Hi,
Ive been a loooong time lurker and this is my first time posting, you all are great!!

I wanted to try the cake mixes that they have in bulk at the Bulk Barn since I shop there often for other supplies. The Deluxe White Cake Mix was good, I added some vanilla and almond extract. It made really nice moist cupcakes that were still nice and moist the next day.

The problem I have is with the Deluxe Chocolate Cake mix, I substituted some of the water for brewed coffee and added a tablespoon of cocoa powder it baked up really nice and moist and it was still moist the next day but it lacked chocolate flavour. I tried it without adding anything to the mix and it was still bland.

Any suggestions of what I can add to make it nice and chocolaty?

TIA!

I don,t think you added enough cocoa. I always melt unsweeten chocolate to my chocolate mix. If i use the chocolate mix extender recipe. then i add 3 0z. of unsweeten melted chocolate. hth

Another suggestion would be to add mini chocolate chips to the mix. I make a chocolate cake with chocolate milk and the mini chocolate chips and everyone raves over it. Pretty sure I got it off this site. Good luck!

Thanks icer101, I'll try that tonight i still have a 2 weeks to play with the recipe and make it better before I have to make them for a fundraiser.

Oh Vanessa7 I never thought of using chocolate milk, do you leave it out a bit to come to room temp? or just use it out of the fridge? I normally add mini chocolate chips when making chocolate cake but I'm going to be marbling the cupcakes and I don't know if the mini chocolate chips will ruin the effect

I wouldn't use any water, maybe half coffee and half chocolate milk. And unless you have really rich cocoa powder, then I would probably melt chocolate. A touch of salt often brings flavors out as well.

I usually make my own chocolate milk (and add extra chocolate to it too!) and add it straight to the mix. Never thought about needing to bring it to room temp. Also, if you use the special dark cocoa instead of regular cocoa, it is scrumptious! Hope it works out for you.

Use this:

http://www.thatreallyfrostsme.com/2010/04/chocolate-cake-recipe.html

I believe MacsMom uses that variation (or created it or something) and it is the most moist, chocolatiest recipe ever. For the base, I use Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge.

You can buy chocolate extract from Nielsen Massey, but I have never seen the need to use it with the above recipe. This is the only chocolate cake I have been baking lately. From scratch, I bake the Hershey's recipe, but I have also been wanting to try the one from Epicurious that everyone goes nuts over. I do both scratch and box, so I alternate from time to time.

Give the recipe in that link a try-you won't regret it!

This is a pet peeve of mine, or maybe I should say a special interest. I don't think you'll get the intense chocolate flavor you want from ANY cake mix. You might be able to make it up, though, by adding a layer of fabulous chocolate ganache between the cake layers, before putting your frosting in between the layers. If your ganache is made from a dark chocolate, it will have lots of chocolate flavor, and will lend it to the cake when eaten together.

I use some box mixes, but find chocolate mixes OK. Have you tried the Hershey's recipe on the cocoa can? Easy, but very good. I add coffee to the water and a little vanilla. Very good.

Success!! Thank You everyone for you help. Some of those recipes were awsome, but I really wanted to stick with the cake mix base I had from the Bulk Barn so it would be similar to the white cake mix base that I am using (in my head this will make it easier to marble.. lol)

I found that cocoa powder and the coffee made it too much of an adult chocolate taste, my boys didn't really care for it but I loved it. So I decided to try something different and add Hot Chocolate mix and used chocolate milk and regular white milk with a touch of cocoa powder. Wow was I ever surprised, it was nice and chocolatey and still moist. My kids loved it I tought it was good too.