Very Good Chocolate Cake
By Kim Morgan • Jun 19th, 2009 • Category: Desserts
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This “Very Good Chocolate Cake” recipe has been marked in my cookbook- as a must do for almost a year. It took a birthday request for chocolate cake to actually move me to make it. I have not hidden from you, the fact that I am not a big chocolate fan and prefer a Coconut Cake over chocolate anything.
That being said, I have made this cake no less than 6 times within the past month. It really is a most inappropriate name, as the cake should be called; “The Best Chocolate Cake that you have ever eaten” or “Don’t make this and expect to stay slim Chocolate Cake” or “Don’t think that you will want to share this Chocolate Cake” might be more fitting. By no means is this just my opinion. Rather, it is the opinion of many, many people.
After cooking my through a good deal of Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis’s cookbook; The Gift of Southern Cooking you can’t help but realize that they have a great deal of humility. I wouldn’t expect them to be so brazen as saying that their Chocolate Cake is the best. I will be so brazen and tell you that it is the best Chocolate Cake!
In case you were wondering what on earth I was doing making six of these cakes, wonder no more. We did not eat them ourselves; they were ordered and delivered or given to lucky recipients as a gift.
In fact this cake is so good; I might have to make this Chocolate Cake instead of the coveted Coconut Cake that I traditionally demolish, as I celebrate each year that passes. If you are lusting after this cake and are thinking if only I could bake, hold on, we are getting to the really good part.
This Chocolate Cake is so easy to make that a novice in the kitchen could tackle this in no time. You don’t need any equipment other that a whisk and a bowl. The only part of the process that is tricky is the frosting. The challenge in making the frosting is two-fold; first you must wait till it cools, which can be upwards of an hour and a half. Second, you must fight off the passers by, who are determined to stick a spoon in the bowl in order to grab a taste. This requires vigilant supervision; you must not leave the frosting unattended for any reason.
The moist light chocolaty cake is made to sit out on the counter, as it is best eaten at room temperature. My dad loves chocolate, and if I lived near him rather than 1500 miles away, he would have this cake to celebrate Father’s Day with. My dad has a great sense of humor and often had fun tricking us.
As youngsters my parents took us traveling often and we learned to sit quietly in restaurants. We were always allowed to order what we wanted as long as we ate what we ordered. My father did give us a note of caution when it came to ordering though.
If we chose to order an “ala carte item” we were forewarned that this meant the food would come “without a plate”. As young kids trusting our dad without question and not wanting to deal with food that came without a plate; we always bypassed the “ala carte” and my father always bypassed a steep tab at the restaurants.
So Dad, I am wishing you a Happy Father’s Day to the best dad in the whole world. Know that you will have the opportunity to enjoy this chocolate cake soon when I come to visit. Rest assured that this cake will be offered from the main menu and the “ala carte”, I wouldn’t want you to have to eat this “without a plate”.
Very Good Chocolate Cake
Scott Peacock and Edna Lewis; The Gift of Southern Cooking
The Cake
2 cups granulated sugar
1½ cups cake flour
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup hot double-strength brewed coffee
4 oz unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
2 eggs, at room temperature
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup sour cream, at room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
The Frosting
1 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½ pieces
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 pound semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
¼ cup hot double-strength brewed coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
To make the cake: Sift together the sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the finely chopped chocolate and allow the chocolate to melt completely.
In a separate bowl, whisk together until well blended the eggs and vegetable oil, followed by the sour cream, vanilla and coffee-chocolate mixture. Stir this liquid mixture into the dry ingredients by thirds, stirring well after each addition until completely blended.
Divide the batter evenly between two buttered and floured parchment-lined 9″ cake pans. Drop each cake pan once onto the counter from a height of 3 inches, to remove any large air pockets, which could cause holes or tunnels in the baked cake layers.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until the cake springs back slightly when gently tapped in the center or a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove immediately to cooling racks and allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out of the pans. To unmold, run a flat-edged knife or spatula between the cake layers and the sides of the pans. Turn the pans facedown onto the cooling rack, and carefully life them off. Allow cakes to cool completely before peeling off the parchment bottoms and frosting.
