Finding the Best Chocolate Cake Recipe (Part 1)

[skyflyer3]

Dear all,

I'll be making the Double chocolate cake recipe.  I want to use a Bundt mold and am trying to figure out the best way to finish the cake.  I have a really good chocolate butter-cream frosting, but I think that the cake might look better with a glaze of some sort. 

Would you say that this cake is flavorful and moist enough that a simple vanilla glaze would work well, or would you recommend something else to finish the cake?  I've never done a ganache for a cake, would that be sufficiently pourable so as to coat the bundt cake well?  If so, would one of the ganache recipes in Recchiuti/Gage's Chocolate Obsession book work?  That's the only book I have that has ganache recipes.

Thanks for any feedback.

Alan

←

I think either finish would work well. You can pour any ganache on the cake while its warm, the question is how firm to you want it to become at room temperature. If you want a softer, more glaze-like glaze, I would use about 1C cream to 8ozs chocolate (you can still add butter or liquer too).

←

When I baked the Double Chocolate cake last Friday as a bundt cake, I did a ganache glaze with measurements pretty close to what Patrick gave (9 oz choc/8 oz cream). I wanted there to be a good amount of glaze on there, though, so I poured it over once, let it set for a little in the fridge, then poured it over once more, and it was perfect. The cake still tastes great, five days later.

[A Patric]

Sorry for another stupid question for the both of you, but did you use only cream and chocolate, or did you also add some sugar? I don't want to mess up a whole cake.

Thanks,

Alan

[sanrensho]

Sorry for another stupid question for the both of you, but did you use only cream and chocolate, or did you also add some sugar?  I don't want to mess up a whole cake. 

The sugar should not be necessary, unless you specifically want a sweeter glaze. (There is enough sugar in the chocolate used for the ganache...and the cake itself.) Some ganache recipes do call for corn syrup, but this is more to provide a sheen when set.

To get a sweeter glaze, you could also use a sweeter chocolate.

Edited March 1, 2006 by sanrensho (log)

[A Patric]

Alright, the Double Chocolate Cake is complete. I have glazed it with a thin ganache using 8 oz cream, 8 oz 60% chocolate and 2 T. butter.

I ended up with one bundt cake and 8 cupcakes. It is true that the cake is very moist and has an excellent chocolate flavor, and I like it better than most chocolate cakes...but I guess I've figured out that I prefer something a bit denser than this. I was thinking that I might try making a chocolate pound cake using the cold-oven pound cake recipe from the pound cake thread and chocolafying it.

or

...if anyone has a very deeply flavored (with actual chocolate added and not simply cocoa powder) chocolate pound cake recipe that is similar to Becca's pound cake in texture, then I'd be interested.

Alan

P.S. Thanks to everyone for the ganache help!

Edited March 2, 2006 by A Patric (log)

[NickLam]

Hi,

I tried the recipe last night and it turned out with a good texture, crumb and mouthfeel. However, the only thing I didn't like about it was the taste. I used soy bean oil as I can't find corn oil here....dunno why.

Do the rest of you find that the cake has a plasticky kinda taste? The chocolate flavour was good, used Fruibel couverture and Schokinag cocoa. However, the oil caused a compound chocolate like flavour.

I've never used a recipe with oil before, and I am using Thai oil....which might be the root cause of the plasticky taste. Does anyone experience this with the better quality oils you have?

Cheers!

[CanadianBakin']

I just use regular canola oil. The tweaked version that is upthread has some melted butter in it as well. Did you try all oil or with butter? Mine has never tasted plasticky.

[NickLam]

Hi CanadianBakin,

I tried the updated recipe with the butter mixed into the chocolate mixture and the 1/2C of oil. I'll try the recipe again next week, substituting the oil with clarified butter instead. If no one else is having the plasticky taste, then it must be the soybean oil.

I haven't glazed it yet though, and will do so with the Pierre Herme Fauberg Pave caramel recipe. Maybe it'll mask the plasticky taste.

[A Patric]

I used 4 oz butter and 1/2 cup Canola oil. The cake has no plasticky taste.

Actually, after not giving the cake the most glowing review, I have to come back and give more info. Yesterday I tried a few of the cupcakes that I made that didn't fit in the bundt mold. The review that I gave was based on these. However, today I had the opportunity to try a slice of the bundt with the ganache glaze. It is actually far better than the cupcakes. It beats the cupcakes in three areas; density, moisture, and flavor. The bundt is actually slightly more dense than the cupcakes, and I really prefer that to the lighter cake. The cupcakes were too airy for me. The flavor also seems to have developed even more, if that is possible, leaving the cake has a virtually perfect chocolate flavor in my opinion. So, I'll have to take back my review and say that this is actually very clearly the best chocolate cake that I've ever had.

Enjoy.

