The Great Scratch-Off...chocolate Cakes!
Decorating By artscallion Updated 18 Aug 2009 , 11:22pm by CakesByLJ
Hi Everyone. Welcome to the Great Scratch-Off...Chocolate Cakes for the month of July!
TIMEFRAME:
July 4th:
-All Chocolate Cake Recipes should be in for entry into the Scratch-Off.
July 5th:
-A list of recipes will then be edited into this post. Each tester should indicate in this thread which recipes they will test by copying the most recent list, adding their name beside the recipes they will test, and posting the updated list in this thread. (We encourage sign up by July 7 so that we can make sure all recipes are covered for testing. Though latecomers are always welcome)
July 31st: All results must be posted, including pictures, if possible.
August 5th: The results will be tabulated and a winner will be chosen. We can choose someone to be the tabulator.
GUIDELINES:
1. Please try to have entries in by the deadline for each month.
2. Please limit your submissions to two entries. This will keep the final number of recipes manageable. This way, with fewer recipes, each recipe will end up being tested by more than one person so each can get a broader range of bakers/opinions.
2. Each participant must try at least 2 recipes.
3. We should try to have all recipes sampled by at least one other person.
4. If someone posts more than one recipe into scratch off, then at least one of their recipes must be chosen.
5. Please have your "results" posts in by the deadline to have your input included.
6. Be honest, but not cruel, with your critique of the recipe.
7. Please follow the recipe and don't make substitutions for ingredients. The recipes can be halved, cut in thirds, or quartered if needed. But mention this in your results if you do it.
8. Recipe must be for a cake that is meant for torting, stacking, decorating, etc.. So, no Double Gooey Crumblooey Molten Squish with Crazy Glaze cakes please.
9. Cakes should be judged primarily on a sample without filling or frosting, to get a true sense of the cake itself. This is important particularly with flavored cakes like chocolate, where you really want to be able to tell if there is a distinct chocolate flavor, without influence from a ganache filling. I think its also important for gauging moistness. Cakes may also be secondarily tested with filling/frosting as long as they are primarily tested without.
Judging Criteria
1. Flavor
2. Texture/Crumb
3. Moistness
3. Ease of Recipe
4. Cost of Recipe
5. Ability to convert into cupcakes
After you comment on all these characteristics, give the recipe an overall score ranging from "0" for Terrible to "10" for Excellent . You can make a suggestion on how the recipe can be improved, if needed, if you want.
All right, Ladies and Gents, get ready to fire up your ovens!
Recipe submissions can still be made through the end of the day on Saturday, July 4th, Eisskween.
artscallion, thanks for starting this thread!
Should we re-submit recipes on this thread?
I don't know if you read my suggestion to limit the recipe submission to 2 per person so we can have more people try out the same recipes for a better outcome/result.
That suggestion does makes sense, AKA. I must have missed that post. I'll add that to the 'guidelines'.
And I guess it would be a good idea to keep the submissions all in one place (this thread) so testers have easy access to them. Though once the final list is complied, I'll probably either link to, or post, each recipe all in one post.
Here is the double chocolate layer cake from Epicurious.com. This has been my go to chocolate cake. It is very moist and makes nice cupcakes also. The first time I made it I used instant coffee. I absolutely hate coffee, but everyone swears you can't taste it. I actually did taste it! So now when I make it I only add half the amount of instant coffee crystals to the boiling water.
* 3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
* 1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
* 3 cups sugar
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
* 3 large eggs
* 3/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
* 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
In the interest of limiting things to two submissions per person, I've taken the liberty of cutting MoreCakePlz's list of links down to the two that seem to fit the challenge best, Chocolate Coke Cake and Giant Chocolate Cake, This eliminates the cakes that aren't intended for torting/stacking/decorating (though they all look delicious and I'll certainly try them on my own. Thanks!)
As for the Hershy's Black Magic similarity issue. Any suggestions? Should we just stick with the original? The variations could have been made just so they could copy them and call them their own...OR because they actually make the recipe better. Thoughts?
