Chocolate Cake

Are you a chocolate cake lover? I did once in a while, especially a bittersweet rich chocolate cake with a cup of hot coffee or English tea. It definitely gives me a "zest" after a long day work. Awesome! The rich taste of chocolate cake is simply fulfilling and tantalizing! Besides, chocolate cakes, I do love chocolate muffins, brownies & chocolate swiss rolls too. As I happened to browsed through some websites, I chanced upon this simple and easy recipe, the author called it "Pantry Chocolate Cake" which means all the ingredients can be reached within the house pantry or kitchen. It is indeed true enough, the recipe ingredients are simple and easy to bake especially for those that is new in baking chocolate cake.

I have modified this recipe a little to accommodate my own taste and preference. I used cake flour instead of all-purpose flour to enhance the cake's texture. Besides, using butter can make the cake moist and tastier. You may also add your own ingredients such as nuts or seeds to have an exotic taste of the chocolate cake.

This recipe is simply easy, delicious and satisfying, the beauty of it is; you can bake it for any occasion in a short period. I did some with small muffin cups too for a gathering at my house last week. It is simply awesome and everyone is happy with it. Do try this out if you are having time constraints in throwing a kid's party!

Ingredients: 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder 3/4 cup boiling water 1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour / I used cake flour 1 cup sugar / I used caster sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee (optional) / I used Nescafe instant coffee 1/3 cup vegetable oil / I used melted butter 1 large egg (beaten) 1 teaspoon vanilla essence Toppings: Dash of chocolate rice Some chopped almond Methods: 1. Line a 8" X 4" X 4" rectangular baking pan or bread tin with grease proof baking paper. 2. Whisk cocoa and the boiling water in a bowl until dissolve. Let the mixture cool slightly. 3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and instant coffee in a large bowl. Set aside. 4. Mix melted butter, beaten egg, vanilla essence and cooled cocoa mixture together. Stir well. 5. Pour butter mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. 6. Give the batter a final stir with a wooden spatula to make it is completely mixed. 7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter. 8. Sprinkle chocolate rice and chopped almond on the batter. 9. Pre-heat oven at 250ºF for 10 mins. Bake cake at 450ºF for 20 - 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool completely on a rack about 1 - 2 hours. Cut into your desire shape. Note: • The quality of the cake depends a lot on the quality of the cocoa powder. • Using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour can make the cake texture softer. • Using butter can make the cake moist and tastier. • Make sure the batter is lump free and mix well. • The baking time is vary depending on the function and features of your oven. You may need to adjust according to the oven's functions. • You may make some chocolate frosting to ice the cake. Give an extra richness to the cake. If you prefer to ice the cake you need to omit the toppings. You may get the quick chocolate frosting recipe here.