Alan

Edited March 2, 2006 by A Patric (log)

[Patrick S]

I had the same experience trying to make cupcakes, Alan. The recipe didnt seem to work well as a cupcake.

[MelissaH]

I had the same experience trying to make cupcakes, Alan. The recipe didnt seem to work well as a cupcake.

←

So that begs the question: what's the difference between a great cupcake and a great slice of a bigger cake? How do you tweak a recipe to optimize for one or the other?

MelissaH

[A Patric]

I had the same experience trying to make cupcakes, Alan. The recipe didnt seem to work well as a cupcake.

←

So that begs the question: what's the difference between a great cupcake and a great slice of a bigger cake? How do you tweak a recipe to optimize for one or the other?

MelissaH

←

I could be totally wrong on this, but my first thought was that the cupcakes need more liquid since itt seems to me that the larger cake held onto more of its moisture than the cupcakes did. I don't know if this would work, but that's my uninformed thought.

Alan

[WhiteTruffleGirl]

I would theorize that the amount of leavener, while being appropriate for a cake, is overwhelming for a cupcake. When you made your cupcakes did you see a molten center of batter "bubbles" (for lack of a better term) in the middle of each cupcake and a slight center collapse?

[Ling]

I could be totally wrong on this, but my first thought was that the cupcakes need more liquid since itt seems to me that the larger cake held onto more of its moisture than the cupcakes did.  I don't know if this would work, but that's my uninformed thought.

Alan

←

I'm pretty sure you're correct--once, I used a good cupcake recipe and tried to bake cakes out of the same batter, and the cakes were dense and did not rise much at all. They were also dry.

Actually, that's why I decided to use this Double Chocolate recipe for the first time instead!

[Wendy DeBord]

I finally baked the CI recipe today. I thought it had a perfect texture..........better then any other cake. But it lacks a little in the depth of chocolate flavor.

[A Patric]

I finally baked the CI recipe today. I thought it had a perfect texture..........better then any other cake. But it lacks a little in the depth of chocolate flavor.

←

I'll be interested to hear, as odd as it may sound, if your perception of the chocolate flavor changes after letting the cake sit overnight.

Alan

[merstar]

I finally baked the CI recipe today. I thought it had a perfect texture..........better then any other cake. But it lacks a little in the depth of chocolate flavor.

←

Maybe if I repost this somebody will pay attention.

Feb 22 2006, 02:37 PM Post #387

QUOTE(nightscotsman @ Feb 22 2006, 01:29 PM)

I tried the new Cook's Illustrated recipe last night. Very moist, with a fine, tender crumb, chocolate flavor was just OK. Good recipe, but I personally still prefer the texture and flavor of the Double Chocolate Cake.

My response:

Have you tried their Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake? It's also very moist with a fine crumb, but has a very deep chocolate taste. (The instant espresso is optional, but I recommend it - I use 1 Tbsp instead of the listed 1 tsp). As with many chocolate cakes, it's even better when left wrapped overnight.

(You can find this recipe at www.americastestkitchen.com. You have to subscribe, but it's free).

[miladyinsanity]

Hm... I wonder what results I'd get using macadamia, almond or hazelnut oil.

[Wendy DeBord]

I finally baked the CI recipe today. I thought it had a perfect texture..........better then any other cake. But it lacks a little in the depth of chocolate flavor.

←

Maybe if I repost this somebody will pay attention.

Feb 22 2006, 02:37 PM Post #387

QUOTE(nightscotsman @ Feb 22 2006, 01:29 PM)

I tried the new Cook's Illustrated recipe last night. Very moist, with a fine, tender crumb, chocolate flavor was just OK. Good recipe, but I personally still prefer the texture and flavor of the Double Chocolate Cake.

My response:

Have you tried their Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake? It's also very moist with a fine crumb, but has a very deep chocolate taste. (The instant espresso is optional, but I recommend it - I use 1 Tbsp instead of the listed 1 tsp). As with many chocolate cakes, it's even better when left wrapped overnight.

(You can find this recipe at www.americastestkitchen.com. You have to subscribe, but it's free).

←

I read your previous post and printed out the chocolate sour cream bundt cake recipe with the intention to try it. I give it a try when I can.

Glad you reposted Neils response.....I did miss that.......we independently reached the same conlusions on the CI recipe.

[merstar]

I finally baked the CI recipe today. I thought it had a perfect texture..........better then any other cake. But it lacks a little in the depth of chocolate flavor.

←

Maybe if I repost this somebody will pay attention.

Feb 22 2006, 02:37 PM Post #387

QUOTE(nightscotsman @ Feb 22 2006, 01:29 PM)

I tried the new Cook's Illustrated recipe last night. Very moist, with a fine, tender crumb, chocolate flavor was just OK. Good recipe, but I personally still prefer the texture and flavor of the Double Chocolate Cake.

