Chocolate Cake for Beginners

posted in Sweets by Kathy Maister
Difficulty:

Since I began startcooking.com, chocolate cake has been in the “Top 5 List” of the most requested recipes. Finally I have discovered the perfect chocolate cake recipe for beginner cooks. This moist, rich, dense, chocolate cake is one that you will want to make again and again. Many thanks to Nigella Lawson for this perfect recipe!

There are six steps to making this cake

Prepare the Pan
Prepare the Ingredients
Mixing the Ingredients
Baking the Cake
Removing the Cake from the Pan
Making the Frosting

Let’s startcooking!

1. Preparing the Pan

This cake is baked in a 9-inch wide (and 2 1/2 -3 inches high) “springform” pan. This type of baking pan has a hinge on the side that expands. This allows you to remove the bottom of the pan from the sides, making removing the cake from the pan really easy.

To begin, the (closed!) pan needs to get “greased” (putting a layer of grease or shortening on the bottom of the pan.) You can grease the pan with butter, shortening, or a non-stick spray. (I used the non-stick spray.)

Then you need to line the pan with parchment paper. Cut the parchment paper to match the size of the pan.

Press the parchment paper to the bottom and sides of the pan. The grease will make it stick.

Be sure to get the pan prepared before you begin mixing the ingredients!

Go and pre-heat your oven to 350 F. degrees (or 180C., Gas mark 4)

2. Preparing the Ingredients

If your measuring is not exact when you are making soups or stews, it will not totally throw off the recipe. However, with baking, measuring must be really accurate! Get all of your ingredients assembled and measured before you start mixing anything together.

I am making this cake using the standard US measuring techniques, but I am listing the metric amounts as well.

Nine ingredients are needed to make this recipe. (Don’t make the frosting until the cake is baked, and stone cold.) Measure all the cake ingredients and set them aside:

First, there’s the surprise ingredient that makes this cake so rich - 8 ounces (250 ml) of Guinness stout beer!! (I promise, there is no beer taste to this cake!)

Second ingredient: 1 stick (250gr) of butter, unsalted and cut into slices

Third ingredient: 3/4 cups (75gr) of unsweetened cocoa powder (this is not the same as instant hot chocolate!)

Fourth ingredient: 2 cups granulated of sugar (400gr caster sugar)

Fifth ingredient: 3/4 cups of sour cream (1 x 142ml pot)

Sixth ingredient: 2 eggs

Seventh ingredient: 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract (15 ml vanilla essence)

Eighth ingredient: 2 cups of white flour (275gr plain flour)

Finally, the ninth ingredient: 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda (12.5 ml bicarbonate of soda)

3. Mixing the Ingredients

Part one: the basic chocolate mixture.

Pour the Guinness stout into a 4 quart saucepan…

…add the butter…

…and (over medium heat) stir or whisk until the butter has melted.

Whisk in the cocoa powder…

…and the sugar.

Once the sugar has melted, remove the pan from heat.

Part Two: The egg mixture

Crack the eggs into a small dish, check for shells, and then put the egg into a medium bowl.

Add the vanilla extract…

…and the sour cream.

Whisk these three ingredients together.

Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate.

Whisking until…

…it is well blended.

Part Three: Finishing the Batter

Now add the flour…

…and the baking soda.

Whisk everything together until it is totally blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Be sure to scrape the pan clean with a silicone spatula.

4. Baking the cake

Put the cake into the pre-heated 350 F. degrees (or 180C., Gas mark 4) oven.

Bake the cake for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cake…

…comes out clean.

Check the cake after 45 minutes. This should be done while the cake is still in the oven! I did it on the counter top just for demonstration purposes. Even though my cake looks like it is not quite cooked in the very center, the pick came out clean.

Set the cake on a wire rack to cool completely. Do not remove the cake from the pan until it is cold!

5. Removing the Cake from the Pan

Don’t even think about making the frosting until the cake is stone cold!! This will take a couple of hours for the cake to cool completely.

To remove the cake from the pan, first pop the hinge.

Then just lift the ring off the cake.

The parchment paper will be stuck to the cake. Gently peel off the parchment paper.

If this were a cheesecake, you would just serve it right on top of the metal base of the pan.

This is such a sturdy, moist cake that the bottom of the pan can easily be removed. First put the cooling rack on top of the cake…

…and the bottom of the pan slides right off.

Remove the paper.

Flip your cake dish so that the right side of the dish is facing the bottom of the cake.

The cake will be sandwiched between the cooling rack and the cake dish. Flip the whole thing!

Remove the rack and the cake is ready to frost!

6. Frosting the Cake

Once frosted, this cake is supposed to be reminiscent of a pint of stout – a dense, dark bottom with a frothy white top.

The frosting is made with confectioners sugar, heavy cream (or milk), cream cheese, and vanilla.

Cut 8 ounces (300gr) of cream cheese into cubes and set them in a medium mixing bowl.