And again...I don't own this. So any decisions I'm making are just in the interest of gettin' the job rollin'. But please feel free to shout out if you feel differently on something. I won't take offense. And I hope no one takes offense if I steamroll ahead.
My list so far...
Scott Clark Woolleys Fudge Brownie Cake
Planet Cakes Chocolate Mud Cake
Hersheys Black Magic Cake
- Wicked Wanda's Chocolate Cake
- Deep Dark Chocolate Cake
Deluxe Chocolate Cake - Softasilk
Chocolate Coke Cake
Giant Chocolate Cake
maryjsgirl''s Double Chocolate Layer Cake
Toba Garett, Chocolate fudge cake
Sylvia Weinstock's Chocolate Fudge Cake
The Whimsical Bakehouse's Chocolate Butter Cake
I recommend Toba Garett, Chocolate fudge cake. This is to die for. Its the best, this is all I use. This cake makes more than (2) 8 inches cake, for me I usually make one 9x13 and about 10-12 cupcakes.
Chocolate Fudge Cake Epicurious | © 2003 by Toba Garrett
Toba Garrett
The Well-Decorated Cake
This is the best chocolate cake ever. It's delicious to the last crumb.
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups (285 g) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (170 g) dark brown sugar, packed
1 cup (110 g) Dutch processed cocoa powder
2 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups (18 fl oz or 540 ml) buttermilk
1 cup (230 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 oz (168 g) melted semisweet fine quality chocolate
1. Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and parchment line two 8x2-inch (20x5-cm) baking pans.
2. Measure all ingredients (except the chocolate) into a large mixer bowl.
3. Blend for 30 seconds on LOW speed, scraping bowl constantly.
4. Blend in the melted chocolate and beat 3 minutes on HIGH speed, scraping the bowl.
5. Spoon into the pans and level them well with an offset spatula.
6. Bake layers for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Storage: Double wrap the cake in plastic wrap. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
As for the Hershy's Black Magic similarity issue. Any suggestions? Should we just stick with the original? The variations could have been made just so they could copy them and call them their own...OR because they actually make the recipe better. Thoughts?
There is no variation between the Black Magic and the Deep Dark Chocolate. It is the exact same recipe. Whoever posted it on Recipezar just changed the name to "Deep DarK"
The only variation between Hershey's Black Magic and Wicked Wanda's is that Wicked Wanda's has 1.3 oz less oil. (change 1/2 c to 1/3 c) I am thinking this might not be a bad idea, since my only criticism of the Black Magic is that sometimes it bakes up just too moist. So.....maybe this is an attempt at improvement?
I may try that alteration.
I have a question. Is anyone making a summary of the yellow cake scratch-off? Just wondered.....
Lita829's opening post in the yellow cake thread indicates... "July 5th: The results will be tabulated and a winner will be chosen. We can choose someone to be the tabulator. " I remember someone volunteering to tabulate. But don't remember who. And it's such a long thread to search through. 
I think we should go with AKA's version of the Hershy's cake, since she posted first and it probably is an attempt at an improvement.
Thanks, artscallion and giraffe. I've used that recipe under fondant and for cupcakes. I just love it.
dkelly, am glad you're submitting WBH's chocolate butter cake, I've been wanting to try it out. I just might have a reason to 
Ugh...I can't find this recipe on-line, so I'll have to type it out. This is from the "Whimsicalbakehoues fun to make cakes that taste as good as they look" book.
Here goes...............
Whimsical Bakehouse Chocolate Butter Cake
Grease and flour two 10 x 3" round pans. Preheat the oven to 350deg.
In a bowl, combine and whisk until there are no lumps
1cup hot coffee
1cup cocoa powder
Add and whisk until smooth
1cup cold water
On a piece of wax paper, sift together
3 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat at high speed until light and fluffy:
8 ounces (2 sticks)unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups sugar
On medium speed, add slowly and cream well:
4 lg eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Add the dry ingredients alternately to the butter and egg mixture with the cocoa, mixing until smooth.
