Finding the Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (Part 1)

[KatieM]

Hey everyone! I know that you are all probably pretty much done with your chocolate cake experimenting, and it seems that you've found your winner, but I just wanted to jump in and let you all know what happened in my most recent trials with this cake (I know, very late in the game, but I didn't find this thread until somewhat recently).

OK, so I made the above recipe, with the following modifications:

I reduced the amount of baking soda to 1 tsp, since I knew I was going to be using dutch processed cocoa powder.

I used coffee, since I always do in my chocolate cakes

I used a half and half mixture of black cocoa powder and Droste. I've been on a black cocoa powder kick lately, and wanted to see how this recipe would do with it. I never use all black cocoa powder, since it gets a sort of anise flavor when there is too much (at least in my experiments). I just happen to really like the flavor of Droste, so I almost always use it in my cakes.

I made 2 9" rounds and one 4" round (for tasting - I needed to serve the 9" ones). The cake turned out PERFECT!!! Thanks Wendy, for bringing this thread to my attention! No more rubbery, tunneling chocolate cake! All the great flavor I got from the Margaret Braun cake, but with the perfect texture and moistness!

Everyone I served it to thought it was perfect, but when I make it again (and I will!) I will probably leave out the coffee (meaning I will use water instead). I think the flavor would be much more "clean" without the coffee, if this makes any sense. Also, I used the black cocoa powder in this instance because I wanted a chocolate "blackout" cake, and I was pairing it with a filling that had Oreos in it, so I thought it would make a nice combination (and it did). However, for a "regular" chocolate cake, I will probably use all Droste, or perhaps a combo of 80% Droste and 20% black cocoa powder.

Though for the purposes of this thread, I don't think that my personal preferences in cocoa powder flavors really matter. I really think the point would be for all of us to find the perfect chocolate cake for US, and as long as we knock out the technical and chemical properties to perfection, we can leave the cocoa powder decision up to the individuals. Although, I would say that I would probably never use all undutched cocoa powder. It never seems to work as nicely for me. However, if it works for you, go for it!

As far as doming and cracking goes, I didn't have very much on the 9" rounds, since I used my Magi-Cake strips, but on the little 4" round, I did have a sizable dome and quite a few cracks. Honestly though, that really wouldn't bother me, because I always level my cakes, or at least "skin" them. Particularly since I've discovered CAKE SPACKLE! I take all my scraps, whir them in the processor with just enough buttercream to make a nice paste, and cover the whole cake with it. It's perfect for filling in those lumps and bumps and the gaps between layers. And the cake spackle made from this cake tastes like brownie batter! And there's nothing wrong with that!

BTW, I served this cake with the cookies and cream filling from The WHimsical Bakehouse (basically whipped cream with chopped Oreos) and a whipped cream icing. I took it to a work function and there were a few people that actually lost their composure eating this cake! One woman even clung to my arm and told me it was the best cake she had ever eaten in her life! Come to think of it, I think there were at least three people that told me that. Of course, this was not an egullet kind of crowd. I was actually hoping someone would tell me what they would like changed about it, but alas, everyone thought it was perfect. So . . . I guess I've found my winner!

Oh, and sorry I've rambled on for so long - I was just VERY pleased with the results of this cake!

Katie

[aidensnd2]

I finally got around to trying this recipe today. I won't have the final results until tomorrow as they are in the freezer overnight but I did have a couple of questions.

First, how much are people's cakes rising? Mine didn't rise much at all. What kind of ending height are people getting from a 9 inch round?

Secondly, how moist should they be. I baked mine for almost an hour in a recently calibrated 300 degree oven and they still were very moist, almost fudgy, when they came out of the oven. They seemed almost too moist when I handled them but a skewer came out clean, I'll see how they end up after freezing.

I noticed that one of the posters mentioned creaming the butter and sugar. I had the sugar in with the dry ingredients and the butter with the wet, is that correct? I mixed the wet for quite a while to get it smooth and it thickened up quite a bit to an almost mayo like consistency. Anyone else experience this?

Thanks

Dan

[Wendy DeBord]

I always beat my sugar in with my butter to get it light and fluffy. In this recipe and almost all others-regardless of how they are written.........unless there is a scientific reason why I shouldn't do so in that recipe.

I understand your confusion and question...........because the way the author wrote the recipe he does put the sugar in with his dry items.

