This frosting is HEAVEN. Then I put the cake in the fridge for 3 hrs until dinner, and when we had it for dessert the frosting had turned it ganache. Finish with rainbow sprinkles; dont even fight it. I made a berry compote to go with it which paired super well. someone point me in the right direction! i did end up going out to buy the bakers chocolate for the frosting and im glad i did because You have given me inspiration to make this chocolate cake. Turns out, the 41 grams of butter I used was from the cake recipe instead of the needed 115 grams. p.s. Thanks and happy early Mothers Day to you! I am enjoying cupcakes for breakfast this week! But seriously, that post about the carvel ice cream cake weeks ago is still haunting me. Ha! 4 teaspoons salt 2 chocolate bar biscuit croissant topping 1 jelly cotton candy jelly gummies 2 cups liquorice chocolate 2 jelly beans bonbon 2 caramels tart gummi bears 6 butterscotch caramel lollipops My kids loved it! Keep it in the fridge. If so any specific recommendations? This is my go to recipe for weekend baking with my kids. So delicious. :). Love the photos of this oneI can smell it and taste it! Looks fabulous cant wait to try this cake as soon as I can get the ingredients together. It wont have the same texture defrosted. Well see if the cake it too salty or not. We had a lot of fun, and the frosting is the best I have ever had in my entire life (she insisted I write that, its all I could repeat after eating it!). but I shall brave the cold kitchen to make this chocolate cake. I could kick myself for not getting one ages ago. Can you file it under I at least? I just want a few slices of cake, enough to last in our house for two or three nights, even when there is no birthday or holiday or cause for celebration in sight. Ive made this a few times and it always seems a little on the dry side. Your cake saved the day! They die for chocolate but dont care for overly sweet frosting. I made this for my daughters 4th birthday and it was awesome. How much should I decrease the sugar if I use the semisweet chocolate I have? This is my sisters oven, so I am just learning how it bakes. 6 tablespoons buttermilk (or, for ease of measuring, 1 / 4 cup + 2 tablespoons) In most recipes, you can reduce it by 25% without changing a whole lot. That can greatly affect baking, as well. Also I only made 1/2 the frosting (good gravy, so much butter!) So good! The Double Chocolate probably is more chocolaty, but I hardly notice. (It says it on this package.) Thanks! This looks amazing Deb what a perfect cake! Not that I wont eat it :-D. Thanks so much Deb! My whole 10 month long pregnancy plus these 3 postpartum months have been filled with with the desire.. no OBSESSION with finding the perfect chocolate cake. I AM MAKING THIS FOR MY BIRTHDAY IN A FEW WEEKS (and maybe before too, purely to test.). Deb, you are my shero! Made this cake this afternoon when an intense craving for chocolate cake with chocolate frosting hit. Also, the when you make a cake, they will come rule totally applies to this cake. This! I didnt use a sifter, but I did mix dry ingredients sperately. The first time I did it, I gave you a were not worthy bow b/c I had been stuck in a Swiss Meringue Buttercream nightmare. Im thinking about making it on Friday to serve on Sunday am Thanks! I`ll use a 6 inch pan and wondering how to adjust the baking time. I tried to make this one today and it burnt to a crisp, even with my oven at the right temperature. 1 tablespoon / 13 g granulated sugar Im making this for my book club tonight and wanted to time it so I could ice the thing and then hop in the car and head out, only my icing is not fluffy but oily!!! This ultra-moist chocolate cake is deep and rich in flavor and best served with whipped cream and toasted hazelnuts. Any reason I need to pack it first and then weigh? I used an 8 round springform and it rose more than your tray version and needed an adjustment in the cooking time but I have got used to listening to my cakes for that little bubbling sound that tells you they need a few more minutes. This is definitely my go-to chocolate cake. When you call for 3/4 of packed brown sugar (or 145g), if I am using a scale can I just dump the brown sugar until it reaches 145g? JP hit the nail on the head. It was awesome!! Thank you for this recipe. several times a year) and if anything, its on the sweet side. I may be making it (again) for our Faculty heads birthday next week, as a quick have cake! morning tea Im thinking about using little DINOSAUR sprinkles as well as Stars (my usual go-to