Chocolate cake- boiling water= scrambled eggs?

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Made a chocolate cake the other day- it was okay- especially the frosting (butter + sugar basically). The recipe said add boiling water to the batter- I’ve heard it “blooms” the cocoa powder to make it taste better. But I was worried that high heat would scramble the eggs in there (2 eggs, at this point mixed pretty well into the dry/wet mix). I just had a thought- maybe add the boiling water it in a drizzle while the mixer in going? But with all that mixing wouldn’t it develop gluten and make a tough cake? Long story short- I’m on the search for a marvelous chocolate cake recipe- and I’m always looking for hacks to reduce mixing to avoid toughness in final product. If anyone cares to comment I’d be very interested. Cheers.
Edit: I should note I didn’t taste eggs in the final product necessarily, but I had trouble incorporating all the flour and maybe a few chewy bits that could of been eggs. I’m a somewhat experienced baker so I kind of had an idea what it should taste like.
 
Super easy, moist chocolate cake. Its a old family recipe.

Chocolate crazy cake. Add all dry ingredients, mix then add in wet ingredients. Mix again. Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 pan. Cook 30 min at 350*

3 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

3/4 cup vegatable oil
2 tbs white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold water
 
I
Super easy, moist chocolate cake. Its a old family recipe.

Chocolate crazy cake. Add all dry ingredients, mix then add in wet ingredients. Mix again. Pour into greased and floured 13 x 9 pan. Cook 30 min at 350*

3 cups flour
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

3/4 cup vegatable oil
2 tbs white vinegar
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups cold water
thanks, will try. No baking powder and vinegar. I’ll definitely give this a try!!
 
Crazy Cake is an old wartime recipe. I've made it for years too. It's good and moist, keeps well, and is easy to make. Just get it in the oven as soon as you can after the vinegar meets the baking powder, or you'll lose a lot of the rise.
 
Why not? It's pretty classic and I've seen it used for one or two recipes. Also, do you have a link for this recipe? I'd like to read it and, while I'm not a pro, I do know enough to figure it out.
Yes as soon as me and mine get a craving again (May take a little while after this monster I made haha- there’s just three of us) I’m excited to try this recipe out. I love simple recipes that don’t use uncommon ingredients. Can we post URL’s on here? If so I could link you to the site. I’m always skeptical of recipes I find online, i know everyone takes some practice and tweaking (just like soap!).
Crazy Cake is an old wartime recipe. I've made it for years too. It's good and moist, keeps well, and is easy to make. Just get it in the oven as soon as you can after the vinegar meets the baking powder, or you'll lose a lot of the rise.
I don’t have much experience with vinegar so I’m excited to try it. Probably have to add some ice cream too 😉.
 
@Andy7891 I think it was a german chocolate cake where vinegar was used. It's really not bad; it's pretty good, actually. The only difference between vinegar and buttermilk maybe pH levels but definitely flavor (vinegar is actually more neutral in cake).
 
This is one I've made and it's great.
Chocolate Mayonaise Cake
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon table salt
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    Shortening
    3 large eggs
    1 2/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1 1/3 cups hot water
    Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Grease (with shortening) and flour a 13- x 9-inch pan. Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium-high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer about 3 minutes or until mixture is very light brown and ribbons form when beater is lifted. Add mayonnaise, and beat at low speed until combined. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with hot water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Spread Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting on cake.
This one calls for 'hot' water not boiling. This is a nice recipe to work with. If you want to intensify the chocolate flavor I sometimes add brewed coffee (1/2 c) and reduce water by that amt.
 
If you’re up for boxed mixes (because I’m lazy)

family favorite: in my opinion it makes one of the best cakes in the world but, then again, I grew up with this recipe.
one box vanilla cake mix
two boxes pistachio pudding
half cup oil
half cup orange juice
4 eggs

mix everything together then 350F for 45-50 minutes (you can mix and match flavors based on what you have)

eggsless cake: not the richest or most moist cake but good when you have a cake craving but are out of eggs
one box mix
10-12oz bubbly beverage of choice (I’ve used sparkling water and soda)

mix both together and cook according to box instructions
 
It's really great with ice cream. We also make a brown sugar sauce, served hot. I've never used frosting on this cake, just doesn't need it.

I do leave the cake in the pan and cover it with cling wrap as soon as its cooled. Keeps it super moist.
I frosted this last cake I made and yes it’s been too much- if I frost my next cake I’ll reduce it quite a bit. Another cool thing about the 9x13 baking dish is you don’t have to transfer the cake out of the pan- bake it and leave it in there- right? I’ll be sure to cling wrap it.
@Andy7891 I think it was a german chocolate cake where vinegar was used. It's really not bad; it's pretty good, actually. The only difference between vinegar and buttermilk maybe pH levels but definitely flavor (vinegar is actually more neutral in cake).
Cool- so I could maybe sub buttermilk for vinegar (if ph is the same). But I’m not afraid of vinegar lol. I understand it has something to do with the baking soda reaction (acid/base ... sci... science?) love me some (german chocolate) cake.
This is one I've made and it's great.
Chocolate Mayonaise Cake
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
    1 teaspoon baking soda
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon table salt
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    Shortening
    3 large eggs
    1 2/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1 1/3 cups hot water
    Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting
  • Preheat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Grease (with shortening) and flour a 13- x 9-inch pan. Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium-high speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer about 3 minutes or until mixture is very light brown and ribbons form when beater is lifted. Add mayonnaise, and beat at low speed until combined. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with hot water, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Spread Chocolate-Cream Cheese Frosting on cake.
This one calls for 'hot' water not boiling. This is a nice recipe to work with. If you want to intensify the chocolate flavor I sometimes add brewed coffee (1/2 c) and reduce water by that amt.
Shortening as pan grease- never heard of that but it should work and is a nice consistency for spreading- not as messy as butter! Yes the recipe I used called for espresso powder and I hear it’s quite nice. Thanks for the recipe!
If you’re up for boxed mixes (because I’m lazy)

