about the recipe
Have you ever seen Matilda? If so, read on. If not, go ahead and skip this next part.
In the scene where one of students is made to eat an entire chocolate cake in front of the whole school, the audience rides a rollercoaster. The first loop is wanting the chocolate cake, and then the second loop is really not wanting the chocolate cake.
This is that chocolate cake, minus the second loop. I can’t describe how light and airy, while rich and chocolatey, this cake is - but I’ll try. easiest just to make the recipe though
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
See the science behind it is fascinating (again, skip ahead if this is not your vibe). When you add the hot water, you’re doing two things:
-
You’re blooming the cocoa - WHAT?!? Blooming the cocoa just means bringing it out its true flavor without too much of the bitterness. Like, instead of adding more cocoa to get more chocolate flavor, you bloom it to have an intense chocolate without the heaviness and bitterness of the flavor. All the good, none of the bad, right?
-
You’re adding SO MUCH moisture. I mean, silly to point this out, no? This batter will likely be the thinnest batter you will ever work with. Trust it. The added moisture keeps the texture light and fluffy - you dont get cakes that fall in the middle as soon as they cool because the moisture actually strengthens the crumb, keeps the air bubbles, and leaves you with an absolutely melt-in-your mouth situation.
​
tips & tricks
Adding hot water: Yes you want to boil the water. No, you do not want to add the boiling water directly to the batter. What I like to do is put the water in to boil halfway through making the batter, then let it sit to cool a little while I finish the other parts. By the time you add the water, it should be abou ~XXX temperature.
Room temperature butter and eggs are key in this recipe. Take the time to properly let things come to temp, and you’ll be rewarded with the best texture.
Acid: Don’t skip the lemon juice! I say this in most of my recipes - if there is added acid, it's integral to the rise.
Storage: Store at room temperature in an airtight container for a couple days. If you are planning on keeping longer, store in the fridge.
This recipe works wonderfully as cupcakes - just make sure to use liners! The added moisture has its pitfalls, one of which being its very sticky to pans. Grease those pans and like those tins!
recipe
1
Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare one cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2
Whisk together flour, sugar baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Cut cold butter into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, forks, or fingers. Mixture should be like coarse sand. Place bowl in freezer.
3
Cut apple into small cubes, roughly pea-sized. Measure out apple sauce, heavy cream, and vanilla into a small bowl and stir.
4
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients with a fork, mixing gently - dough will be shaggy. Stir in apple cubes. If dough is too dry, add another tablespoon of heavy cream. Do not over mix!
5
Turn the dough onto the parchment paper. Knead a couple turns with floured hands to bring together and form a disc. Cut disc into 8 slices. Place in freezer for 20-30 mins.
6
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
