Do you have a favorite chocolate cake recipe?

[ikesmom]

My kids always request a chocolate cake for their birthday celebration. I usually let them search a recipe online, take them to the store to buy the ingredients, and all the kids make it while I instruct. I don't fuss about it being perfect..actually I enjoy the simple lopsided, hodgepodge frosting and sometimes hack-job cakes. I try to use the whole box of candles so that their face is bright when we snap the picture.

My youngest nephew is turning 10 this weekend. I want to to make him a special cake. He just came out of a rough home life and we are trying to really make him feel good. Does anyone have a favorite chocolate cake recipe or special spin that you do on birthdays?

[lakeruby]

I looooove this flourless chocolate cake recipe. I think you can scale back on the sugar, though. It may not be the most kid-friendly cake, but it is wonderful!
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2004/0...ame-forth.html


these also look good: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000281.html

and so does this one! http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives...ke-recipe.html

[SpuglyRoo]

This one is AWESOME, moist & chocolately and oh so delicious (now I want to go make it again). I've made it several times and it always gets rave reviews. She actually has tons of great cakes on her site, from simple to complex. This one is supposed to make a three layer cake but because the measurements are divisible by three it would be very simple to scale it down.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/pr...cake-is-baked/

[zinemama]

Perfect Chocolate Cake from New Recipes from the Moosewood Restaurant.

Now, you wouldn't think that those old hippies at Moosewood would have such an astounding cake recipe. You might expect carob or something. But no. I have made this cake untold times and it never disappoints. It's fabulous.

http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/154847...chocolate-cake

[vbactivist]

THis is the best choclate cake I haev ever had - it is so fudgy and delicious.

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/chocol...ke/Detail.aspx

[KristyDi]

Originally Posted by SpuglyRoo

This one is AWESOME, moist & chocolately and oh so delicious (now I want to go make it again). I've made it several times and it always gets rave reviews. She actually has tons of great cakes on her site, from simple to complex. This one is supposed to make a three layer cake but because the measurements are divisible by three it would be very simple to scale it down.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/pr...cake-is-baked/

I second that! I just made my brother's wedding cake with this recipe. Sooo good. I love how it's put together too. You only dirty one bowl and measuring cups if you measure your coffee in a glass measuring cup with enough room to beat the eggs right into it. I also love that it's so easy to scale up and down. I scaled it up so I only had to make 2 batches of batter for the whole 3 tier wedding cake.

I never have cake flour of buttermilk lying around so Smitten Kitchen's cake recipe only gets made if I pick up the ingredients specifically. If I need to make a chocolate cake without time to go to the store I make this one and sub hot coffee for the water and throw in 1/2 a tsp of cinnamon.

Both these cake have a weird quirk. If you refrigerate them, then try to cut them while they're still cold their texture is almost gummy and they're hard to cut neatly. At room temp, no problem. Weird huh?

And here's a decorating idea, M&M mosaic cake. I'm a good baker but have very little skill w/ decorating so I like things like this.

[Breathless Wonder]

This is our go to cake. The mayo makes it very moist.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocola...II/Detail.aspx

[ikesmom]

Originally Posted by lakeruby

I looooove this flourless chocolate cake recipe. I think you can scale back on the sugar, though. It may not be the most kid-friendly cake, but it is wonderful!
http://orangette.blogspot.com/2004/0...ame-forth.html
That would be the cake for me..the one that I slice and curl up in the bedroom with late at nite...all meh!



these also look good: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/000281.html

and so does this one! http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives...ke-recipe.html

That one is really rustic lol..no matter I could totally eat that!!


Spuglyroo
This one is AWESOME, moist & chocolately and oh so delicious (now I want to go make it again). I've made it several times and it always gets rave reviews. She actually has tons of great cakes on her site, from simple to complex. This one is supposed to make a three layer cake but because the measurements are divisible by three it would be very simple to scale it down.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/pr...cake-is-baked/

I stumbled onto smittenkitchen last night and I bookmarked it for me sheesh we are looking for my nephew..my nephew!!!

vbactivist- I think that cake is super simple which might be the ticket when the cake making takes place. I am thinking about taking all the kids to G-ma's house and baking the cake there the night before..they could totally do that recipe without me yelling "I am trying to make this work..can you please stop trying to mix it with the potato masher!!"

KRistiD- that mario cake is just what the boys would go gaga for..unfortunately we have a nut allergy to contend with ..I am trying to think what other candies I could use. My niece is getting nephew a DS for his bday so that would fit it.

Breathless Wonder- I have made a similar recipe with mayo and yes it is good! Another simple one too. Thanks!


Thank you for taking the time to respond ..since we make chocolate cakes often I made a file with your responses!!

[blumooned]

If you want something super easy that the kids can do, try wacky cake. If you want something super yummy (choc cake with a cream cheese layer) try fudge ribbon cake.

They're both great cakes!

[amma_mama]

This thread is pure evil! I think that I gained 10 pounds just salivating over the recipes! I am thinking that I need to do some serious baking this weekend...

[MountainMamaGC]

Allrecipes.com has a garbanzo bean chocolate cake that is so moist and wonderful. Its flourless too.

[la mamita]

This is the best chocolate cake I've ever tasted. I've made it three or four times now. It's from some cheap book on sale at Borders about French cooking:
french chocolate cake

3/4 cup powdered sugar
10 oz semisweet chocolate
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs separated
1/4 cup flour
pinch of salt
sugar for dusting pan

1. preheat oven to 325, butter 9 inch pan, then dust bottom and sides with some sugar.
2. set aside 3 tbsp of sugar. cook chocolate, butter and sugar in pan on low heat. add vanilla and cool slightly.
3. beat yolks into chocolate and add flour.
4. beat whites in clean bowl, add salt, until soft peaks form. add sugar, then beat until stiff. fold into chocolate.
5. pour into pan. bake for 35-45 minutes until risen. let cool and serve with powdered sugar on top.

We also have a good family recipe for a vegan chocolate cake, called pan handy pudding:

PAN HANDY PUDDING

Sift together:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 TBL cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Add:
1 cup cold water
1 TBL vinegar
1 TBL vanilla
1/3 cup oil

Mix all together with hand-beater, whisk or low-speed mixer for one minute.

Bake in greased 9-inch square pan for 25 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Let cool completely, then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into 9 pieces.

OR

BROILED PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING
2 TBL soft butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 TBL cream
1/2 cup chopped peanut
2 TBL peanut butter

Mix until creamy. Spread on warm cake. Broil 3 inches from broiler element until frosting is bubbly.

[KristyDi]

Originally Posted by ikesmom

That one is really rustic lol..no matter I could totally eat that!!


Spuglyroo
This one is AWESOME, moist & chocolately and oh so delicious (now I want to go make it again). I've made it several times and it always gets rave reviews. She actually has tons of great cakes on her site, from simple to complex. This one is supposed to make a three layer cake but because the measurements are divisible by three it would be very simple to scale it down.

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/07/pr...cake-is-baked/

I stumbled onto smittenkitchen last night and I bookmarked it for me sheesh we are looking for my nephew..my nephew!!!

Just to clarify, there's no reason a kid wouldn't like that cake. You can't taste the coffee or cinnamon in the finished cake. They just deepen the chocolate flavor. It's the chocolaty-ist chocolate cake I've ever had.