Cake Yield: 3 layers of 8" round cake
Cake Servings (approx): 12-16 slices
A 24 layer chocolate cake (that's what it's called even though it technically only has 12 layers of cake) has layers of chocolate indulgence and chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream. This cake is also covered in a semi-sweet chocolate ganache.
Mixing Method: Muffin/Single-stage mixing
Cake Texture: Cross between a flourless chocolate cake and a typical American style chocolate layer cake; slightly denser but melts in your mouth
Flavor Profile: Very intense and dark chocolate forward; the least sweet of all my cakes.
Appearance: Deep dark brown (or red) - depends on the brand of Dutch-processed cocoa you use
Difficulty Level: 1/5 (See how I rank cake difficulty here)
Good Frosting Pairings: Balance the heaviness of flavor/texture with a light whipped cream; otherwise go all in with a chocolate buttercream.
Best for: The chocolate lover in your life
When deciding to create another chocolate cake recipe, I knew I had to make one that was super decadent. I described it one night to my husband: "Not just a chocolate cake but the chocolate cake that when you taste it, you just kinda close your eyes..." (Yeah, this is the sort of stuff he has to listen to when I'm researching recipes...)
I'd been working on a seperate flourless chocolate cake project, which got me thinking. I wanted that richness from a flourless cake but also a lighter crumb and texture. The cake shouldn't be too heavy - both on the palate and just the sheer weight of it. Ideally, one could enjoy a huge slice of it and also be able to stack it in a luxurious tall layer cake without squeezing out any cake fillings.
My chocolate indulgence cake uses a combination of cocoa powder and flour to create a super creamy chocolatey crumb that melts in your mouth. It's got a lighter texture than a flourless chocolate cake so feel free to use this as a super indulgent chocolate cake for your large layer cakes or mini cakes. It has a deep dark chocolate flavor that is not too sweet that is sure to impress any dark chocolate lover.
This chocolate cake uses one of the easiest mixing techniques called the muffin or one-stage method. You don't need a fancy stand mixer or even a hand mixer for this cake; I always make it with just a whisk and one large bowl.
The muffin or one-stage method works by relying solely on the power of the leavening agent (baking powder in this case) to create enough lift for the cake. This usually creates a denser crumb, which is great for muffins, but does this work for cake too? It depends on the flavor, and chocolate cakes are the best for this. Most people appreciate a chocolate flavor profile with a creamier texture (l suppose it's like eating a square of chocolate - creaminess and melt in your mouth texture).
Dutch-processed cocoa creates an amazingly dark and moist crumb for this chocolate cake.
The use of oil as the fat and high ratio of cocoa powder give this cake a slightly dense yet fudgy texture that is similar to a flourless chocolate cake. The presence of all-purpose flour and whisking of the egg whites into the batter creates a crumb that is similar to a chocolate layer cake.
One thing to note about this cake is that you can tailor the texture to fit your needs. If you underbake this cake (and this cake is the only time I ever do this...) you can get more of a flourless chocolate cake texture. Those cakes are more dense and smooth inside, rather than aerated and spongey like a layer cake. The cake will be safe to eat as the flour and eggs will have surpassed the USDA temp. (Afterall, lava cakes are essentially underbaked chocolate cakes to some extent... this is kind of the same thing.)
I do have another chocolate cake that is lighter in both flavor and texture in my Cakeculator (named just "Chocolate"). That cake is a little sweeter and may do better with kids or those who just prefer a fantastic classic chocolate flavor.
This is a very chocolate forward cake and the only source of that flavor comes from cocoa powder. The flavor and color of your finished cake is entirely dependent on the brand of Dutch-processed cocoa powder that you use. Brands that I have tried and work well are: Droste (my favorite), Guittard Cocoa Rouge (has a redder hue), and Ghirardelli Dutch-Process.
The source of sweetness in the cake comes from brown sugar, which contains molasses. You can use either light or dark brown sugar, but I try to use dark with this cake. I love how smokey warm molasses flavor paired with Dutch-processed cocoa.
The color of this chocolate cake will depend on the type of Dutch-processed cocoa that you use. Some are redder than others, some are bordering on a black color.
The inner texture of this cake will be aerated from the baking powder. It won't have a super fluffy crumb due to the high ratio of cocoa powder, but instead have an almost creamy look to the crumb. This is due to the oil as well and will give you a super moist cake.
The cake is the category of easiest cakes to make. The single stage or muffin method can be made using only one bowl and a whisk, which is actually how I make this cake. You simply add the ingredients in the order shown in the recipe and whisk. Pour the runny batter into your prepared pans and you'll be gifted with an amazingly deep dark chocolate cake.
You can take this one of two ways - and there's really no in between. :)
If you want to balance the heaviness of texture and chocolate flavor, I'd opt for a lightly sweetened whipped cream. This will offset the intensity of the chocolate and bring a lightness in texture and flavor for your cake.
On the other hand, if you're trying to impress a chocolate lover, I'd go for a chocolate buttercream or even a whipped ganache. In this case, this would be great for smaller servings of cake where you'd be ok with a high intesity of flavor per bite.
I'd bake this cake for anyone who eats, breathes, and dreams about chocolate.
For all other sizes, you should be ok with either grams or volume.
My cakeculator converts to estimated volume (cups, tablespoons, etc.) for American bakers, which are not as accurate and why you you will see differences between the weight and volume amounts. The correct and most accurate one will always be weight.
Ingredients like baking soda and salt are usually given volumentrically (teaspoons) because most household scales are inaccurate with smaller numbers.
This is the OXO scale I use on a daily basis. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Move your oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Butter the insides of three 8" cake pans and line the bottoms with a circle of parchment paper. Dust a very light coating of flour inside the pans.
In a large mixing bowl add the Dutch-process cocoa and pour boiling water over the cocoa. Use a whisk to stir; you'll get a steaming hot bowl of thick chocolate paste that smells like heaven. Let that sit for 5-10 to allow the chocolate flavor to bloom.
Add the brown sugar, salt, and oil. Whisk until it forms a thick runny chocolate sauce. The brown sugar granules may not dissolve all the way, but when you stop stirring, the chocolate sauce will settle down in the bowl and look super smooth.
Add your egg yolk(s) and eggs all at once and whisk for at least 1 minute by hand. It should be completely homogenous and you should see no steaks of egg yolk or whites at the end. You may see some slight bubbles - that's a good sign.
Sift in your all-purpose flour and baking powder. Use the whisk to stir it in until you see no flour remaining on the sides of the bowl.
Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.
Move the pans to a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool in the pans completely.
Loosen the edges of the cakes using an offset spatula or butter knife, and flip the cakes out onto a cooling rack so you can peel off the parchment bottom. Make sure they are completely cool before assembling and/or frosting.
*Dutch-processed (European-style) cocoa is slightly darker (or sometimes redder) in color than natural cocoas. It also has a more mellow and smooth chocolate flavor that is necessary for this cake. I tested natural cocoa for this cake, but the result was overly acidic and chalky - you'll have to make sure that your cocoa powder is Dutch-processed. My favorite brand of Dutch-processed cocoa is Droste (Amazon link to Droste here).
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