DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

      "There is no metaphysics on earth like Chocolate" - as written by Portuguese Poet Fernando Pessoa.  Chocolate - it's Magical, Mythical & Medicinal.  And one of the most commercialized Food item and highly romanticized, getting synonymous with Valentine's Day. Chocolate is one of the major flavour preferred by most of the people around the world along with Vanilla and Strawberry.

 For the Love of Chocolate

                                                   
                                                   
     Maybe the Chemical compounds in chocolate is making me moody and expressive.  Got a bit poetic on the go.  I feel, even thinking of Chocolate triggers sensations. Though not a big Chocolate Lover or am I succumbing myself, I am not sure.  Chocolate flavour has always been devoured hands down at home.  I feel the other three at home are in a CHOCOHOLIC ZONE. To be a birthday or celebration there pops up a chocolate flavoured cake as a default. It is not that I don't like them, but once in a while, it is fine for me. I love those Black Forest Cakes with Chocolate Cake as the base and Chocolate dipped Nuts.

     This is a foolproof recipe and if done properly it turns out to be one of the moist and perfectly aerated cake.  From lots of trial n errors and from trying out quite a number of recipes, I finally stuck to this one.  This Dark Chocolate Cake is a twist from my original version of  Chocolate Cake. The only change I have made is with the amount and quality of Cocoa Powder used.  I have substituted normal Cocoa Powder with Dark Cocoa Powder, which yields a lot more of a brown and slightly bitter cake.  But the amount of sugar used balances the taste perfectly.

     The smell of hot Cake wafting from the oven is rich & chocolaty and as normal as it is my brain waves trigger relaxation as Chocolate is a 'Love Drug'  giving out pleasurable effects along with a satisfaction of a perfected Cake Recipe.

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Recipe Type - Cake, Dessert
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 1 Medium Sized Cake
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 25-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 45 Minutes - 1 Hour

HOW TO MAKE DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

INGREDIENTS :

All-Purpose Flour - 11/2 Cup
Dark Cocoa Powder - 1/2 Cup
Baking Powder - 2 Teaspoons
Salt - 1 Teaspoon
Sugar - 11/4 Cup
Egg - 3 Nos.
Butter - 1/2 Cup
Milk - 2/3 Cup
Vanilla Extract - 2 Teaspoons
Boiling Water - 3/4 Cup

METHOD :

• Preheat the oven at 180 Degree Celsius for about 10 - 15 Minutes.
• Powder the Sugar and keep it aside.
• Sift the Flour along with Dark Cocoa Powder, Baking Powder and a pinch of Salt thrice.
• In a large bowl beat Butter until soft, add powdered sugar and beat until it's well combined and soft.
• Add Eggs one at a time into the butter mixture and beat well until soft and fluffy, for about 5-6 minutes on medium speed.
• Next, pour in Vanilla Essence and beat it well.
• Add the sifted Flour Mix and Milk in batches. 
• Alternate between Flour and Milk - starting with flour and ending with flour.
• Beat after each batch until the flour is well combined into the mix.
• Slowly pour in the Boiling Water to the cake batter carefully and beat on low speed for a minute or two.
• Grease the Cake Tins and dust them up with Flour. 
• Pour the Cake Batter into the prepared tins and smooth the tops.
• Bake the cakes in the preheated on the centre rack of the Oven at 180 Degree Celsius for about 45 Minutes to 1 hour or until the skewers' comes out clean.
• Let cool in the Cake Tin on the rack.
• Remove cake from pan carefully.
• Cut the cake into the desired shape and store them in airtight containers.
• Stays good for a week at room temperature.

NOTES :

• Eggs and Butter should be at room temperature.
• I have used DARK COCOA  in this recipe, can also use normal cocoa powder.
• For a normal Chocolate Cake, use 13/4 Cups of Flour and 1/4 Cup of Normal Cocoa Powder.
• Can substitute, Brown Sugar instead of White Sugar.
• Adding boiling water to the Cake batter will result in a moist cake.
• Adjust the baking time according to your oven settings.
• I baked the cake for 50 minutes at 180 Degree Celsius.