Ahhh I’m officially in the last year of my twenties. My birthday was last weekend and I had the best time celebrating with my friends and family up in Washington! Fall is my favorite time of year and since that doesn’t really happen here in Florida, I took full advantage of my visit to Seattle. We went to a husky football game, a pumpkin patch and I got to see colorful leaves on the trees and ground. It was an autumn wonderland! We also went out for a delicious birthday dinner and chocolate lava cake for dessert because duh, birthdays call for chocolate!
My favorite birthday cake flavor is chocolate with chocolate frosting, but surprisingly I don’t have a go-to recipe. Since there are so many variations out there and numerous recipes that claim to be “The Best” I decided to try a few from my favorite bloggers to conduct a little taste test. I baked three cakes and had neighbors help me out. It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it ;) I prefer dense, rich chocolate cakes and all of these were just that. Recipes that use brewed coffee are typically my favorite because they are moist and really bring out the chocolatey flavor. All of the cake layers themselves were good, but what really separates them from each other is the frosting. One is fudgier, one is a buttercream, and the other is super creamy. It’s hard to pick a winner because they are all good, but definitely distinct.
First up, Broma Bakery! Sarah is my food photography idol. Her images are stunning and so are the dishes that she makes. When she posted about her blackout chocolate cake I knew I had to give it a try. It’s made with coffee in both the cake and frosting, which gives it a rich flavor. The cake itself is dark, moist and flavorful. What makes this cake unique from the others is the frosting. It uses cream cheese so it’s very creamy and has a slight tanginess to it. Overall the cake isn’t super sweet—instead, it’s rich and decadent!
Next, I tried Chelsea’s (from Chelsweets) go-to chocolate cake. One thing I love about her cakes is that they usually turn out nice and flat, which makes decorating a breeze. If the layers have too much of a dome, you have to level them before assembling a layered cake. Like Sarah’s, her cake was moist and rich. She says she likes to use black cocoa powder, which I didn’t have, but I bet it’s even more decadent with that. What people seemed to like most about this cake was the buttercream. It’s sweet, creamy and lighter in color compared to the other two. It’s also the best frosting out of the three for making a “pretty” cake. You can easily smooth down the sides and decorate it.
Last, but not least: Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake. This one got the most votes from my neighbors and I can see why! This cake itself is exactly as the name says—perfectly chocolate! It uses normal cocoa powder (not dark) and doesn’t call for coffee or espresso powder, but surprisingly it was my favorite! The frosting is fudgy and hardens slightly compared to the other two, but is SO good. Overall this chocolate cake is sweet, but not overly so and will satisfy your chocolate craving!
It’s hard to pick a winner because they are all good and so different. I think if I’m looking for a classic, go-to chocolate cake though I would stick with the Hershey’s recipe. It isn’t fancy, but it sure is tasty! I plan to update this post as I try more chocolate cake recipes, so if you have a favorite leave the link in the comments below! I’d love to give it a try.