sprinkle) because they would just be too CUTE. Equal parts using the coffee to thin out the yogurt? Huzzah for cake. We did not make it to the grocery store until after we were both done with work and because its COVID times our trip took two hours so I started this cake at 7. Its really airy actually and isnt overly sweet. I had to make one change to the frosting. Your recipes are always right up my alley and your write-ups are like notes from a friend. (I dont like super sweet cakes, so I often leave the sides unfrosted.). Hypothetically, if you wake up early in the morning to make this cake for a co-worker celebration and, in a sleep deprived state, add two cups of flour instead of oneyou can convert this recipe into chocolate cake cookies! it really cuts the sweetness and just has the most awesome texture a solid lid to the cake but that still can be cut through, and so creamy. Im in week 11 and only the thought that morning sickness is about to end keeps me going! Just checking in now again because it always takes so much longer to bake. (I might as well admit that I lost my train of thought a few times while writing that sentence and just thought I want chocolate cake. I think youre rubbing off on me :) ). I noticed Mels comment, but was wondering if you have any ideas about making this frosting without a hand/ stand mixer. I made this with regular cocoa powder from Trader Joes and it turned out amazing!! Baking time actually remained about the same for some reason. Sincere apologies if I missed the one for a 6 pan. So simple and so perfect. Now, I need to make this cake recipe Thanks. I dont have an oven thermometer, but is there anything else other than my oven being too hot that could have caused it to go so wrong? We made this (as cupcakes) when we were quarantined for Halloween, and now were making them for Valentines Day and not in quarantine. The results were excellent. Things like humidity and elevation can even factor in. I dont have Dutched cocoa: Dutch-process cocoa (generally speaking, its the standard in European brands) differs from natural cocoa (what you have if your cocoa isnt labeled Dutch, or if its an American brand) in that its acidity has been neutralized to form a darker, nuttier cocoa that I prefer. Chocolate Cake. Brisa I havent tried it but I feel like this recipe should be okay with the adjustment. Can I frost them while they are still frozen? However, the frosting saves the day here! I never found it, and was too lazy to try to make it (im never satisfied with my own baked goods anyway). Tonight! This is heaven and all my friends love me now. I love your recipes! Do you prefer a particular brand of chocolate for both the Dutch cocoa and the unsweetened chocolate? I made this cake and topped it with strawberries since I didnt have sprinkles on hand. Do you have a recommendation for a less sweet chocolate frosting? I still use your Double Chocolate Layer cake every year for my husbands birthday. The intensity from the smallest amount of unsweetened chocolate is surprising; plus, its so bitter, it really helps offset the sugar-assault that butter-powdered sugar icings usually are. 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature I made these a cupcakes tonight. You cant ever going wrong with chocolate cake! Wow, have I been missing out! How did I even miss that! Worked fine. Frosting in the food processor?!!! I have never made a vanilla buttercream that I liked, and Im scared to try a meringue-based frosting. Much tastier and more fun than the box mix I was about to do instead. .. is that normal? Six years ago: Soft Pretzel Refresh and Meatball Sliders 1/4 teaspoon baking soda I can relate, as I was dry sick when growing each of my two little people. Great recipe, easy to make. I dont know if anyone else experienced this, but I attempted to process it the 1-2 minutes, and something happened to it. Your name for the cake reminded me of our favorite chocolate cake recipe -That Chocolate Cake. But as youve proven multiple times a person can have several favorites; especially brownies and chocolate cake. It may not be important, but Im still wondering: have you adjusted the baking powder since posting this recipe here? I used two whole eggs for not wasting an egg white, but it turned out fine. And best wishes to you and your growing family! Thinking of getting ahead of my sons bday next weekend. Thanks again, Deb! He loves chocolate sweets, but Im trying to eat better and curb our snacking especially sweets. Reading this blog right now brings back so many memories. It should all be fine in the