Pour 3 cups of the batter into one 10 inch pan and the remaining batter into the other 10 inch pan. Bake the less full pan for 20 to 25 minutes and the fuller pan for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes before turning them out of their pans.
Yield 9 cups of batter
majormichel, is there a metric measurement for the flour? I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Thanks!!
If anyone else could include metric when posting recipes that would be most helpful. (only if metric measurement is included in the recipe from the author)
Sara91...If you want, there is a conversion chart under the "Recipe" tab to convert to and from the Metric System. Here it is:
http://cakecentral.com/cake_recipes_file-converter.html
This is just in case people don't have time to convert the recipes.
HTH
OK you all KNOW my favorite to submit is the Scott Clark Woolley Fudge Brownie Cake. I've tried it compared to the Epicurious Double Chocolate Layer cake and for me there is just no substitute. I am hoping y'all will choose to bake the "egullet" version of this cake because that's the version I have had longtime success with, so that is the specific recipe I am submitting. It's right here, top of page 3 of this thread. http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-52587-30.html
Do consider using coffee instead of water; I used to use water because I fear the taste of coffee (can't stand the stuff), but you absolutely, 100% cannot taste the coffee, I guarantee it. Decaf is fine; in fact I just use instant coffee (made into coffee of course).
I would also like to submit the Guinness Stout recipe only I have to go find it! I have not made it yet but I have seen so many positive reviews of it here on CC I would be interested to see how it measures up in my book.
Looking forward to more recipes. I'll post my formal choices once we have the full roundup but I won't be making the SCW since I know that cake backwards and forwards .
Cannot wait to try some chocolate cakes. I currently use Ina Garten's version of Hershey's cake (with buttermilk and coffee). It is a wonderful cake but I'm looking for a chocolate cake with a little different texture. Does anyone know if any of the proposed cakes are lighter in color and have velvety (almost poundcakie) texture instead of fluffy?
bobwonderbuns, when I found the recipe on egullet, it said it was "from Scott Clark Woolley's 'Cakes by Design' ". The egulleters tweaked the jeepers out of that recipe and came up with the version I posted on the top of p3 of the thread I linked to.
Pebbles, I'll answer your question at least for the cake I know: I would consider the SCW a more dense, velvety cake (as opposed to "fluffy")...but it is NOT a "lighter in color" cake, it's quite dark. (I don't eat poundcake though so I don't know if "velvety" means "poundcakie"?)
majormichel, is there a metric measurement for the flour? I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Thanks!!
If anyone else could include metric when posting recipes that would be most helpful. (only if metric measurement is included in the recipe from the author)
check this website for converting to metric.
http://www.joyofbaking.com/USMetricVolumeEquiv.html
ceshell, when I compare the egullet version to the book version, the only difference I see is that they cream the butter and sugar in a separate process, as opposed to the book's dump and mix method. Am I missing something else?
Really? OK that is pretty funny! I thought they did other things but it's been a long time since I read the original thread on egullet. The first 25 pages of "best chocolate cake recipe" were devoted to tweaking this...I thought they varied the oil, maybe the cocoa...but I can't really be sure 
. That is pretty funny if the only difference is the creaming??!
Here's a link to the thread, in case you want to follow their train of thought http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=41144
Okay I am putting forward my grandmother's chocolate cake. I have found it to be light yet sturdy.
Here it is:
Lily's Chocolate Cake
250 grams (9 ounces) margarine/butter
3 cups sugar
2 cups water
5 Tbs cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
3 cups self-raising flour
Bring to boil first 5 ingredients and put on a low simmer for for a minute or two. Keep a careful eye on the pot as it can very quickly rise and pour over the sides!
Let cool
Beat eggs and add to the cooled mixture. Whisk in self-raising flour. Make sure to use a whisk otherwise you will get lumps of flour. If you get lumps you can always use a stick blender to make a smooth consistency - it doesnt harm it.
Bake 350 degrees celcius for 45 minutes 1 hour or until done in the center.
