smitten kitchen best chocolate cake smitten kitchen best chocolate cake

It's a great cake and I know why we love it so much: It's huge. Jenny Not sure why it came out thinner but as long as it baked up well, I wouldnt worry about it. Mmmm yum. How would you adapt this frosting for other flavors? Im thinking if I work with it while frozen all will be fine.any thoughts? I like the size. Just made this cake & your perfect birthday cake for a friends 1-year old party. (and Im not even pregnant ;) ) You might want to check out the comment guidelines before chiming in. I make little bear shaped cakes (two in gummybear shaped silicon dishes and two mini bear shaped baking dishes) and added a couple fresh raspberries. I used cocoa in the frosting instead of chocolate because that is what I had (had to add more milk to compensate) and it turned out to be just what I was hoping for. It will be a win for somebody for sure, since your goodies usually are. Thanks for the recipe! 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. The only change I had to make was baking it for an extra 4 minutes (total 26) and really should have continued baking it because it was still somewhat underdone. Your email address will not be published. Must go spend hours perusing archives, after I make this cake! I made the chocolate buttercream with 2 tbs of melted butter and 6 tbs of unsweetened cocoa powder to sub for the unsweetened chocolate and it worked beautifully. This was exactly what I was craving! Also, your cheerful writing style has brightened up my day considerably :). Im new to receiving your blog, and I have (hopefully) two quick questions: 1. I used a hand-held mixer, and made the frosting the same way, so not only did I not have to clean the food processor, I had the beater blades to clean. I have a three layer 9 inch cake to frost. And congratulations! It will be great on the second day. Maybe I just want the icing-free cake? (I use this brand.) And OH MY. Who files stuff under THE? Man, Deb I have made this cake about 5 times in the last two months. It was really easy, nice treat. Would I leave the recipes as is if doing cupcakes and adjust baking time? Thank you so much Deb. I added slightly more salt just to bring out the flavour of the chocolate but all in all perfect! I used an 8 round for the cake, and put the extra in a small pyrex which my hubby and I devoured last night, without benefit of frosting. Is dont worry if your batter Is uneven the understatement of the century, or is it not supposed to curdle like a putrid mess before becoming smooth? One question I dont have a mixer or a hand mixer (I knowI know) I normally do everything by hand and I dont think Ive ever made icing before so I havent yet found something I couldnt do by hand. Initially, it appeared to have too little frosting for my lots-of-frosting preferences, but it is so rich and delicious more isnt necessary. That was TOO easy. NB my main beef with most chocolate cakes is that they are far too sweet and rich (I drink cocoa without any added sugar at all so that tells you something about my palate for sugar) and I would not reduce the sugar in this. What do you think? I was attempting to recreate the birthday cake my boyfriends mom made him growing up: a chocolate cake mix+pudding mix based recipe. Even if this recipe is similar to some youve posted in the past, Im glad you did just to see the beautiful pictures. Thank you! Im still super nauseous though, this was supposed to go away weeks ago, and havent baked anything because I cant stand being in the kitchen. You can bake it in a 9-inch round. And eat it too.!! probably if i had filled them closer to 2/3 i could have gotten 16 altogether. I usually hear about substitutions with flax eggs, but nobody has mentioned doing so here yet in the comments. I plan to make this for a birthday party, and do a double layer 913. And the cakes seem so smallwho needs to work out?! I didnt use this frosting as I had some swiss meringue buttercream left over from a previous baking session, but am looking forward to using this frosting recipe in the future :-) Jane M Ugh, I give up. How can I make this a vanilla version? had seconds. Ive made it twice in the last few weeks. Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting would definitely be an understatement! Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Pamela I mention concerns about Dutched cocoa under the recipe. Deb, yes, I will be another one of those commenters that tells you I made this recipe and then explain how I jacked it up. It worked so well and was fun for a small celebration for two people, though it could easily have served four. NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER A BON APPETIT and EPICURIOUS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR The long-awaited new book from the best-selling and beloved author of The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook and Smitten Kitchen Every Daya collection of essential recipes for meals you'll want to prepare a. He loves chocolate sweets, but Im trying to eat better and curb our snacking especially sweets. We will definitely make the button easier to find when we next redesign. rebecca You can use cake flour, so long as it doesnt already have leavener it it, however, its not necessary to make this cake tender. makes some foods terrible, but others so much more DELICIOUS than youd have ever imagined. Dear Deb- Im hoping you can solve a problem for me. Your amazing photos have made me want cake. This was so delicious and easy to tweak to my weird idiosyncratic preferences. Think of it as my New York Sheet Cake, intense (the impact of cocoa and unsweetened chocolate should not be underestimated), rich (butter, in all of it), tiny (one-eighth of a sheet, to be particular) and quick to make, so you can just because you want it but not have it stay long enough to cause any permanent damage. Im thinking about making it on Friday to serve on Sunday am Thanks! Looked cute, tasted great and since it was only for 3 people, it was a