It’s about time I shared my Deep Dark Chocolate Cake recipe with you guys!
It’s been on my list of recipes to post forever and somehow I just keep neglecting it. So it’s far past time!
I seriously cannot stress enough how amazing this Deep Dark Chocolate Cake recipe is! First off, it’s one of the most chocolatey cakes I have ever eaten (I have a very good bit of advice about this, it was a game change for me!). It is also amazingly moist (I know, I know- some people cringe at that word, but it’s true!). It has the perfect crumb, dense but not heavy and it is SERIOUSLY chocolatey. But best of all, it’s pretty much fool proof! It is such an easy recipe and very forgiving. I have screwed it up many times in multiple ways and it still comes out AMAZING!
What is the secret to intensely Deep Dark Chocolate Cake?
This is where I had my “AHHHHH” moment and it was the turning point in my pursuit of the ultimate chocolate cake. There is a secret to a super rich chocolatey cake that some bakers have not discovered yet. I bet you have had your share of disappointing chocolate cakes like I have. You know, those ones that are just a bit light and flat in flavor, not much of chocolate taste and a bit crumbly and dry. Man, those just make my heart sad.
The absolute best advice I can give you to insure you don’t end up with that disappointing outcome is, DON’T BE CHEAP ABOUT YOUR COCOA POWDER (yes I just yelled that because I am so serious about it!). So if you want your Deep Dark Chocolate Cake to be the most amazing it can be, do yourself a favor and get a high end gourmet cocoa powder.
What Is The Best Cocoa Powder To Use?
I exclusively use Valrhona Dutch Processed Cocoa Powder. It is my absolute favorite. Yes it is pricy, but I don’t regret a penny spent. I promise if you try it you will agree. There are a few others I do like but not as much as the Valhrona. Callebaut & Guittard are two that I have found satisfactory as well.
What Is The Secret To The Deep Dark Chocolate Flavor Of This Cake?
Well, It’s not a huge secret that coffee helps intensify the chocolate flavor in a chocolate cake. But I like to take it one step further and use espresso. Instant espresso powder to be exact. Not only is this a quick and easy way to add the flavor intensifying effect of coffee, the slight bitterness of the espresso really balances the sweetness and helps create the ultra deep, rich flavor. I use Medaglia D’ Oro Instant Espresso Powder. It doesn’t make the chocolate taste like coffee, I promise!
Will this recipe work for cupcakes?
You bet!! It makes perfectly gorgeous cupcakes with a nice dome. Just don’t over fill your cupcake liners because this batter has a nice rise and they can overflow. I find the a standard ice cream scoop is the perfect amount of batter for a lovely domed cupcake without overflowing.
Ok, enough with all the blah blah blah! It’s time to make some amazingly Deep Dark Chocolate Cake!
PS: My FAVORIT filling for my Deep Dark Chocolate Cake is my Fresh Fruit Compote. And for a super decadent combo, frost with my Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream! Try it! You will be very happy you did!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 35 - 45 minutes |
| Servings |
servings
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- 375 grams all purpose flour
- 593 grams granulated white sugar
- 135 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 +1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 Tablespoons espresso powder
- 1 + 1/2 cups whole milk room temp
- 1 + 1/2 cups water room temp
- 3/4 cups canola or vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons white vinegar
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
Liquid Ingredients
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- Pre-heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 8 inch poundcake pans and put parchment circles bottom pan. For most even baking results use a flower nail in pan.
- In large bowl, combine all dry ingredients except espresso powder. Mix well. This can be done in a stand mixer, or by hand.
- In separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients and add espresso powder. Mix well by hand
- Pour half of wet ingredients into dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated (on low speed in a stand mixer). Add remaining wet ingredients and mis until incorporated and there are no lumps.
- Pour evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes before turning out onto rack.Cool completely before frosting.
- For cupcakes: bake at 350° for 18 minutes. Recipe makes 3 dozen cupcakes
Hi! Love your blog! What do you call expresso powder? Grounded coffee? Instant coffee? Sorry I’m not sure! That’s a lot for all your tips! 🙂
Thank you! I just updated the post with info on the espresso powder. Hope that helps, Happy baking!
Shani, what the heck is a flower nail? Also can this be made in a 9×13 pan for us folks who are not talented enough to make layer cakes?
Hi Jeri, yes this recipe will bake well in any pan. A flower nail is something cake decorators use to pipe buttercream flowers onto. It’s usually a metal disc with a metal spike on it. We also use it in our cake pans to help our cakes bake evenly.
I made the cake it was delicious and baked beautifully. Thank You for sharing 🙂
Awesome! I’m so glad you like it. Thank you for commenting 😊
I have made this cake a few times and every time it tastes amazing. However, when I make cakes with it, they tend to sink in the middle when cooked. How come this would be happening?
Sinking in the middle can happen for several reasons, being slightly under cooked or over mixed. Another tip if you have it cooked properly is to bang the pan on the counter a few times immediately after you remove it from the oven. This will force it to release steam which can also cause sinking.