Soften the cream cheese in the microwave for about 15 seconds. You do not want to melt the cream cheese, just soften it a bit.

Sift 1 cup of confectioners' sugar (150gr icing sugar) on top of the cream cheese.

Sifting the powdered sugar gets rid of any lumps.

Using an electric mixer, whip the cheese and sugar together until it is fluffy and smooth.

Whip in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Add up to 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream (or milk) in small amounts…

…beating after each addition…

…until you have a spreadable consistency.

(NOTE: This is a lot less heavy cream than indicated in the English-metric version of this recipe. English double cream is much thicker than heavy cream and has a consistency of something close to American sour cream.)

Spread the frosting on the top of cake, starting at middle and fanning out to the top edge of the cake.

The sides of the cake do not get frosted.

Although if you love frosting, double the frosting recipe and frost the sides as well! (I wish I had done that!)

WOW! We did it! Want a slice? Or two?

Adapted from:
Feast by Nigella Lawson

You can view and print this recipe here.

If you are new to startcooking, or are a regular visitor here, please consider subscribing for free.

25 comments

Cynthia

BUT WAIT..........this is listed as having 6 steps. I beg to differ, the MOST important step is missing.

7, Grab a fork and dive in....Enjoy!!

KGWagner

Mmm... Nigella... I'd eat anything she said I should eat <grin>

It should be noted for anyone who wants to try this excellent recipe that the batter isn't going to seem like batter - it'll be very thin. But, that's normal. I have a similar recipe from Nestle's that works that way, and it comes out fantastic.

Do use the parchment paper, though. For the couple bucks it'll cost you to get a roll, you won't be sorry. The results are much better and easier to deal with. Plus, there are many other reasons to have parchment paper around the kitchen. Cookie results can be dramatically improved, for instance.

Eila

1-1/3 cups sugar, 1 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup softened margarine, 4 eggs, 4 medium ripe bananas mashed, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 2 cups flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 cup chocolate chips. Method: heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 x 11-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray. Beat sugar, sour cream, margarine, and eggs in large bowl on low speed for 1 minute. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda on medium speed for 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until light brown on top. Cool in pan. Cut into 2 inch bars.
-------------------------
Eila

<a href="http://www.widedriven.com">Guaranteed ROI</a>

Kathy Maister

Cynthia - you are so right! How could I have forgotten Step #7! :-)

KGW -
Any chance of sharing your recipe??????

Eila - Banana and chocolate go so well together! Thanks for your recipe!
(Note for beginners - the secret to baking with bananas is to make sure they are really, really ripe!)

Mehreen

I am a total beginner with cooking. And so wanted some suggestions on the 'basic cooking utensils', please.

As in, in a kitchen, as a complete beginner, what basic utensils should I have in my kitchen which would always come in handy. And also, some suggestion on the right utensils needed for baking (including everything..cakes, lasagna, chicken) would be appreciated.

And my chicken is never juicy when I bake it. I know I am doing something wrong, but I don't know what!

Help in this regard would be highly appreciated.

-Mehreen

Kathy Maister

Hi Mehreen,

Excellent question!

Equipping a kitchen can be an expensive and daunting task. If you look in the index, there is a section called Kitchen Basics which will help you get started with the basics.

All of my videos have an ingredient and equipment list which is also a great resource.

When possible, I have refrained from using specialized equipment as new cooks often do not have things like a pressure cooker, a wok, or a food processor.

As for the dry chicken, first check out my video on How to Roast a Chicken. You may be cooking your chicken at the wrong temperature or for too long.

Good Luck!

Cynthia

Mehreen...Kathy's roasted chicken is super easy to make. My husband calls it AWESOME!! I have learned so very much from this site and my hubby has said if he ever disappears to look at Kathy's!!

Cynthia

Kathy Maister

Thank-you Cynthia! I LOVE to hear comments like yours! Say hi to your husband for me! :-)

Mehreen

Oh the recipes are sure easy, I am definitely going to be trying my hands on the roast this sunday, inshallah.

One more questio, Kathy. I f i want to half the amount of ingredients used how do I go about adjusting the pan size accordingly?

Kathy Maister

Mehreen, I'm not sure I understand the question?
If you are thinking of cutting this chocolate cake recipe in half, I would not recommend it!

KGWagner

Kathy -

This is the chocolate cake recipe you were curious about. This will be the third time I've posted it, but it's not taking for some reason. I may be getting too wordy, so I'll shut up now.

Kathy Maister

Thanks KGW!

Nothing better than a tried and true chocolate cake recipe. This recipe looks great! Three layers high must really WOW company.

The gelatin in the mousse must make this "mousse-frosting" really hold up! I once made Martha Stewart's three layer cake which took forever to set. I had to jam a chop stick in the center of the frosted cake to hold it together - otherwise is would have ended up like the leaning tower of chocolate cake!

KGWagner

It does work well. You have to be careful about a couple things, though. When it says to use a "cold" bowl to whip the cream, they're not kidding. Also, they say to refrigerate it for a half hour before using it. Don't skip that step or it'll be too smooshy, and don't go over a half hour, or it'll set up in the bowl and be too hard to spread smoothly.