There seems to be a little confusion here. I thought we were all on to the Scott Clark Wooley recipe. Katie baked the Margret Braun recipe. I think she didn't go back far enough in the other thread to follow which recipe we were talking about.

[KatieM]

Wendy,

Sorry for the confusion. I mentioned the Braun recipe because that is what I HAD been baking for my customers. It was my standard cake, and I was trying to fix it. I did read the entire other thread, and decided that since you all had settled upon the Scott Clark Wooley recipe, that I would try that. What I posted above were my results from baking the Wooley cake, as written at the top of this thread. I used coffee and those particular cocoa powders because that is what I use in ALL my chocolate cakes right now, and I was trying to find a formula that would work chemically while still allowing for the flavor variation that I use in all my cakes. I have found it in the Wooley recipe. Sorry if I didn't make myself clear before!

Katie

[Ling]

I just made the Wooley cake today. It didn't dome too much, and I didn't get any cracks. I found the cake a little crumbly too--perhaps a little more butter in the recipe would make it more moist? This recipe is almost identical to my favorite chocolate cake recipe, from Martha Stewart. (That recipe has slightly less flour--2 and 3/4 cup- but the same amount of fat--1 and 3/4 cup, and 4 eggs instead of 3). The Stewart cake is definitely more moist, and a little sweeter too (it has 2 and 1/2 cups sugar), which I prefer.

To improve the Wooley recipe, I would suggest cutting the baking soda down to 1 tsp., and adding perhaps 1/4 cup more butter and an egg.

[amccomb]

I just started reading this thread, and I noticed someone commented that they weren't sure how this cake would work as a layer cake? I am looking for a really wonderful chocolate layer cake to use as a 10 inch portion of a wedding cake, and I'm wondering if I could make this work.

Any thoughts?

[Wendy DeBord]

This recipe bakes up fine in any size layer cake...........just don't use a unusually deep pan...but than most cakes don't bake correct if the batter is too deep. I think it's pretty good as is, I use it for all my chocolate wedding cakes. Never has it been dry (it's almost too moist actually)..........so I don't know what happened for you Ling.

[Ling]

Perhaps I overbaked it for a few minutes. It wasn't dry, but it wasn't as moist as the Stewart cake.

[nightscotsman]

I really liked the Wooley recipe that Wendy originally posted, excecpt I thought it could be a little less crumbly and have a bit more structure. Well, I finally got around to experimenting and I think I've come up with a version that comes closer to what I wanted. The main changes are increasing the eggs from 3 to 4 and changing the mixing method. Here is what I did:

combine, cover, and let cool to room temp:

1-1/2 cups cocoa (I used Hershey's)

1-1/2 cups boiling water

Then add:

1 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup oil

2 tsp vanilla

Combine separately and set aside:

3 cups AP flour

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

Cream together:

3/4 cup softened butter

2 cups sugar

Add one at a time, beating well:

4 eggs

Add flour mixture altnernating with the cocoa mixture, ending with the flour. Bake at 300 degrees for 45-55 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pan. Unmold and wrap in plastic until cool.

[KarenS]

I still don't use the Scott recipe- I like the one I have much more. I also alter mine when needed by adding some great Valrhona chocolate. etc... I make about 40-50 a week.

[KatieM]

Just to reiterate how much I like this cake, I thought I'd share that I made this cake yesterday for my birthday. Yes, I made my own birthday cake. Kind of sad, yes, but this way I get to choose exactly what goes in it, and what kind of cake I get. Besides, if my roommate had made it, well . . .

I iced it with a different buttercream than I usually use. This one started with a creme anglaise that you beat into the butter and then add an Italian meringue to. Anyone know what that's called? RLB calls it "silk meringue buttercream" but I'm sure there's a more standard name for it. Just like she calls IMBC "mousseline buttercream" or whatever. Regardless of what this buttercream was called, it was awesome. It think I ate about half a cup of it while I was trying to ice the cake. I know that's a lot of buttercream to eat straight, but trust me, this buttercream you could eat the whole batch!

Anyway, point being, this cake rocks. I may try Neil's mixing method next time, though. Just for the sake of comparison.

