Chocolateless Chocolate Cake - Suklaaton suklaakakku

I didn't think there would be a day I'd be searching for a chocolate cake recipe. I thought for years chocolate cakes were not my thing: they were usually either too heavy (too much chocolate) or then somehow dry. I have still always liked chocolate as it is and cakes too, but separately, so it seemed funny I didn't like chocolate cakes. I decided to find a chocolate cake to like. I remembered a delicious chocolate cake from years ago with perfect chocolate taste and softness, but I couldn't remember where I had taken the recipe. The only thing I remembered was that it was made without any chocolate (but cocoa powder instead, mixed with hot water). (So actually I haven't found a chocolate cake with chocolate I like, but a cocoa cake.)

Last summer I made a few tries and found two very promising recipes (the recipe for the other one is here). Now Last January it was time to adjust the other recipe to suit my and my dear friend's taste, as I had promised to make her a birthday cake. She has a very clear opinion on what cakes she likes and what not. With those criteria in my mind I set forward to choose a recipe. This cake came into my mind and it couldn't be any other then. The cake was a success and no one believed it had no real chocolate in it. (I never tell it before people have tasted the cake.) As I was asked the recipe, I knew I had to post it soon. (But then it took many months to get a chance to bake the cake again and shoot it... but here it is!)

The secret really seems to be cocoa powder mixed with hot liquid. Coffee gives the best and deepest chocolate flavour, so even if you don't like coffee, you should try it, as you will not taste any coffee in the cake I promise. And I didn't yet mention how easy the batter is to make: you just mix dry ingredients together, most of the wet ingredients together, mix the two together, then add the cocoa that has been dissolved to the hot coffee (to maximise the chocolate flavour without any hint of the dryness of the cocoa).

I've baked the same cake (or actually 1/4 of the recipe in a smaller form and only in one layer) last summer and then I used the leftover whipped frosting from this cake that time and finished the look with frozen raspberries. So that's also one option how to frost this cake.

Other chocolate recipes:
Soft and Scrumptious Devil's Food Cake with Whipped Frosting
Mämmi Mud Cake
Mämmi Rye Truffles
Iced Chocolate Espresso Pavlova - Jääkahvi-suklaapavlova
Chocolate Semifreddo - Suklaajäädyke

Chocolateless Chocolate Cake
Author: Tuulia / Kitchenfoxtales     Preparation Time: 50 min     Cooking time: 25 min
Servings: 12-16 slices     Calories per serving*: 370 kcal

Cocoa powder makes this cake super chocolate-y without any dryness: it's the perfect chocolate cake and no one will guess that it doesn't have any chocolate in it ;)

Ingredients:

• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 20 g potato starch
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp espresso powder (optional)*
• 320 g granulated sugar
• 120 ml vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1,5 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 250 ml buttermilk
• 250 ml freshly brewed strong hot coffee
• 65 g unsweetened natural cocoa powder
Chocolate Buttercream**
• 225 g butter, softened to room temperature (if unsalted, add 1/4 tsp salt)
• 140 g powdered sugar
• 60 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4–6 Tbsp (60-90 ml) heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For garnish: chocolate shavings, nonpareilles etc. (optional)

Instructions:

1. Line the bottoms of two round 24 cm cake pans with baking paper. (You don't need to oil or butter the pan.)
2. Mix the flour, potato starch, baking soda and powder, salt and espresso powder in a big bowl.
3. In another bowl whisk sugar, eggs, vanilla, oil and buttermilk together.
4. Pour the egg-buttermilk mix into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
5. Add the cocoa powder to the hot coffee and stir until even. Add it to the batter (which will be quite liquid-y. That is how it's supposed to be.)
6. Divide batter evenly between pans.
7. Bake in 160-170 C convection oven (about 180 C conventional oven) for 25-30 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out just about clean (or with just crumbles). Don't overbake or the cake will dry out!
8. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pan, covered with foil, so that they don't dry.
9. Make the buttercream (optional, the cake will taste very good with whipped cream too): Beat the soft butter until creamy. Add (salt, if using unsalted butter) and cocoa powder and beat until combined. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and 3 Tbsp heavy cream. Beat until combined. Add more cream 1 Tbsp at a time beating the buttercream even. Add cream until the buttercream is soft and still spreadable. If the buttercream is too thin add more powdered sugar.
10. Cut the cake tops even, if needed (as sometimes they are domed). Place the other cake layer on your desired serving dish. Spread about 1/3 of the buttercream evenly. Place the second cake layer on top and press it slightly to make an even surface. Spread the remaining buttercream on the top and sides. An offset spatula is very handy. If you warm up the spatula in hot water (and dry it), you can make very even surface (if that is what you want.)
11. Decorate as you wish with flowers, chocolate shavings, non-pareilles etc.

Adapted from Ina Garten.

*Nutritional information is based on average values and is a rough estimate.
** You can frost the cake with whipped cream (instead of buttercream). I would spread the cream between and on top of the layers, not on the sides in this case. Or you can leave the cake unfrosted and serve whipped cream on the side. I would still bake the cake in two parts. I haven't tried how it will bake if the whole batter is baked in one pan. The whipped cream options are slightly lighter too.

