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Who wouldn’t want Dark Chocolate Cake for their birthday?
When it came time to make a cake for my husband’s birthday this week, I didn’t want to settle for the average boxed cake mix. Not only did I not want all the preservatives, but I wanted to create something more special.
I found this recipe over at Girls to Grow and just tweaked it a little. I can honestly say I’ll NEVER buy a boxed cake mix again (even it it’s free!).
Dark Chocolate Cake
2 cups sugar (I cut this down by a 1/4 cup, but it’s up to you how sweet you want it 🙂
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Mix above dry ingredients together in large bowl, then add:
2 eggs
1 cup milk (I’ve even used almond milk to make it a bit healthier!)
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil (you can use vegetable oil too)
1-2 teaspoons vanilla (depending on how sweet you want it – I’ve found that by using the coconut oil, you can cut it to 1 tsp)
Mix well, then add 1 cup boiling water. Stir until combined. (Batter will be very thin.)
Pour into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
Technically you should let the cake cool now, but it’s wonderful when served warm with the chocolate “frosting” (recipe below) drizzled over it. I also served it on top of a homemade strawberry sauce (made by slowly cooking frozen strawberries on low for about a half hour then adding a little powdered sugar to it). However, if you want to let both the cake and the chocolate frosting cool, it can also become a wonderful, more traditional cake.
Chocolate Chip Frosting
1/3 c butter
2/3c mini chocolate chips (can also use other kinds of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips)
Combine butter and chocolate chips in microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir. I like the mini chips because not all will melt, leaving a few chips in the frosting for texture. If you want a smoother frosting, continue to microwave for 20 second intervals. Serve warm as a decadent chocolate topping or allow to cool to use as a frosting.
