Devilishly Good Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable oil spray and then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set pan aside.
• Place the chocolate and water in a small saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring, till chocolate melts. about 2-3 minutes.
• Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.
• Fold in melted chocolate.
• Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute
• Scrape bowl down. Increase speed to medium and beat 2-3 mins more.
• The batter should look thick and well combined.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 45 - 50 mins or until cake springs back when lightly pressed and just starts to pull away from teh sides.
• Remove from Oven, place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes
• Run sharp knife along edges of cake and invert on wire rack to completely cool 20 mins more.
• Frost with Chocolate Pan Frosting (see my recipe).Let frosting set for 20 mins, slice and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.
• Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake thoroughly in pan at least an hour and a half before inverting onto a plate If desired, dust the cake with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Position oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat oven to 325°; grease bottom and sides of a 9x3 inch round cake pan; dust the pan with flour and set aside.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt the bowl of an electric mixer.
• Add the sugar, and using the paddle attachment, mix at low speed until blended.
• Add the safflower oil and mix a few seconds, until the dry ingredients are crumbly.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs until blended.
• Whisk in the milk and vanilla extract until blended.
• With the mixer at low speed, add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix until blended, scraping down the sides of bowl as needed.
• Gradually add the boiling water and mix just until blended and smooth; scraping down sides as needed.
• Pour batter into cake pan.
• Bake for 45-55 minutes, until a pick comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
• Invert cake onto the wire rack and cool completely.
• Frost as desired.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/170 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter round springform pan with butter and line with parchment paper, then set aside.
• Make the cake: Place butter, chocolate and hot coffee in a large heatproof bowl and mix well until everything is melted, combined and smooth. Whisk in sugar by hand until dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again until thoroughly combined and smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a bowl and then whisk this into the melted chocolate mixture. The batter here is liquid, but don't think you have missed something; this is how it should be.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached. The top will form a crust and crack a little, but don't worry, this is expected. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan, then set aside until completely cool.
• Make the chocolate ganache, if desired: Place chocolate pieces in a food processor, process until fine and set aside. Combine cream and corn syrup in a small pan and place over medium-high heat. As soon as bubbles begin to appear (just before it comes to a boil), remove from the heat. Get the food processor running again, with the chocolate still inside, and pour in the hot cream in a steady stream. Process for 10 seconds, then add butter. Continue to process until mixture is shiny and smooth. (You can also make the ganache by hand; just make sure the chocolate is chopped fairly finely before adding the cream mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until almost melted, then add the butter. Stir again until the ganache is smooth.)
• Use a rubber spatula to scrape the ganache into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, with the plastic actually touching the top of the ganache. Set aside until it has set to the consistency you want. If you want a thin layer to spread over the cake, it can be poured over while liquid so that you get an even, light and shiny coating. For a thicker ganache with a spreading consistency, leave it for about 2 hours at room temperature. (The ganache can be stored at room temperature, providing it's not too warm, for 3 days or kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen, although it will lose a bit of its shine when defrosted.)
• Make the espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream, if desired: Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.
• Peel the parchment from the cake and discard. Transfer to a serving platter and spread the ganache, if using, on top of the cake. Slice into wedges, divide the cake among plates and, if using, spoon the mascarpone cream alongside. With or without icing, the cake will keep well for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.