Today, I have three words for you. Java. Chocolate. Cake. Oh, yes.
First, let me admit to you that although I do love chocolate almost as much as I love coffee, I have not always been a huge fan of cake, and layer cakes to be more precise. I have tasted some good ones through the years. And only a few of them I thought were really good. I know, I sound like a snob.
Texture is always my first problem with homemade cakes, as I am a texture sensitive person. It must be light, moist, full of well balanced flavor, without being overbearing. Even if the cake itself is good, I always seem to narrow acceptance down to the frosting. I can almost nearly say that I loathe frosting. Yes. I. Do. It tends, almost always to my picky palate to be too sweet, too greasy or gritty. I suppose it would also depend on the type of frosting, as I much perfer cream cheese frosting, silky glazes, or whipped cream. I can’t count the number of times I’ve come across cakes that would have been perfect if it weren’t for the frosting. I usually just scrape it off and eat the cake. That is, if the cake is good.
I’ve been trying to develop a chocolate cake that has all the things I love. I wanted my chocolate cake to be light, fluffy, and not too sweet. I wanted to use whole wheat flour. Oh, and put some coffee in it. I succeeded. I decided upon making an 8×8 cake to start. A test. The Mister gave this cake his approval, and devoured his slice within a few minutes. I will be make further adaptations to this recipe for layer cakes, and cupcakes. And, I will work on making a gluten-free version later on. I am still working on a recipe for frosting. The one I used for this cake I am still not quite pleased with.
Whole Wheat Java Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white granulated sugar I use organic cane sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/8 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons oil
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of hot espresso or strong coffee
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare your 8×8 pan: Grease the bottom and sides of the pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bottom and sides of the pan with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and sea salt with a whisk. In a separate bowl, stir together the buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour the liquids into the flour mixture, and add the hot espresso or coffee. Stir to combine. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into an the pan. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Cool on a wire rack. Add frosting, if desired.
Leave a Reply