We make this all the time, company can never guess what is in it!
Very good cake like brownies. The only thing I would change is instead of adding water, I would add cold coffee and instead of 1 tsp of cayenne pepper I would decrease it to just 1/2 tsp. The coffee flavor adds just enough mocha that turns this into a terrific authentic mexican chocolate flavor
Read MoreI don't know what to think about this cake. The texture seems undercooked yet my toothpicks came out clean in two different areas of the cake. It's beyond moist and I don't know if I like that. However, it didn't stop me from getting up in the middle of the night to sneak a bite;) I like the cayenne pepper addition a lot, the aftertaste had a little mysterious heat to it. It's almost as if you don't know where it came from. I like that and will take it with me to the next chocolate cake recipe. **UPDATE** 24 hours later~~ Much much better the next day and even better than that once chilled in the fridge. The consistency of the cake was more tolerable after some time had passed.
Read MoreVery good cake like brownies. The only thing I would change is instead of adding water, I would add cold coffee and instead of 1 tsp of cayenne pepper I would decrease it to just 1/2 tsp. The coffee flavor adds just enough mocha that turns this into a terrific authentic mexican chocolate flavor
I was hosting Thanksgiving this year, and found out pretty last-minute that there was a pumpkin shortage, and was really disappointed... until I found this awesome recipe! I was thinking to myself "Self, how great could a cake really be?" and preceded to make and put this thin, none-too-special-looking cake in the over... and, not expecting too much, I took a bite, and melted. This cake is amazing, and everyone LOVED it. (I even had to hide it when my fiance's band members came over, because darn it, I want awesome chocolate cake for breakfast tomorrow!)
Very moist, very tasty chocolate cake that has a warmth but there is no way it has any hint of pepper taste. This is a really fantastic cake. The frosting though was runny and I had too add another cup or more of powdered sugar and another Tbl of cocoa and a couple more T of margarine to get it to spreading consistency. Thanks this was a great cake!
I made this cake for my husband's birthday, and it turned out amazing. It was extremely moist. I even let it cook about 35-40 minutes, checking it every 5 minutes over 30. Also, I added a cup of coffee instead of the water, and used a different icing recipe. I used the half tsp of cayenne, and it is not noticeable at all except in the most complimentary way. In some gourmet stores you can buy a chili cocoa powder from South America. I plan on using this next time in place of the cocoa and omitting the cayenne. This will definitely become one of my staple cakes.
Awesome cake. I used Ancho chili powder and instead of the icing listed made cream cheese icing and topped with pieces of a lindt chili dark chocolate bar (one square of chocolate per piece of cake). My cream cheese icing was made with i container of room temp cream cheese mixed with 2 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1/2 cup icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of butter. Add a little milk if this is too thick for you. Stored in the fridge and stayed fresh for a week- everyone said it was the most delicious chocolate cake they ever had!
My 2 year old wanted to make cake last night. I "helped" her make this one, it is an instant family favourite. The consistency is awesome, and the little bite from cayenne (we used 1 tsp) is great. Going to make it for the block party this weekend. So easy a 2 year old can do it! (sorta)
What an amazing chocolatey flavor! Everybody loved this cake and nobody guessed the secret ingredient (one of the guests thought it had Pepsi in it!) I used the recipe without making any changes. It was easier than I thought from my first read-through and I'll definitely be making it again. I didn't make the frosting but I'll try it next time. Great cake!
I don't know what to think about this cake. The texture seems undercooked yet my toothpicks came out clean in two different areas of the cake. It's beyond moist and I don't know if I like that. However, it didn't stop me from getting up in the middle of the night to sneak a bite;) I like the cayenne pepper addition a lot, the aftertaste had a little mysterious heat to it. It's almost as if you don't know where it came from. I like that and will take it with me to the next chocolate cake recipe. **UPDATE** 24 hours later~~ Much much better the next day and even better than that once chilled in the fridge. The consistency of the cake was more tolerable after some time had passed.
I made this with Vindiloo spice (a popular Indian spice) in place of cayanne. I used quite a bit (maybe 1 1/2 tsp) its very spicy but nice. I plan on using chocolate ganache to top.
Yummy! I substituted ginger for the cayenne pepper, since I was out. Tasted great! Thank you!
I'm not a big fan of cake, but this is my FAVORITE cake in the world. I once ate this entire cake by myself over the course of a few days. The only suggestion I have is to use a different icing as this one is too soupy. I buy the premade icing at the store and its fine.
