AOk, so now I'm officially addicted to cc! I have an awesome chocolate cake recipe, it is YUMMY. BUT, it's too moist, it won't hold up in tiers, it really isn't firm enough. Does anyone have any ideas as to how this recipe can be changed so that it can be as firm as the WASC recipe, still staying moist? I'm in love with this cake & find it is such a waste that I can't use it for my orders because of its lack of firmness. Thanks!

Here it is: 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar for buttermilk

2 eggs 1/2 cup oil 1 cup strong coffee (1 1/2 cups water + 3 tbsp ground coffee) 1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups AP flour 2 cups sugar 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt

The recipe turns out very thin, almost like a french crepe recipe before cooking it.

With-out actually baking your recipe.........your recipe looks like most chocolate cake recipes......the ONE place where it looks different is the top part with the milk and vinegar. If you use 1 cup. of sour cream in place of your milk/buttermilk, that should fix your recipe.

ANot seeing the cocoa in here. How much do you use?

AI use the Hersey's Perfect Chocolate cake recipe and I have started to add a Tbsp of meringue powder to the recipe. I have found that it helps to firm it up a bit without drying it out.

I would just make a chocolate wasc and replace 1/2 the liquid with strong coffee. I love it. You could also replace the other 1/2 with a mocha coffee creamer

I always use the Deluxe Devil's food cake from the back of the Softasilk box, made with Hershey's special dark cocoa.  it is great, very chocolatey, moist, but not dense. I double it, halve it, it has never failed, and it is easy and always a hit. I have used it in tiered cakes, including topsy turvy types without any problem.    Last year I tried at least a dozen recipes from various sources,  including the Hershey's and this was the winner.  

http://www.pillsburybaking.com/recipes/details/3107

AOops, my bd, 3/4 cups cocoa. To make 1 cup strong coffee, I put 1 1/2 cups of water in my coffee machine with 3 tbsp ground coffee, hope this clarifies things up. I also forgot to add that 1/2 cup of rum is poured onto the cooked cake.

Quote:

The recipe on the Softasilk box with the Dutch Alkalized Cocoa just didn't give enough chocolate punch.  I tried DAC in several recipes, but everyone liked the regular Hersheys cocoa better.  I'll bet that the recipe is rockin' good with the Dark Cocoa though!

AYes, coffee is measured a 2nd time after brewing. Even without the alcohol, it is too moist / mushy. It's just too bad I can't keep the rum in my recipe for stacked cakes, that's what makes the recipe so yummy. Or is there some essence I can put instead? If so, inthe uncooked batter or after baking?

Your recipe is fairly close to the Martha Stewart One bowl recipe which is also thin.  So what jumps out at me in comparing the two is the amount of oil. 

I assumed you were using cocoa :)  I have never had a problem with her recipe so maybe you could compare and adjust from there.

Martha Stewart One Bowl Chocolate Cake

·  3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch cocoa powder

·  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

·  1 1/2 cups sugar

·  1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

·  3/4 teaspoon baking powder

·  3/4 teaspoon salt

·  2 large eggs

·  3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

·  3/4 cup warm water (I use strong coffee - measure after it's been made)

·  3 tablespoons safflower oil (I use reg vegie oil)

·  1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use 2 tsp)