Thursday, September 6, 2012

Crack German Dark Chocolate Cake (presumably with gluten)

I blame my brother for my latest indulgence in dark chocolate gooiness heaven.  He had to have a birthday.  Damn him.  My brother's favorite cake is German chocolate and I have a tradition of making him a cake.  It used to be a box cake.  Then a few years ago when I got snappy and decided to give up as many preservatives as I could, it became homemade.

I went through a few German chocolate cake recipes, y'all.  And, although they were good - I think German chocolate cake is supposed to be a bit less sweet (and less moist?) than regular chocolate cake.  If you are a professional reading this post, please tell me if I am mistaken.  Because my cakes were coming out less sweet and slightly dry, I cannot tell you that I was really in love with any of the recipes I tried.

Last year the German chocolate cake I made had about 25 eggs in it, so I renamed that one Heart Attack Cake.  And, for all those eggs, it wasn't all that great.

Well, this year with the help of a good friend I made Crack Cake (named that by me because it is habit forming within seconds of eating it and you might go to jail when someone tries to eat your piece and you stab them with a fork).

It is hands down the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten.  In my life.  (And I've tried a lot of chocolate cake just ask my waistline.)  If you try it and it's awful then clearly it is because my cake making skills are awesome and superior to yours.  Since we all know that's not true, then you should make it and it will be habit forming for you as it was with me.

Here's the recipe (from the box of Hershey's Especially Dark Chocolate):  Don't blame me if you need rehab afterwards.

Hershey's Especially Dark Chocolate (Habit Forming) Crack Cake

2 c sugar
1 3/4 c flour (I used cake flour because I had some in the pantry and it said "cake flour.")
3/4 c Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
1/2 c vegetable oil
2 t vanilla
1 c boiling water

Heat over to 350.  Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans (I used a 9 x 13 because my kids hate coconut and it's easier for them to scrape off their frosting - and put it on my cake - when there is less to scrape.).  Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (I beat mine way longer because I went to pay some bills - I am a genius multi-tasker - and forgot the Kitchen Aide was on).  Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans to wire rack.

There is no Nutrition Information on this one.  I'm gonna estimate the calories from fat at somewhere around 1000 (especially since you're gonna want about five pieces).

We had about four pieces leftover that my family took home and they were DELISH the second day.  (Not that I ate all four pieces the second day.) 

Family report on the cake?  Hubby - who doesn't really care for chocolate - damn him - said it was super yummy.  Girl 1 said she liked German chocolate cake frosting now.  Girl 2, 3 and Boy Child ate it without frosting and with ice cream and said it was good.

I've been using the same recipe for the frosting for years because it is super easy and I can almost remember all the ingredients.  Here is the frosting recipe.  It's delish - not that this cake even needs frosting.  It would be excellent with a steaming hot cuppa joe.

I'll be working out a little more this week in an effort to work off the calories from this cake.  I don't say this much, but y'all, it was so yummy it was worth every calorie.

Happy eating!

14 comments:

White Raven said...

I. Want. This. Cake. NOW. My stomach just growled at me, seriously. Welp, guess it's time to write out an ingredient list and hit the grocery store. :)

Monica said...

@Alyssa you will NOT be sorry. It is pure heaven and I am a dark chocolate ADDICT. Best cake to date.

Nomads By Nature said...

First thoughts: damn, you/ ah, shit/ hmmm. I think I may be able to pull this off with our welcome kit basics/ :) When I am eating this over this weekend I will be sending blessings your way!! If it is especially crackname worthy I may even share my way over the top easy crack flan recipe with you -- it's so good, I only make it for big gatherings when I know there is no way any extra will be making it back to my home and my ass. Lordy, have I cursed enough in this comment box??? I think I need more tea. Or maybe it's the chocolate crack addict in me jonezin' (how do you spell that for real?).

WeezaFish said...

What are you DOING to me woman?? I'm gonna get so fat. Or have to eat nothing but celery for a week. Might just have to do it back to you and send you my favourite chocolate cake recipe. It calls for three bars of chocolate. Yes, 3. Okay, off to see how much cocoa I have left in the cupboard ...

Monica said...

@nomads and weeza - bring it, ladies!!! i love to try recipes when they are chocolate because no matter how bad i screw them up - i will STILL eat them!!! and i apologize for any celery eating and working out you may have to do later. if you lived here - know that i would do it with you. xoxoxoxo!

Shannon said...

I have cocoa! YAY! I can make this. I don't have the stuff for the frosting but maybe it doesn't need it? How do you feel about Tres Leche cake? I have a recipe for that, Colin is already beging me to make it for his birthday. God are the boys really going to be 11?? What the heck??

@Nomads -YES!! the flan recipe PLEASE!! One of these you, me and Monica are all going to be in the same country at the same time and we should all actually meet in person!

Mind Margins said...

Damn. There goes my "healthy eating" binge. Oh well. It IS dark chocolate, after all. Definitely going to try this recipe. I would say thanks, but . . . damn.

Monica said...

@shannon - this cake DOES NOT need frosting. it is honestly THE BEST CAKE. there is also a frosting recipe that anna (she's the one who made it also and told me about it) used that's just plain chocolate frosting. it looked yummy. i feel okay about tres leches. i like it better than flan. i really don't care too much for flan - but it could be that i've never had super good flan? @mind margins - you're welcome. ;o) know that i will be "running it off." ;o)

Anonymous said...

I'm totally bookmarking this. Cap'n Firepants loves German Chocolate cake, and will be my slave for life if I make this for him.
~whatimeant2say

Monica said...

@whatimeant2say - seriously. get your credit cards ready because you could have whatever you want after making this cake. ;o)

LSS said...

I wonder if I could adapt for cupcakes? Somehow those "portions" help my addiction!

And -- completely unrelated -- but somehow I have the hardest time proving I'm not a robot to post on this site ... AARGH! Maybe I am????

Nomads By Nature said...

Monica, I can't believe you don't like flan. Hoping my soon to post recipe changes your mind and repays the addiction that your crackcake is sure to begin.
Shannon - the trio IRL meetup would be awesome! I will get the recipe to you soon! I also have a killer tres leches -- we'll have to compare recipes.

Monica said...

@lss - i am sure it could be adapted because i just made a super yummy white cake recipe in the form of cupcakes and they were DELISH. @nomads - it could VERY well be that i have not tried the right recipe. but, i do not really care for the texture of the flans that i have tasted??? who knows. i am also willing to give a sweet another try. ;o)

Nomads By Nature said...

FYI, linked to you!