My husband loved the consistency of this cake. Very easy, and it turned out beautifully. I used the Cream Cheese Frosting II recipe from this site and it made a great combination. Next time I will use more cocoa - 1-2 tsp, but my preference is for rich chocolate.
We REALLY like this cake! It's moist and actually has better flavor and texture after the first day! I used somewhat heaping tablespoons of cocoa in the cake, since several reviews noted it is not strong of chocolate, and I finished it by sprinkling cinnamon and powdered sugar on top, foregoing the icing. The whole point of making THIS cake, for me, is experiencing the cayenne and chocolate blend. 1/2 teaspoon seems a perfect amount. I would love to try this with coffee, rather than water, but my son (adult) doesn't like mocha. He DID especially LIKE the texture. Thank you for this recipe!!
This turned out to be a moist, spongy cake. I did not add the pepper. Next time I make it, I will use 1 cup coffee instead of water.
Nice cake. I would suggest just a tiny bit less of the cayenne pepper. It was to my liking but a bit spicy for the kids. Love the recipe and the only suggestion is to double the frosting. This recipe doesn't have enough to frost the whole cake.
I made this recipe, actually as cupcakes. I was impressed by the mild hit of spice and the mellow sweetness my little cakes had. I had several people try them and they were definitely a hit! The icing turned out very nicely as well, I would recommend letting it set up before using it. They were also very moist, which is perfect for chocolate cake. I will definitely make again, especially if I'm entertaining!
Definitely a keeper!! This cake had a great consistency - very moist. I had heard of cayenne pepper in chocolate cake before but had never tried it out, but it's what added the extra onto ordinary ;) The frosting was a little sweet for me, but was good nonetheless. Oh, and I didn't have any sour cream so I used cream cheese instead - it seemed to work!
I was hoping for something much different from what I got. The consistency seems strange and it just didn't taste all that chocolaty to me. I ended up cut to the wire and had to make a box recipe - won't make again.
Was so good, no one could guess there was cayenne in it. Making it again tonight.
We didn't love the pepper taste. It was too spicy for my kids and just had a weird aftertaste. The cake was moist, and the frosting was great. I think I'd like it better without the pepper.
Love this recipe! I've made it twice already! I like that it's ice and moist. It's like a brownie really! The only thing I would change is not to add the complete 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper. It gives it just a hint of extra flavor w/o overduing it. All in all a great recipe!
This recipe is perfect the way it is. I suggest to anyone to try it the way it is before making any changes suggested by others. Althought I must agree that the cayenne gives an excellent flavor without making the cakes spicy hot as one might expect from cayenne. I make this cake ALL the time for any birthday/special occasion, or just because it is SOOOO moist and good! Thanks for the recipe!
Yowza this is delish! I had a chocolate craving and thought this sounded good, but good grief, good doesn't begin to describe it. I could literally skip the plate, just grab a fork and eat the entire pan. I love the cayenne kick too. Definitely a keeper!
This cake is ok. It certainly is edible, but it doesn't make you want more. The taste is just...off. I won't be making it again.
This is cake nirvana! This is the best cake ever. I used coffee instead of water as suggested by other reviewers. The recipe as written calls for 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper so I am not sure why others tried 1 tsp. cayenne. The frosting was perfect as written so I am not sure why others thought it too thin unless they did not allow the cake to cool competely.
This cake is fantastic! It was so simple to make, turned out great the first time around and the flavour was wonderful. I will probably play with the frosting recipe a bit as I found it to be too sweet but my friends loved it.
Amazing! Most chocolate cakes do not turn out very moist, but this one sure did! Loved it@
Made this for my sister-in-law's birthday-- WONDERFUL! Super moist. I didn't have cayenne so I used half as much red pepper. BUT I can't wait to make it as called for! My friend has made it since and also loved it. I also used the icing as called for-- great-- I then shaved white and dark chocolate on top for decoration. A keeper!
What a wonderful surprise. The addition of the cayenne pepper really adds a nice savory taste to the chocolate. Great cake recipe, really makes a wonderful cake.
This was just 'ok'. I was hoping for a more chocolatey cake. I do like the heat from the pepper. The frosting was good. Won't make again.
The best cake EVER!!! I love the hot feeling in your mouth after each bite (not that it was overpowering or anything). It was AMAZING and my friends LOVED IT!!!
