chocolate cake Archives - The Midnight Baker

Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 00:00:41 +0000

Here’s a chocolate cake so rich that it needs no frosting and sour cream is the secret.

Easier Than A Mix

Here’s a from-scratch cake that’s just as easy if not easier than a mix!

It’s made by what used to be called the “rapid mix” method. It has been found over the last 50 years that the rapid-mix method produces much better results than the old “creaming” method.

What’s most important when using this method is to have all ingredients at room temperature. It’s also essential to sift the flour and generally, cake flour is the preferred flour.

While I highly recommend you buy a box of cake flour, you can substitute all-purpose flour with a couple of hacks. I give this method in my Sara Lee Poundcake post.

Not All Cocoas Are Alike

There are two varieties of cocoa. They are not all alike!

One variety is alkali treated and is called either Dutch or European cocoa. This is treated with alkali to reduce the acidity and it’s really great for baking. Hershey used to put it out years ago, but now I never see it in stores anymore. It’s been replaced with something called “Special Dark,” which is a mixture of Dutch and regular cocoa. Don’t use that in this recipe. Dutch cocoa can be purchased from King Arthur flour or from Amazon.

In this recipe you can use the regular cocoa, but you need more. There is a substitution for making regular into Dutch. For every 3 tablespoons of cocoa, mix in 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda. Keep this in mind if you don’t want to buy the European variety. Some recipes you cannot substitute regular for Dutch process.

Since cocoa lasts, I always keep a box of Dutch cocoa on hand. I recommend you do this as well.

No Frosting Necessary

Due to the sour cream, this is a rich, substantial cake. It will require no frosting. A light dusting of confectioner’s sugar is all you will need.

Extreme chocoholics may like some extra chocolate, so if that’s the case, some chocolate ganache would be good here. You can serve the ganache either as a sauce or pour it over the top of the cake.

The Recipe

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Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

Here’s a chocolate cake so rich that it needs no frosting and sour cream is the secret.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: cakes, desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chocolate cake, sour cream chocolate cake

Servings: 8 -10

Calories: 428kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1/4 cup + 3 tbs Dutch-processed alkalized cocoa (see NOTES for substitution)
2/3 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups + 1 tbs sifted cake flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
14 tbso unsalted butter softened

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round -OR- springform pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment and spray the parchment (this step is optional but highly recommended.
Whisk the sour cream, cocoa, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.
Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with an electric mixer to combine.
Add the softened butter to the dry ingredients along with half of the cocoa mixture. Beat for 2 minutes at medium speed (high speed if a hand mixer is used). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Gradually add the remaining cocoa mixture in 2 batches, beating for 30 seconds after each addition.
Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean if inserted in the center.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let the cake cool completely.
Cake top will be rounded upon completion of baking but will become flat when totally cool. This is supposed to happen.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Notes

1/2 cup of REGULAR cocoa (Nestle, Hershey or store brand) may be substituted for the Dutch processed.

Nutrition

*Adapted from The Cake Bible
*Post may contain affliate links

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Chocolate Butterfinger Poke Cake

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 00:00:57 +0000

A poke cake especially for chocolate and Butterfinger lovers! Easy to make and even easier to eat!

Easy Dessert

This is an easy dessert to make.

First it starts out with a chocolate cake mix. Then you poke some holes in the cooled cake and pour on some butterscotch instant pudding. It’s all topped off with whipped topping and crushed Butterfinger candy bars.

What could be easier?

Some Recommendations

Most poke cake recipes call for a 13 x 9 sized cake. I do things a bit differently.

What I do is make the cake in a 11 x 7-inch pan. Not only is the cake higher, but because it is higher you get more of the creamy pudding filling. One small box of instant pudding will suffice to fill the holes, but if you want to make sure they are over filled, then use two boxes. If you use two boxes, you’ll have pudding left over, but that’s no tragedy!

Some recipes tell you to poke the holes in the cake about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. I never do this because quite frankly, it’s messy. I wait until the cake has completely cooled. Make sure you use a wooden spoon with a round handle. Nothing will stick and you’ll get nicely shaped holes.

Crushing Butterfinger Bars

This is not as easy as you may think!

I don’t mean that it’s hard work, but I used a meat mallet and got bigger chunks than I wanted along with a lot of powder. Also they don’t break easily if you try to do it by hand. Trust me, I tried that first. So I just stuck with the big chunks and the powder.

