The Best Chocolate Cake Ever
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Do you all remember when the pandemic had first begun, and everyone was learning new skills and hobbies and figuring out how to spend their time at home?
Of course you do, I mean, it was literally one year ago. Duh.
Anyway, I wanted to bake. I knew that baking cakes was a thing that I would do the rest of my life, and as a Type 3 on the enneagram, I wanted to make really good cakes. So I endeavored to learn how to make yummy cakes from scratch, and learn to decorate them so they would look almost as pretty as they tasted.
It was definitely a learning process, but conveniently, I have quite a few family members with birthdays throughout the year so I had time to learn and tweak. Not all of them were amazing, but hey, that's life. Life is not being perfect on the first try. No matter how much I try to fight against that tiny little fact of life, and be a pro overnight, it's not real. And I try to be real here.
Anyway, April 1st was my brother-in-law, Cody's birthday, and he was the first in our family to request a chocolate cake. Chocolate cake with chocolate icing. I went to my favorite baking blog, Completely Delicious, (this is legit where I find almost all of my recipes, so bookmark it for future reference), and she had this masterpiece.
Friends, I am telling you, it was the best chocolate cake I've ever had. It turned out so well on the first try, and this is the only chocolate cake I'll ever make for a birthday. Hands down.
I mean, my dad already requested it for his birthday in July. It's that good.
You're welcome.
It is from scratch, but it's honestly so simple, and you probably have everything you need already in your pantry. Also, it does use a lot of sour cream, but you'll be glad you did, because it deepens the chocolatey flavor and makes it so...not dry, for those of you who hate a certain M word.
How I Assembled This Cake.
I usually bake the cakes a day or two before assembly. Once the cakes are baked, I wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge until the day of or night before serving, to keep them as fresh as possible. They will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.
When ready to assemble, I remove the cakes from the fridge and level them. I used to use the floss-and-toothpick trick, but using a cake leveler has changed. the. game. I use this one. I couldn't believe how easy and smooth it was to use this guy. I usually bake two layers in a 7-inch pan, and level them in half to make a four layer cake. These are the pans I use.
Then I take the first layer, put a small dollop of frosting on the plate or platter to keep it in place, and I spread a healthy layer of the filling on top. And then repeat that for the next 3 layers. You can obviously do however many layers you want, I just like a tall cake.
I will admit, I didn't level these guys perfectly, and definitely forgot to level the top off of one, which is why it looks a little uneven in the middle, but hey, we're a work in progress, and that's what the crumb coat is for.
Like I said, we keep it real here, so here’s my messy kitchen counter because I didn’t clean the entire thing in the middle of making a cake for a photoshoot.
What's a crumb coat? It's a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake that seals in the crumbs, smooths the edges, and fills in any gaps. It is not pretty, but it is super helpful to have a beautiful final product. When you've finished your crumb coat, refrigerate the whole cake for 30 minutes or so, until firm.
Here’s my crumb coat. Definitely not perfect, and definitely mixed in with the filling so there’s that swirl you’re seeing.
Lastly, once your crumb coat is nice and firm, your cake is ready for frosting. I like to drop a dollop on top, then frost the sides, so that the top edge is the last piece to come together.
Typically, I try to make it as smooth as possible, but I tried a more textured look with this cake, and I really liked the way it turned out.
I've linked my favorite tools below for you. Let me know how your next cake goes!
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2
“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!” Psalm 95:1-2