Great cake! I actually made them into cupcakes and they turned out great. I did add a little more powdered sugar to the frosing though to thicken it up so it would stay on good. Oh...I also replaced the baking soda with powder and they were just fine. Delicious!
this was certainly good and we will make it again. I am giving it four stars instead of five because it was not fantastic, but certainly good and simple to make. Unique flavor, we really enjoyed it. moist and tasty, coulda used a little more chocolate imo.
I'm not a very proficient baker so I was a bit nervous about trying this cake... but it turned out just beautifully! A moist cake with wonderful rich flavor. The only change I made was to use coffee instead of water (as suggested by another reviewer). I made the icing exactly as stated and it also turned out nicely. I think the next time I will use a different type of icing just for variety's sake. This is a must try for all chocolate cake lovers.
The tastiest (not the prettiest) cake i have ever made, and I have made a lot of cakes. I had to use plain yogurt instead of sour cream because i forgot to get it at the store. The result was still PERFECT!!!! I followed the rest of the recipe exactly, and wouldn't change a thing.
Delicious! I've tried two variations, both gluten-free, and it is INCREDIBLE. I used certified GF whole grain oat flour and almond flour. I also used yogurt instead of sour cream as I have it at hand more often. The only other substitution I made was to include an espresso cup of coffee as part of the water measurement. Since I was making it GF and was worried about the thing not rising, I used cupcake/muffin tins--this recipe made 18!! At the end I topped some of them off with crushed walnuts and some with chocolate chips. DELICIOUS! The blend of coffee/cayenne/chocolate was *perfect.* It feels warm and warming, and not hot. It's like an exotic comfort blend of dreamy heaven. :) BTW, I followed other review's time suggestion for cupcakes and they were AMAZING. Keep an eye on it if you're making GF, as you don't want it to dry. They didn't rise too much (but they did a bit), and have the consistency of amazing brownies. They're moist and delicious, but not gooey or sludgy as I feared as it was my first GF baking experience. The second time I added more cocoa powder, all coffee and a touch more cayenne. The truth is, to my shock...I think I liked the original version better! Truth is, they're both delicious, so just have fun with it. I'm about to make my third batch now--I save them in freezer bags labeled by month so that I don't get carried away enjoying them excessively :)
I made this cake exactly as the recipe was written and was very happy with the results. It was a bit more dense than I expected, but still definitely a cake. Out of the 6 people who ate it, 5 noticed the cayenne and thought it was a good addition. My husband had no idea it was there, but loved it anyway!
This recipe was ok, but I've had better, and it looks nothing like the the photo (the icing is chocolate, not white). The cook time is much closer to 40 minutes, otherwise it will be undercooked.
really moist! didn't add the peeper coz alot of ppl said it didn't make much of a diffrence.
Well. I just put the batter in the oven and licked the spoon-it's got a zip! Wow! Cannot wait to taste it. My husband is pretty good with pinpointing different spices when I try new things-we shall see... hehehe. I was impressed by how quickly everything went together and mixed smoothly by hand. (I'll let you know what he says).
This was my second time making this recipe. I cut the amount of cayenne in half because the first time it seemed too spicy for the kids. It would probably be good without the cayenne too. It makes super moist cupcakes that I love! The frosting is a bit runny...you have to chill it for a while or it will run right off!
made this cake for my boyfriend's birthday...we had a party with about 12 adults, 5 kids there and I asked them all to guess the "secret" ingredient. Nobody could guess and they were surprised to hear it was cayenne pepper! I thought this was quite moist and delicious. I made it the day before and did NOT frost it. I simply sprinkled powdered sugar on top and everyone loved it. Easy to make, easier to eat! With a dollop of fresh whipped cream, this was soooo yummy. I also used coffee instead of water and I added a bit more cocoa. I cut the cayenne based on recommendations here and I think I probably would've been ok adding the whole amount. It had just the slightest bit of spice and I think a tad more would've been even better....so next time I will add the full amount called for in the recipe! I WILL make this again!
Delicious! I did the coffee for water substitution. Made the cake and icing two days in advance and kept them fresh in the refrigerator. When it came time to serve I added a bit of milk to the icing to soften - spread on the cake. It was perfect!
I substituted water for coffee as other reviewers did. I frosted it with a butter cream recipe to which i added a table spoon of cinnamon it tasted very good and moist!
This is so good, i like to add two teaspoons of coffee to add a little more taste. I made it once and all myy friends loved it.
HATED IT!!!! All we could taste was the cayenne pepper. YUCK!!! Might have been a decent cake without the pepper.
