Is chocolate cake better with oil or butter? This is a question that many bakers have asked themselves. Some swear by oil for a moist and tender crumb, while others prefer butter for a rich and buttery flavor. But what if I told you that you can have both?
I will show you the best chocolate cake recipe that uses both oil and butter for a perfect balance of moistness and flavor. I will also tell you about the chocolate cake bake off that compared different recipes and how oil and butter played a role in the results.
The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
The best chocolate cake recipe that I have ever tried is from Sugar Spun Run. It uses both oil and butter for a moist and flavorful cake that is easy to make and tastes amazing. Here are the ingredients that you will need for this recipe and why they are important:
- All-purpose flour: This is the base of the cake and provides structure and texture.
- Granulated sugar: This adds sweetness and helps the cake rise and brown.
- Cocoa powder: This gives the cake a rich chocolate flavor and color. Use unsweetened cocoa powder for the best results.
- Baking powder and baking soda: These are the leavening agents that make the cake light and fluffy.
- Salt: This enhances the flavor and balances the sweetness of the cake.
- Butter: This adds richness and buttery flavor to the cake. Use unsalted butter and melt it before adding it to the batter.
- Vegetable oil: This adds moisture and tenderness to the cake. Use a neutral oil that does not have a strong flavor or smell.
- Eggs: These bind the ingredients together and add structure and stability to the cake.
- Vanilla extract: This adds a hint of vanilla flavor and complements the chocolate flavor.
- Buttermilk: This adds acidity and moisture to the cake and helps the cocoa powder react with the baking soda. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own by adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk and letting it sit for 10 minutes.
- Hot water: This helps dissolve the cocoa powder and sugar and creates a thin and smooth batter. You can also use hot coffee for a deeper chocolate flavor.
This recipe is the result of a lot of trial and error by the author of Sugar Spun Run. She tested different ratios of oil and butter, different types of cocoa powder, different amounts of liquid, and different baking times and temperatures. She found that using both oil and butter gave the best texture and flavor, that natural cocoa powder worked better than Dutch-processed cocoa powder, that adding hot water made the batter easier to mix and bake, and that baking the cake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes was the ideal time and temperature.
Chocolate Cake Bake Off
If you are curious about how different chocolate cake recipes compare, you might want to check out the chocolate cake bake off from The Pancake Princess. She tested 16 different chocolate cake recipes from various sources and ranked them based on taste, texture, appearance, and ease of making. She also had a panel of judges who tasted and scored the cakes.
Some of the recipes that she tested were:
- Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake: This is a classic recipe that uses oil and boiling water for a moist and simple cake.
- Ina Garten’s Beatty’s Chocolate Cake: This is a popular recipe that uses oil and buttermilk for a moist and tangy cake. It also uses coffee for a deeper chocolate flavor.
- King Arthur Flour’s Chocolate Cake: This is a versatile recipe that uses butter and milk for a rich and tender cake. It also uses espresso powder for a subtle coffee flavor.
- Sally’s Baking Addiction’s Triple Chocolate Cake: This is a decadent recipe that uses oil and sour cream for a moist and creamy cake. It also uses chocolate chips for extra chocolate flavor.
The results of the bake off were very interesting and surprising. The top three recipes that won the bake off were:
- Sugar Spun Run’s Chocolate Cake: This is the same recipe that I mentioned earlier, which uses both oil and butter for a moist and flavorful cake. It scored the highest in taste, texture, and appearance, and was the favorite of most of the judges.
- The Stay at Home Chef’s The Most Amazing Chocolate Cake: This is another recipe that uses both oil and butter for a moist and flavorful cake. It scored very high in taste and texture, and was the second favorite of most of the judges.
- The Cake Blog’s The Best Chocolate Cake: This is a recipe that uses oil and buttermilk for a moist and tangy cake. It scored high in taste and appearance, and was the third favorite of some of the judges.
As you can see, the recipes that used both oil and butter performed better than the ones that used only oil or only butter. This shows that using both oil and butter can create a balanced and delicious chocolate cake that has the best of both worlds.
The Importance of Testing Different Recipes
One of the main takeaways from the chocolate cake bake off is that testing different recipes can help you find the best one for your preferences and needs. Different recipes can have different ingredients, measurements, methods, and outcomes. Some recipes might be easier or harder to make, some might be more or less moist, some might be more or less chocolatey, and some might be more or less sweet.
By testing different recipes, you can compare and contrast the differences and similarities, and decide which one you like the most. You can also learn from the recipes and make adjustments or modifications to suit your taste. For example, you can add more or less sugar, cocoa powder, or vanilla extract, or you can substitute or add other ingredients, such as coffee, sour cream, or chocolate chips.
Chocolate cake is one of my favorite desserts, and I love experimenting with different recipes and ingredients. I think the best chocolate cake recipe is the one that uses both oil and butter for a moist and flavorful cake, but you might have a different opinion. That’s why I encourage you to test different recipes and find the best one for you. Happy baking!
FAQ
How do I make my chocolate cake more moist?
There are several ways to make your chocolate cake more moist, such as using oil or butter, adding buttermilk or sour cream, using hot water or coffee, or brushing the cake with simple syrup.
How do I make my chocolate cake more chocolatey?
There are several ways to make your chocolate cake more chocolatey, such as using more cocoa powder or a higher quality cocoa powder, using coffee or espresso powder, adding chocolate chips or chunks, or frosting the cake with chocolate ganache or buttercream.
How do I store my chocolate cake?
You can store your chocolate cake at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze your chocolate cake for up to 3 months. Make sure to wrap the cake well with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, or store it in an airtight container.