end. You made it a Sweet! Chocolate cake. Every time Ivve made it, Ive been invited somewhere, including in the middle of making the frosting for this one! Im the only one here! Thank you! Could it be that I used salted butter??! good luck and thanks for the beautiful cake! I am enjoying your blog and recipes. I think that sounds delicious. I saw this recipe and I wanted that chocolate cake for my birthday. After a good 30 minutes it comes out DELICIOUS. Deb Question about measuring. :). I have been refreshing your blog all day ever since you said on instagram last night that youd be posting the recipe today. Erin Was the chocolate completely and totally cool, i.e. My baking-phobic girlfriend made this for my birthday. I love the rich chocolate flavor. A combination of too much flour, too little cocoa and too much heat or time in the oven will certainly dry out baked goods. This cake is delicious and a great size if someone does not want to make large cake. Could I make the frosting a raspberry buttercream by putting in raspberry pure or jam instead of chocolate? And its not a large cake which might be helpful for some readers here. Made this last night great timing as the boyfriends 35th was yesterday and usually my desserts are too fancy for him. Me: Wow, how did she know I would think this?) I seem to have screwed up the frosting, and Im not sure how. Hi, I really want to make a chocolate orange cake. This one looks just absolutely perfect! Reading this comment, I just realized I DID forget the 2 tbs of granulated sugar in the I Want Chocolate Cake cake that I made tonight! YUM!!! Topped with your chocolate sour cream frosting (a half recipe together they use 1 smallish sour cream container) which is the real star, I think. 1 large egg The cake itself isnt very sweet, in hopes to provide contrast. and it isnt that difficult to make with that machine. Boyfriend is allergic to wheat, so I used brown rice flour (he found out two weeks ago so Im pretty new to this) and I couldnt tell the difference! I made this cake yesterday. The batter tastes amazing! Thank you for your recipes, despite being fussy, they have (for the most part) been delicious. Cocoa powder, especially in that volume, is quite bitter. But my batter didnt seem as thick as in the video and it also didnt rise very well (or as much as yours). Just finished making this and am now tucking into a generous slice. Any ideas why? Also melted chocolate for a chocolate buttercream frosting?! So simple and so good. I rescued a broken buttercream Id attempted for a friends birthday and added freeze-dried raspberry powder to it. If I double the recipe, would a bunt pan be appropriate? The result is a perfect pick-me-up cake on a weeknight. And she had marked so many pages with little pink tabs! Made this cake last night. Congratulations on your wonderful news, and I cant wait for your next cookbook! Made this tonight and shouldnt have, but am so very glad I did. 5 minutes outside on a winter day, its good to go. Thank you! It came out perfectly baked, not very risen. I definitely agree about the longer (25-35 min) cooking time, and I actually one bowl-ed the frosting somewhat successfully. I made this cake this weekend for a friends birthday. Can I do part yogurt and part coffee? Emily Im not sure how well this holds a clear shape (you might use the Chocolate Butter Cake here, for more of a pound cake effect) but this would be otherwise just find in a round pan. Hi I am trying to figure out how to adapt this to fit a 10.5 inch cake pan. Try it again and see if it succeeds this time! This is the most reliable chocolate snack cake recipe! Very good. I had the following complications: My stand mixer struggled with such small amounts of things, but the hand mixer is in a storage box somewhere, so the Kitchenaid and I had to make do. I made this last night for the office and so far Im getting rave reviews. The frosting was delicious but I didnt find using a food processor to be convenient powdered sugar clouds poofed out and it was difficult to wipe down the bowl to get everything evenly incorporated. It came out delicious, rich, and chocolatey in a way that satisfied that chocolate craving even without the frosting (too lazy and couldnt wait for butter to thaw). Ive used your recipes before- that very morning, Id used your recipe for latkes (which reminded me of my childhood in Germany- perfect texture, thank you. Everyone commented how fudgey it was. No buttermilk or baking soda (and white sugar instead of brown) in the batter and less butter in the frosting. The cake was