Get this basic chocolate cake recipe down and you can dress it up endlessly with various frostings, turning it into what seems like a new dessert each time you make it. The cake gets its deep, dark flavor from both chopped unsweetened chocolate and cocoa powder.–Emily Luchetti
LC Best Darned Cake Note
This basic chocolate cake recipe results in a modestly named dessert that elicits reactions far more impassioned than its humble name would lead you to believe. Really. We’re hearing a lot of folks say this recipe creates what is easily one of the best darned chocolate cakes they’ve ever tasted, let alone made themselves. Go on, make the recipe for yourself. But before you do, let’s hear some applause for Emily Luchetti, the spectacularly talented pastry chef and cookbook author who also brought us the Basic White Cake recipe that so many of you deemed the best white cake you’d ever made. Kissing cousins, that’s what these recipes are.
Basic Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
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Recipe Testers Reviews
This will be the “go-to” basic chocolate cake recipe for my family. When I cut into the cake, the texture was perfect. It was moist and light, dense but not heavy. The flavors of the cocoa and unsweetened chocolate blended well together to give the cake depth of flavor without being overly rich and the perfect balance of sweet to chocolate. My tasters didn't even need, nor ask for, a glass of milk. When they finished their pieces, they simply asked for another. This cake is great without frosting and would probably be just as wonderful with it. The recipe produces a cake that bakes up high but doesn't drip over the sides of the pan and onto the bottom of the oven. I baked mine in 2 heart-shaped pans and they came out beautifully. My cakes required 30 minutes baking time, but that may have been due to the shape of my pans.
This basic chocolate cake recipe is very easy and fast to make, even for a non-baker such as myself. The cake itself was wonderful—moist, light, chocolatey but not overly so, and far from too sweet. My toddler wanted to add some frosting, but I decided instead to make a mixture of cream cheese, sugar, and mashed strawberries and it was a huge hit with everyone–my older daughter even asked me to make this cake for her birthday next month. Not sure if this has to do with my oven, but after 20 minutes the middle of the cake was still pretty liquidy. I left it in for 7 more minutes and that did the trick. Even though I buttered the cake pans very well, I had some trouble getting the cakes out. Next time I'll use springform pans.
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This sounds delicious! Thanks for all the great recipes on your site. I was wondering if this recipe might work for a bundt type cake? I’ve been searching for a chocolate bundt cake recipe with a good texture and taste. Thanks.
Cathy, we haven’t tried it as a Bundt cake so I’m hesitant to promise you that it will work. Most Bundt cakes tend to have a denser (in a good way) texture. May I suggest you try this Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake recipe from our site? Look beneath the recipe for the rave reviews its drawn from everyone who’s tried it. I think this may be more what you’re wanting…?
This sounds delicious and so yummy!! Thanks For sharing the recipe.
Sincerely,
Frances Barker
You are more than welcome, Frances!
I agree Frances. It might be basic but it looks divine!
Divine is an apt description, Tom!