Chocolate Snacking Cake
Recipe by Nicole Thom-Arens
Serves 8-16
In the middle of winter—after the holidays have long passed—I crave chocolate. When I was developing this recipe, I came across an article by Rose Levy Bernabaum, author of The Cake Bible, in Bake from Scratch in which she discusses the most chocolate-y cakes. She says to make a cake with cocoa powder and then glaze it in a chocolate ganache—sounds easy enough. I chose 70% cocoa chocolate for the ganache, which delivers a bit of bitterness reminiscent of coffee. If you don’t like bitter chocolate, consider using semi-sweet chocolate for the ganache. Investing in a quality Dutch processed cocoa powder is essential in delivering rich taste and color to this cake. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Ingredients:1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar2 eggs1 teaspoon kosher salt (Reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if not using Diamond.)2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (any fat content)1/2 cup buttermilk1 teaspoon baking powder1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder1/4 cup whole wheat flour3/4 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon instant espresso3 tablespoons boiling water4 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions:1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.2. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the edge. Grease the lined pan with non-stick spray. 3. Melt the butter over medium heat on the stovetop. Set aside to cool slightly.4. With a hand mixer, whisk together the sugar, salt, and eggs until pale in color. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix well to combine. 5. Add the yogurt and buttermilk and whisk to combine. 6. Mix in the melted and slightly cooled butter. 7. Bring some water to a boil on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add 3 tablespoons of boiling water to 1 teaspoon of instant espresso. Mix until the espresso has dissolved. Set aside.8. To the batter, add the flours, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Mix to combine. 9. Add the espresso and mix until the batter is smooth. 10. Transfer the batter to the prepared 8x8-inch pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. 11. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until the middle is set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 12. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack. 13. While the cake is cooling, prepare the ganache. Break up the chocolate into medium-sized pieces and add to a heat-proof bowl. 14. Heat the heavy cream over medium heat until small bubbles form around the sides of the pan.15. While the cream is heating, use a chopstick to poke holes in the top of the warm cake. 16. Once heated, pour the cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate has fully melted. 17. Pour the ganache over the warm cake and smooth to the edges of the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature. 18. Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan using the hanging over parchment paper. Cut into 8 or 16 squares.
Ingredients:1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar2 eggs1 teaspoon kosher salt (Reduce to 1/2 teaspoon if not using Diamond.)2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (any fat content)1/2 cup buttermilk1 teaspoon baking powder1/3 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder1/4 cup whole wheat flour3/4 cup all-purpose flour1 teaspoon instant espresso3 tablespoons boiling water4 ounces dark or semi-sweet chocolate1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions:1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.2. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the edge. Grease the lined pan with non-stick spray. 3. Melt the butter over medium heat on the stovetop. Set aside to cool slightly.4. With a hand mixer, whisk together the sugar, salt, and eggs until pale in color. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix well to combine. 5. Add the yogurt and buttermilk and whisk to combine. 6. Mix in the melted and slightly cooled butter. 7. Bring some water to a boil on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add 3 tablespoons of boiling water to 1 teaspoon of instant espresso. Mix until the espresso has dissolved. Set aside.8. To the batter, add the flours, baking powder, and cocoa powder. Mix to combine. 9. Add the espresso and mix until the batter is smooth. 10. Transfer the batter to the prepared 8x8-inch pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. 11. Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until the middle is set and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. 12. Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack. 13. While the cake is cooling, prepare the ganache. Break up the chocolate into medium-sized pieces and add to a heat-proof bowl. 14. Heat the heavy cream over medium heat until small bubbles form around the sides of the pan.15. While the cream is heating, use a chopstick to poke holes in the top of the warm cake. 16. Once heated, pour the cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir with a metal spoon until the chocolate has fully melted. 17. Pour the ganache over the warm cake and smooth to the edges of the pan. Allow to cool to room temperature. 18. Once cooled, remove the cake from the pan using the hanging over parchment paper. Cut into 8 or 16 squares.