family favorite: in my opinion it makes one of the best cakes in the world but, then again, I grew up with this recipe.
one box vanilla cake mix
two boxes pistachio pudding
half cup oil
half cup orange juice
4 eggs

mix everything together then 350F for 45-50 minutes (you can mix and match flavors based on what you have)

eggsless cake: not the richest or most moist cake but good when you have a cake craving but are out of eggs
one box mix
10-12oz bubbly beverage of choice (I’ve used sparkling water and soda)

mix both together and cook according to box instructions
Have to try this. Thanks.

Thanks all for the recipes!!!
I’ve attached my recipe (I think- I’m a hurry arm!)
Cheers y’all happy sweettooths lol!!
 

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My family's recipe for crazy chocolate cake is the same, but replaces the 2 c. water with 2 cups of weak brewed coffee (caf or decaf is fine).

Adding some form of coffee to a chocolate recipe is an old baker's secret for making the chocolate flavor "pop." And no, you don't taste the coffee in the finished product. Most of my siblings requested this for their birthday cake, year after year.
 
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Cool- so I could maybe sub buttermilk for vinegar (if ph is the same). But I’m not afraid of vinegar lol. I understand it has something to do with the baking soda reaction (acid/base ... sci... science?) love me some (german chocolate) cake.
It's not that cut and dry. Buttermilk and vinegar are still different liquids with different constitutions. and I think vinegar is technically the stronger acid of the two. I would not sub out buttermilk for vinegar unless you are aware of the proper changes you would need to make to adjust the recipe (if you have access to it, plain kefir is said to be a good sub for buttermilk in a pinch).
 
Shortening as pan grease- never heard of that but it should work and is a nice consistency for spreading- not as messy as butter! Yes the recipe I used called for espresso powder and I hear it’s quite nice. Thanks for the recipe!

Don't forget to flour the pan once is greased... alternatively, you could just line you pan with some parchment.
 
This is my classic chocolate cake - which uses boiling water. I just dump it in, mix it, and I've never had problems with cooked eggs.

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup cocoa

Mix well

2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup milk + 1-2 tbsp vinegar (or 1 cup buttermilk)
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well

1 cup boiling water

Mix well

Pour into greased and floured 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean from center of cake.
 
Best Chocolate Cake I've ever eaten, and that works every time, everywhere - even at remote cabins with questionable ovens. Any frosting is delicious on it, though I usually do one that's chocolate ganache-ish that's a bit of a pain to make.
Chocolate Cake –
by Diane Wampler (my friend)
2 cups unsifted flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1 cup milk (fine with skim or whole)
1 cup coffee (may substitute water)
2 eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla

Put everything in a bowl and beat for 3 minutes with electric beater, or by hand if you're feeling froggy.
Pour into greased and floured pan(s) - batter will be very liquidy.
Makes either two 9" rounds, or a 13 x 9
Bake at 350F until done - 35 minutes to 1 hour
 
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I learned a lesson when refining a recipe for a rum bundt cake -- the pan MUST be greased with shortening, lard, non-stick spray, or any non-water-containing fat. Not butter.

Butter is around 10-15% water and that's the kiss of death for a bundt, because greasing a cake pan with butter makes the cake more likely to stick, even if you also dust the pan with flour.

This isn't too critical for most cakes like the Wacky Cake we've been talking about, but for a bundt, it makes a huge difference whether the cake comes out of the pan in one piece or in chunks. A lot less tears and cussin' in my kitchen since I've learned this trick.
 
That crazy cake recipe cuts in half easily for a small one pan cake. We use melted butter instead of oil for more flavor, and dry instant or leftover coffee like mentioned above. It’s not a rich cake, but never fails and it’s fantastic without frosting. Even my kid eats it without frosting!
 
I learned a lesson when refining a recipe for a rum bundt cake -- the pan MUST be greased with shortening, lard, non-stick spray, or any non-water-containing fat. Not butter.

Butter is around 10-15% water and that's the kiss of death for a bundt, because greasing a cake pan with butter makes the cake more likely to stick, even if you also dust the pan with flour.

This isn't too critical for most cakes like the Wacky Cake we've been talking about, but for a bundt, it makes a huge difference whether the cake comes out of the pan in one piece or in chunks. A lot less tears and cussin' in my kitchen since I've learned this trick.
Who knew?! I had NO idea why my bundt cakes were so often disasters. Thank you!!
 

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