I couldn't ask for any better! I used a 9x13 pan and baked it for 40 minutes. I just made this for the 2nd time and this time I upped the cocoa to 1 cup... I'm REALLY glad I did! The cake is great with the amount called for, but after trying more to see the difference, I definitely think 1 cup is the magic amount. If I could give it more than 5 stars, I would. I used the "Buttercream Icing" recipe (pictured) from Sharon on this website. Incredible together!
My original review was 4 stars because I tried the cake only a few hours after baking. The cake alone was OK but had a strong baking soda taste. I used a can of dunkin hines vanilla frosting and with this the cake was good. However, after mellowing in the fridge for a day or two this cake was insanely good! As good as any store bought or boxed mix. Bottom line: Make the cake a day in advance and let it mellow in the fridge overnight. I see no need to buy another boxed mix again. Thanks for a great recipe. Oh, and yes, after the water step it will be very soupy but it will turn out perfect :D
My grandma must've found this recipe a couple years ago, because that's when she gave it to my family. We love it! However, this recipe doesn't have absolutely PREFECT chocolate frosting that came with the one my grandma gave us, so I thought I'd help out a bit:
½ C Butter/
2/3 C Cocoa/
1 Tsp. Vanilla/
3 C Powdered Sugar/
1/3 C Milk -
Melt butter, stir in cocoa. Alternately add sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. If necessary, thin with additional milk. Add vanilla. - There we go! I use this frosting recipe every time, and it's perfect for this cake. Hope I helped!!!
This cake will be printed out as my new basic chocolate cake. Everything about it was nice, I did add a teaspoon of instant coffee to the boiling water and the batter was thin. Baked up perfect - I did line the tin and use oil spray. Tastes better than some expensive box mixes. Wasn't overly moist either, just not dry at all. Thanks.
UPDATE: Up the amount of cocoa to 1 cup and make sure it's the best quality. I use a European brand. You can use melted butter if you run out of oil. You can use whipped cream, cocoa powder and icing sugar for a great icing.
I have joyfully been trying many different cake/frosting recipes from this site and I must say this is about the most moist and delicious I have found! I used this to make cupcakes and what a perfect batter for the task! It's so "runny" you just pour it into the liners. Halve the recipe and you get 12 cupcakes. Fill the liners 3/4 way full. They come out fluffy and very moist- PERFECT! I used the "Rich Chocolate Frosting" from this site and it too was superb. (I wrote a review on it as well.)
With just slight variations, this recipe is much like "Black Magic Cake," which I found I prefer. It is not quite as dense or as fudgy as this one. This is a deep, dark chocolate cake, but it was almost TOO moist,TOO dense. Don't know what really accounts for the difference since the recipes are so similar, and maybe it's just a matter of personal preference, but while this was a very good cake, I'll stick with the other.
One of the best cake recipes your ever going to find. Been cooking cakes for over ten years this recipe is easy moist texture and elasticity is perfect for chocolate cake. The type of cocoa is crucial. I've cooked it twice first time used a dark cocoa it was good but the dark chocolate enhanced the salt so it tasted a tad salty. So next time if using a dark cocoa will omit the salt. Second time used good quality standard cocoa and came out great. Also used a diluted espresso instead of plain water. Also glad the writer noted the runniness of the mix abit worrying at first. Excellent recipe.
This is the exact recipe that is on the back of the Hershey Cocoa can. I have been using this same recipe for years! So much better than a box mix!
Absolutely delicious and so EASY to make! We made this for a birthday party just last weekend and made another one last night for ourselves. Perfect with some whipped topping, we added a 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to make it even more chocolatey! If you do this, make sure to sprinkle it on top of the batter AFTER you have poured it into the baking pan, let them just sit on the top. Since the batter is thin, mixing them in will cause them to sink to the bottom and stick to the pan as you try to get the cake out.
This is not a good cake to make a layer cake with. It is delicious, but it is more of a pudding cake, or a spoon type cake. It would NOT come out of the pans, even though the pans were well greased before hand. This cake came out in chunks...the kids had a great time eating the scraps, but we had to start over for my daughter's birthday cake.
