As a working baker, there are some recipes that pass through, delightful for a time and then becoming lost to memory, and others become legends. Such is the case with this chocolate cake. It is not so much a recipe as it is the foundation of my bakery’s success and our most requested offering on the menu. With every bite, an incredibly rich chocolate flavor is delivered in an ultra-soft, impossibly moist crumb, a texture that simply does not compute and stays with anyone lucky enough to serve it. Through the years, many home bakers and fellow professionals worldwide have attempted this recipe and had consistently great results, rendering it one of the most popular and trusted chocolate cakes in homes everywhere.
What makes this cake stand out is the amazing combination of simplicity and elegance. It is mostly a one-bowl affair, simple enough for a novice to do but sophisticated enough that experienced bakers will also enjoy it. Even without a stand mixer, the cake turns out wonderfully, although sometimes I use a hand mixer for a touch more precision. Regardless of method, the outcome is always the same: a moist, flavorful cake that can be crowned with a luscious chocolate frosting, praised by many as the best they have ever had. This combination of ease, consistency, and deliciousness makes it more than a cake; it’s a baking experience designed to inspire confidence and delight.
Another defining characteristic is the cake’s longevity. Unlike other cakes that tend to dehydrate fast, this recipe yields a cake that remains soft and moist for more than a week without losing its tasty texture even after refrigeration. Indeed, its taste improves as time passes, evolving into a richer and more indulgent chocolate experience. This preservability is the result of meticulous attention to ingredient proportions and method, so that each slice has the same moist crumb and deep flavor as the initial one. Served fresh or after a few days, this cake is always extraordinary, a result of the thoughtful science and craftsmanship involved.
G.G.’s Chocolate Sheet Cake
Equipment
- 1 Jelly Roll Pan 11×17 inch recommended
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 2 Small Saucepan One for cake base, one for frosting
- 1 Whisk or Electric Mixer For mixing batter and frosting
- 1 Wire Rack For cooling the cake
Ingredients
Main
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter melted
- 1 cup water
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup butter
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 5 tablespoons milk
- 1 16 ounce box confectioners’ sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 11×17 jelly roll pan.
- Mix white sugar and flour in a large bowl. Combine 1 cup butter, water, and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder in a small saucepan; stir over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is well combined. Pour melted butter mixture over sugar and flour; beat well. Beat in baking soda, buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla extract. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- Combine remaining 1/2 cup butter, 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, and milk in a small saucepan; stir over medium heat until butter is melted and mixture is well combined. Beat powdered sugar into the butter mixture, mixing until frosting is smooth. Stir pecans into frosting and pour over cooled cake.
Notes
1. The Basis of Moistness and Texture
Moistness is the hallmark of this cake, created by a balance of exact ingredient proportions and careful preparation. The cake calls for a combination of all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, oil, sour cream, and hot coffee. Each ingredient adds a special quality to texture and flavor. For example, the brown sugar contributes a delicate molasses flavor and adds moisture, and the granulated sugar synergistically cooperates with the liquid ingredients to produce a soft, velvety crumb. This conscious proportion of dry and liquid ingredients is critical to the cake’s tender quality.
Eggs and sour cream serve important structural and flavor functions. The eggs contribute the structural framework that emulsifies the batter for a uniform, cohesive rise. Concurrently, sour cream adds richness and creamy undertone, adding depth of flavor as well as luxurious texture to the mouth. This pairing allows the cake to stay tender, yet firm, providing it with the capacity to support layers or endure frosting without sacrificing texture. Sour cream further enables a moist crumb that will not dry out, so it plays an integral part in the success of the recipe.
The incorporation of oil, as opposed to butter, also adds to the softness of the cake. Oil does not solidify at room temperature, thereby keeping the crumb light and soft even when the cake is baked. Unlike cakes made with butter, which can become hard, this cake has a moist center that is always soft with every cutting. Further, the judicious addition of hot water or coffee serves to dissolve the sugars and activate the leavening agents right away, ensuring a flawless rise while adding to the overall wetness. This discerning blend of ingredients produces a cake with the professional texture that can match any bakery’s best work.
Fresh Apple Cake
Equipment
- 1 Bundt Pan 10-inch fluted tube pan
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl
- 1 Electric Mixer Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 Fine-Mesh Sifter
- 1 Cake Tester Or a thin wooden skewer
Ingredients
Main
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups white sugar
- 3 large eggs beaten
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 ½ cups apples – peeled cored and diced
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup raisins Optional
- 1 16 ounce container cream cheese frosting
- ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as Bundt).
- Beat together oil, eggs, vanilla, and sugar.
- Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to egg mixture; stir in apples, 1 cup walnuts, and raisins.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours.
- Cool and frost with cream cheese icing. Sprinkle top with 1/4 cup chopped walnuts.
