VLOG: chocolate cake two delicious ways

Faux Hostess Chocolate Creme Filled Cupcakes

There's always a simple and easy way to do something and a more laborious and complex way to do the something.  In this case, the something is chocolate cake.  I absolutely adore chocolate cake.  My favorite recipe is a layered chocolate cake with mocha French Mousseline buttercream covered in chocolate oreo cookie crumbs.  In this video blog, I'm discussing two different recipes - Hershey's Black Magic Chocolate Cake and Cooks Illustrated Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake.  Both recipes are delicious and each have their own pros and cons.  I tend to bake Hershey's recipe more often because of its simpicity but the Cooks Illustrated recipe is my go-to for special ocassions.  You cannot go wrong with either recipe!  Take a look at my newest vlog and I hope you bake up these chocolate cakes!

Hershey's One Bowl Chocolate Cake Recipe

Recipe from Hershey's Kitchens

Ingredients

2 cups sugar 

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 

3/4 cup cocoa 

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon salt 2  eggs 

1 cup buttermilk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water 

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions

1) Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan or cupcake pan. 

2) Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (Batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. 

3) Bake 22-25 minutes for cupcakes, 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. 

Cooks Illustrated Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites / Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients

12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft, plus extra for greasing pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pans

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsley chopped

1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup hot water

1 3/4 C sugar

2 teaspoons instant coffee

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon table salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks

Directions

1) Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat to 350 degrees.  Grease two 9-inch round by 2 inch high cake pans with butter; dust pans with flour and knock out excess.  Or line cupcake liners.  Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, and hot water in medium heatproof bowl; set bowl over saucepan containing 1 inch of simmering water and stir with rubber spatula until chocolate ins melted, about 2 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup sugar to chocolate and stir until glossy, 1-2 minutes.  Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

2) Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.  Combine buttermilk and vanilla in small bowl.  In bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined, about 10 seconds.  Add remaining 1 1/4 C sugar, increase speed to high, and whis until fluffy and lightened in color, 2-3 minutes.  Replace whisk with paddle attachment.  Add cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until thoroughly incorporated, 30-45 seconds, pausing to scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed.  Add softened butter 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition.  Add about 1/3 of flour mixture; followed by half of buttermilk mixture mixing until incorporated after each addition (about 15 seconds.)   Repeat using half of remaining flour mixture and all of remaining buttermilk mixture (batter may appear separated.) Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds.  Remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour.  Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan with spatula.

3) Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 18-20 minutes for cupcakes or 25-30 minutes for cake layers.  Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack.  Cool cakes to room temperature before frosting, 45-60 minutes.