A Chocolate Cake Thats Got It All Food

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE I'VE EVER HAD (AND A PAR-TAAAY!)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans with butter, then coat with flour. Then trace the bottom of the cake pans onto parchment paper, cut out the circles, and put them in the bottom of the pan.*
• In a medium saucepan, melt 1 cup butter over medium heat. Stir in the water and cocoa and whisk until combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for about 30 seconds. Remove pot from heat and let sit aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the white sugar, flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• In another medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs. Slowly sprinkle baking soda and baking powder over the top while you whisk. Beat until there are no lumps. The mixture may foam, and that's ok!
• Stir in the vanilla and 1 cup brown sugar.
• When the chocolate mixture in the pot has cooled enough to handle, stir it into the flour mixture. Then add the egg mixture. Each time mix only until combined.
• Lastly, fold in the sour cream. DON'T over mix!!
• Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans (I use a scale). Drop the cakes on the counter from a few inches above to get out some of the air bubbles.
• Bake for about 34-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven when a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
• Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully loosen edges with a knife and invert onto a cooling wrack. Let cakes cool completely.
• Wrap the cakes securely in plastic wrap and freeze for about an hour or 2. (This is only so that it's easy to frost the cake. If you are in a hurry and presentation isn't an issue, frost as soon as they are cool!)

BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan.
• Mix cake batter according to package directions, adding water, oil, and eggs as directed. Spread batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool and crumble. Make pudding, according to package directions, with milk.
• In a large trifle or other glass serving bowl, place half of the crumbled cake. Pour half of the coffee over the cake, and spread half of the pudding over that. Top with half of the whipped topping, sprinkled with half the crumbled candy bars. Repeat layers in the same order. Refrigerate until serving.

THE BEST RICH AND MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
• Mix all ingredients except chocolate chips at medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Gently fold in chips.
• I always use a 9 x 13 pan, by 2 - 9 inch round pans can also be used. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CAKE (WHOLE WHEAT, GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN OPTIONS)

Steps:

• If using honey, preheat your oven to 325 °F (167 °C). If not using honey (which bakes quicker than sugar, hence the lower temperature), preheat to 350 °F (175 °C).
• Line 2 round 8" cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom and then grease the sides of the pans.
• In a large bowl, stir together the sugar (if using honey, don't add it yet), flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Add eggs, milk, honey (if using), olive oil and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes on medium and then stir in the boiling water. The batter will be almost as thin as water. If you taste it, it will NOT taste good! But don't worry. It tastes great after baking.
• Divide the batter between the two pans.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with some moist crumbs, but no uncooked liquid. The bake time will vary widely depending on what combination of sugar / eggs / flour you use. The whole wheat / egg / honey version is on the longer side. The gluten-free / chia egg / honey version is on the shorter side.
• Let cool completely before frosting.

BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium heatproof bowl add the chocolate, cocoa powder, and espresso powder. Pour hot water over mixture. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk mixture gently until smooth then set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, salt, and baking soda.
• Whisk sour cream, oil, eggs, egg yolk, vinegar, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until smooth, being careful not to overmix. Batter will be thin.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Combine the sugar, egg whites, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set bowl over a saucepan filled with 1-inch of gently simmering water. Whisking gently and constantly, heat mixture until sugar is dissolved and mixture is slightly thickened and foamy and registers 150°F on a candy thermometer or a digital thermometer, about 3 minutes.
• Fit stand mixer with whisk attachment (not the paddle attachment) and beat the egg white mixture on medium speed until slightly cooled and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the butter, 1 piece at a time, until smooth and creamy. If the mixture looks curdled, that's okay. Just keep beating until it becomes smooth. If the butter becomes too warm and greasy, refrigerate the bowl for 10 to 15 minutes then continue to beat until smooth.
• Add chocolate and vanilla and mix until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light, fluffy, and well combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Place one cake layer on a cake turntable or cake stand. Spread an even layer of frosting all of the cake layer, pushing it out over the edge just slightly. Place the other cake layer upside-down on top of the frosting so that the top of the cake is nice and flat. With an offset spatula, spread the remaining frosting evenly all over the cake, smoothing the edges. Serve or cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Let come to room temperature for an hour before serving.

A CHOCOLATE CAKE THAT'S GOT IT ALL

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease the cake pans with butter and dust with flour.
• Whisk sugar, flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
• Place cocoa and coffee in a medium bowl. Whisk in 3/4 cup boiling water to form a smooth paste. Stir in sour cream and vanilla and set aside.
• With a hand mixer in a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Without cleaning beaters, mix melted butter into dry ingredients until mixture is smooth. Immediately add cocoa mixture, and beat until batter is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully fold egg whites into batter until just incorporated.
• Divide batter evenly between pans and bake until a skewer inserted into center comes out with wet crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cakes sit in pans to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Invert each cake onto a plate, then onto a cooling rack and split each cake to make 4 layers. Frost with Chocolate Frosting and serve.
• Mix egg substitute or yolks, cocoa, coffee, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl with a whisk.
• Beat butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add melted chocolate and cocoa mixture; continue to beat until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating slowly at first, until sugar has been incorporated into mixture, then at medium speed until frosting is light and fluffy. Add corn syrup, and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy. If frosting is still stiff, add droplets of milk until it is of spreading consistency. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 1 week and microwaved for a few seconds until just spreadable).
• Yield: for 4 layer 8-inch cake