baking note

[redbird]

I made the Hershey Black Magic chocolate cake, this time adding half a bag of chocolate chips.

Notes: orange juice instead of the coffee the recipe calls for works fine, and doesn't make the cake noticeably orange.

Half a bag of chocolate chips dropped onto the batter before the cake goes into the oven makes a more chocolaty cake, but without the layer of chocolate on top that cattitude asked me to try for.

Our big ceramic baking dish is probably not the right thing to bake this in, but if I use it again, start with the top end of the timing range.

Don't overdo the "grease and flour the pan" instructions. Maybe grease but don't flour, and use baking parchment to line the bottom of the pan. (This time I got a layer of flour and vegetable oil on the bottom and sides of the cake, which we don't want.)

Comments

[azurelunatic]

Mama always cocoa-powdered chocolate cake pans, so it would come out the correct color when baked.

Sadly I've had trouble with getting the cocoa powder to spread correctly since it's so damp in Washington.

[mrissa]

I came in here to check whether someone had already said this! It is my recommendation as well.

[bibliofile]

Did you want the orange to be noticeable? I've added frozen orange juice concentrate to recipes; you could try that instead of the coffee. Orange extract works best, of course.

[redbird]

I didn't actively want that, but I also wanted to note that it wasn't. If I want a chocolate orange cake, I'll probably add some orange extract; the orange juice is in there was a substitute because coffee is a migraine trigger for adrian_turtle, and I was thinking of bringing her some of the cake.

[bibliofile]

Isn't coffee used as a flavor enhancer for chocolate? In which case you could add any watery liquid instead.

[bibliofile]

(That is, watery as opposed to oily; adding fat does other things to a cake.)

[redbird]

That's why I decided to use orange juice. Plain water would do in terms of having the right amount of liquid in the recipe.

[readerjane]

Butter and cocoa powder on the pan works well for grease and flour, and is less visible on a chocolate cake.

[kareina]

The first time I read that I understood you to mean "not noticeably orange in colour", and wondered why that would be worth mentioning, since I would expect the dark from the chocolate would overpower any colour contribution of the juice. Then I read the comments, and realised you meant flavour, not colour, and I laughed, and decided to share, anyway, in case it also amuses you.

[redbird]

thanks