perfect size. I also went to NY Cake Shop on 22nd st and they were really nice, helpful and had hundreds (no exaggeration) of sprinkle choices- will definitely be going back. I think you have to buy 6 at a time. Thank you for this simple and deliciously chocolaty recipe! We found this disappointingly dry and bland. Overall, absolutely delightful and delicious and will definitely enter my cake rotation. Worked perfectly. And just want to confirm its fine for the frosted cake to stay room temp for a couple days? I noticed Mels comment, but was wondering if you have any ideas about making this frosting without a hand/ stand mixer. Her answer was an unequivocal, Yes! Thanks again. My daughter is already asking for her birthday to make the SAME! Thanks for the reply deb and the toaster oven just broke a cuple a days ago lol that was the sure cause and i made i the oven an it was fantastic!!! Thank you! Fingers crossed! BTW, I often use buttermilk powder because its easier to keep on hand; it works very well. Love love love it! No, the recipe is correct and what youve written is not. Its got neither the slight fudge-like tendencies of a rich chocolate cake, nor the depth of flavor you need in a good crumb-textured cake. I will absolutely make this again. Oh, I also added a teaspoon of vanilla bean paste because over the years Ive come to believe that a touch of good quality vanilla rounds out a good deep chocolate kick nicely doesnt unduly soften it or dilute it, just smooths it a tad. I add the frosting inside the cupcake and on top. I messed up the icing (used four tbsp of butter instead of 8?! I didnt measure the exact amount, just eyeballed. Anyways, good luck! Looks amazing! The Delicious taste of chocolate ahaha. I look forward to trying it again with regular Dutch process cocoa. And so easy in the food processor a first for me! Also, I used a lightly sweetened cream cheese frosting and it was amazing together. I have two boys, almost exactly five years apart, and its (mostly) a really good gap. Hi Deb, Deb: Dont worry if it looks lumpy! Writing to say that the butter is amount is wrong. Snow day chocolate cake! I am making your fudgy chocolate cake and golden vanilla cakes from your 2nd cookbook this week and I am so curious as to why, in your book recipes, you sprinkle the leavening agents on the batter instead of putting them in with the flour/cocoa or flour cornstarch mixture as you do in this recipe? I also did a messier job of splitting the egg than usual, and got a bit of the (second) egg white in there along with the yolk is that likely the source of fluffiness, and doing a cleaner job of egg-splitting next time will take care of it? Can anyone help a lady out on how long I should bake standard cupcakes? Two thumbs up. Possible to use oat milk in the frosting instead of cream/whole milk? Every recipe I have made has turned out delicious and has brought a smile to his face. I made the same cake recipe with their dark chocolate salted pudding buttercream, and it was UNBELIEVABLE. Im nervous about its moist crumbliness, though, and would prefer frosting to ganache. Beat butter, powdered sugar and salt, if using, in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. The baking time was a bit of a problem! We ate cake outside and in the rain because thats how it goes in quarantine. Joining the gym after New Years so this is the week for this cake again. 1 large egg I may know why, because it happened to me. Details. Next time will try with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Perfect swirls! Its hard to decrease sugar (more than I have) with a quick buttercream like this because the sugar provides the structure. Took more like 42 minutes to cook all the way and I was worried it was going to be dry but ended up still very moist! Im not sure which area I am suppose to add the 1/2 tea of vanilla too. (FWIW, I tend to make oil based cake recipes if Im looking to avoid dry cake at all costs.) Like pregnancy? Made this for my *babys* bday on Sunday and we are all loving it. Thanks yet again, Deb! Thanks so much! This looks so good. And in case anyone who ever reads this comment wondered the same thing as me, I actually used two whole eggs, as I didnt want a random egg white floating around that Id have to account for. I tend to use double what is recommended of the powder, due to the mildness. I have had this recipes saved for YEARS and finally made it. There was no glaze but they served it what I think was more slathered brown butter. Works perfectly! Will report back on Sunday. RW x. I love how reliable your recipes are- I always know if I make something it will be really delicious and exactly as you describe it. Excellent, reliable cake. I find that its hard to get a bittersweet chocolate taste in a cake from bittersweet chocolate itself, because the chocolate itself is sweetened. Distilled water would be a 7. and its better still not as sweet as if Id made it with chocolate chip melts or something like the Green & Blacks milk chocolate and it looks smashing, once again! It will be harder to get butter/sugar fluffy, though not impossible. We made this with your caramel chunks idea for the brownies sprinkled in, and added a whipped frosting with cream cheese, walnut, and chocolate chopped in. Several typos in my comment, whoops! I turned this into a dairy-free, stacked birthday cake with the following adjustments: -doubled the recipe In your opinion, is there a great deal of variation in the taste of the different brands available? Can I halve egg in the recipe by just omitting the yolk from the cake base? (Me: Hmm this looks wrong..its all lumpy. . But OMG the icing is fantastic!!! Thanks! I like blooming cocoa mixed the dry cocoa with 1/2 cup boiling water; once the mixture was cool, added enough buttermilk to arrive at 1 cup of liquid total. It was pretty powerful at first while mixing, so I wont go by first taste ever again!). I think you could go as far as to triple this but as quadrupled, it would be crazy tall. Here I am, all alone in my studio apartmentwith this