Classic Chocolate Cake

I always felt like chocolate cake is one of those staple dessert recipes that every self-respecting cook should be able to bake. I’ve attempted to bake one a few times, a couple of years ago. Because it didn’t turn out as well as I wanted it, I kinda gave up trying, until I had the urge to try again. I wanted a simple, classic, rich & moist chocolate cake. So, I searched a bit, and found the perfect recipe on Tasty Kitchen.

A few things I should mention, the first time I tried this recipe I used 75% Cocoa content chocolate (instead of 85% that I’m using in this recipe), and I used cream instead of milk (because that’s all I had at the time), and I found that that combination worked better. The cake turned out a bit more moist & soft, which in my opinion is ideal for a chocolate cake.

And on another side note, next time I bake this, I will be using cooking / melting chocolate instead of the packaged one for eating. I found that it doesn’t melt as well and as smooth as the cooking one does (you will see in the photo below what I am referring to)

Here are all the ingredients to bake this yummy chocolate cake:

Flour, Sugar, Cocoa Powder, Butter, Baking Powder, Baking Soda, Milk/Cream, Vanilla Extract, Eggs, High Cocoa Content Chocolate, Wax Paper & a Springform Pan

Start off by unwrapping the chocolate and breaking it into pieces to prepare it for easy melting…

Put all the chocolate in a pot, add a bit of water & start melting on a medium heat, stirring it occasionally to prevent from burning.

Because I felt the chocolate wasn’t as soft & smooth as it needed to be, so I added a bit of butter. It helped! =)

Now that it’s all melted, set it aside & let it cool.

In order to have the cake nice & fluffy it helps if the dry ingredients are sifted. So start by sifting flour. I used a piece of wax paper, and sifted the ingredients onto it; it’s easier to transfer it into a mixing bowl afterwards…

Now sift the cocoa powder right onto the flour…

Sift in the baking powder…

And the baking soda…

Transfer into a bowl & mix well together…

In a separate mixing bowl add the sugar…

And add the room temperature butter, cut into chunks for easy beating….

Beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add in the vanilla extract…

Switch to medium speed and add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In goes the last egg…

Pour in cooled chocolate…

And beat until combined.

Beat in a third of the sifted ingredients, a third of the milk and repeat until all ingredients are combined.

Beat until smooth but be careful not to overbeat!

Line the springform pan with wax paper…

Pour batter mix into the pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes at a preheated 350 degree oven.

After about 35-40 minutes start checking the cake, poking it right in the middle with a toothpick. When the toothpick comes out completely dry, it’s ready!

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring onto a platter.

Classic Chocolate Cake
Makes: 10-12 servings
Prep Time: 15-20 min, 45-55 min of baking

Ingredients:

1-⅓ cup Plain Flour
2 Tablespoons Cocoa
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
½ teaspoons Baking Soda
7 ounces, weight Good Quality, Dark Chocolate
8 ounces, weight Unsalted Butter
1 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 whole Eggs
½ cups Full Cream Milk or Cream

Serve with a cup of steaming hot tea, or a glass of milk… or indulge on it’s own! Whatever you serve it with, you are sure to enjoy this dark & rich chocolate cake.