Notes
2. Intensely Developing Chocolate Flavor
The taste of this chocolate cake is sophisticated and rich, the result of judicious ingredient choice and skill. Cocoa powder is the base, delivering a deep chocolate flavor that impacts cake and frosting. Dutch-processed, darker cocoa produces a richer, smoother crumb and subtly influences the resulting taste, or use a lighter natural cocoa. Sugar and vanilla complement the cocoa, balancing bitterness and increasing richness. The blend of brown and granulated sugar provides subtle depth, and vanilla does the chocolate proud without overwhelming it. Each bite is rich yet refined, with the flavor becoming deeper after a day or two of aging.
- Cocoa powder is the foundation ingredient of chocolate.
- Option between Dutch-processed or natural cocoa influences flavor notes.
- Using good-quality, unsweetened cocoa provides sweetness under control.
- Adding granulated and brown sugar provides sweetness and depth.
- The vanilla fluffs up the chocolate but doesn’t bury it.
- Leaving the cake to rest enhances the compound chocolate flavor.
The frosting is also a big part of the chocolate experience. A rich, fudgy ganache with sour cream echoes the richness of the cake, providing rich, deeply chocolatey flavors that contrast with the delicate crumb. Its minimalist recipe no butter, no powdered sugar needed provides rich indulgence. The cake and frosting harmoniously complement each other, with every slice a complete, decadent chocolate experience. Each bite attains balance in sweetness, texture, and depth to deliver a luxurious yet accessible confection that pleases chocolate aficionados at every turn.
Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Equipment
- 1 12-inch cast iron skillet
- 1 Electric Mixer
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 1-cup Liquid Measuring Cup
- 1 Offset Spatula
Ingredients
Main
- 1 20 ounce can pineapple rings
- ¼ cup water or as needed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 15.25 ounce package white cake mix (such as Betty Crocker Super Moist)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar
- 9 maraschino cherries
Instructions
- Gather all ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling: Natalie Ghazali
- Drain canned pineapple into a 1-cup measure. Add water if needed to measure 1 cup. Set aside juice and 9 pineapple rings for the cake. Set any remaining juice and pineapple rings aside for another use. Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling: Natalie Ghazali
- Melt butter in a 12-inch cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling: Natalie Ghazali
- While butter is melting, combine cake mix, reserved 1 cup pineapple juice, vegetable oil, and egg whites in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling: Natalie Ghazali
- Remove melted butter from the heat and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top until all the butter is covered. Arrange 8 pineapple rings around the outer edge of the skillet and place the remaining pineapple ring in the center without overlapping. Place a maraschino cherry into the center of each pineapple ring; pour cake batter on top. Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling: Natalie Ghazali
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling: Natalie Ghazali
- Remove from the oven and let cool in the skillet for 10 minutes; don’t let the cake cool too much or it will stick to the pan. Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling: Natalie Ghazali
- Run an offset spatula around the edges to gently loosen cake. Place a plate over the skillet, then flip and carefully turn the warm cake out onto a plate. Transfer any fruit or glaze that sticks in the skillet back to the cake. Jason Donnelly / Food Styling: Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling: Natalie Ghazali
Notes
3. Controlling Ingredients for Consistent Results
Knowing the function of every ingredient is indispensable to obtaining consistent results. Measuring flour accurately avoids dry, heavy cake, and the best tool to do so is a kitchen scale. Without one, fluff the flour, scoop it into a cup, and level with a knife. More importantly, don’t over-measure flour, which is the most common error that can destroy the moistness of the cake, or under-measure, which can ruin structure. Sugar, too, needs precise measurement because it serves a dual purpose: sweetness and moisture. Its hygroscopic properties keep water tied up in the crumb so it does not dry out when it’s baked.
Cocoa powder, eggs, and sour cream all contribute both flavor and structure. Cocoa adds not only chocolate flavor but also a slight rigidity to the crumb with no gluten added. Eggs are emulsifiers, mixing fats and liquids into a smooth uniform batter, and sour cream contributes richness and moistness. These ingredients complement one another in specific ways to produce a batter that is wet but strong enough to retain a subtle, uniform structure after baking. The balance allows every slice to have even texture and flavor even after several days of storage.
Oil and hot liquid are the last pieces of the ingredient puzzle. Neutral oils such as vegetable, canola, or sunflower preserve the pure chocolate taste while keeping the cake moist. Hot water or coffee triggers the leavening agents rapidly to cause a rise that gives an airy, uniform crumb. It is crucial to have the liquid at the right temperature: it has to be extremely hot so as to facilitate maximum chemical reactions in the batter. Together, these factors create a foolproof base for a chocolate cake that works consistently each time.
Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Muffins
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer Essential for achieving a light and airy egg-sugar mixture.
- 1 12-cup Muffin Tin For baking the muffins.
- 2 Mixing Bowls One for dry ingredients, one for wet ingredients before combining.
- 1 Whisk For combining dry ingredients and as an attachment for the stand mixer.