To make the frosting: Heat the cream, butter, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan until the butter is melted. Add the chocolate and cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, just until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, and blend in the coffee and vanilla.
Transfer the frosting to a bowl to cool, stirring occasionally, until it is of a spreading consistency- about 1 hour, depending on the temperature of the kitchen. (If your kitchen is very warm, move the frosting to a cooler area to cool and thicken, but do not refrigerate or chill over ice water. Chocolate and butter solidify at different temperatures, and harsh chilling could cause the frosting to separate and turn grainy.)
To assemble the cake: When the frosting is of a spreading consistency and the cake layers are completely cooled, put one cake layer on a serving platter, bottom side up, and frost the surface thickly. Top with the other layer, bottom side down, and frost the top and sides. For best results, allow the cake to sit for 2 or more hours before slicing.
NOTE : For the richest, darkest frosting possible, resist the urge to whisk or beat to cool faster. Excessive stirring incorporates air, which will cool and set the frosting more quickly, but will also dilute its dark color and flavor. And, because it takes a little while to cool to the proper consistency, have all the ingredients ready and make the frosting as soon as the cake layers are in the oven to bake.
Makes one 9″ cake, enough to serve 12-16, or two 6″ inch three layer cakes.
Kitchen Notes: After baking this cake 6 times I took a few liberties.
I found that the frosting took over 1 ½ hours to set, so speeded up the process by putting the bowl in the freezer for 2 minutes, whisking frosting immediately for a few seconds. This process was repeated 2 to 3 times till desired consistency was achieved.
I also removed the parchment from the cake at around 10 minutes to speed up cooling.
Don’t worry if cake sticks some to the bottom of the cooling rack. This cake is so moist that any pieces that break apart can easily be pressed back into place.
If you have to chill this cake for any reason, let it sit out till room temperature before eating as it does make a difference.
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Kim Morgan is the aspiring writer, photographer & passionate cook of ayankeeinasouthernkitchen.com; she is currently cooking Southern food, one stick of butter at a time.
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This cake looks wonderful. Thanks for the warning about leaving it at room temperature before serving!
That cake looks so tempting and scrumptious!
Cheers,
Rosa
Coming from a chocoholic, this looks amazing! I can’t wait to make this one!
you know, i prefer coconut cake too. there, i said it. ya know what would be great, though? a combination of this chocolate cake and that coconut cake. toss in some almonds and it’s a regular almond joy.
I love this cookbook, have not made this cake yet, but I will now after seeing it like this-YUM
First, thank you for your lovely comment. I too Love white flowers, and everything else you mentioned!! Maine is my new ‘happy place’! I’ve told dh if he can’t find me I’ve probably run off to Maine!!
I was so excited when I clicked your name and it was YOU! You see you’ve been bookmarked on my computer for over a year now! I’ve even left a comment or two along the way! I LOVE your site and have loved all your recipes. I haven’t cooked much since we moved, and have yet to really ‘break in’ the new kitchen, but once I do you’ll see me here more often.
I’m with you on cooconut over chocolate, but DH loves chocolate so I’ll have to make this for his birthday in August! I remember an interview with Scott and Edna (maybe on Martha?) and they were so very special together.
It’s great to meet you! joan
Oh WOW! This looks so amazingly delicious!! This just might be the chocolate cake recipe I’ve been searching for! Thanks!
[...] Very Good Chocolate Cake at A Yankee in a Southern [...]
My mouth is watering! Even though I cannot have it, I can live vicariously through your amazing photos. They are too beautiful. The white plate backdrop is perfect and makes the cake look so very moist. I am passing this post and recipe along to a good friend of mine who recently requested a great chocolate cake recipe.
This is one of my favorite cakes ever and I make it often (and spirit it out of the house so I don’t eat it all up!)
If you haven’t made the banana pudding in this cookbook, try it. It will forever change the way you think about “banana pudding”. And definitely take the time to make the angel food cake to use in the pudding instead of vanilla wafers.
