Chocolate Cake Tips From Southern Cooks

A slice of chocolate cake on a dessert plate next to a whole chocolate cake decorated with dark and white chocolate curls — Photo: Meredith

If you grew up in the South, then you know every Southern cook has their own chocolate cake recipe that they always claim is the best. And we completely agree! Each cake has its own special trick or ingredient that makes it just as unique as the baker who prepared it. So we asked real Southern bakers, from home cooks to restaurant owners, what their favorite hacks are for creating the very best chocolate cakes. Read on to see their top tips.

1. Use room temperature butter & eggs.

So many bakers mentioned that bringing your eggs and butter to room temperature before mixing your batter is imperative. Cold eggs can really mess up the texture of your cake making it lumpy or stodgy. Cold eggs also increase baking time, which can dry out your cake. And as for butter, when it's at room temperature, it's the perfect whipping consistency. If the butter is cold, it cannot whip up the way you need for your cake to rise properly. Nobody wants a flat, unevenly baked chocolate cake.

Application: Set your eggs and butter out on the counter about an hour before baking to bring them to room temperature. Here are a few shortcuts for bringing your butter to room temp.

2. Sift dry ingredients & cocoa powder.

Sifting is one of those baking steps that a lot of folks skip. But, why is it important? Sifting your dry ingredients does a few things: It breaks up any clumps that could stay together and cause weird dry spots in your finished cake, and it also helps evenly mix each dry ingredient before you incorporate the wet ingredients. And sifting adds air to your dry ingredients, giving even more lift to your finished cake. In chocolate cake, it's especially important to sift your cocoa powder with your other dry ingredients as cocoa powder is known to have large clumps — and biting into a large clump of unmixed cocoa powder in your cake is not a fun experience.

Application: Place a large mesh strainer over your mixing bowl and gently add all your dry ingredients to it. Then pick it up and tap the side to create a makeshift sifter. The mesh strainer works great because it has a larger area to sift all the dry ingredients together.

3. Add hot or cooled coffee or espresso powder.

Coffee's bitter flavor is known to enhance the chocolate flavor in cake. If you've ever tried a really decadent, chocolatey cake, the baker probably used some type of coffee in the mix. While some bakers swear by espresso powder or cooled coffee, others insisted that using hot coffee was the way to go. Hot coffee is thought to add a fluffier texture to the finished cake and possibly give the chocolate cake a longer shelf life.

Application: You can add ½ teaspoon espresso powder or substitute hot or cooled coffee in place of the water called for in your cake batter. Play around with the amount and strength until you get the perfect chocolatey flavor.

4. Use black cocoa powder.

What is black cocoa powder? Also known as Dutch processed cocoa powder, it's an ultra processed version of cocoa powder. This extra processing creates a lower acid, smoother flavor cocoa powder that's almost completely black. If you want a super dark, smooth chocolate cake, try this trick.

Application: Use black cocoa powder in place of regular cocoa powder. Be aware that it can tend to bake a little dryer than regular cocoa powder because of its lower fat content. It also may not rise as well as regular cocoa powder. So you may need to add a little extra fat in the form of a dollop of sour cream and some extra baking powder for the proper rise.

5. Substitute brown sugar for half of the white sugar called for.

I always add brown sugar to my chocolate chip cookies for a chewy texture, but I've never thought to add it to my chocolate cake. The bakers who suggested this explained that brown sugar absorbs moisture, therefore it will keep your chocolate cake moist for longer. Plus, who doesn't love that deep, delicious brown sugar flavor?

Application: Replace half of the regular white sugar called for in your chocolate cake recipe with the same amount of packed brown sugar.

6. Add sour cream.

Adding sour cream to your chocolate cake batter is one of the easiest ways to get a moist cake. The thick consistency adds moisture without thinning out the cake batter, and the fat in the sour cream will also make your cake extra rich. Win-win!

Application: Add 1 cup of sour cream to your chocolate cake recipe.

7. Put in a pudding packet.

A package of instant pudding is a great way to add additional flavor to your chocolate cake. It's also known to add moisture, giving you a softer, richer chocolate cake. I first learned this trick when I interned under a chef at a church kitchen. I was amazed what a difference a little pudding pack made!

Application: Add 1 packet of instant pudding to your cake recipe. NOTE: Be sure to not add the milk called for on the pudding box. You can choose chocolate flavor to really amp up the chocolate or you can add vanilla to bring in a more complex flavor to the cake.

8. Substitute buttermilk

Similar to sour cream, adding buttermilk to your chocolate cake will add extra moisture. It also gives a nice tangy flavor that can really balance out the richness in chocolate cake. Buttermilk is also known to tenderize gluten for a soft, well-risen cake.

Application: Use buttermilk in place of the water or milk called for in your chocolate cake recipe. For every cup of buttermilk, reduce the amount of baking powder in your recipe by 2 teaspoons and add ½ teaspoon more baking soda.

9. Choose chocolate bar chunks & chocolate chips

This is one of my absolute favorite tips I received! I love chocolate and sometimes even with cocoa powder and chocolate frosting, chocolate cake still isn't chocolatey enough for me. Adding semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark candy bar chunks fixes that problem. It creates a richer chocolate flavor, plus you get the most delicious little bites of melted chocolate in each slice.

Application: Toss half a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips in 1 teaspoon of flour. Then gently fold them into your already mixed chocolate cake batter. Bake as usual.

10. Add extracts.

This is a really fun tip because it can be a way to create your own signature chocolate cake recipe. The extract can be your special ingredient! Whether you choose the tried-and-true vanilla extract or something a little more unique like butter extract, mint extract, orange extract, or rum extract, you can end up with a chocolate cake that tastes different than anyone else's.

Application: Choose an extract flavor that you like and add 1 teaspoon to your chocolate cake recipe.

11. Slip in some stout.

Stout beer has a rich flavor that pairs beautifully with chocolate cake. Adding it to your batter will enhance the chocolate flavor and add hints of coffee flavor as well. It also adds a nice moisture, as well as a slight bitterness to your cake, so if a super sweet cake is not your thing, this is definitely the tip for you!

Application: Substitute ¼ of the water called for in your chocolate cake recipe with your favorite stout. For extra points, try a chocolate stout.

Read more: How to Cook and Bake With Stout

12. Use whipped ganache as frosting.

To take your chocolate cake over the top with chocolate flavor, use whipped chocolate ganache as your frosting. This simple frosting will add a rich, decadent chocolate flavor and texture to your finished chocolate cake. Once you try it, you will never use another frosting for chocolate cake ever again.

Application: Follow our recipe for whipped chocolate ganache and frost your cake as usual.

13. Add an extra dash of salt.

Most chocolate cake calls for a small amount of salt, but I had a baker recommend to me to amp that up with just an extra dash. It will balance out the sweetness of the cake in a really lovely way.

Application: After mixing your chocolate cake batter according to the directions, mix in an extra dash of salt. But don't go overboard. Just a dash will do ya.

Try out a mix of several of these tips for an absolutely beautiful chocolate cake that everyone will rave about, and get ready for folks to ask you for your recipe.

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