(I made this recipe with the vanilla frosting for Ezra’s Bar-Mitzvah)
It was my daughter’s anniversary today, so I decided to make a yummy dinner for her and her husband (and kids). For dessert, I decided last night that I’d make a chocolate cake that I’d been eying the recipe for. It is known as “That Chocolate Cake” and I found it on the Scharffen Berger web site and on Tastespotting. This cake was everything I was looking for, and it was super simple to make. I believe this recipe is almost exactly the same as the recipe I’ve made for chocolate cupcakes (Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe) except that it calls for no vanilla. I followed it pretty much exactly as it appears on the web site listed above, except that I added vanilla. The finished product was magnificent. The cake was really dark, moist, but light at the same time. The icing was bittersweet and creamy, but I prefer to use my own recipe you will find on this site under “Judy’s Famous Birthday Cake.”
Recipe is adapted from the Scharffen Berger recipe – “That Chocolate Cake.”
for the cake:
butter (for greasing pans)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (Heckers)
- 3/4 cup SCHARFFEN BERGER Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder (I used this brand of cocoa and after tasting the cake, I’m a huge fan of it! But I also use Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa and it’s great) Sift, then measure
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (I used aluminum free- Rumsford)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 t. espresso powder (doesn’t make cake taste like coffee at all)
- 2 extra large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup oil (I used sunflower)
- 1 cup whole milk (I used organic)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 slightly heavy teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch rectangular pan or two 9-inch round cake pans. I always make the cake in the 9 by 13 pan.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using a hand held mixer or with a whisk, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, mixing on low speed just to combine. Mix in the eggs, oil, and milk and vanilla.
Increase the speed to medium and beat for a minute or two, scraping the bottom a few times. Reduce the speed to low and mix in the boiling water. The batter will be soupy, but if you mix it on low for a minute, it will thicken up a little.
Pour into greased rectangular pan or divide the batter evenly between the 2 round cake pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the cake starts to separate from the sides and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack for 30-45 minutes. Then you can frost. If using round pans, then run a knife around the edges of the pans turn the layers out onto the rack and cool completely.
Vanilla Frosting:
1 stick salted butter
4 cups sifted first, then measured confectioners sugar
1/4 cup whole milk, plus 1 or 2 extra tablespoons if needed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 t. kosher salt (or 1/2 t. if using unsalted butter)
Cut 1 room temperature stick (1/4 lb. or 1/2 cup) salted butter (I use land o lakes or Trader Joe’s salted butter for baking) into large Kitchen Aid mixer bowl. Mix for a minute to cream the butter. Then sift 1 box of Confectioner’s sugar and then measure 4 cups – which will NOT be the entire 1 lb. box sugar. Use either the paddle or whisk attachment. Add sugar to mixer bowl. When mixture is still dry, add whole milk- 1/4 cup- and 1/4 teasp. of salt, unless you are using unsalted butter, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt. I usually feel like I need to add another tablespoon of milk and beat frosting a little more so it gets a little lighter.
Dollop the frosting over the whole top of the cake, and then use a small rubber spatula to frost . Cover with plastic wrap, and try not to have the wrap touch the icing.
Chocolate Frosting:
This is one recipe I used, and it was pretty good, but I prefer the chocolate icing from Judy’s Famous Birthday Cake for the frosting which can also be found on this site:
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (I used a heavy 1 1/4 cups since I did not use the 99% unsweetened chocolate the original recipe calls for, but totally unsweetened chocolate)
- 1 cup heavy cream (I used organic)
- 5 ounces (squares) Baker’s unsweetened chocolate
- 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter (I used organic)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (original recipe calls for 1 teaspoon, but I feel that is too much)
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (the original recipe does not call for salt)
- Let cake cool completely before you frost it.
-
make the frosting:
In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and cream and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Turn flame off and add the chocolate. When almost completely melted, add the butter and stir until melted. Pour into a large bowl and stir in the vanilla. Immediately place in the fridge to start firming up. Every 15 min. or so, mix the frosting with a rubber spatula and place back in fridge till it’s of spreading consistency.
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to frost the cake- spread evenly over cake and cover with plastic wrap.
Consider trying this old recipe which follows below for chocolate frosting that was from Aunt Florence! This was actually the frosting mommy (Shirley) used for icing on her 9 by 13 chocolate cake that I loved so much as a young child. I still don’t know what chocolate cake recipe she used- possibly Beverly’s (In 2024, I actually made this recipe, and I didn’t like it; it tastes more like chocolate pudding than icing)
1 cup sugar
2 ½ T cornstarch
Dash salt
1 ¼ cup milk
3 sq (3 oz.) unsweetenced baker’s chocolate
2 T butter
Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan. Add milk and choc. Bring mixture to full boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add butter. Stir till butter melts and frosting is smooth. While warm, spread on cake.
or another possible chocolate frosting:
see Judy’s famous birthday cake recipe on this website for our family’s favorite chocolate frosting.
