My Chocolate Season 2024: Easiest Chocolate Cake Ever

Welcome to this year's treasure trove of chocolate recipes. Through the end of the year I'll share delicious treats each week, from multiple sources - with recipe links or full recipes provided.

Each post includes photos depicting ingredients and prep, plus an equipment list. You'll also find 'V.O.E.s' or Voice of Experience notes - tips/thoughts from my personal experience with a specific recipe. 

If we're connected on social media, check out my stories at The Chocolate Professor, too. Through many assignments I have had the pleasure of interviewing passionate chocolate makers from across the U.S. 

Most of all - enjoy!

Here's a LINK for this week's Easiest Chocolate Cake Ever with notes and photos, below. And here's a portion of the original website intro:

…One glance at the recipe for this Swedish chocolate cake, called kladdkaka, and you’ll notice that you probably have all the ingredients you need to make it right now. From bowl to table it is done in about 30 minutes, and the skills you need to make it are minimal…

Equipment

Large saucepan & small stainless steel bowl to melt butter
Measuring cup & spoons
Large mixing spoon
Springform pan
Parchment paper
Whisk or fork to whip eggs

V.O.E. - sieve, for sprinkling powdered sugar on top 

Why this picture of deep golden egg yolks? To encourage everyone to use pasture raised eggs as often as possible. Why this choice? Each pasture-raised hen gets a minimum of 108 square feet of pasture for themselves.

Once chocolate chips and brown sugar are incorporated into the melted butter, it's time to add cocoa powder. V.O.E. - I use Ghirardelli chips and powder for exceptional flavor and because of the company's sustainability efforts.  

When I make a recipe for the first time, I stick quite close to the original. That means I used cardamom for the first time-ever-and used exactly the same amount of salt found in this recipe. V.O.E. - However, next time, I will reduce the salt content to 1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon because we thought it overwhelmed the cardamom flavor. In addition, this salt did not appear to contribute to a rising batter, as the finished cake is short and dense. 

Adding the flour, above. Ready to eat, below. V.O.E. - Per this recipe, I baked the cake for about 16 minutes, when it seemed to reach the right consistency. I might bake it a little longer next time, so that transferring it to a plate is easier.