This is such an easy chocolate cake to make it will become your stand-by cake. It is extremely moist and has a rich texture. You require nothing but a balloon whisk, two good sized mixing bowls and either two 9 inch cake pans or a 9 by 13 inch pan. You can serve it without frosting. Just add a big scoop of ice cream.
The frosting for this cake is the ultimate chocolate cake frosting – ganache. It contains no icing sugar – simply chocolate and whipping cream, with a little butter and a touch of corn syrup. Ganache is the sublime concoction that is used to make chocolate truffles. Whipped into gentle peaks it almost doubles in volume. Or you can just pour it over your cakes. Use any type of chocolate for ganache – except chocolate chips.
If you are a neophyte at baking remember baking is science. In this recipe the combination of baking soda and baking powder is required as a leavening because the cocoa is an alkaline mixture. Baking soda is required when there is a high alkaline presence. Amounts must be precise – too much baking soda or baking powder and your cake will fall.
| CLIMBER'S EASY CHOCOLATE CAKE | Print |
- Cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 cup whole milk at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup very hot strong coffee
- Ganache:
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp light corn syrup
- 2 tbsp butter (unsalted preferred)
- 10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into ¼ inch piece
- For the cake:
- Set your oven temperature at 350F.
- Grease, dust with cocoa and line with parchment paper two 9 inch layer cake pans, or one 9 by 13 inch pan.
- In a large bowl add the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Sift the cocoa into this mixture to eliminate any lumps.
- Mix the flour and cocoa mixture well with a whisk.
- In a second large bowl whisk the eggs until light and frothy.
- Add the canola oil, the milk and the vanilla and whisk to combine.
- Add the very hot coffee in a slow steady stream whisking it in to avoid cooking the eggs.
- Make a well in the centre of your flour mixture and pour in the liquid mixture.
- Using the whisk mix well to combine - always whisking in the same direction.
- Immediately pour into your cake pans.
- Bake in the centre of the oven a 350F oven for thirty to 35 minutes.
- To test whether you cakes are done use a slender bamboo skewer and insert into the centre of the cake. If the skewer comes out clean and free of crumbs your cake is done. If not set your timer for 5 minutes then try again. Still not done? Set timer for another 5 minutes. That should do it.
- Baking times are approximate because some ovens may not be calibrated exactly to the right temperature.
- Cool your cakes on a wire rack.
- When cool remove from the cake pans and peel off the parchment paper.
- Let the cakes rest on the wire rack until you are ready to frost them.
- For the Ganache:
- While the cake is baking, prepare the ganache. Bring the cream, corn syrup, and butter to a boil in a medium saucepan.
- Off the heat add the chocolate and mix the chocolate with a wooden spoon to make sure all the chocolate is submerged. It is extremely important that at no time water comes in contact with the chocolate. The chocolate will seize and become coarse and granular.
- Allow to stand for a few minutes then continue to whisk until smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.
- When the chocolate is completely cool scrap it into the bowl of your standing mixer.
- Using the balloon whisk, whip on the medium speed JUST until the mixture holds a soft peak. DO NOT OVER BEAT.
- Immediently spread the ganache as filling between the two layers cakes and the tops. You can leave the sides without the frosting in the English manner, or ice the sides.
- Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
- For a quick and easy dessert (using the 9 by 13 inch pan) serve the cake with a dusting of icing sugar and a big scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.
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