Chocolate Dairy Free cake

[JeanneCake]

I'm now on a hunt for a recipe that appeared between 20-30 years ago in the Boston Globe's Confidential Chat pages (it was a printed forum "newsgroup" from way before the computer age). My mother got lots of terrific recipes from it, and one of them was called "Wowie Cake". As I remember it, it had flour, sugar, oil, vinegar, maybe some vanilla, cocoa and I cannot remember if it had eggs or not. It got mixed up in a single bowl, it was easy to put together and it rose and had a nice crumb. At one point, I think the recipe was reprinted with a cream cheese frosting.

Anyway, I was reminded of it today when I was baking a cake per a client's request for a lactose intolerant group. The cake from the client's recipe is about a half inch high and very heavy - I don't think this is how it was supposed to come out but they originally wanted me to use a Duncan Hines boxed mix because it is/was dairy free and something they could have without worries. But when I went to the market to get this mix, I noticed that it listed non-fat dry milk and called them; then they gave me this recipe (verbatim):

2 cups cake flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix above ingredients til blended, then make a well in the center. Add the following:

2 eggs

1 cup cold brewed coffee

1 cup rice dream (a milk "substitute")

1/2 cup veg. oil

2 tsp vinegar

The batter is thin (an understatement!); pour into greased/floured 9x13 pan; bake at 350 for 35-40 mins.

So, I think there's a lot of liquid in this recipe for this amount of dry ingredients, I also think that my cocoa (Felchlin) is not what the average home-based cook has, and the sugar I use (fruit fine) is a finer granulation than what home based cooks use, I don't think either of these two differences are totally responsible for this cake being so dense/heavy and so very thin. There's barely enough leavening to support it and there's no structure to speak of.

Anyway, if you've ever heard of the Wowie Cake and have a recipe, I'd love to have it again. And if you have any thoughts about this formula, I'm all ears. The cake is already done (it's SO heavy!! For lactose intolerant clients and those who need a dairy free alternative, I make a meringue buttercream with Fleischmann's unsalted margarine instead of butter. As long as it's flavored with something like raspberry or blackberry, it masks the margarine and works pretty well.)

Thanks!

Jeanne

[CanadianBakin']

It's also called Wacky or Crazy cake. I'll try to post it later if someone else doesn't beat me to it.

[chefpeon]

If it's just the lactose thing they are worried about, couldn't you use Lact-Aid milk if the recipe

required milk?

Lact-Aid is sold virtually everywhere......I think it would make a great sub.

[McDuff]

I make a chiffon genoise when I am asked for a dairy free cake. Confidential Chat has been discontinued. I used to respond to it sometimes. I have a bunch of clippings from it with oddball recipes like Bailey's hot fudge sauce. I could go for a Bailey's sundae right now.

Edited July 22, 2006 by McDuff (log)

[JeanneCake]

Don't I wish I remembered Lact-aid! Would have saved me a lot of grief. (this order came in on Tuesday and it's a quiet week - no weddings!! so I needed something to torture myself with )

Not being lactose intolerant, I can't relate to what it's like; some people tell me they can handle the milk (in my white and yellow cakes) and butter, some can't handle the butter (so we have to do the Fleischmann's, which is really IMHO awful but if you can't have icing any other way I guess it's ok) others are ok with soy milk or soy butter Some people tell me that if the dairy is cooked, they can handle it, but if it is raw, they can't.

I remember people telling me about this Duncan Hines thing, they must have changed it since the last time someone asked me for it, which was years ago.

[alanamoana]

i've read somewhere on this board that crisco butter flavored sticks are a decent sub for butter in some cases as well. don't know if it is any better than fleishmans, but you could give it a try for some other recipes maybe.

also, i have a recipe for a chocolate mayonnaise cake that is really good (like a devil's food cake). the batter for that is really thin, but it bakes up nice and spongey and delicious. there's no dairy in it as the liquid is just water.

[Pam R]

Earth Balance margarine sticks are the best sub. If you can find it, Manischewitz makes a decent non-dairy cake mix.

Sorry - I've never heard of a Wowie Cake - but I love the name! Good luck!

[RodneyCk]

I have had my fair share of creating chocolate cake recipes, and finally created one that was exactly what I was after, so I can give you a few hints about the one you posted. First, the leavening in this recipe looks way low, which is probably why it is baking up flat. I would use 1 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt.

Second, chocolate cakes that have a very liquid batter are usually the best ones, so do not decrease your liquids, the amounts look fine.

Bake at 325F for a bit longer, not 350F, usually for about 45 to 60 minutes, but start testing at 45min. Chocolate burns easily, even in cakes and they usually come out more moist and best when cooked at this temp.