a little dry. This is calling my name. I found you last year, bought the book, and have since made at least a dozen cakes and more. Does it take longer to eat as little squares or should I just do my usual with your cakes and pies and scoff the lot at a sitting. I also piped in seedless raspberry jam before frosting. (but we still found the cake delish . Hi Deb I actually found your blog while searching for Apple Tart recipes and accidentally clicked on this Chocolate Cake recipe instead. And as a fellow pregnant lady whos had these chocolate cravings I totally feel you. I did have to bake it for almost 35 minutes. recipes? When I warned the batter might look uneven, this is what I meant. 1/2 cup butter is 8 oz not 4 ozs! Youre not tired of it by the time its gone. The cake is perfect size too, not to big. The tart cranberries helped to cut through a bit of the rich chocolate and the frosting was smooth and creamy with just a little bite of ginger. For me, I liked it better that way! My fiance, who was weirdly unenthusiastic about my plan to make it, was on his way to the kitchen for a second piece before he had even finished the first. Fortunately, after a night of mellowing in the refrigerator, the frosting was delicious today; and although the outside edges were quite, um, sturdy, the cake inside was delicious and moist, and we didnt miss the salt at all. layered mocha cheesecake. Thank you so much for this Christmas gift. YUM. A fantastic recipe! Hey Deb! Now I need a glass of wine to round out my palate. Made this and it was bone dry and crumbly. Do you think I could add 1/4 cup cocoa powder and decrease the powdered sugar to 1 cup in the frosting? I just want to say thanks for speaking my language! Or the book! What a treat for a weeknight! Thanks for the clarification. Delicious cake, have yet to be let down by anything smitten kitchen yet honestly. 1/2 teaspoon table or fine sea salt, Frosting ;), THANK YOU for this recipe I made it yesterday its delicious. Older one is old enough to be helpful, and old enough to go to school while you have lots of time (and naps) with the new one. I wasnt sure. Weve made it dozens of time as an 88, but Id like to make it as a 913 sheet cake for my daughters birthday. Its basically one-bowl and has astoundingly good chocolate flavor (especially with good cocoa powder) for something almost comically simple that I can pull off even with, say, a 4 week old in a Bjorn. Thank you very much in advance, your answer will make this obsessive baker so happy!! Could also yield: 1 generously frosted 8-inch or 9-inch round cake, 12 very generously frosted cupcakes, or it could be doubled and baked in a 913-inch pan. Ultimately it was a success! To properly substitute non-Dutch cocoa you need to increase alkaline. Stephanie, if you cut up your butter into little pieces and let it sit while you measure out your dry ingredients it will often soften up even more. Glad you enjoyed the cake in the end. Too late. I used King Arthur Double Dutch Dark cocoa, which gave the cake wonderful color and flavor. You can find it under Sugar and Sprinkles > Assorted Shapes. Worked perfectly. Made this cake last night. Dear Deb, I made it yesterday for my husband for Valentines Day. I cant tell you how many times Ive made that chocolate loaf cake, its one of my very favorites, even thought it has no frosting, top or center! I have try this one because it look so easy and that frosting has the same bakery texture I so fondly remember. I doubled the recipe (cake and frosting) and it made 24 perfect cupcakes. It's extraordinarily loaded with apples, like a pie inside a cake. It was great. Can you tell me what size is your strainer in the picture? Yes, will double the powder. Scoop the frosting onto the cooled chocolate cake and swirl it around. Forgot to add, this actually made enough frosting for a decent thickness on the top of 913 cake. FWIW, I first peeked at the cake at 20 min, then it took three more 3-minute timers till finished. I have two boys, almost exactly five years apart, and its (mostly) a really good gap. Directions. it is the number one thing boyperson asks for, half in jest but i know he really wants it, but im not going to bake a whole giant two layer cake, and scaling down baking recipes is something i havent wanted to try. The best looking thing ever. I have some too-ripe bananas hanging around, and Id like to throw them into this recipe. This cake was so easy to make and was well loved by all who tried it! Scrape the bowl down well and dont worry if the batter looks uneven. Fun at I dont have