I am a big fan of chocolate cake. I’ve tried numerous recipes but never found one that’s as moist and dense as we’d like. During my search for the perfect dense, moist cake, I tried adding applesauce or adding more liquid but nothing achieved my desired cake, particularly for a chocolate cake which is easy to overbake and can become dry and crumbly.
So I took into consideration what makes a cake light and fluffy: eggs, baking soda and baking powder. This past weekend I put my theory to the test by omitting the eggs all together and reducing the baking powder and baking soda by half a teaspoon each.
The results were miraculous! Or at least, miraculous as far as cakes go, particularly for my tastes.
The cake came out moist and dense and chocolatey. It even held up for several days, remaining moist. It didn’t even crumble. Of course, getting the cake out of the pan was a challenge. Being so moist made the cake a bit tacky. Using the springform pan really helped though and using a knife to cut around the edges of the base loosened the cake’s grip on the pan. I only lost a little bit of cake on the cake pan, which was not noticeable after I frosted the cake.
Ingredients2 cups white sugar1 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda1 tsp. salt1 cup half and half or milk
1 cup hot espressoA handful of dark chocolate chips
DirectionsStir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add milk and melted butter.Stir in hot espresso. The batter will be soupy. That’s normal.
Pour batter into greased and floured springform pan typically used for cheesecakes. Sprinkle a handful of dark chocolate chips over top of the batter.
Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Poke with a toothpick. Should come out clean. The cake will appear a little under cooked but that’s normal,it will continue to cook as it cools. Let the cake cool before attempting to remove the cake from the pan. Remove the springform, flip upside down on a cake plate, tap around the pan and gently remove pan.
Be sure the cake is completely cool before frosting.
My frosting is a bit of an experiment. Every time I make it, the frosting is different. I don’t follow frosting recipes. I use a couple of guidelines and just create it to taste. Basic ingredients are melted chocolate chips or baker’s chocolate, cocoa powder, half stick of butter, half and half or milk, vanilla and confectioner’s sugar. This time I added espresso which turned out to be a great compliment to this chocolate cake.
Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!
Lisa Mitchell is an editor for Berks-Mont Newspapers. Submit your questions and recipes to lmitchell@berksmontnews.com.