I halved the recipe and made mini muffins/cupcakes, which I thik were a perfect balance of sweet from the frosting and spicy from the cake. The frosting was very very good and in the future, I would decrease the cayenne if I made it into anything beside mini cupcakes.
The heat was very subtle and it was described as little tiny pins on the tip of the tongue. The texture was a real winner. Very light. I used the ingredients in the amounts as written but the directions seemed to not make sense. I mixed the cayenne and baking soda in with the dry ingredients then added them to the wet ingredients because in my experience those ingredients will not mix properly if mixed first with the wet ingredients. I made mini cupcakes and it made over 4 dozen. I did not make the frosting so this review is only on the cake itself. I used a family boiled frosting recipe and piped it onto the cupcake and shaved a chocolate chili candy bar onto them as decoration. I made this recipe twice. First without changing any of the ingredients or amounts, only the procedure and the second time I added more cocoa and swapped the water for decaf coffee per other reviewers suggestions. It was good in both ways. I will definitely be making this again with and without the spice because the recipe itself is quite excellent.
very yummy cake! the batter turned out a little too spicy so i added more sour cream which seemed to help although the end product did still leave a bit of a burning feeling in your throat. overall, not bad. will make it again with a little less pepper.
Made it with coffee in place of water for my daughter's birthday because she couldn't decide what she wanted. Whole family & party guests LOVED it!!!! I couldn't get enough myself, and I don't like chocolate cake at all. I'll definitely be making this again, SOON!!
What a great scratch cake! I did one thing different and that was using cake flour instead of all-purpose. I had to add more confectionary sugar to the icing as it was too thin. But my husband absolutely loved it and he won't eat anything store bought in sweets. Thank you again for providing an avenue for wonderful recipes to be shared.
This was a huge hit. I was craving chocolate cake, but I prefer a lighter chocolate rather than a “death by chocolate” intensity. This was perfect. Lovely cocoa flavor, moist, and the surprise zip was a huge hit for everyone. Stayed moist for days. I didn’t bother frosting it, just a sprinkle of powdered sugar was enough. Only change was subbing cold coffee for the water.
Everyone loved it. I did change a couple items. Between the 2 layers I used ice cream fudge and around the sides layer out in coconut flakes. Fun receipt
Very tasty. Love the hint of heat. Like other reviewers I used coffee instead of water. Baked at 350 for 28 minutes. Sifted a little confectioners sugar on it, no icing. Really yummy
This is a great recipe. Very moist and so good. We aren't a big fan of frosting so I sprinkled powdered sugar on top.
This cake is delicious! I followed the recipe as directed except I substituted coffee for the water and added an extra tablespoon of cocoa powder to the cake. I also made it a layer cake but I was impatient and didn't let it cool enough before layering so it split. I used some left over cream cheese frosting in between the layers. With the chocolate frosting on top it was amazing! So moist , I love a moist cake. I will definitely make this again!
Very nice cake. Very moist and not too sweet. The icing is perfect but I will try cream cheese icing as suggested below. I used coffee instead of water. Next time I’ll add more tablespoon of cocoa and perhaps less cayenne. This is a good cake for potlucks and taking to work for birthday cake! Family loved it.
I LOVE this cake soooo much. My family came over and I made it, they all loved it.
This was a very nice, moist cake. The icing was way too sweet though, should have cut back on the sugar...
Love this cake!! Moist and chocolatey, with a delicate "kick" to it. I give it away as gifts and get requests for it.
I tried this recipe. Found it great! I did exchange the water for coffee. I used a different frosting because I read too many complaints. The cake was for a birthday. Many people asked me what was in it. Told them it was a Surprise Chocolate Cake and they had to guess. One person guessed it and the others said I don't know but I like it. Big hit.
Excellent and simple. I used Hershey’s Dark Cocoa powder because that’s what I had on hand, I also replaced the water with 1 cup of cold coffee, as suggested by another reviewer, and it turned out great! I used the suggested amount of cayenne pepper and there was little to no heat. I increased the baking time to 35 minutes, as it was ‘soupy’ at 20. Awesome, rich and easy. I’ll make it again!
best cake, with and without the pepper. I highly recommend you add the pepper though.
This cake was moist and tasty, and so quick and easy! I followed the recipe as written for ingredients and we loved it ! One reviewer said it was brownie-like texture but it was not even close- it was a light and fluff, typical cake texture. This was the perfect cake texture. Perhaps that reviewer had used smaller eggs, I used an extra large. Also since there is just two of us, I made half of the recipe and baked it in a 9x9 pan- perfect amount. It made for a very happy birthday!
