I'm not sure I would make this cake again, unless I use unsweetened chocolate, versus cocoa, more/stronger coffee (perhaps espresso), or etc., to give this cake a darker flavor. I suppose I had expected a darker chocolate flavor, given the title "Black" and I have come to appreciate 86% (or higher) cacao, so that's what I was hoping for, but didn't get to my satisfaction. Then again, I think any chocolate lover would like this cake, to a degree. The ingredients are the same as the recipe for Black Magic cake, except that this calls for less salt and making sour milk versus using buttermilk, that may make a difference. This is also the same recipe as The Barefoot Contessa's "Beatty's Cake", except that hers calls for a buttercream frosting versus cherry filling/liquer. I used the cherry topping but bought a 'No Sugar Added, with Splenda' version and the Splenda gave the topping such a sickeningly sweet taste I couldn't stand to use all of it. So don't even try it! I opted to go with 'The Contessa's' directions to use hot vs cold coffee and feel that that was a mistake; on one hand, the hot temperature might have helped make a better syrup out of the cocoa, but it is probably what gave the cake more of a 'scrambled egg' texture, with the coffee not being tempered (I did add the coffee in gradually, but also took "hot" to mean "hot"); I do think using COLD coffee, as this recipe indicates, is a better idea. Overall, I'm glad I gave this a try, but may not do it again.
Was this review helpful?
[
YES
]
1 user found this review helpful
I'm not sure I would make this cake again, unless I use unsweetened chocolate, versus cocoa,...