This is a lighter-tasting chocolate cake with a resembling tasting profile of hot coco. Not too sweet, not too overpoweringly chocolate. It tastes like childhood. It pairs with chocolate or white chocolate frosting.
I was hired to create a birthday cake for someone’s husband. They were over the moon about the vanilla cake I made for a friends going away party, that she wanted another cake with a fun inscription and drawing on top.
To Cacao or Not to Cacao?
Cacao powder and coca powder are interchangeable 1:1. Cacao powder is lightly roasted and cold-pressed whereas coca has been roasted at a high temperature.
I personally recommend Navitas Organics Organic Cacao powder for this recipe. It’s non-GMO and fair trade. It’s a high quality versatile product. You get a rich chocolate flavor with more minerals and antioxidants. I use this in lieu of Dutch processed cocoa powder. While it might be more expensive, it’s worth it. Check out your local Costco for a bag that’s more affordable.
Cacao powder is great to use because it’s naturally acidic (pH level around 5-6). The acidity will react with the baking soda to create more of a rise in your cake. This is ideal if you are going to create layered cake!
Should you decide to use a Dutch processed cocoa powder
Cut your sugar down to 400g. Many coca powders have added sugar. If it’s unsweetened, keep it at 440g.
Traditional coca powder is alkaline, which means the texture and rise of your cake might be different.
Can I Make Cupcakes?
Absolutely! This recipe is versatile and you can make cupcake versions instead. Use a leveled 3 tbs scoop for each regular sized cupcake. Bake for 16 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. The cupcake might seem a bit “squishy” but that’s fine. It will stiffen up as it cools. As long as toothpick comes out clean, it’s done.
Decorative Meringue Cookies
In this chocolate cake recipe, there are 5 egg whites leftover. In this situation, I decided to use them to create chocolate meringue cookies for the layers and decorative elements on the side of the cake. You can pipe the meringue cookies into any size or shape.
Chocolate Cake with Meringue Cookies & White Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 tbsp Unsalted Butter (112g) room temperature
- ½ cup Canola or Vegetable Oil (120ml)
- 2 cups Granulated Sugar (440g)
- 4 Eggs room temperature
- 5 Egg Yolks room temperature
- 2 cups All Purpose Flour (240g) sifted
- ¾ cup Cacao Powder (70g) sifted
- 1½ tsp Baking Powder
- ¼ tsp Baking Soda
- ¾ tsp Salt
- ½ cup Whole Milk (120ml) room temperature
- ½ cup Sour Cream (130g) room temperature
Chocolate Meringue-Walnut Frosting Interior Layers
- ½ cup Walnuts finely chopped
- Chocolate Meringue Cookies
- 1 cup White Chocolate Frosting recipe below
- 1 tsp Cacao Powder sifted
White Chocolate Frosting
- 6 oz Melting White Chocolate Chips (170g)
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter (220g) room temperature
- 2 ½ cup Confectioners Sugar (355g) sifted
- ¼ cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
For Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 175°C. Generously grease two 8-inch / 20cm cake pans, then line them with greased parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium, add the oil and sugar to the butter, and beat for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is light in color and about double in volume.
- Turn the speed to medium-low and add the eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, mixing each until incorporated before adding the next. Scrape the bow after each addition.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the milk and sour cream.
- Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Scrape the bowl and add half of the milk mixture, mixing until combined.
- Repeat with another one-third flour, the remaining milk mixture, and then finish with the remainder. Scrape the bowl after each addition. Give the batter a final stir by hand.
- Divide the batter into the two pans and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Gently tap the pans on the counter several times to release excess air bubbles.
- Bake until toothpick comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment paper.
For Frosting:
- Place white chocolate chips in a dry heatproof bowl. Set them over a double broiler. Don’t let the top bowl containing chocolate pieces touch the water. Let sit until chocolate starts to melt. Occasionally stir. Optional: you can skip the double broiler and use microwave to melt the chocolate. I don’t own one (I know, crazy!).Let the chocolate cool to room temperature.
- With your stand mixer, beat unsalted butter using paddle until all lumps are gone and butter looks light.
- Mix in cooled chocolate, salt, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add confectioners sugar and heavy whipping cream. Scraping down the bowl as needed with silicone spatula. Give frosting a stir by hand.
- Set aside 1 cup of frosting in a medium bowl. Mix in 1 teaspoon cacao powder. This will create a light brown/beige frosting. You may add another teaspoon if you want darker coloring.
For Assembly:
- Once cakes are completely cooled, with a serrated knife carefully level and cut cake in half to create two layers per rounds.
- For first layer on serving platter. Using a metal decorating spatula, spread layer of the cacao frosting over the cake, making sure it goes all the way to the edge. Sprinkle with walnuts and gently crushed meringue cookies. Place the next layer over the frosting and top with another layer of frosting. Repeat.
- Spread a very fine crumb-coat using the plain white chocolate frosting. Do not stick this spatula back into the main frosting bowl. Get a small bowl to put crumb frosting in, otherwise your main frosting bowl will have crumbs. Refrigerate cake 20 minutes.
- Using a metal spatula, frost the cake with the remaining white chocolate frosting. Use long sweeping motions across the top. Feel free to use any sprinkles or decorative accents on your cake.
- Serve the cake immediately or store at room temperature, covered, for up to 48 hours.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
