Decadent Dark Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake: The Ultimate Moist & Flavorful Recipe
Prepare yourself for a truly extraordinary dessert experience with this Dark Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake, fondly known as Rick’s Favorite Birthday Cake. This isn’t just any chocolate cake; it’s a masterpiece of moistness, rich flavor, and perfect texture, incorporating several ingenious baking techniques to ensure every bite is pure bliss. From the inclusion of tangy buttermilk to the deep caramel notes of dark brown sugar and the luxurious blend of both vegetable oil and butter, this recipe pulls out all the stops to deliver an unforgettable treat. You might be surprised to find vegetable oil alongside butter, but rest assured, each ingredient plays a crucial role in creating a cake that’s both tender and incredibly flavorful, without sacrificing any of that classic chocolate richness.
The Secret to an Unbelievably Moist Chocolate Cake
The quest for the perfect moist cake often leads to various baking hacks and ingredient substitutions. This Dark Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake embraces several of these tried-and-true methods, resulting in a crumb that is consistently tender, never dry, and always delightful. Understanding why these ingredients work is key to appreciating the brilliance of this recipe.
The Magic of Buttermilk in Baking
Buttermilk is a not-so-secret weapon in many cake recipes, and for good reason. Its acidity reacts with baking soda, producing carbon dioxide gas that helps the cake rise, resulting in a lighter and more tender texture. Beyond its leavening properties, buttermilk also breaks down gluten strands, further contributing to a softer crumb. The subtle tanginess of buttermilk also beautifully complements the deep chocolate flavor, adding a nuanced complexity that white milk simply can’t achieve.
Deep Flavor with Dark Brown Sugar
While white granulated sugar provides sweetness, dark brown sugar brings so much more to the table. Its molasses content not only imparts a distinctive caramel-like flavor but also contributes significantly to the cake’s moisture. Molasses is hygroscopic, meaning it attracts and retains moisture, keeping your cake fresh and tender for longer. Replacing all or part of the white sugar with dark brown sugar elevates the flavor profile and ensures a wonderfully moist outcome.
The Role of Oil and Butter in Harmony
Many moist cake recipes often rely solely on oil, as it stays liquid at room temperature, keeping the cake tender. However, oil can lack the rich, buttery flavor that many crave in a dessert. This recipe intelligently combines both vegetable oil and melted butter. The vegetable oil ensures superior moistness, while the melted butter provides that essential depth of flavor and velvety mouthfeel that makes a chocolate cake truly indulgent. It’s a harmonious blend that offers the best of both worlds – moistness and unparalleled taste.
Rick Bayless: A Culinary Master Beyond Mexican Cuisine
You might be wondering, “Who is Rick?” This exquisite cake is adapted from the brilliant mind of Rick Bayless. While Rick Bayless is widely celebrated as an undisputed master of authentic Mexican cuisine, his culinary genius extends far beyond savory dishes. Over the years, I’ve consistently been impressed by the exceptional quality of his dessert recipes. For instance, his Mexican Chocolate Streusel Cake is a testament to his versatility. This particular dark brown sugar chocolate cake, however, offers a more traditional layer cake experience, distinguishing itself with the distinctive richness and moisture provided by dark brown sugar as its primary sweetener.
The original version of this beloved cake hails from “Rick & Lanie’s Excellent Kitchen Adventures,” a cookbook by Rick Bayless that, surprisingly, I don’t yet own. It’s a clear indicator that his recipes have a reputation for excellence, even in genres outside his primary focus. His ability to craft such a superb chocolate cake, alongside his renowned Mexican dishes, solidifies his status as a truly versatile and exceptional chef.
A Perfectly Balanced Chocolate Flavor
When it comes to chocolate cakes, balance is everything. This recipe strikes an ideal equilibrium between sweetness and deep chocolate flavor. Despite the generous use of dark brown sugar, the cake is surprisingly not-too-sweet, allowing the cocoa to shine. It contains half a cup of unsweetened natural cocoa powder, which, while perhaps less than some other recipes, provides ample chocolatey intensity for a cake of this size. But the chocolate experience doesn’t stop there. The star of the show, the chocolate ganache frosting, contributes a full pound of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, ensuring an abundance of rich, luxurious chocolate in every single bite. This combination delivers a multi-layered chocolate sensation that will satisfy even the most discerning chocolate lovers.
Crafting the Perfect Chocolate Ganache Frosting
While an old photo of a cake slice might feature a classic American buttercream, my preference (and Rick & Lanie’s original intention for this cake) has always been for a rich, silky Chocolate Ganache Frosting. This ganache is not only incredibly delicious but also surprisingly simple to prepare, making it an accessible yet impressive choice for any home baker.
Why Ganache?
Chocolate ganache offers a luxurious, intensely chocolatey flavor and a smooth, glossy texture that perfectly complements the moist crumb of the dark brown sugar cake. Unlike some buttercreams that can be overly sweet or heavy, ganache provides a sophisticated richness that elevates the entire dessert. Its depth of flavor truly enhances the chocolate notes of the cake itself, creating a cohesive and indulgent experience.
