The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Get ready to make the only chocolate cake recipe you will ever need.

This super delicious, rich, moist, mouth-watering, delectable, chocolaty chocolate cake is The Cake for all of you, the chocolate cake lovers of the world.

Are you ready? Let’s Bake!

Mise en Place

Want to bake like a pro? Then you should never skip this step. Mise en Place is the most organized way to start your baking day. It will save you time and allow you to double-check the recipe for missing ingredients and equipment.

Measure and organize all the ingredients as you read your recipe, then grab all the equipment need, set it up and you will be good to go.

Ingredients such as eggs, sour cream, milk, and butter should be at room temperature before starting your recipe. Why? Room-temperature ingredients form an emulsion that traps air, once in the oven the trapped air expands and produces a fluffy cake.

THE BAKING PROCESS

Now that all the ingredients have been measured and have reached room temperature, it is time to start baking.

You will achieve equal results making the batter by hand as you will using an electric mixer. Just make sure to follow the process. For best results combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and do the same with the wet ones, then go ahead and add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, just make sure you are using a large mixing bowl.

Now let’s talk about the batter and the finished product. To be able to achieve even cakes I use a digital kitchen scale. Place the cake pans on the scale, then press the tare button to zero out the weight. But before we do that grease the pans then sprinkle the pans with the same cocoa powder you used in the batter.

Fill all the cakes to the exact same weight.

OVEN BAKING TIPS

Here are a few things to take into consideration:

• Turn the oven on with enough time ahead.
• Use an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature is correct.
• Place the cakes towards the center of the oven to ensure even baking
• If this is your first time baking a cake make sure you check the cake a few minutes before the set time. Some ovens cook faster than others and you don’t want to end up with an over-baked cake.
• If you notice that the cakes are baking unevenly, rotate them halfway.

Here are some links for some of the most popular oven thermometers:

https://a.co/d/9eDgMam https://a.co/d/1MGs1v0 https://a.co/d/4GccHOv https://a.co/d/b3x4tp8

ABOUT THIS RECIPE

• This recipe yields 3-8″ cakes, 3-6″ cakes plus 12 cupcakes or 48 cupcakes
• The batter is very loose and runny, don’t worry, it makes for a super moist cake
• You can substitute whole milk for coconut milk. The results are so delicious.
• Let the cakes cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack
• I like to combine regular and dark cocoa powder for a more intense flavor.
• Let the cakes cool down completely, then transfer and chill them in the fridge for at least an hour. This will prevent the ganache from melting plus, a cold cake is easier to frost.

GANACHE

In simple terms, ganache is a chocolate glaze made out of two ingredients, chocolate, and heavy cream. It is a lot thicker than melted chocolate, often used as a filling, topping, or to drip on cakes. It can be made with milk, dark or white chocolate. My favorite is a combination of milk and dark, not too bitter, not too sweet.

The most common ratio for ganache is 2:3, two parts cream to 3 parts chocolate. But ratios vary depending on the consistency you are trying to achieve.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

For this cake, I used the ratio described above for the filling and covering. I let the ganache cool down to room temperature before whipping it. Other times I let it cool down to a dripping consistency then use it to drip on top of the cake once the cake is fully frosted.