Chocolate Cake

Submitted by ellie_

"This is a great cake to make for Valentine's Day in a heart shaped pan. Recipe source: Bon Appetit (June 1981)"

 

• Ready In: 1hr
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 2 cups cake flour or 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1⁄2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup butter, plus
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1⁄3 cups milk
• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate or 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1⁄2 cup butter

directions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees F.
2. Spray 2 8-inch round (or heart shaped) pans with non-stick cooking spray (or use a bigger heart shaped pan, adjusting cooking time) and flour pans.
3. In a bowl sift flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl beat butter using an electric mixer until soft (5 minutes). Add sugar gradulally while beaters are running and continue beating another 2 minutes or so.
5. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each.
6. Add vanilla and continue beating until blended.
7. With mixer on low speed add flour alternatively with milk in three additions, stirring until mixed but stopping at least once to scrap down bowl.
8. Divide batter into two pans (or use one larger pan).
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes for 8-inch layer cakes or 40-45 minutes for a larger cake.
10. Cool for 10 minutes in pans and then turn out onto a cake rack to finish cooling.
11. While cake is cooling prepare glaze.
12. To make glaze: combine chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Cover and cook until mixture is melted and smooth.
13. To assemble cakes: If using layer cakes, place one layer on serving plate (bottom up) and spread top with glaze, cover with top layer (top side up) and finish frosting with glaze.

Reviews

[mamapanda30]

This was the worst cake I have ever tasted. I followed the recipe to a t. It tasted awful and we couldn't even eat it. Had to throw the whole cake out. What a waste of ingredients and time.

 

[Annacia]

I made this using Splenda, the AP flour, skim milk and bittersweet chocolate. The very rich chocolate flavor is marvelous. My 8" pans were done at 20 mins. The glaze makes it something special and my guys made a huge dent in it while watching movie last night.

 

[Chef Tweaker]

I made this cake for my daughter's birthday. I don't have traditional cake pans so poured all the batter into a deep sprinform pan. I baked it for 40 minutes but at the last minute couldn't find a toothpick. I used a knife and it came out clean so I took it out. Perhaps it was too soon(or the knife let out too much steam) because the cake fell as it cooled and became too dense and moist. I used the floss trick to separate it into two layers and put cherry filling into the center. I was originally going to follow your recipe for glaze but didn't buy chocolate... hubby had some dark chocolate but I wasn't sure if I would get hung for stealing his. I looked up some alternatives using cocoa powder and sugar. In the end the "glaze" turned into a fudge frosting which was still tasty. I made icing for piping on top of that with coconut oil and sugar. Overall I felt that the cake could have been chocolatier, I may add a few more Tbs next time. I think the texture was my fault for taking it out too soon.

 

[Chocolatl]

This is a good cake, pretty standard but tasty. We didn't think it was dry at all. I started testing for doneness at about 20 minutes, but in my oven it needed the full time. I definitely advise checking for doneness with a tester; my cake was done before it looked done. Thanks for posting! Made for Please Review My Recipe.

 

[chia2160]

this was a fun cake to bake, i have 2 heart shaped pans that i rarely use. i followed your directions but also melted some white chocolate for the top and drizzled some raspberry sauce over everything. my family prefers a sweeter moister cake and this was a bit dry for our tastes. i did bake them for 25 minutes because they weren't quite done after 20, next time i would go with the shorter timing.