The Sweetest Part of All

I can’t think of anything better than a good piece of chocolate cake washed down with a glass of cold milk. Chocolate cake is for celebrations, for comfort, for rainy days and for rooftop picnics. For good days, and especially for bad ones. It erases a lousy meal and sends a good one over the moon. If Marie Antoinette had specified chocolate cake in her famous declaration, perhaps things wouldn’t have ended so badly for her.

I believe there are a few things everyone should have: a spare set of house keys, a book they never get sick of reading, a stellar Chinese restaurant on speed dial. Everyone should also have a chocolate cake recipe so simple they can make it from memory (and in one bowl), yet so decadent and lovely that it is quite easily the life of any party. Everyone should have this chocolate cake. It’s perfect. Light and moist, with a chocolate flavoring that tastes rich but isn’t overpowering. Substantial, but not dense. It’s the kind of chocolate cake that you may have had at a childhood birthday, when your biggest problem was making sure you pinned the tail on the donkey. This cake is definitely a happy memories kind of cake, a “when things were simple” kind of cake. I love food that tastes like childhood and feels like coming home. What could be better?



The secret to great chocolate cake is a cup of coffee. Stick with me. The bitterness of the coffee balances all the sweet ingredients, yet truly brings out the chocolate here. If you hate coffee, a cup of boiling water works just fine – but you won’t get the same depth of flavor.

I made three 8-inch cakes and spread some peanut butter frosting between each one. This chocolate cake is a wonderful building block for frosting. Vanilla or chocolate butter cream would be wonderful. I made my frosting with a cup of chunky peanut butter mixed with about a cup of powdered sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla and a splash of milk. Use a beater to fluff everything up.



Like I mentioned before, you only need one bowl to make this cake. I think the easy clean-up may be the sweetest part of all.

Dark Chocolate Cake
Adapted from a classic Hershey’s Recipe

Ingredients
2 c white sugar
1 3/4 c cake flour
3/4 c cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c hot coffee

Heat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round baking pans, or three 8-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixer bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; stir rapidly for 2 minutes. Mix in coffee - the batter will be quite thin. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack, then tap the cakes out of the pans. Cool completely before frosting.

Makes two 9-inch round cakes or three 8-inch round cakes.