Thanks ceshell,
I guess that's the one I'll be trying first.
P
Akacupcakeshoppe........I just looked up the Ina Garten cake that you thought was similar to the Hershey's cake (Beatty's Chocolate Cake) and you are right, of course.
Except it's not similar, it's an exact duplicate of the HErshey's cake as well, including the slightly larger amt of oil. So funny. I am still curious to try the Wanda variation with the slightly reduced oil though. Everyone loves my cake so much.....I'm afraid to mess with it. But if I can reduce the oil by a bit w/o sacrificing anything, that's a good thing.
The other chocolate cake I am dying to try is a chocolate mousse cake, but it is labor intensive.....you have to make the chocolate mousse separately and then fold it in.......so, I don't think I'll suggest it for the bakeoff.
Really? OK that is pretty funny! I thought they did other things but it's been a long time since I read the original thread on egullet. The first 25 pages of "best chocolate cake recipe" were devoted to tweaking this...I thought they varied the oil, maybe the cocoa...but I can't really be sure
. That is pretty funny if the only difference is the creaming??!Here's a link to the thread, in case you want to follow their train of thought
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=41144
Thanks for that link, ceshell. Very interesting discussion. Yes there was a whole lot of kerfuffle about oil and cocoa and the typical egullet admonitions to use 'good' butter and 'good' cocoa. It's funny but after all that chatter they ended right back where they started. 
One interesting thing I noticed about their discussion. The original poster posted the recipe using cups for ingredient measures. Then someone 'converted' this to weights using their own preferred conversions. But if you read Woolley's book, where he lists both volume and weight, his conversions are very different. Apparently, no one noticed this.
For instance the book and originally posted recipe call for 3 cups of flour. A helpful poster converted this to 15 oz (my typical weight conversion for flour is also 5oz per cup) However, Woolley lists 13oz total, or 4.33 oz per cup. So they were all starting out using almost 1/2 cup extra flour.
They all ended up having trouble with doming and cracking, something that extra flour can cause. So they started switching to cake flour and switching from baking soda to powder and all kinds of things.
This is not dissimilar from the issue we've been having with the SW Yellow cake. If an author lists a certain number of cups of flour, or powdered sugar or cocoa, you have no way of knowing how that author measured that out. Did they weigh? Scoop? If they weighed, what conversion did they use?
I've seen different charts say a cup of flour weighs anywhere from 4.25 cups to 5.5 cups. in a recipe with four cups of flour, that's a potential difference of a whole cup! There really should be an industry standard for this? Why isn't there? It's such an important thing...I mean baking...flour...c'mon! Or all cookbooks should be required to list weight in addition.
~rant over~
ITA artscallion!! It's too true: we are constantly reminded to "measure accurately," ...but we have no idea how the recipes' authors measured if they only provide measurements by the cup! You'd think that any recipe is using true measurements (i.e. by weight) and that the whole point of proper scooping is to approximate the proper weight when doing a physical measurement. But now we are seeing that even using the so-called "proper weight" might be an error, if the author himself didn't weigh!
Oh, I'm getting a headache. 
LOL
p.s. I measure, and I just looked at a conversion chart: I use 120g/c flour, and based on SCW's measurement I am accurate by within 1/10 of an ounce per cup. Whew. FWIW I too sometimes get doming and cracking - it's not *bad* and doesn't always happen, but it did happen last weekend. Made for some delicious scraps 
. Also I DO use good butter and Callebaut cocoa. Your revelation about the recipe not really being adapted after all, is totally blowing my mind!
I agree artscallion totally. I have read some bakers forums and they talk about this.
Apparantly many authors like to work in weights (which is the most accurate) and then the publishers demand they convert it to the volume measurement as they believe that this is what the public wants. GGGGGGGRRRRRR
I have read that many use the site GourmetSleuth.com as all the ingredients have been weighed individually.
I made Sylvia W Yellow Cake and used this conversion calculator and the cakes came out below average.
Dissapointed. Hopefully one day books will include both weight measurements and volume.
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