THE Chocolate Cake

THE Chocolate Cake. I’m telling you, I make this all the time and it never fails. It’s also super versatile (see my variation notes at the end) you can really make this a “go-to” for any occasion. This is my “Oh, we have to go to xyz’s house for a what and you forgot to tell me?” bake. I can whip this up quick and usually have what I need on hand.

Pre-heat your oven to 350F and let’s talk pans, you can do this a couple of ways. A 9×13 pan will bake in 30-35 minutes. Cupcakes; this will give you about 30 standard size cupcakes. Fill the paper cups 2/3 full and bake 20-25 minutes. And my personal favorite, the Bundt pan. It just looks fancier than it ought to and makes a nice presentation.

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1 cup half & half (or light cream)
1/2 cup avocado oil
2 tsp vanilla extract *(see variations)
1 cup boiling water

Start by combining all the dry ingredients; sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking power and salt, in your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Give them a little stir. Next, add the eggs, half & half (don’t judge me, it makes for an incredibly rich cake), vanilla and oil. Note that the reason I use avocado oil rather than veg or canola is that avocado is a true neutral. It add zero flavor to the mix but the monounsaturated fats add lots of moisture. Beat everything together for 2-3 minutes on medium. You’ll have a very batter at this point.

Boil some water and measure out 1 cup pour it right into the batter. Start your mixer on LOW because it’s HOT and will splash out if you fire it up too quickly. Once it’s completely combined, turn your mixer up a notch and let it go for 1-2 minutes until the you’re left with a very smooth thin batter.

Pour the batter out into your greased bundt pan. Tip: I use cooking spray especially in a bundt pan because it’s easier to make sure it’s all covered. But don’t spray until the last minute so it doesn’t have time to settle in the bottom of your pan. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Check it with a toothpick toward the end and when it comes out clean, its done. Ovens very a bit, so start checking about the 35 minute mark.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before you try and turn it out. It’s a moist, heavy cake and will fall apart if you rush it out of the pan hot. When it’s ready, turn it out onto a rack and let it cool completely before frosting. Today I’ve used a Chocolate ganache. But you can also use a simple sugar glaze and add some sprinkles for whatever the occasion. (As you can see, I use this cake a lot!)

Variations: I’ve a couple different things with this cake and they give it a whole new life and are really simple. The first is turning into a chocolate/orange cake. Simply replace the vanilla extract with orange extract and top with an orange glaze. You can either use a simple sugar glaze with orange extract in it or substitute orange juice for the milk for a tangier orange. My favorite variation has to be the chocolate peppermint version. Substitute in peppermint extract for the vanilla and add crushed candy canes on top of the ganache. In this version I used broken up Ghiradelli peppermint white chocolate. Perfect for the holiday season!