Suklaaton suklaakakku
Tekijä: Tuulia / Kitchenfoxtales     Valmisteluaika: 50 min    Kypsennysaika: 25 min
Annokset: 12-16 palaa    Energiasisältö per annos*: 370 kcal

Kaakaojauhe tekee tästä kakusta supersuklaisen! Kakku on myös supermehevä eli siis täydellinen suklaakakku (vaikka siinä ei oikeastaan ole suklaata ;)

Ainekset:

• 200 g vehnäjauhoa
• 20 g perunatärkkelystä
• 2 tl ruokasoodaa
• 1 tl leivinjauhetta
• 1 tl suolaa
• 320 g sokeria
• 2 tl espressojauhetta
• 2,5 dl vastakeitettyä kuumaa kahvia
• 65 g tummaa kaakaojauhetta (Fazer Ögon-kaakao on parasta)
• 1,2 dl rypsiöljyä, huoneenlämpöisenä
• 2 isoa kananmunaa, huoneenlämpöisenä
• 1,5 tl vaniljauutetta
• 2,5 dl piimää (anna lämmetä n. 30-60 min huoneenlämmössä)
Suklaakuorrute**
• 225 g voita, huoneenlämpöisenä (jos käytät suolatonta voita, lisää 1/4 tl suolaa)
• 140 g tomusokeria
• 60 g tummaa kaakaojauhetta (FazerÖgon -kaakao on paras)
• 4–6 rkl (60-90 ml) kuohukermaa
• 1 tl vaniljauutetta tai 2 tl vaniljasokeria
Koristeeksi: kukkia, suklaalastuja, nonparelleja, kaakaojauhetta, etc.

Valmistusohjeet:

1. Vuoraa kahden 24 cm kakkuvuoan pohjat leivinpaperilla. (Leivinpaperia ei tarvitse voidella, ei myöskään reunoja.)
2. Sekoita vehnä- ja perunajauhot, ruokasooda, leivinjauhe, suola ja espressojauhe keskenään isossa kulhossa.
3. Sekoita toisessa kulhossa sokeri, kananmunat, vaniljauute (tai vaniljasokeri), öljy ja piimä.
4. Sekoita jauhoseokseen ym.nestemäiset ainekset.
5. Sekoita kaakaojauhe kuumaan kahviin ja lisää taikinaan. (Taikinan kuuluukin olla hyvin löysää.)
6. Kaada taikina tasan kahteen kakkuvuokaan.
7. Paista 160-170 C kiertoilmauunissa (n. 180 C jos ei kiertoilmaa) noin 25 minuuttia tai kunnes keskelle tökättyyn hammastikkuun ei tartu raakaa taikinaa (siihen saattaa tarttua murusia). Taikina saa jäädä kosteaksi, älä paista kakkua kuivaksi!
8. Anna kakkujen jäähtyä vuoissaan. Peitä pinta foliolla, jotta kakut pysyvät mehevinä.
9. Tee kuorrute halutessasi (kakku maistuu hyvältä myös kermavaahdon kanssa, jos et halua tehdä kuorrutetta): vatkaa pehmeää voita hetki, kunnes se kuohkeutuu. Lisää kaakaojauhe ja vatkaa tasaiseksi. Lisää tomusokeri ja 3 rkl kermaa ja vatkaa tasaiseksi. Lisää sitten tarvittaessa lisää kermaa 1 rkl kerrallaan ja vatkaa tasaiseksi, kunnes saat hyvin levittyvän kuorrutteen. Jos kuorrute menee liian vetiseksi, lisää tomusokeria.
10. Tasaa kakkulevyt tarvittaessa (joskus pinta kohoaa keskeltä korkeammaksi). Nosta toinen levy tarjoiluastiaan. Levitä n. 1/3 kuorrutteesta levylle. Nosta toinen levy päälle ja painele tasaiseksi. Levitä loput kuorrutteesta päälle ja reunoille. Käytä apuna tarvittaessa kuumassa vedessä kuumennettua (ja kuivattua) lastaa/palettiveistä.
11. Koristele esim. kukkasilla tai nonpareilla tai suklaalastuilla.

Lähde: Ina Garten
*Energiasisältö perustuu keskimääräisiin arvoihin ja on karkea arvio.
**Suklaakuorrutteen sijaan kakun voi joko täyttää kermavaahdolla (levittäisin kerma väliin ja päälle, en sivuille) tai tarjota kakun erikseen kermavaahdon kanssa (molemmat vaihtoehdot ovat hieman alkuperäistä kevyempiä). Paistaisin kakun kuitenkin kahdessa vuoassa (tai sitten tehdä vain puolet reseptistä), vaikken täyttäisi kakkua. En ole kokeillut, kuinka kakku kypsyy, jos koko taikinamäärän paistaa yhdessä vuoassa.

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