Oct 07, 2004
When I want chocolate cake, nine times out of ten, this is the cake I make. Whether eaten plain, or my favourite way, which is sandwiched with dulce de leche and topped with chocolate ganache, it's brilliant! One little thing though: the directions are fine if you want to serve your cake in the pan, but if you want to unmould it for prettier presentation, your pan will need to be greased and floured, or brushed with bakers' secret (which is no secret: combine equal parts oil, shortening, and flour). This means you should mix the cake in a separate bowl, but hey, it's still really easy and cleanup is minimal.
Now! For all you people nervous about the vinegar: there is a simple reason why it's there. For a cake to rise, you need an alkali, and an acid. When the alkali and the acid combine, they react with each other, giving off carbon dioxide, which is what makes the cake rise. All cakes other than yeast cakes are risen this way. The alkali/acid deal is present in baking powder (already mixed for you), and in recipes that call for baking soda (alkali) and, say, cream of tartar (acid). In this case, you have baking soda (alkali) and vinegar (acid). They react with each other and make the cake rise. You CANNOT taste the vinegar, so relax, make the cake, and enjoy!
—Morena