Tips for a Silky Smooth Ganache
Making ganache is straightforward, whether you’re using high-quality baking chocolate or good quality chocolate chips. For the best results, finely chop your chocolate before adding the hot cream mixture. This helps the chocolate melt more evenly and prevents clumping. If using chocolate chips, which sometimes contain stabilizers that make them harder to melt smoothly, you might find it beneficial to add the chips directly to the saucepan with the cream and corn syrup, stirring over low heat until fully melted. Alternatively, if your ganache isn’t melting properly, simply place the bowl over a skillet of simmering water (creating a makeshift double boiler) and stir gently until smooth and uniform. Remember, patience is key during the cooling process. Stirring the ganache every 15 minutes as it chills in the refrigerator helps it reach that perfect spreadable consistency without becoming too firm. The type of chocolate used can affect cooling time; chocolate chips tend to thicken faster than chopped baking chocolate.
Adapting the Recipe: From Full-Size to Six-Inch Layers
Not every occasion calls for a large, multi-layer cake. This Dark Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake recipe is wonderfully adaptable, making it perfect for smaller gatherings or when you simply crave a delicious treat without a huge commitment. It scales down beautifully to fit smaller cake pans, proving its versatility in your baking repertoire.
Scaling Down for Smaller Servings
If you’re looking to enjoy a rich brown sugar chocolate cake but don’t need a full-sized creation, this recipe can easily be scaled down for six-inch pans. Simply prepare one-third of the entire recipe ingredients. Divide this reduced batter evenly between two six-inch round cake pans that have been properly greased and floured. The baking time will also be shorter due to the smaller volume; expect to bake these smaller cakes for approximately 25 to 28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. This adaptation allows you to enjoy all the moistness and flavor of the original cake in a more manageable portion, perfect for a cozy dessert for two or a small family gathering.
Essential Baking Tips for Success
Achieving a perfect chocolate cake goes beyond just following the recipe; a few key baking practices can make all the difference in the final outcome. Keep these tips in mind for a consistently delicious cake every time.
Room Temperature Ingredients
It’s often emphasized in baking recipes, and for good reason: using room temperature ingredients, especially buttermilk and eggs, is crucial. Room temperature ingredients emulsify more effectively, creating a smoother, more uniform batter. This leads to a finer crumb structure and a more tender cake. Plan ahead by taking your buttermilk and eggs out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes to an hour before you begin baking.
Proper Pan Preparation
A cake sticking to its pan is every baker’s nightmare. For this dark brown sugar chocolate cake, ensure your two 9×2 inch round cake pans are thoroughly greased and floured. You can use butter or baking spray to grease them, then dust generously with flour, tapping out any excess. For an extra layer of protection, you can also line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper after greasing, then flour over the parchment.
Don’t Overmix!
Once the dry ingredients are added to the wet mixture, mix only until just combined. Overmixing flour develops gluten excessively, which can lead to a tough, dry cake. Use the lowest speed on your electric mixer or mix by hand, stopping as soon as no streaks of flour are visible. The batter for this cake is quite liquidy after the hot coffee is added, so a gentle stir until blended is all that’s needed.
Testing for Doneness
An underbaked cake will sink, while an overbaked cake will be dry. To ensure your cake is perfectly baked, insert a wooden skewer or a cake tester into the center of the cakes. It should come out clean, with no wet batter attached. If there are moist crumbs, that’s fine, but liquid batter indicates it needs more time. Start checking around the 30-minute mark and continue baking in short intervals until done.
Serving Suggestions and Storage
Once cooled and frosted, this Dark Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake is a stunning dessert on its own. For an extra touch of elegance, consider serving slices with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, a scattering of seasonal berries, or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. The rich chocolate and caramel notes of the cake pair wonderfully with a variety of accompaniments. To store your cake, cover it tightly and keep it at room temperature for up to 2-3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For longer storage, individual slices or the entire unfrosted cake can be wrapped well and frozen for up to 2-3 months.
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Recipe
Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake
Anna
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams) plus more for pan
- ½ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt (I use 1 scant)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (114 grams)
- 2 cups packed dark brown sugar (420 grams)
- 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup hot coffee or boiling water
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
- 1 lb bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (448 grams)
- 1 ¼ cup heavy cream (280 grams)
- ⅓ cup corn syrup (110 grams)
- ¼ cup very strong coffee (56 grams)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9×2 inch round cake pans.
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Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, melted butter and brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended, then add the eggs and beat well. Beat in the vanilla.
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By hand or using lowest speed of the mixer, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Stir until fully blended.
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Pour the hot coffee over the batter and stir until blended.
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Pour batter into pans and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Turn from pans and cool.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting
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Chop the chocolate and put it in a heatproof bowl, such as the stand mixer bowl.
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In a small saucepan or in the top of a double boiler, combine the cream, corn syrup, and coffee. Heat over medium, stirring often until steaming.
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Pour over the chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted. Chips don’t always melt as easily as chopped chocolate, so if using chips you might want to add the chips to the saucepan rather than pour the cream of the chips. Another fix is to just set the bowl in a skillet of simmering water and stir.
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Let cool slightly, then place in refrigerator and stir every 15 minutes until spreadable. How long it takes will depend on the chocolate you used. If using chocolate chips, it usually thickens pretty quickly.
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Use about ¼ of the frosting between the layers. Then spread ½ of what is left on the sides and the rest on the top.