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Wondering how to achieve a fluffy, moist and juicy chocolate cake? Read the expert advice in the text below.
Chocolate cake is loved by everyone, young and old. Together with a cup of coffee for adults or a glass of milk for children, they are one of the most comfort sweets we can enjoy during the day.
If you make the traditional chocolate cake in the oven ( rather than steamed ), avoid common mistakes and keep it moist and fluffy by following the experts’ instructions.
The oil helps to increase the moisture of the cake
“The key to most fluffy cakes is adding oil ,” award-winning pastry chef and chocolatier Phil Khoury explains to the Guardian . As he adds, this can be done by substituting “up to 50%” of the butter in a recipe with a neutral oil (for example, corn oil) or replacing it entirely as “oils are liquid at both refrigerator and room temperature, while butter must exceed 25 degrees Celsius to acquire the properties associated with a moist cake.”
Also, the expert mentions that as the butter starts to solidify it makes the cake drier and drier, so a little oil will help soften it.
Yogurt and milk for a fluffy result
Georgina Hayden , award-winning food writer and chef, incorporates yogurt and milk into the mix to create a fluffy result while preferring to use oil instead of butter. ” Yogurt provides acidity and reacts with the leavening agent to help the cake stay fluffy.”
What else goes into chocolate cake?
In addition, several experts argue that for a successful chocolate cake, the addition of cocoa powder is essential. Food writer Tarunima Sinha also adds melted chocolate : “If a recipe uses 200 grams of flour, I melt 200 grams of chocolate along with my butter.”
Sinha recommends taking baking time into consideration as well , noting that intentionally reducing it by a few minutes can result in a moister texture. “Just like with brownies , if a chocolate cake is underbaked by five to seven minutes , depending on the oven and the recipe, then it will be moist.”
Icing for garnish
Finally, a ganache (chocolate glaze) will lift the cake! Hayden explains her own method. He heats 200 ml of cream “until very hot but not bubbling”. Then he pours the cream over 200 grams of chopped dark chocolate in an ovenproof bowl and leaves it for a minute.
Then, starting in the middle, she stirs in one direction, “until the chocolate is melted and glossy ,” and then sets it aside for 30 minutes to thicken a bit. The texture of the icing thus acquires the ideal consistency to decorate the cake.