Dutch cocoa so used standard and didnt feel it was lacking all. Used Dutched cocoa I keep it on hand because I love the deep color and flavor. No surprise there though, considering the source! Mainly, you need an acidic ingredient and beer seems to be acidic, from what Ive read. I specifically went looking for an I want chocolate cake now and happen to have leftover buttermilk recipe. So easy to make- love that its one bowl, since that always makes me more inclined to make it in the future. Smitten Kitchen's cake, which is baked in a single layer in a square pan, met a similar fate. What do you think of powdered buttermilk? We found it didnt need as much in the more exhaustive testing for the book however, if youre happy with the rise, dont touch it. We found this disappointingly dry and bland. Hi Deb! I baked this beauty of a cake this evening for a welcome home dinner tomorrow, and didnt really think through my process made the frosting while the cake was baking, but think it might be best to wrap the cooled cake and make some fresh to frost with tomorrow. I riffed off your frosting to make rocky road frosting by adding mini marshmallows and chopped toasted pecans. Thank you for a spectacular cake. My. Or The Nothing Is Ever Going To Be Okay Again If I Dont Have Chocolate Cake Cake. Thank you! Looks yummy. Just made this cake & your perfect birthday cake for a friends 1-year old party. best birthday cake; best chocolate pudding; best cocoa brownies; best hot fudge sauce; better chocolate babka; bittersweet chocolate and pear cake; . Im currently 7 months pregnant, and Im pretty sure Ill never eat them again after A Very Unfortunate Incident involving your sweet potato tacos (RIP to my favorite SK recipe) in my first trimester. Deb, would this frosting make enough for two stacked round cake layers, if youre someone who prefers a thin layer of the stuff? Those chocolate swirls of frosting! Thanks, Deb. 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar Thank you for sharing a great recipe! Kate I havent done it, but if I were going to, my approach would be to replace the buttermilk with 3/4 cup mashed banana. All of your chocolate cakes look delicious and I cant decide which recipe to use! Im not sure which on the bars are but can I use them for the frosting or does it definitely have to be unsweetened chocolate? I baked them for 17 minutes, per the recommendation from another commenter, but they came out just the slightest bit dry. For a cake like this, thats flexible, you can use either what you get in volume (from your 1/2 cup) or weight (145 grams) and youll be fine. I know youve given us variations on it before, but for some reason the photos here really drove home that this chocolate buttercream appears to be the frosting I have been looking for all my life. while at target i found star sprinkles for a buck as part of an easter baking end cap display. Thank you! 1 Easy Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting 2 The Best Smitten Kitchen Recipes, According to Eater Editors 3 Classic Chocolate Loaf Cake by smittenkitchen | Quick & Easy Recipe 4 Smitten kitchen on Twitter: "My family has been making this 5 S'more Layer Cake - Perry's Plate 6 Everyday Chocolate Cake | Punchfork Thank you. This is the Cake! I just made it for our sons birthday and if the batter is any indication this is one of the most delicious chocolate cakes I have ever eaten. are the measurements the same? This looks like heaven on earth I think I might need to run to the grocery store and bake this tonight!! I added on at least another 5 minutes, and maybe more, for the baking time. Better the same day. I reduced the total sugar to 270g (so 135g in the original size), made it GLUTEN FREE by using brown rice flour, and also used rice milk soured with lime juice in place of the buttermilk. ( thanks to the hereditary sweet tooth). I suggest a warning label: You will not be able to lay off the cake slices, nor will anyone else who sees/smells/tastes it. I guess it isnt done. Thank youit looks so good though! Thank god for that frosting, because it turned out the ratio and the richness of the frosting balanced with the sturdy, deeply chocolate-y cake that was barely almost a smidge over but not too badly. Bake on the center rack in oven for 65-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the loaf comes out clean. but how much should I multiply the recipe to make a three layer cake? At 38 weeks, Ive decided I really should eat whatever I want, especially things that might cause problems when I start breast feeding in a couple weeks.