I have about 300 cook books and I am ashamed to admit that there are quite a few that I have not really looked at.
So over the weekend, I told myself that I really should find some recipes from my cook books to try out.
One of the books that I pulled put was “All Cakes Considered” by Melissa Gray. This is such a lovely book. With almost every recipe, Melissa provides a little anecdote or explains the background of how the recipe came to be.
The cake recipe I am sharing today is really an interesting one. Instead of creaming the butter with the sugars before adding the eggs, then the dry ingredients and milk, this starts with the flour and ends with the eggs.
According to Melissa, this produces a cake that is moist and dense, When she made this same recipe using the more standard mixing method, the resulting cake was lighter and fluffier. So depending on how you like you cakes, you can actually choose the method that suits you better! How cool is that!
I baked my cake in a Bundt pan because it makes a pretty cake that I don’t have to do a lot with – I simply sprinkled some icing sugar on top and it was good to go. You can also bake the cake in a loaf pan or a square pan. In fact, this is a great recipe to use for layered cakes.
And here are the instructions on how to make this.
In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar and cocoa. Mix until combined.
Gradually add butter and shortening, as well as milk, and beat until well-blended. You can substitute the shortening with butter, but the texture of the cake will change.
Add the baking powder and salt.
Once they have been incorporated, add the vanilla extract, then the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Pour the batter into a greased Bundt pan. I don’t add flour to my Bundt pans – I don’t have problems with the cake sticking to the pan – but you may if you wish.
Bake the cake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer emerges cleanly.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To serve, cut and sprinkle some icing sugar on top. If you wish, you may also make a chocolate ganache and drizzle this over the cake.
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- 1 1/2 cups (187.5g) plain flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup (29.5g) cocoa
- 1 1/2 cups (337.5g) caster sugar - I used 180g
- 1/2 stick (113.5g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (95g) shortening
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- In a mixing bowl, add flour, sugar and cocoa. Mix until combined.
- Gradually add butter and shortening, as well as milk, and beat until well-blended. You can substitute the shortening with butter, but the texture of the cake will change.
- Add the baking powder and salt.
- Once they have been incorporated, add the vanilla extract, then the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Pour the batter into a greased 6-cup Bundt pan. I don’t add flour to my Bundt pans – I don’t have problems with the cake sticking to the pan – but you may if you wish.
- Bake the cake at 180°C for 40-50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer emerges cleanly.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- To serve, cut and sprinkle some icing sugar on top. If you wish, you may also make a chocolate ganache and drizzle this over the cake.
- You can also bake this a 9x5-inch loaf pan, or 8x8-inch square pan. You can also double the recipe and bake this in a 12-cup Bundt pan, 10-inch tube pan or a 13x9-inch pan. Baking time varies.
I am submitting this post to Cook and Celebrate: CNY2016, which I am hosting together with Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and Yen from Eat Your Heart Out.
Have you cooked or baked something for the up-coming Chinese New Year? If so do share your creations with us! Please note that your post has to be a current post (ie, posted in the months of January & February 2016) and remember to link it back to us: Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids, Yen from GoodyFoodies and Diana from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe. Happy cooking and baking folks! 🙂
Hi Diana
I want to bake this today since its a holiday. But I don’t have shortening. Is there a possible substitute for this?
Thanks.
Just use butter! 🙂
Hi there already 113g of butter if i subsitute the shortening with butter mean i have to add another 95g of butter (subsitute of shortening) to the recipe? (mean113g + 95g of butter) thks