January 27 is National Chocolate Cake Day, a day that celebrates the cake more people favour.
The history of cake dates back to ancient times, and the first cakes are thought to have been made in Ancient Greece and Egypt. These first cakes were rather heavy and flat and were eaten at the end of a meal with nuts and honey.
Nowadays, this type of cake has evolved into baklava, a traditional Greek dessert and a must-try for any fan of sweet stickiness. In later years, the ancient Romans also created their own version of this sweet treat, which was rather creamy and rich. However, as in many cultures around the world, this cake was often reserved for the gods and was offered to them at their temples as a sign of respect, love and reverence.
Today cakes are everywhere – the centrepiece at weddings and birthdays, the star attraction at tea parties, and a religious symbol in many countries around the world during holidays and celebrations. Whether chocolate or carrot, cheesecake, or red velvet, pretty much everyone enjoys a slice of cake.
With January 27 being National Chocolate Cake Day, let us take a look at some of the ways you can make sure your chocolate cake is a hit every time you bake. These simple tips will make your cake stand out as one of the most delicious moist chocolate cakes in town.
Use quality chocolate and cocoa powder
Chocolate cake is all about the chocolate, so make sure you’re baking with a brand of chocolate you love – the tastier the chocolate that goes into the cake, the better the cake will be.
Choosing between butter and oil
There are so many recipes out there. Some use oil and some use the standard creaming method. Cakes made with oil tend to be slightly moist, which is what you are looking for in a chocolate cake. But creaming butter and sugar together does help to get air in the mixture. The way you can help a butter-based chocolate cake stay moist is by incorporating liquid chocolate and milk.
Measure flour and sugar carefully
While you may already know that measurements matter a lot when you're baking, you may not realise just how much measurements of sugar and flour can affect your finished chocolate cake.
Using too much sugar in a chocolate cake can result in a crust that’s too dark. On the other hand, not using enough sugar can prevent your cake from gaining a dark enough hue, and also make the texture tough. As for flour, adding too much to the batter will cause the top of the cake to crack, which isn't devastating but is also not exactly desirable. Whenever possible, try to measure sugars and flour by weight.
Dust the baking pan with cocoa powder instead of flour
Many chocolate cake recipes have you dust your baking pan with flour. This helps the cake come out of the baking pan without sticking. Next time you’re baking a chocolate cake, try dusting your pan with cocoa instead of flour and taste the delicious difference for yourself.
Moisturise cake with simple syrup
You are done baking but your chocolate cake texture still looks too dry? No worries, you can still fix it! Simply brush a thin layer of simple syrup on top of the cake. Brush it with the simple syrup when the cake is completely cool. The cake will absorb it and you’ll now have a moist chocolate cake.