Thanks for the great photography, too.
you and those amazing cakes…
torturous, i tell you!
i forwarded this to my best friend
i’m hoping she’ll make it so i can have some
I’m always on the lookout for the perfect chocolate cake recipe. This one sounds promising. Thanks!
That is one beautiful cake! The moistness shows in your photos. I also love the close up of the frosting. Something about it reminds me so much of the cakes my aunt made when I was a girl. My own never look quite like that. And thanks for the story about your Dad. Dad’s are so clever, aren’t they?
You’re back!! Hooray!
[...] Good Food on KCRW wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThis “Very Good Chocolate Cake” recipe has been marked in my cookbook- as a must do for almost a year. It took a birthday request for chocolate cake to actually move me to make it. I have not hidden from you, the fact that I am not a … [...]
6 times in the last month? That sells it for me! Love your cake stand too. I finally got a hold of some 4 inch round pans after seeing you use yours too
This recipe looks amazing! Thank you for sharing.
I’ve included it in my Top 25 recipe posts on Twitter because its such a winner!!
http://www.theinternetchef.biz
Thank you again for the beautiful post.
Love,
Bridge x
I made this cake yesterday to take to the 4th of July cookout at our daughter’s house. It is a totally awesome chocolate cake. It is the best chocolate frosting I have ever made.
Roz H.
Hi Kim
I was wondering what is double strength coffee, I’m not a coffee drinker so I would have to buy a cup from a coffee shop.
I was wondering about the coffee as well. Can you distinguish the coffee flavor in the cake? I was hoping to do chocolate cake with an orange cream filling.
Ooooooo! SO so tempting!!
I just pulled this cake from the oven. I made the frosting last night because I planned to be busy all day today and it is for my boyfriend’s Bday. The frosting never did set up (I live in CO and it’s like 85degrees) in here. I have been popping it into the fridge then giving it a stir. Because it did not set up, I decided not to do a layer cake and just put in in a 9×13 pan. It is kind of thin looking,(again, Colorado) but a piece of it stuck to my oven mit and I ate it and it was good. anyways, I’m sure he”ll love it. It might turn into an ice cream shake. who knows? Thanks for the recipe!
The. Very. Best. Chocolate. Cake. I have EVER had! yum
I had this cake at Watershed in Decatur. It is better than good. You are so right about the frosting being slow to set. I have been making it hours and hours ahead of time. Is it me, or is the flour missing in the recipe? I’ve been drinking the leftover expresso and am a little buzzed…
Also I am addicted to your Shrimp and Grits recipe. I had been making the 82 Queen in Charleston recipe for years. But yours is more complex and amazing. Thank you and happy cooking!
Thanks for posting this so I don’t have to type it out to email to my daughter who wrote last night begging for the recipe. This is indeed the best chocolate cake in the world – also the easiest damn thing to make. The frosting, for me, is another matter, though husband loves it. I find it’s very heavy and overpowers the cake, which is dense but light textured. The frosting is slow to set, but can be corrected once it cools to room temperature by adding just a dash of cream of tartar and then beating with a mixer for a couple of minutes.
I’ve been reading a few posts and really and enjoy your writing. I’m thinking of linking to your posts from my site , just let me know if it’s feasible , thanks !
This is my second visit to this blog. We are starting a new initiative in the same category as this blog. Your blog provided us with valuable information to work on. You have done a admirable job.
Good day is Blogengine a free blogging software like wordpress? Also does it have lots of plugins and themes for it? I would like to start using it for my new blog if it does. Thanks…
Hi,
I am baking this cake as I type. One thing that I noticed in the directions: “To make the cake: Sift together the sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the finely chopped chocolate and allow the chocolate to melt completely.” There was no mention here of the cake flour. That might be a problem for the novice baker. Just wanted to bring that to your attention. Thank you for the recipe. I can’t wait to try this cake!
[...] twenty minutes of searching (that’s a long time in cyberspace) I finally found a recipe on A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen. However it was then that I remembered Nigella Lawson’s Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake recipe- I [...]