Alton Brown's Fudge Cake

 

This is the best chocolate cake I have ever made, and it is my 'go to' chocolate cake recipe.  It comes from Alton Brown's I'm Just Here for More Food, and I think it is one of the first recipes I tried from the book.  I don't even need to look up the page number for the recipe anymore because the book is so worn in that section, I can find it just by shuffling through the pages.

 

Alton Brown says that the cake is so good that it doesn't even need frosting.  While that may be true, the frosting almost steals the show.  He also compares the cake to Hostess Cupcakes.  Yeah, only 1000 times better (I did the math). 

 

The steps to make this cake and frosting (pulverizing chocolate, mixing the frosting over a bowl of ice) are a bit unconventional, but the end result is well worth it.  The cake is, for lack of a better word, meaty, but but not too dense or rich.  The chocolate flavor really shines and there are bits of chocolate speckled throughout that didn't get pulverized as much.  It is not too sweet, and leaves you begging for more.

 

The frosting is light, airy, and full of flavor.  I like to add a pinch of fine sea salt to the mix because I think it really compliments the chocolate.  The frosting is almost the consistency of dense whipped cream only with an intense chocolate flavor, and just melts in your mouth.  I'm not usually a fan of frosting, but this one is just as good as the cake.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go bake a cake...

 

Alton Brown's Fudge Cake
Printable recipe

3 oz unsweetened chocolate
10.75 oz (2 1/4 cups) plain flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 oz (1 stick) butter
13.5 oz (2 1/4 cups) brown sugar
8 oz (1 cup) full fat sour cream
8 oz (1 cup) boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a 13 x 9 cake pan.

Pulverize chocolate in a food processor until fine, then add the flour, baking soda, and salt, and pulse to combine.  Combine the eggs and vanilla and lightly beat to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar.  Then add the egg and vanilla mixture.  Alternate adding three doses of the chocolate flour mixture and two doses of the sour cream.  Slowly add the boiling water and mix to combine, the batter will be loose.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then 15 minutes at 300 degrees. Internal temperature should reach 175-180F. Cool for 15 minutes, then remove to rack and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
6.5 oz (1 cup) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
4 oz (1/2 cup) whipping cream
8 oz (2 sticks) butter
10 oz (2 1/2 cups) powdered sugar
Bowl of ice

Melt butter, chocolate and cream in a saucepan (preferably with curved edges) over medium heat, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat in the powdered sugar with a hand mixer.  Once the sugar is dissolved, place the pan into a bowl of ice.  Continue to beat until the frosting lightens and holds its shape.

Chocolate Pistachio Cake

I first had this cake as a teenager.  I think my mom was reminiscing about recipes from her childhood and she remembered this cake.  She talked about how much she liked it, so much so, that she found the recipe and baked one!  I enjoyed it to, and I baked this cake a few times, myself.  I hadn't made this cake since I moved out of my mom's house, but seeing the recipe again inspired me to make one for my kids.

The recipe is very simple with the inclusion of a box cake mix.  I used yellow cake, since that is what I remember doing in the past, but I'm sure white cake would be delicious as well.  The recipe doesn't specify what size of pudding mix to use, so I just went with the smaller option.  The rest of the recipe is very straightforward, and comes together easily.

I think the most interesting part of the recipe is the chocolate syrup.  It lends a lot of moisture to the cake and gives it a unique chocolaty flavor that isn't found in other cakes I have made.  Since the syrup is only added to a quarter of the batter, is also makes that part of the batter heavier, creating a neat design inside the cake as it is baking.  Plus, the green and brown colors are fun to see visually in a cake.

I do not know the origins of this recipe, but I am glad I have it.  It is moist, delicious, and visually whimsical.  The kids enjoyed it, too, so I see this cake being requested again in the future.

Chocolate Pistachio Cake

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 package white or yellow cake mix

Pistachio pudding mix (Royal)

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 cup water

4 Eggs

1/2 cup oil

3/4 cup chocolate syrup

Directions

Combine all ingredients except the chocolate syrup and mix thoroughly. Pour about 3/4 of the batter into a well-greased and floured bundt pan. Add chocolate syrup to remaining batter. Mix well. Pour over batter in pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan, cool on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.