Brown sugar is better in chocolate cakes, so think about using half white/half brown or all brown. I would go with the later.

I think the rest looks fine and that should work. The only other thing I might try after all of that would be to increase eggs by 1 egg yolk, but wait and see if the above works first before trying this.

Oh, and 1 cup instead of 3/4 c of chocolate would be good, more chocolate, yum.

Good luck.

[SweetSide]

....

I remember people telling me about this Duncan Hines thing, they must have changed it since the last time someone asked me for it, which was years ago.

←

I have Jewish friends who keep kosher and they were telling me about going out and buying up all the Duncan Hines mixes they could find because they did change their ingredient list to include milk.

[Swisskaese]

Georgio Locatelli has a cake recipe like you are describing:

Torta di cioccolata alla Margherita

Caster sugar is granulated sugar and icing sugar is powdered sugar.

Edited July 22, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[beccaboo]

Here's an English WWII recipe that looks just like my recollection of my grandmother's wacky cake--the only difference being that she mixed it in the ungreased pan, and made three little wells that she added the wet ingredients to.

Choc Cake

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

6 oz plain flour -- (175g)

6 oz granulated sugar -- (175g)

2 oz cocoa powder -- (50g)

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

4 fl oz (115ml) vegetable oil

8 fl oz (225ml) water

icing sugar (optional)

Preheat oven to 190C (375F/gas mark5)

Grease (if not non stick!) and line an 8in (200mm) cake tin.

In a mixing bowl combine the Flour, Sugar, Cocoa, bicarb of soda and

salt.

Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add the vanilla, vinegar and oil. Gradually stir in the water. Continue stirring until blended, but don't overmix.

Pour batter into the tin and bake for 35 to 40 mins OR until a knife

inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool in the tin on a wire rack if possible for 10 mins, then take out to

cool completely.

[CanadianBakin']

Thanks beccaboo! That's the one I was thinking of.

Edited July 22, 2006 by CanadianBakin' (log)

[shaloop]

then they gave me this recipe (verbatim): 

2 cups cake flour

2 cups white sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Mix above ingredients til blended, then make a well in the center.  Add the following:

2 eggs

1 cup cold brewed coffee

1 cup rice dream (a milk "substitute")

1/2 cup veg. oil

2 tsp vinegar

The batter is thin (an understatement!); pour into greased/floured 9x13 pan; bake at 350 for 35-40 mins.

So, I think there's a lot of liquid in this recipe for this amount of dry ingredients,

←

This is very close to my version of Hershey's Perfectly chocolate cake. The only differences are that it uses rice dream and vinegar instead of buttermilk. Should be o.k. And significantly less leavening. I use 2 tsp baking powder + 1 tsp baking soda. Everything else, amounts and all, are the same as my recipe. Also, I use hot coffee and add it last after the other wet and dry ingredients are mixed thoroughly. (If I want it moister, I add 1/4 cup more oil. But if I need to split and fill it I stick with 1/2 cup and it works fine.) It's a very good cake. So in case my above ramblings weren't clear, the recipe they gave you should be fine with the addition of more leavening.

Here is a link to Hershey's Black Magic Cake It is VERY similar.

[canucklehead]

Here's a recipe that I got out of epicurious. It is a decent - if sweet chocolate cake. You need to check on the dairy content of the chips - otherwise it's dairy free (and vegan).

The frosting is not so great - and it contains dairy anyways. But I wanted to give the full recipe.

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH COCOA FROSTING

(Bon Appetit)

A joint effort by Leigh McLean and Sweet Dreams Bakery in Memphis.

For cake

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups cold water

1 cup corn oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

For frosting (Not so good)

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

5 cups powdered sugar

8 tablespoons (about) whole milk

1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Make cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Mix water, oil and vanilla in large bowl. Whisk in dry ingredients. Divide batter among pans. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chocolate chips over batter in each pan.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out; cool completely.

Make frosting:

Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in 3 cups sugar. Beat in 6 tablespoons milk and vanilla. Add cocoa and remaining 2 cups sugar; beat until blended, thinning with more milk if necessary.

Place 1 cake layer, chocolate-chips side up, on platter. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer, chocolate-chips side up. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over. Top with remaining cake layer, chocolate-chips side down. Spread frosting over sides and top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; let stand at room temperature.)

Serves 8 to 10.

Bon Appétit

September 1995

Edited July 22, 2006 by canucklehead (log)

[JeanneCake]

Thank you, everyone! The Wacky cake recipe is what I remember my mother making.... thanks Canucklehead and Shaloop for the recipe and link. The Hershey cake calls for A/P flour, and soda with all the other ingredients so I'm sure that's why that photo looks a whole lot better than what I got!

Anyway, it's so nice to have other reliable options now to offer people.