[munchymom]

I had occasion to make this cake over the weekend. Ordinarily I never bake (literally - I had to go out and buy cake pans). However, my son was turning two, and I have somewhere managed to acquire the notion that if a child's birthday cake is not homemade by his mother, said mother is certain to burn in hell. I made the recipe as originally written (starting with mixing all the wet ingredients), and even with the mixer on the lowest speed I quickly realized at least one reason it isn't often done that way. I had to add a few spoonfuls of the dry ingredients just to get the stuff to stay in the bowl. I managed to mix the cake and get it into the pans without further incident, baked it for one hour, and took the pans out to cool. There were a few tense moments when the cakes failed to come out of the pans on the first try, but after a heartfelt prayer and a hefty whack on the cutting board, both cakes emerged unscathed. I frosted the cake with buttercream (the Marshmallow Fluff recipe) and decorated cheerfully. Perhaps by his next birthday I'll learn how to frost cakes without the crumbs all getting in the frosting. The verdict? The cake was DELICIOUS. Great texture, great flavor. Seriously - I couldn't believe a dessert that tasted that good came out of my kitchen. I might not even wait until the little guy has another birthday to make it again.

[Edited to add that my avatar is a picture of the birthday boy enjoying his cake.]

Edited October 4, 2004 by munchymom (log)

[Samaki]

I've just finished baking enough chocolate cake for 100, and made some observations along the way that might be of help to someone.

1. All the times I've baked this as a 9-inch cake at 300 I've never had any trouble with doming or cracking. When I baked it as a 12-inch, though, it both domed and cracked (and even tunneled a little). In retrospect, I realized I'd forgotten to adjust the leavening for the larger pan size. I'd say this recipe is extrta sensitive to the amount of leavening. A tiny bit too much leavening and poof. I've never had a cake react this dramatically before.

2. I also baked one 12 inch layer at 325. It domed and cracked more than the 300 degree layer.

3. Unlike the last time I made this, I used dutched cocoa - what a big difference in flavor. No more bitterness, just rich, dark chocolate.

4. I also managed to overbake one layer slightly, and I mean by at most 5 minutes. The edges went all dry and crumbly. I'd say this cake is extra sensitive to overbaking.

5. It's still my favorite for a moist, rich butter-style cake.

[aidensnd2]

For those of you who have frozen this cake, did you let it completely cool to room temp before freezing?

[Samaki]

Yes.

[chefpeon]

I'm resurrecting this thread a bit because I will be trying this cake this afternoon.

I'll be using Neil's method because it makes more sense to me.

I actually have a tried and true chocolate cake recipe that I use a lot that I'm quite happy

with, but gosh, one always wonders if they can do better, you know?

Actually this Woolley recipe is quite similar to my ol' tried and true, except that it has

both butter and oil, whereas my cake has just oil. Also, my cake doesn't call for any

boiling water either. One thing I really like about my tried and true is how easy it is to

mix......first, you dump all your dry ingredients in the bowl, mix 'em around, add oil,

vanilla and eggs, mix, then add buttermilk in four parts, scraping down bowl often....

then bake.

I will be trying the Woolley/Robertson tweak and reporting back to you all tonight.

[Patrick S]

I'm going to give this cake a second try also. I made it once, months ago, and didn't like the taste. Subsequently I found out that the problem was the Ghirardelli cocoa I used. At the time I was trying every type of cocoa, one by one, and when I made this cake I happened to be trying g-delli. While I think their chocolate is great for the money (I can get their semisweet for less than $1.50 per lb), among the best of the lower-cost products, their cocoa is just horrible. I didnt even use up the can I bought. Maybe with a good Droste or Valrhona or even Hershey's dutched, this would be much better.

Edited February 27, 2005 by Patrick S (log)

[CanadianBakin']

I've made this twice now and both times it's been dry. The second time I was very careful about testing. It wasn't springing back so I put it in a couple minutes longer and then it was too dry. Should I have used the toothpick method and not worried about it springing back? I've since found another recipe on epicurious.com that's very moist and deep chocolate flavour but if I can figure out why this cake turns out dry, I'll try again.

[Patrick S]

I use the toothpick test with all my cakes, pulling the cakes either with a few crumbs or completely clean. I think you could be mislead if you just go by the feel of the surface of the cake.

[Wendy DeBord]

I use the toothpick test with all my cakes, pulling the cakes either with a few crumbs or completely clean. I think you could be mislead if you just go by the feel of the surface of the cake.

←

I totally ditto that Patrick. This cake hasn't got a spring to it to test for. The spring test only works for certain types of cakes. As an example, you can't use the spring test for a flourless chocolate cake or a cheesecake.

[chefpeon]

Ok, as promised, here is my report.

