Recipe for 'THE' CHOCOLATE CAKE!

Chocolate cakes are everybody's fav, I mean who doesn't like dark chocolate, tell me who? Its like a universal flavor for every dessert, isn't it? So, after so many fails I have finally found the recipe for the best yet the most effortless chocolate cake you can make at your home itself!! So here you go-

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of flour (maida)

• 2 cups of powdered white sugar

• 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2.5 teaspoon of baking powder

• 1.5 teaspoon of baking soda

• 25 grams of butter

• 1 cup of milk

• 1 cup refined oil

• Baking paper

• 1 and 1/4 cups of Whipping cream (Tropical Whipping cream for cakes), dark chocolate

• Equipment: Whipping machine (required for the frosting ONLY), baking cake round (or a round aluminum container), 2 separate containers just for mixing and preparing the batter

If there is no powdered sugar available ready-made at your house, then you can always grind the granular sugar in a mixer, and you will be good to go. But never use granular sugar directly. You can always use sweet cocoa powder, but then you will have to reduce the amount of sugar you are adding separately to the recipe.

Whipping machine is a must only if you are going to put whipped cream, frosting and toppings to the cake, otherwise its not important at all. A round aluminum container can always be used instead of the cake rounds. Honestly, I prefer aluminum containers as they rarely fail you, they bake the batter the best!

There is not substitute for baking paper, it is important, and you will find it at a very cheap price at any grocery or baking store.

Recipe:

• In a separate container sieve the dry ingredients (except sugar): the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and the baking soda. Its important to sieve the dry ingredients as it reduces lumps or any solid particles and also allows air to enter through. After sieving, mix all of them evenly, using a spoon or whatever fits you.

• In another container, pour all the refined oil. Then little by little, add the powdered sugar into the oil and keep mixing them till you get a well mixed thick solution. You can either use a spoon or a whipping machine to mix. Do not add all the sugar at one go.

• Melt the butter and add it to the milk.

• Now, pour the melted butter and milk to the oil-sugar mixture and mix well to get a evenly distributed solution of all the wet ingredients.

• Now, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (milk, oil, sugar, butter), little by little. Keep mixing them. I prefer using a spoon as it allows a lot of air into the batter and also bets baked perfectly! It might be tiring but its worth it! If you feel that the batter is too thick, feel free to pour down only a little bit of milk.

• Now after getting a smooth batter, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, allowing the air bubbles to rise.

• Preheat the oven.

• Prepare the baking round: Cut the baking paper into a round shape of the same size as that of the base of your baking round (or aluminum container). Apply a layer of refined oil to all the sides of your container, and lay the baking paper on the base. And apply oil to the top of you baking paper as well. Applying oil to the sides and the base is important as it prevents the sides of the cake from getting burned or over-baked AND also allows the cake to come out of the round easily and smoothly.

• Pour your batter into the oiled-container, and tap the container to allow the air bubbles to rise and burst. Do not skip this process.

• You can add choco-chips to the top, if you desire.

• And there you go! Put your batter into the the oven, and heat for 30-35 minutes.

• ...

• After baked: Poke your perfect cake with a toothpick to make sure if its well baked. If the toothpick comes out clean, then you are sure you cake is baked well!

• After the cake has cooled down, carefully take the cake out of the round. You can invert the round on a plate to do so. Do not take the cake out of the round when it is hot as it might get crake or broken.

O My God! There you go! You did it! :)

Frosting:

• Heat 1/4 cups of your whipping cream on low heat. Put as much grated dark chocolate as you like into the hot cream and allow to melt. Keep stirring till you get a smooth dark mixture.

• Allow the melted chocolate and cream, to cool down in the refrigerator. Never use warm or hot cream.

• In a large container, pour a well refrigerated, chilling cold 1 CUP of whipping cream (I prefer TROPICAL'S WHIPPING CREAM) Also add the melted chocolate cream into it.

• Whip the cream with a whipping machine at low speed (of 3 or 5) for the first 3-6 minutes

• When the cream gets a little bit thicker, increase the speed (to 6 or 8) and whip for a few more minutes will you get stiff peaks. Check if the cream if thick enough and allow it to cool in you refrigerator.

• Allow it to cool down well.

There you go! Your frosting is ready. Now apply it to your cake as you wish!

We did it! Congrats!

Share this recipe with all your friends too ;)

Enjoy!

-Sia

Shreya Gupta