On a recent shopping trip, I noticed they now sell Butterfinger pieces. You can find them where the chocolate chips are. That way, you don’t have to crush the candybars. Another good thing about buying this in the baking aisle as opposed to the candy aisle is there is no tax (at least in New York) on the “baking” ingredient where we pay tax on it if it’s sold as “candy.” The same thing applies to M&Ms. Taxable products vary from state to state, so it’s best you find out what your laws are. I can only speak for New York.

The Recipe

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Chocolate Butterfinger Poke Cake

A poke cake especially for chocolate and Butterfinger lovers! Easy to make and even easier to eat!

Prep Time20

Cook Time35

Total Time55

Course: cakes, desserts

Cuisine: American

Keyword: butterfinger, chocolate, poke cake

Servings: 12

Calories: 289kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 box 2 layer size chocolate or devils food cake mix (plus all the ingredients to make the basic cake)
1 each 4-serving size package instant butterscotch pudding mix the small box
4-5 fun-size Butterfinger candy bars broken up
8 oz whipped topping 1 container

Instructions

Preheat oven to temp directed on cake mix box. Spray or grease a 13 x 9 or 11 x 7-inch baking dish. See NOTES if using 11 x 7 pan.
Make cake according to box directions. Remove from oven and let the cake cool.
Using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes in cooled cake about 1-inch apart.
Make pudding mix according to package directions for pie filling. Pour pudding over top of cake making sure the holes are filled.
Refrigerate cake until pudding is set--about 2 hours.
Frost cake with the tub of whipped topping and top with broken candy bars.
Chill until ready to serve.

Notes

You will need to add about 10 minutes to the baking time for the 13 x 9 that's on the box if you use the smaller pan.

Nutrition

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Valentine’s Day Cakelettes

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 05:00:00 +0000

Valentine’s Day Cakelettes

Just in time for Valentine’s Day.

The special thing about these heart-shaped cakelettes is not the cake–that’s just a boxed Devil’s Food mix. What’s special about these is the glaze; an absolutely orgasmic chocolate raspberry ganache. This adds a hint of tartness to the sweet making these the perfect tea-time snack.

The final touch is a drizzle of white chocolate…but be warned. White chocolate melted is DIFFICULT to work with. If you buy Lindt or Tobler, these contain cocoa butter and will melt nicely. I don’t usually have those, but I do have white chocolate chips, which don’t contain cocoa butter. I add about 1 tsp of Crisco to about a cup of white chips and melt in 30-second stages in the microwave, stirring after each 30 seconds. This won’t drizzle from a spoon so I use a sandwich bag with a teenie portion of the corner cut off. You must keep an eye though–it will clog because the white chocolate will lump up. Just clear the lump by pinching the corner of the bag to release the solidified lump and you can start in again. Of course, you CAN leave out this step; it’d be much easier. It’s really only for decoration. If you’re brave, then go ahead! I did read somewhere that if you have a bit of drizzing to do, then use a squeeze bottle. What was shown looked like an old-time plastic ketchup bottle. That probably would work well and a set of mustard & ketchup bottles are cheap enough. Every dollar store I’ve ever been in has had them.

Valentine’s Day Cakelettes

1 box Devils Food cake mix
(all ingredients called for on the box)
Chocolate Raspberry Ganache:
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
2 tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup seedless raspberry preserves
White Chocolate Drizzle:
1 cup white chocolate morsels
1 tsp vegetable shortening
(and you may need more shortening, but add it in 1/4 tsp amts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (or 325 degrees if using a dark or coated pan).

Line the bottom of a 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan with baker’s parchment. Mix cake according to box directions. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake cake 20-25 minutes, turning pan halfway through the baking time. Cake is done when center springs back or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool on rack 10 minutes. Release cake on rack and carefully remove parchment. DO NOT INVERT. The bottom will be the top! Cool completely.

When cool, use heart-shaped cookie cutter (about 2-inches at widest part) and cut out heart-shaped portions of cake. Place portions on a rack set in a large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.

Prepare ganache by heating cream to a simmer. Remove from heat and add remaining ganache ingredients. Let sit for 2 minutes. With wire whisk, beat ganache until smooth.

Using a small ladle or very large spoon, coat each cakelette with ganache. Ganache that has dripped into the pan beneath may be scraped up and reheated and used for additional glazing. Let ganache set. This will take about 4 hrs.

Melt white chocolate and shortening. Stir until completely smooth. Using a plastic sandwich bag or the squeeze bottle mentioned above, pipe thin lines of white chocolate diagonally across hearts. Let set.

Makes about 36

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