Hi. I would like to know how to convert a Vanilla Cake into a chocolate cake but am not exactly sure.
This is the recipe
2 Cups SR Flour
4 Tablespoons of custard powder
1 cup of milk
2 cups of sugar
120g melted butter
4 eggs a few drops of vanilla depending on preference.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees Beat all above together until creamy
Cook for 40 minutes and test - it may still not be ready so reduce heat and cook until skewer comes out clean
I think I have to reduce the custard powder and substitute like amount of cocoa powder but I am not certain.
It was given to me ages ago - I have made it but it takes a long time to cook because it's a very wet mixture.
On Fri 19 Aug 2005 07:37:15p, Hoges in WA wrote in rec.food.baking:
I've not seen a recipe quite like this one. In most chocolate cakes using cocoa, the flour is reduced to accomodate the cocoa powder. This would be difficult here because it calls for SR flour. To make a good flavored chocolate cake with cocoa, you need about 3/4 cup of the cocoa, far more than you could substitute for the custard powder.
My suggestion would be to use a proper chocolate cake recipe that calls for cocoa. I use a very good one from Hershey's that always brings raves.
On Fri 19 Aug 2005 09:45:56p, Hoges in WA wrote in rec.food.baking:
This is a very old Hershey's recipe... Hope you like it.
Exported from MasterCook *
Hershey's "perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake
Recipe By : Serving Size : 12 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Cakes Chocolate Desserts
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ -------------------------------- 2 cups sugar 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup boiling water Hershey's "perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer
2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
NOTES : ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
Theortically its looks straight forward just llike how North Americans think; a chocolate cake is any cake that can contain either any thing that contains cocoa solids but It is not as simple as that in the country of OZ.... In Australian standards which is patterned from British baking, a chocolate cake should contain real chocolate in it. Any cake that contains a cocoa powder or even compounded chocolate is just called chocolate flavored cake. Roy
Besides the one Wayne posted, here's another Hershey's recipe that always gets raves for me. Caution: It's deadly rich, and addictive!
Dave
(I use a cup of freshly brewed, very strong, french roast. The same goes well with the cake, later...)
Black Magic Cake ? 2 cups sugar ? 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour ? 3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa ? 2 teaspoons baking soda ? 1 teaspoon baking powder ? 1 teaspoon salt ? 2 eggs ? 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk* ? 1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water (Bleah!! DB) ? 1/2 cup vegetable oil ? 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. (Watch out for overflow with 13x9!)
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.
To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.
Wayne from the ordinary American way of thinking that may not be an issue , but from the Standards of Identity as mandated by a particular government rules IT IS NOT. In the same way that in those countries if you had not attended their bakery apprenticeship and did not pass their bakers qualification program you are NOT considered a qualified baker so you will never become a member of their bakers guild. North Americans may think it as odd....but if you had lived in those. Roy
On Sat 20 Aug 2005 09:48:26a, Dave Bell wrote in rec.food.baking:
Yes, this is excellent, Dave. It's essentially the same cake except for coffe in place of water and the buttermilk in place of whole milk. I often substitute buttermilk in the recipe I use. I also like coffee in the frosting.
On Sat 20 Aug 2005 12:13:25p, Roy wrote in rec.food.baking:
No offense, but... I fully understand what you're saying, but I don't think we're really looking at professional bakers in reference to the OP's request. Nor do most home bakers care much about what the government defines as a cake. I wasn't offering the recipe as one that meets any government standards, regardless of which country.
Same with me Wayne,,,, it is just in those countries they have their peculiarities..... that its contrary to what we are used to.
I am also very familiar with these cocoa flavored cakes and mixes which in myyounger days I plainly called as chocolate cakes but when I travelled to those down under countries they don't want to call those items as chocolate cakes but something else...say mudcake is one, and ..that is the commoon chocolate flavored cake in Australia.. When ever I made a specimen of dark cocoa based cakes ... the people there immediately recognized is as .... mudcake,. NOT as chocolate cake. ! Roy
On Sat 20 Aug 2005 07:40:25p, Roy wrote in rec.food.baking:
Clearly, yes, there is a difference, though not to say that either is not good. I'm not that familiar with Australian baking, but I quite familiar with baking in the UK. The bottom line for me, for this post, was that the OP is in WA, not AU or UK, and was specifically asking for a way to convert his "vanilla cake" using cocoa.
Granted, the recipe the OP posted looked suspiciously like one from AU or UK, given the SR flour and custard powder, but... There was that mention of cocoa. :-)
OP is definitely in AU - WA = Western Australia. Probably 37 squillion miles from you, and probably on the other side of the planet depending on where you are.
OP is also definitely not an expert - is nearly a complete klutz who struggles daily/weekly to make things in the kitchen.
Is Hershey's cocoa different from other cocoa in any great degree? Doubt I could get it down where I live.
Yes, the buttermilk adds a lot, and the richness of the coffee really nails it. I've made this one, and an "ordinary" cocoa-based cake (daren't call it "chocolate"!) the same day, and there's no comparison!
On Sat 20 Aug 2005 10:11:48p, Hoges in WA wrote in rec.food.baking:
I'm sorry... I took "WA" to mean the state of Washington in the US. I live in Arizona, US.
Hershey's is just ordinary unsweetened cocoa powder. If you follow this link, it explains the difference between ordinary cocoa and "dutched" cocoa. I don't know what type is prevalent Australia.
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