chocolate in spring
This recipe came out of an episode of my eavesdropping (a habit I am trying to kick). The subject of this ridiculous conversation was that someone dared to have a chocolate birthday cake in May (yes, you read that correctly) and I am here to say there is no other perfect time to eat a chocolate cake than anytime you want.
I have written chocolate cake recipes before, here, but this one I wanted to feel intentional to the moment; the moment being that insane conversation. I am a firm believer in eating whatever you want whenever you want, crazy concept. I believe you can eat red wine with fish and white wine with steak - I’m sure originalists are mad about this concept, but I am not an originalist.
Sometimes my inspiration comes from thinking of naming recipes itself and ever since I was young, chocolate milk was my excuse of being gauche. It is a luxury that can only be beaten by strawberry milk. Childish. I did say I wasn’t an originalist, but I am a traditionalist.
There are two parts to this cake; the ultrarich, slightly salty and deeply cocoa cake & the fatty chocolate cream that becomes laquerish as it sits. People will often say that recipes get better as they age, but this one proves it. As this cake sits, the chocolate cream becomes frosting, a mitzva.
chocolate milk cake
serves 6-8
Ingredients
1 cup of all-purpose flour / 145g
1 cup of white sugar / 200g
½ cup of cocoa powder / 50g
1 tsp of baking powder
½ tsp of baking soda
¾ tsp of kosher salt
1 ¼ cups of whole milk / 310g
½ cup of neutral oil, vegetable or canola / 100g
2 large eggs / 100g
for the chocolate cream
¾ cup of heavy cream / 170g
3 tbsp of cocoa powder / 18g
3 tbsp of white sugar / 37g
¼ tsp of kosher salt
Instructions
In a saucepan, combine the milk, cocoa powder and sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a simmer and the sugar & cocoa powder has dissolved. Remove the mixture from the pan and let it cool completely.
Prepare the cake pan (butter and flour or parchment paper) and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda and powder.
Once the liquid mixture has cooled, slowly add the dry mixture into the wet, mixing simultaneously. (lumps are ok!)
Once the mixtures are combined, pour it into the prepared cake pan. Bake the cake for 25-35 minutes until it releases from the side of the pan or comes out clean when tested. Cool the cake completely.
While the cake cools, make chocolate cream. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients and heat over medium heat. Whisk the mixture as it comes to a boil then reduce the simmer until the mixture thickens, around 3-5 minutes. Then completely cool the mixture alongside the cake.
Once both are cooled, pour the chocolate cream over the cake and spread it to serve.
