Sourdough Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake made with sourdough starter? Don't worry; you'll never taste the sour, just the rich, full flavor of chocolate. The coffee icing, with its pretty dark chocolate drizzle, takes this cake to another level. Read our blog about this chocolate cake, with additional photos, at Bakers' Banter.
Cake
- 1 cup "fed" sourdough starter
- 1 cup milk (whole milk or 2% preferred) or evaporated milk
- 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 cup natural cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
- 2 large eggs
Icing
- 6 cups confectioners' sugar
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon hot water
Drizzle
- 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
Directions
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2) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan. |
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3) In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, baking soda, cocoa. and espresso powder. The mixture will be grainy. |
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8) Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to cool while you make the icing. |
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13) Combine the chocolate chips, milk, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe cup. Microwave till the chips soften, then stir till smooth. |
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Recipe summary
- Hands-on time:
- 15 mins. to 20 mins.
- Baking time:
- 30 mins. to 40 mins.
- Total time:
- 2 hrs 45 mins. to 4 hrs
- Yield:
- One sheet cake, 18 servings
Overnight
- Recipe comments (10) »
Tips from our bakers
- Do you really need the espresso powder in the cake? Well, certainly it's not critical to the cake's structure. But we find espresso powder heightens chocolate flavor, just as vanilla does. You can't really taste either one; but each is a lovely accent to chocolate, bringing out the nuances of its flavor.
- How do you tell when a cake is done? Start with the time it's been in the oven, certainly, but don't depend on that; ovens vary wildly in how they bake. Rely instead on the usual tests: is the cake barely beginning to pull away form the sides of the pan? Does it spring back when pressed lightly in the center (rather than your finger leaving an imprint)? And, most importantly, does a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center come out clean, or with perhaps only a few solid crumb clinging to it? Then, no matter what your timer says, the cake is done.
Reviews
10/10/2009
WOW!
10/05/2009
Very good cake. Be sure and beat out all the lumps. I didn't the first time.
07/23/2009
Not only was this cake easy to make and delicious, when I used it to make an ice cream cake, it stayed soft while frozen. I made it with a new sourdough starter, the sourdough flavor was undetectable. I'm curious to try it again once my starter is mature.
07/19/2009
Nice cake, but my frosting didn't set up properly. Perhaps I measured incorrectly. It was nice for using the sourdough started but the frosting wasn't satisfactory to me. The preparation was, in my eyes, a bit more tedious than I'm used to. But then I'm not someone who has a ton of patience for cake. If you like doing cakes from start to finish you'll like this.
07/10/2009
This is THE BEST chocolate cake I have ever made. It is very moist and not too sweet - you really taste the chocolate more than the sugar.
12/01/2008
Wow! I made this cake yesterday to use my unfed starter -- and I must say, it's one of the best chocolate cakes I've ever made. The frosting is over-the-top!
Thank you for opening up the sourdough boundaries beyond bread products! Happy Baking! Irene at KAF
11/27/2008
If I have the time (and plan well) this is the only chocolate cake recipe I use anymore.
10/08/2008
I bought the sourdough started just to make this cake. It was so easy to make and my co-workers loved it. The only drawback is I had to grow enough sourdough starter to share it with everyone. It is now my "favorite" cake.
09/16/2008
This recipe is straightforward and delicious, if you have the sourdough starter on hand (which I do). The cake is so moist and flavorful. The icing is a bit on the sweet side, and very rich. But yummy! .
09/14/2008

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