The trouble with chocolate cake is that it is too easily a dry cake. I've been on the hunt for a new type of chocolate cake that is MOIST and CHOCOLATEY. To acheive both is difficult. My first attempt was Alton Brown's recipe for fudge cake (pictured above). It was extremely moist, but I thought it was a little lacking in chocolatey-ness. His recipe: only one stick butter, 2 1/4 cups brown sugar, 3 eggs, 3 oz baking chocolate squares, 2 1/4 cups flour, 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup boiling water. What's different about this recipe? The high amount of brown sugar, the low amount of fat (butter), the choice of chocolate (no cocoa powder), and the boiling water at the end.
So on my next try to get more chocolate flavor I melted chocolate chips and reincorporated the cocoa powder mixed with boiling water. I made a milk chocolate reeses cake for Uncle Randy's birthday. It was a hit, partly because everyone loves reeses and the cake was one step closer to the perfect chocolate cake. This recipe: 2 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, 2 sticks butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 3/4 cup sugar, 4 eggs, 6 oz melted milk chocolate chips, 1 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup boiling water. Then with the addition of peanut butter frosting and rich chocolate frosting and some chopped reeses you have my cake.
The recipe isn't 100% perfect, yet. I'm still adjusting trying to find the best combination of ingredients, but I'm getting closer with every cake.