My response:

Have you tried their Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake? It's also very moist with a fine crumb, but has a very deep chocolate taste. (The instant espresso is optional, but I recommend it - I use 1 Tbsp instead of the listed 1 tsp). As with many chocolate cakes, it's even better when left wrapped overnight.

(You can find this recipe at www.americastestkitchen.com. You have to subscribe, but it's free).

←

I read your previous post and printed out the chocolate sour cream bundt cake recipe with the intention to try it. I give it a try when I can.

Glad you reposted Neils response.....I did miss that.......we independently reached the same conlusions on the CI recipe.

←

Hi Wendy, I've made this cake 3 times already and it's always turned out well - I recommended it on another site, and about 15 other people tried it with success - the consensus was they liked it best when wrapped and left on the counter overnight. One of the times I baked it, I took it out when it tested with some moist crumbs attached, rather than "a few crumbs attached," as stated in the recipe, and it was even better. Let me know how it turns out!

Edited March 3, 2006 by merstar (log)

[Ling]

^The recipe looks good! Thanks.

[Becca Porter]

I tasted the CI cake with the frosting. Truthfully I don't think I would notice or care about the chocolate flavor not being as strong because the frosting provided such enjoyable/true chocolate flavor.

I am sure in other applications that would be a problem though. I am curious if you all tried the frosting? It is really amazing.

[Patrick S]

I tasted the CI cake with the frosting. Truthfully I don't think I would notice or care about the chocolate flavor not being as strong because the frosting provided such enjoyable/true  chocolate flavor.

I am sure in other applications that would be a problem though. I am curious if you all tried the frosting? It is really amazing.

←

As for myself, I didn't try the frosting.

I did try the CI bundt cake a while back too, but as I recall I used all dark brown sugar and a very bitter chocolate and ended up thinking it wasn't sweet enough for me (I might have used unsweetened by accident). I'll try it again at some point.

[skyflyer3]

I tasted the CI cake with the frosting. Truthfully I don't think I would notice or care about the chocolate flavor not being as strong because the frosting provided such enjoyable/true  chocolate flavor.

I am sure in other applications that would be a problem though. I am curious if you all tried the frosting? It is really amazing.

←

As for myself, I didn't try the frosting.

I did try the CI bundt cake a while back too, but as I recall I used all dark brown sugar and a very bitter chocolate and ended up thinking it wasn't sweet enough for me (I might have used unsweetened by accident). I'll try it again at some point.

←

I did the CI Sour Cream Bundt Cake last night, and it is just about perfect. Better than the Double Chocolate Epicurious cake in texture for sure, and with a little tweaking, just as good in flavor, if not more so. It is moist, dense, and substantial in the mouth, which is exactly what I am looking for in a chocolate cake. The only thing I would do is make it sweeter - I used 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, like it asked, but I would definitely use all semisweet next time. Comparing recipes, the CI cake is all butter, has 5 eggs, and no baking powder, and it rose just fine. Filled a bundt cake pan perfectly. I'm going to top this off with a milk chocolate ganache glaze, drizzle on some caramel sauce, and go to town on this puppy for dinner!

Lani

p.s. I did change one thing - I used decaf coffee crystals, 2 tsp. So nice to get the coffee flavor without the caffeine hit. And I did something I'd never done before - I ate 2 or 3 spoonfuls of batter before sliding it into the oven, it was so good.

[merstar]

I did the CI Sour Cream Bundt Cake last night, and it is just about perfect.  Better than the Double Chocolate Epicurious cake in texture for sure, and with a little tweaking, just as good in flavor, if not more so.  It is moist, dense, and substantial in the mouth, which is exactly what I am looking for in a chocolate cake.  The only thing I would do is make it sweeter - I used 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, like it asked, but I would definitely use all semisweet next time.  Comparing recipes, the CI cake is all butter, has 5 eggs, and no baking powder, and it rose just fine.  Filled a bundt cake pan perfectly.  I'm going to top this off with a milk chocolate ganache glaze, drizzle on some caramel sauce, and go to town on this puppy for dinner!

Lani

p.s.  I did change one thing - I used decaf coffee crystals, 2 tsp.  So nice to get the coffee flavor without the caffeine hit.  And I did something I'd never done before - I ate 2 or 3 spoonfuls of batter before sliding it into the oven, it was so good.

←

I'm so glad you liked the cake! What percentage bittersweet did you use? I usually use a 60% cocoa for this cake.

Edited March 5, 2006 by merstar (log)

[Ling]

^Wow, that's awesome. The kids in my cooking class want to do chocolate cake on Friday, so I'll get them to bake this recipe and see how it stacks up against the Epicurious one. (Don't worry--I supervise closely and I'll make sure they measure properly, etc. )