Dry but tasty chocolate cake recipe?

[quiet1]

I want to ask now in case I need any specialty ingredients, since I'm going hunting for fruit for fruitcake locally anyway: Does anyone have a recipe for chocolate cake that is tasty but kind of dry in the crumb? My housemate is weird and prefers dry cake (he grew up on egg-free baking so I think his idea of what is good was hopelessly warped) and none of my go-to chocolate cake recipes have been what I would consider dry. Last year for his birthday his son and I made a cake, but while it had the right texture the chocolate flavor was kind of lacking. My copy of The Cake Bible is in a box currently so I can't check there for ideas for this year.

 

Does anyone have a recipe that might work, or suggestions for tweaking a normal recipe? He likes the sort of thing that really needs icing or maybe some ice cream with it. It need not be egg-free, just not too moist.

 

(I'm vaguely contemplating doing a ganache with it, or maybe layering cake with chocolate mousse? Something a bit different than just dry cake and super sweet frosting. Maybe a flavored whipped cream frosting?)

[Thanks for the Crepes]

@quiet1,

 

Your request is unusual!

 

I'm far from the most talented baker we are fortunate to have on this site, but I did make these muffins one time and they were drier than most chocolate cakes I have made or had. There's a lot of good info in the comment section about personal likes and dislikes and tweaking the recipe. I can't remember, because it's been a while, but I may have increased the milk to a full cup because that is the ratio I am used to using for muffins. They were still drier than a moist, decadent chocolate cake. I most likely did because I'm wont to adjust batters and things until they "look right". I liked the muffins at the sugar and salt level as written, but others commenting didn't.

 

This recipe would work in a couple of 8" cake pans, if that's what your are after. You would have to increase baking time and monitor doneness. Also, if I was going to do a cake out of this recipe, I'd reduce the oven temp to 350 F/ 182 C.

[cakewalk]

Sounds like a chocolate sponge cake might fit the bill. I found this: http://aseasyasapplepie.com/chocolate-italian-sponge-cake/ which actually looks good. I might try it myself. 

[quiet1]

44 minutes ago, Thanks for the Crepes said:

@quiet1,

 

Your request is unusual!

 

 

I know! I got him a piece of cake from the best bakery in town (IMO) once and he just went 'meh' at it. No more tasty Italian pastries for him! Most of the year I just ignore him and bake what I feel like if I feel like baking, but I figure for your birthday it's fair enough to have something you like, and of course none of the bakeries around do anything like what he is after. (Well, I haven't tried any of the vegan gluten free paleo whatever places, but they kind of scare me, so.)

 

The key seems to be it has to be a cake that is dry enough that if you ate it alone, you'd really want something with it, like a frosting or ice cream. If it is moist enough to stand alone as a cake, that is too moist for him. I suspect he likes the combination of flavors from adding frosting and ice cream to the dry cake, as opposed to liking the dry cake alone?

[jmacnaughtan]

Make a genoise, or even a baba/savarin.

 

They're designed to be soaked in syrup, and I can confirm that they're dry as a bone when eaten without.  Just replace some of the flour with cocoa powder.

[Kerry Beal]

10 hours ago, jmacnaughtan said:

Make a genoise, or even a baba/savarin.

 

They're designed to be soaked in syrup, and I can confirm that they're dry as a bone when eaten without.  Just replace some of the flour with cocoa powder.

Agreed - I've always found genoise dry - even soaked! Ive worked hard perfecting my moist, tender chocolate cake.

[Martin Fisher]

Screwball cake or Shirley's crazy eggless chocolate cake.

Check Shirley's Bakewise to confirm the recipe.

Screwball cake was a staple and extremely popular at my mom's diners.  

Yeah....soaked up stuff well ...served as hot fudge cake, etc. etc. etc.

[cakewalk]

I made that chocolate cake I mentioned above. My goodness, you want dry? You got it! It's very light, like a feather, but dry as a bone. It will be great in a trifle. 

[jreniak]

Hello,

I am surprised, that no one has mention  a Sacher Torte. It is very dry and dense. To counteract the dryness, it is served with whipped cream. The recipe that I use is from Rick Rogers cookbook Kaffeehouse.