Chocolate Cake Recipes

Chocolate cake is made with chocolate; it can be made with other ingredients, as well. These ingredients include fudge, vanilla crème, and other sweeteners. The history of chocolate cake goes back to 1764, when Dr. James Baker discovered how to make chocolate by grinding cocoa beans between two massive circular millstones.

1828, Conrad Van Houten of the Netherlands developed a mechanical extraction method for extracting the fat from cacao liquor resulting in cacao butter and the partly defatted cacao, a compacted mass of solids that could be sold as it was “rock cacao” or ground into powder. The processes transformed chocolate from an exclusive luxury to an inexpensive daily snack. A process for making silkier and smoother chocolate called conching was developed in 1879 by Swiss Rodolphe and made it easier to bake with chocolate as it amalgamates smoothly and completely with cake batters. Until 1890 to 1900, chocolate recipes were mostly for drinks.

The Duff Company of Pittsburgh, a molasses manufacturer, introduced Devil’s food chocolate cake mixes in the mid 1930s, but introduction was put on hold during World War II. Duncan Hines introduced a “Three Star Special” (so called because a white, yellow or chocolate cake could be made from the same mix) was introduced three years after cake mixes from General Mills and Duncan Hines, and took over 48 per cent of the market.

In the U.S., “chocolate decadence” cakes were popular in the 1980s; in the 1990s, single-serving molten chocolate cakes with liquid chocolate centres and infused chocolates with exotic flavours such as tea, curry, red pepper, passion fruit, and champagne” were popular. Chocolate lounges and artisinal chocolate makers were popular in the 2000s. Rich, flourless, all-but-flourless chocolate cakes are now standard in the modern pâtisserie,” according to The New Taste of Chocolate.

Last night, I spent a pleasurable hour watching the Hairy Bikers in Bavaria. Their new series is all about baking and they are touring the whole of Europe searching out the best bakers and the best recipes. The highlight of last night’s show was when they went to a bakery in the Black Forest and watched a genuine Black Forest cake being made. They then went off into the forest and made a Black Forest Gateau for themselves. What better way to start off this collection of chocolate cake recipes, then with the Black Forest Cake.

RICH BLACK FOREST CAKE

250g butter
1 tablespoon dry instant coffee
1 ½ cups hot water
200g dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups castor sugar
1 ½ cups self-raising flour
1 cup plain flour
¼ cup cocoa
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 x 300ml cartons thickened cream
2 x 425g cans cherries, drained
¼ cup kirsch

Grease a deep 23cm round cake pan, line base and sides with paper; grease paper well. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in combined coffee and hot water, then chocolate and sugar; stir over low heat without boiling until smooth. Transfer to large bowl, cool to warm. Beat mixture on low speed with electric mixer; gradually beat in sifted dry ingredients in 3 lots. Beat in eggs one at a time, then essence. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake in slow oven for about 1 ¾ hours. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool.

Beat cream until firm peaks form. Trim the top of the cake to make it flat. Split cake into 3 even layers. Place one layer on to serving plate, brush with 1/3 of the kirsch, top with a layer of cream and half the halved cherries. Repeat layering twice more, brush top of cake with remaining kirsch. Cover cake with remaining cream, decorate with cherries and chocolate curls if desired.

SACHER TORTE

There are countless variations of the traditionally secret recipe for this cake. This is our favourite version.

150g dark chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon water
155g unsalted butter
1/2 cup castor sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons castor sugar, extra
2/3 cup apricot jam

CHOCOLATE ICING
125g dark chocolate, chopped
125g unsalted butter

Grease a deep 23cm round cake pan, line base with paper; grease paper. Melt chocolate in heatproof bowl over hot water, stir in water; cool to room temperature.

Cream butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks one at a time, beat until combined. Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in chocolate mixture, then sifted flour. Beat egg whites in small bowl until soft peaks form, gradually add extra sugar, beat until dissolved between each addition; fold lightly into chocolate mixture. Spread into prepared pan. Bake in moderate oven for about 30 minutes. Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool; leave cake upside down.

Split cold cake in half, place on to serving plate. Heat and strain jam, brush over half the cake. Top with remaining half of cake, brush cake all over with remaining jam. Stand about 1 hour at room temperature to allow jam to set. Spread top and side of cake with icing, set at room temperature.
Chocolate Icing: Melt chocolate and butter in bowl over hot water, stir until smooth. Cool at room temperature until spreadable, stir occasionally; this can take up to 2 hours. This icing is also suitable for piping.

FLUFFY CHOCOLATE CAKE

125g butter
2 tablespoons cocoa
½ cup milk
2 eggs
¾ cup castor sugar
1 cup self-raising flour

RICH CHOCOLATE ICING

2 tablespoons cream
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup icing sugar

Combine butter, silted cocoa and milk in saucepan, stir over low heat without boiling until butter is melted; cool to room temperature. Grease a deep 20cm round cake pan, line base with paper; grease paper well.

Beat eggs in small bowl with electric mixer until thick and creamy, gradually beat in sugar, beating until dissolved between each addition. Transfer to large bowl. Fold in half the sifted flour and half the cocoa mixture, then remaining flour and cocoa mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in
moderate oven for about 40 minutes.

Stand 5 minutes before turning on to wire rack to cool. Spread cold cake with icing. Decorate with cream, fruit and chocolate curls if desired.

Rich Chocolate Icing: Combine cream, sifted cocoa and brown sugar in saucepan, stir over low heat without boiling until a smooth, thin paste is formed. Remove from heat, gradually stir in sifted icing sugar.

baking with Bill & Sheila
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