I used Neil's mixing method and followed the recipe closely except for four things:

*I used only three eggs since mine were extra large and Neil's used 4 large eggs (besides, the original recipe only called for three)

*I used cake flour

*I added a teaspoon of Medaglia D'Oro espresso powder to the cocoa/hot water thingy

*The cocoa I used was half dutched and half regular (I always use dutched, but I couldn't bring

myself to pay $9.99 retail for an 8 ounce box of Droste, so I bought the Hershey's for $3.69)

My wholesale price for dutched is so much better at work, but was too lazy to go there...the store

was closer.

I was able to bake 2 8 inch cakes and 2 6 inch cakes with this recipe. Each pan was filled about

halfway full.

Oven was at 300 (yes, I have a thermometer). Only took about 30 minutes for those puppies to bake (nowhere near an hour-but I figured as much, especially for the 6 inchers).

When the cakes came out, they looked just like Wendy's pics earlier in this thread. A little domed and cracked, and a dullish surface. They didn't rise a whole lot, but that's ok by me. I will note, however, that even though I rotated my cakes halfway through baking time, the cakes that started out on the bottom shelf had less doming and cracking than the ones that started out on the top, where there's more heat in my oven. I would venture to say that anyone who is concerned with the doming thing to lower the oven temp even more (maybe to 275) and doming wouldn't be a problem.

But here's how I see it. I never see doming as a problem, because I cut off the top part of my cakes anyway, whether they are domed or not. I do that to expose the crumb for better simple syrup soakage. So I have level cakes no matter what.

After the cakes cooled a bit, I leveled off the tops with my serrated knife so I could have a look at the crumb and sample a bite. Very very tasty, not too sweet, fine crumb, and an earthy chocolatey fudgy flavor. It did seem a bit crumbly, and probably even more so, since I used cake flour. But it wasn't "fall apart" crumbly, at least not as far as I could tell.

The layers are in the fridge now. I will be splitting and filling the 8 inch cakes for an order on Wednesday, and I'll know better then, how much I like this cake compared to my "tried and true". My follow up will come on Tuesday evening.

I was going to include pictures with this little report, but I cannot find my digital camera!!! It's

gone missing, and I'm pretty upset about it! The last time I used it, I was taking pics of my

banana cake trial. It never left the house, I'm sure. I looked everywhere, even in my flour

drawer.....and the fridge! Argh!

Edited February 27, 2005 by chefpeon (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

Annie, did you forget to shock the cake by putting it in the freezer right after taking it out of the oven.......if so, that might throw things off. I think it tastes better after it's been frozen. If you underbake it and freeze it, it becomes gooey....so don't underbake this cake.

Also I've been playing with this cake a bit lately...and discovered the temp. makes a HUGE difference as you noticed with the doming or not!! The lower your temp. and the more level your cake. Hotter heat = huge domes. Even though I level my cakes too I was baking at 350F (because of everything else I bake in the same oven at the same time) and throwing out alot of domed cake. I'm now going thru the pains of lowering my oven temp. for this cake. It's totally worth it and I'm no longer needing to level it. For my wedding cakes it's easiest to measure the amount of batter in each pan so their even, bake at a low heat and get cakes I don't have to level.

[CaliPoutine]

Im curious, did you ever try the black magic cake from Hershey's? That is my all-time fav chocolate cake.

[Patrick S]

I made a 1/2 batch of the cake following the recipe in the first post, with the following changes. First, I used sour cream rather than buttermilk. Second, I used 2 eggs rather than 1.5. Third, I baked at 325F rather than 300. The toothpick was very wet at 25, and completely clean at 30, when I took it out. For the cocoa, I used half Droste and half Valrhona (because I only had a little Droste left and wanted to use it up so I could make shelf space). I baked it in a 9" springform. Instead of coffee, I used a little espresso powder in the boiling water.

Of course I wasn't going to let this thing sit overnight before I tasted it, so I let it cool for maybe 2 hours.

Overall, I like it fairly well. Its certainly a hell of a lot better than the last time I made this cake with the Ghirardhelli cocoa. I guess I'd give it 3 out of 5. Good moisture. Very soft. Could be maybe a little bit sweeter. Didn't rise very much.

[M. Lucia]

You really like sour cream in your cakes, don't ya?

Lovely photos, I've been wondering what kind of camera you use?

It does look extremely moist. Was it very chocolate-y?

Ditto on Ghardelli- decent chocolate for the price, terrible cocoa. I usually just have Hershey's on hand, though I know there's better stuff out there.