damn scrumptious cake. boyperson also always complains that our apartment is coldi hadnt noticed until i realized the butter on the counter wasnt soft. I must admit, we had already finished off your raspberry buttermilk cake over the weekend, so the birthday boy got two cakes this year! I have been refreshing your blog all day ever since you said on instagram last night that youd be posting the recipe today. Delicious and quick. Congratulations on your wonderful news, and I cant wait for your next cookbook! I thought Id try a different blogs cake this year, dumbest idea ever! Or do I defrost them all now, decorate and then put in the fridge or freezer? I was going to pick something more complicated, but it is great I did not because: Thanks for a perfect chocolate cake recipe! Is it very winey? I have made this several times and absolutely love it! However, I did substitute a glaze of orange marmalade instead of the buttercream frosting, since I was fresh out of butter, so maybe that sugar balanced it out. Its fabulous and the husband pronounced it the best chocolate cake hes ever eaten. I used gluten free flour (King Arthur general purpose is my favorite), subbed coconut oil for the butter and coconut milk with a little vinegar for the buttermilk (to make it dairy-free). Followed the recipe exactly as written. Can you help? Its easy, moist, bakes in 25 min. Its a recipe like this that makes me want to brave the snow and go to the grocery store to get the ingredients. I cant find her recipe anywhere and am excited to try yours to see if I can make the dreams stop! Thank you! thanks! It rarely is in my experience, often because there are other acidic ingredients in the mix (here, buttermilk, even eggs, brown and white sugar are slightly so). No particular comment on this cake (although it looks UH-MAZING), but I love you and I appreciate your blog so much. 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. O.M.G. Definitely needed the extra time, I was closer to the 35 minute mark than 25. I also have a non-standard oven (AGA). I made this using the yogurt substitute and it was so incredibly moist. Instead, I used almond milk (since thats what was in my fridge). We used m&ms instead. Wild rice, roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli and a miso-ginger-tahini dressing all piled into one bowl make this one of my favorite everyone-approved weeknight dinners -- use any kind of rice or combination of vegetables you've got; the dressing is the star. (Isnt that the whole point of cake anyway?). This looks wonderful! Thank you! Your writing is awesome, the photos are perfectly approachable and I love the process photos. :) This looks amazing; cant wait to try it! Monday was my birthday. Batter was quite runny; no worries. Hi! I am having trouble printing the recipe. I really wanted that light & fluffy frosting. ), but it was reading the word chocolate for, what, maybe the 57th time in one post, while reading the list of ingredients that finally got me. ), the perfect cake to whip up the night before youve decided to take cake to celebrate 2 years at your current job (woot!) Did I let it get too cool before I used it? Checked it at 22 minutes and then after 5 more and 5 more after that so next time Ill likely check it at 33 minutes. Woke up this morning, realized its our 8 year wedding anniversary and I didnt have a card, or more importantly, a celebratory dessert. The frosting came out awesome. Thanks Deb! Two notes: I baked the cake for 27 min and it was a teeny bit dry watch carefully as it gets close to being done. Also, I have to say we had a slice last night and my husband remarked that it may even be better the second day. This is absolutely a keeper. Category Chocolate. Thank you! Its hot and humid where I live so maybe the weather helped. It traveled well unbaked in the loaf pan, then brought to room temp and baked the next day, it turned out perfectly. Made this cake GF for our babysitter (our policy is to always have something freshly baked for a sitter) by subbing out regular flour for Pamelas all-purpose GF flour. The cake is dense, rich, and not super sweet and the sugary, buttery icing balances it out beautifully. Baby is now 3 months. Still, much better by then. But this will do and maybe I wont even share it ;). I just wanted to chime in and say this recipe is perfect for 1/2 birthday celebrations. 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. Would aquafaba work to replace eggs (vegan version)? Cat Actually, its just a smaller cake. Its funny I wasnt a cake person (blasphemy, I know donuts were my thing) until I got pregnant, and then one day I was like CAKE. had no chance of melting the butter, when you mixed it in? What do you use? When can we pre-order the new cookbook? I made brownies and was looking for a chocolate frosting for them, so tried this. Did I need to do that? Hi, I plan to give this cake a whirl for an upcoming family birthday for 3 chocoholics. Perfect Friday night dessert. Deb, the cake sounds fabulous, but I have to tell you, your introduction had me laughing out loud. sunken black forest cake. I went to 6 stores in my neighborhood and couldnt find sprinkles. I followed it exactly. 3 times? I wanted to take this to the next level though so I doubled the recipe for 2 layers and then spread a layer of salted caramel in the middle and drizzled some more on top of the frosting. I made the cakes in two 6in pans and it took a lot longer than what was written for one 8in square. Hi Deb, If round, to make 2 layers of an equivalent height, youll want to scale the recipe 250%. Thank you so much. Pinch of fine sea salt (optional) Have never liked chocolate cake (other chocolate things -oooh yeah,) but the color of this one (soooo dark), has me wondering if this will be the one that changes my mind. Divine! Whisk . Post was not sent - check your email addresses! how long would i bake for in a 10.5 inch (round) pan? Yes, thats odd, I know, but its also good. made your chicken with olives and grapes yet again last week so so terribly good!