawberriesI even dusted it it with confectioners sugar just to make it a little more beautiful. I subbed joghurt for the buttermilk and reduced sugar to 100 g (sorry my German taste buds cant handle the original sweetness ) and used white spelt flour instead of wheat flour. I want it to taste good, but the birthday girl (a 6 year old) wants a very specific design. I just searched your site for the answer! I must admit, we had already finished off your raspberry buttermilk cake over the weekend, so the birthday boy got two cakes this year! NB my main beef with most chocolate cakes is that they are far too sweet and rich (I drink cocoa without any added sugar at all so that tells you something about my palate for sugar) and I would not reduce the sugar in this. Some more info about coffee acidity can be found here. What do you use? I had no buttermilk so substituted Greek yogurt. MOAR SPRINKLES. Follow. Any thoughts?? Here is the gospel. Or do I defrost them all now, decorate and then put in the fridge or freezer? Generously butter the bottom and sides of three 8 round cake pans. Its especially lovely with 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon as well. Its a very busy page, even with my ad blocker, so itd be nice if you could put up a Print Recipe link or some other manner to make it more legible. In my defense, I ate most of it over the course of a whole weekend, standing up with nary a fork or plate in sight. Thank you; I know its TONS of work. Now I have a recipe. Crap. Do you have Smitten Kitchen Every Day? I also recently had a strawberry buttercream that was delicious; I suspect they just took a quick vanilla buttercream and beat in a spoonful or two of strawberry jam. This year he wants colored frosting. . that I might have to exclusively dedicate this space for a while to a few currently acceptable categories, those that involve butter, bread, peanut butter or chocolate. I needed a very quick and easy cake for my brothers birthday and this cake was easy and great and frosting in the food processor amazing!!!! Really love this recipe!!! and tastes great. The sweet frosting with this rich second batch hit the right spot. If small squares, 16. This cake sounds heavenly and, well, just too darn cute. This looks wonderful! I used gluten free flour (King Arthur general purpose is my favorite), subbed coconut oil for the butter and coconut milk with a little vinegar for the buttermilk (to make it dairy-free). I wanted to take this to the next level though so I doubled the recipe for 2 layers and then spread a layer of salted caramel in the middle and drizzled some more on top of the frosting. I will report back when I try it :). Or eaten. deb says to eat it pretty much right away, and i agree. My head isnt working for conversions right now: will this make a 6 round 2-layer cake as is, or would that require halving the recipe? Thanks Deb!!! Ive made it in an 8-inch round pan two years in a row for my husbands birthday. Normally I cook in vast quantities (no idea why, its just me and hubbymaybe I was the mother of 8 in a past life?) Making this as cupcakes for my sons birthday party, but do I need to adjust cooking time or oven temperature?? 1 / 4 cup / 21 g dutch-process cocoa Tonight! Your amazing photos have made me want cake. What say you, Guru of the Kitchen? Deb, you are my shero! Thanks for such a beautiful site Deb. I just made this on Friday after hearing about it on Call Your Girlfriend. Thank you for a lovely, easy cake recipe in the ideal size! This is what makes you, YOU!! So I just started over and served the first batch as a not too bad fudge. Thanks DEB!!!! In the recipe it states that 1/2 teaspoon sea salt is equivalent to 1/2 teaspoon table salt. :). Perfect swirls! I also piped in seedless raspberry jam before frosting. Thanks. I have a three layer 9 inch cake to frost. Truly a fast cake to whip up!! I was meaning to ask you about that as I read through the recipe and your note was a very welcome surprise. This coming from a girl raised in NJ, just outside the City, and whose standard is Juniors! Its just like the soft, fluffy chocolate buttercream frosting I used to get on cupcakes from my old favorite cupcake shop, which I always wished I could replicate at home. Im sorry if all this compare and contrast reminds you of high-school essays (eek!) I laughed at the we cut it into 16 small squares. blueberry crumb cake. INSTRUCTIONS. Thanks!! I make it all of the time (like, embarrassingly often) in the FP and hadnt run into this, but it definitely sounds like something that could happen that would be no fun at all. The only edit I would make is to halve the amount of frosting. Thank you! I added a heaping teaspoon of expresso powderDELICIOUS AND EASY. 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. It all came together rather quickly on a weekday evening too. This is a longtime favorite; its fluffy in an old-school way. I bet you could put in the same amount of cinnamon, for a Mexican chocolate vibe.). Gathering the ingredients now, I need chocolate cake! I love your description of your food cravings; theyre contagious! And best wishes to you and your growing family! Regarding the time this can be kept: Since my 3-month-old is not ready for cake and my husband was away but I NEEDED to make this I worried it would go bad too soon on the counter (frosting) or get too stale (in the fridge). My baking tome was slightly less, but I always consider baking times rough estimates. Im torn b/w this recipe and the Homemade Devil Dog SK recipe. It came together simply and easily. But frosting in a food processor? I cupcaked these and doubled the recipe. xo. I followed the directions, and the butter and eggs were at room temperature. I doubled this recipe using the weights instead of volume measurements and it turned out great. Reading this comment, I just realized I DID forget the 2 tbs of granulated sugar in the I Want Chocolate Cake cake that I made tonight! Great texture! Cupcakes for my sons birthday, a tiered-cake for my husbands birthday, a snowy weekend afternoon that calls for chocolate cake This is pretty much the only kind of cake we make now. We had a lot of fun, and the frosting is the best I have ever had in my entire life (she insisted I write that, its all I could repeat after eating it!).