- 1 Wire Rack For cooling muffins completely to prevent sogginess.
Ingredients
Main
- cooking spray
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup Ghirardelli 100% Dutch-Process Cocoa
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups sour cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 11 ounce package Ghirardelli Grand Semi-Sweet Chips, divided
- 2 teaspoons coarse sugar or as needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, wiping off any excess from the top of the tin.
- Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl.
- Beat eggs and egg yolk in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed. Slowly stream in white sugar while beating; continue to beat, scraping down the sides and whisk as needed, until mixture is pale and thick, and ribbons come down from the whisk attachment when lifted.
- Beat in oil, then sour cream and vanilla until fully incorporated. Fold in flour mixture until only a few visible streaks remain. Fold in 3/4 of the chocolate chips. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, smoothing the tops if needed but keeping them mounded slightly. Sprinkle remaining chips over top and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
- Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out free of wet batter (it may come out with melted chocolate), 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
4. Baking Techniques for Flawless Execution
Technique is equally critical as ingredients in achieving a perfect chocolate cake. Sifting dry ingredients allows for even cocoa and leavening agent dispersal, avoiding clumping and inconsistent rising. Serious whisking incorporates air and ensures uniform mix. Whisking wet and dry ingredients must be smooth and accurate, while adding hot coffee or water in increments turns a thick batter into smooth, fluid consistency. Each of these processes lays the foundation for ideal rising and tender texture.
- Removing clumps and uneven rising through dry ingredients sifting.
- Incorporating air and maintaining consistency through thorough whisking.
- Avoiding over-activation of gluten through gentle wet and dry ingredient mixing.
- Smooth batter consistency through gradual hot coffee or water addition.
- Inadequate pan preparation and oven preheating can spoil everything.
- Done when tested with a toothpick; cake will spring back when lightly pressed.
- Cool cakes in pans for a few minutes before inverting onto wire racks.
- Modify baking times and utilize cake strips for even edges.
- Same batter can be used to make cupcakes for 18 portion-controlled desserts.
The baking process requires close attention to obtain uniform crumb, highest possible height, and tender interiors. Pans have to be well prepared, and ovens heated to keep even baking. Cakes are finished when a toothpick is clean and the surface springs back gently. Cooling on wire racks prevents collapse or sticking, retaining the cake’s texture and form.
Professional techniques enhance outcomes: vary baking time according to pan size, utilize cake strips for prevention of overcooked edges, and use the same batter when making cupcakes. Laying these techniques into the practice of careful attention to detail guarantees a professional-standard cake every time, providing consistent, faultless outcomes when baking a single-layer cake, multi-tiered masterpiece, or portion-controlled snacks. The secret to success is careful technique combined with attentive attention to each step.
Coconut Layer Cake
Equipment
- 1 Electric Mixer Stand or hand mixer
- 3 Round Cake Pans 8-inch recommended, greased and floured
- 3 Mixing Bowls Various sizes for dry, wet, and egg whites
- 1 Wire Whisk For dry ingredients and folding
- 1 Offset Spatula For frosting and smoothing
Ingredients
Main
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup canned sweetened cream of coconut such as Coco López, see note
- 4 large eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- Pinch of salt
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 cups sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and room-temperature unsalted butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then mix in the canned sweetened cream of coconut and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Alternately add the dry ingredient mixture and buttermilk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the dry, mixing on low speed until just combined after each addition.
- In a separate clean bowl, whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter in two additions until no streaks remain, being careful not to deflate the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake layers in the pans for 10-15 minutes before inverting them onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Once cooled, frost the cake with cream cheese frosting and generously cover with sweetened shredded coconut for decoration.
Notes
5. Storage, Versatility, and Enjoyment
The design of this cake stresses convenience and longevity. After frosting, it stores wonderfully at room temperature for three days or in the refrigerator for a week. Layers can be frozen separately for storage up to three months, carefully wrapped in plastic and foil, for longer-term storage. Such flexibility makes it possible for bakers to prepare ahead of time without sacrificing quality, retaining the tender crumb and rich flavor even after long storage.
The recipe is also flexible in terms of presentation. It can be baked as a classic layered cake, one sheet, or turned into cupcakes without changing the texture or taste. This versatility allows it to fit into a large variety of occasions, ranging from small family gatherings to festive celebrations. By carefully measuring ingredients and meticulously adhering to preparation procedures, the cake produces uniform results irrespective of form.
At last, this chocolate cake is not just a recipe but a recognition of baking bliss. Every process, from mixing up ingredients to the actual frosting, enables bakers to make something magical. Its easy-to-use approach coupled with professional techniques and well-proportioned ingredients makes it welcoming to every skill level. Each slice is a tender, juicy, highly flavorful experience that will delight your palate, and the adaptability guarantees that this cake can become the enduring centerpiece for any gathering. This is not baking; it is building a legacy of decadent chocolate bliss.