Also, they don't mention using parchment paper in the cake pans, but it really is necessary. It's a very moist cake, and you don't want to fight with it getting it out of the pans.

Finally, using raspberry jam (not jelly or preserves) in the center layers is excellent, and leaves more mousse for the outside. After all, cake is just an excuse to eat frosting <grin>

Kathy Maister

Great tips!

I'm a big user of parchment paper. Nothing worse than baking a cake and not being able to get it out of the pan.

Readers should not confuse parchment paper with wax paper.

"Wax paper may be used as a liner in baking cakes, quick breads, muffins or any baked food in which the batter completely covers the wax paper lining. Wax paper should never be directly exposed to the heat of an oven."

KGWagner

Saw this and had to share it...

Make Cake in a Mug!

You’re working at home and your mind starts to wander to snack possibilities. There are probably some prepackaged, good-until-the-next-millennium baked items in your cabinet, but you’re in the mood for something warm from the oven. Something chocolate. However, your compulsion to work is just strong enough to keep you from leaving the computer long enough to make something from scratch. Guess it’ll have to be another stale Twinkie after all.

But wait! With Cake in a Mug, you can have a hot, delicious, fresh-baked chocolate cake in minutes! And all it takes is a microwave, some hot chocolate mix, and a couple of ingredients you’ve probably got in your kitchen.

Ready to make your own Cake in a Mug? Everything you need to know is below.

Make cake in a mug...

Kathy Maister

OH MY!

I shudder to think what this actually tastes like! By the looks of the photo-tutorial, Cake in a Mug is for real.

Have you tried this???

Cristina

Hello Ms. Kathy,

What if the Guinness stout beer is not available is there any substitute? I'm in the middle east so alcohol is forbidden without permit. Please help me, I would love to try you chocolate cake.

At first, I thought parchment paper is the same with wax paper, thanks for informing us beginners.

Take care.

Kathy Maister

Hi Christina,
I am afraid you may have to find another recipe for Chocolate Cake as I would not recommend a substitution for the stout in this particular recipe. It has a very unique flavor that actually brings out the chocolate flavor plus the stout itself helps to give this cake its unique texture.

Shortly I will be doing a post on all the different types of paper and wrap and baggies used in cooking which will hopefully take away some of the mystery on things like parchment paper vs. wax paper.
Good Luck with your Chocolate Cake Recipe quest!

Cheers,
Kathy

GRACE

WAO! THAT WAS GREAT AND SUPER.

Kathy Maister

Thanks Grace!
I aim to please! :-)
K.

Eisha

Hi Kathy,

whenever i bake a cake there's something wrong with it - sometimes too moist, extra egg,too much of baking soda, sometimes needs more cooking but if i bake it again it looks like all the butter is coming out of the cake,etc etc.........but then the main problem with my cakes is that they are alwayz fail i.e.,they never rise up...................do help!!!!!!!!

KGWagner

Eisha -

You're not alone. A lot of people have variable results from baking, which is why a lot of people just don't do it. Who wants to suffer failure when you can just go throw money at the grocery or bakery to get something already done?

The thing is, you can play with the number, type, and quantity of ingredients with most recipes when you're cooking regular food in order to satisfy your taste or curiosity. But, baking is not so forgiving. If the ingredients aren't right, or aren't proportioned properly, or baking temperature/time is wrong, or any of a number of other things aren't just so, the results won't be satisfactory, if they're even edible at all.

When a recipe says two large eggs, it doesn't mean two jumbo eggs. When it says mix, don't whip or beat. When it says baking powder, it doesn't mean baking soda. On and on.

Also, some things, even if they're right, won't work. Eggs change as they age, as do many other ingredients. Baking soda/powder loses its ability to leaven, which may be why your cakes aren't rising. How old is that stuff?

GRACE

CAN I USE MICRO WAVE OVEN FOR BAKING CAKE INSTEAD OF THE REAL OVER?

KGWagner

Grace -

If you're asking if the recipe Kathy presented here can be cooked in the microwave, the answer is "probably not". But, there are cakes you can make in the microwave. They have different ingredients in different proportions with different timings than the recipe presented here.

For example, here's a recipe for Hershey's Chocolate Cake that's designed to be made in a microwave.

Kathy Maister

Eisha,

KGW is absolutely right! Learning how to become a good baker takes time and practice plus exact measuring and proper ingredients.

Grace, in a word, NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This recipe will only work if you bake the cake in a regular oven.

0 trackbacks

Get startcooking for Free

Are you a busy person who just never got around to learning the basics of cooking? We built startcooking.com just for you. You'll learn how to make quick and tasty meals, plus learn the basic cooking skills you'll need. Get ready to start cooking!

using iTunes (windows & mac) using RSS for HD (appleTV or other HD-enabled) using RSS (windows & mac) get startcooking email updates

how do I use this?