Chocolate Cake

This is a recipe of my own, that took several years of trying various ingredients to get to where we are, and I expect there will be many improvements to be made in the coming years. For now here it is!!!

Ingredients:

360 g Flour

295 g Softened-melted butter ( i like to have some of the butter in liquid form, and the rest in solid soft form)

1.5 cups sugar

5 eggs at room temperature

1 cup yogurt

1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice (or any acid you have, orange juice works too)

4 tsp baking powder

90 g coco powder

a pinch of salt

a pinch of baking soda

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line pans with parchment papers ( two 9 inch pans, 1 sheet pan, or cupcakes)
2. Start by whipping your butter in a stand mixer (using the paddle extension) or a hand mixer until it is soft, light and has almost doubled in size. Add your sugar and continue mixing.
3. Add one egg at a time ensuring that each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one. Add a pinch of salt.
4. Sift the flour, coco, and baking soda together.
5. Add the baking powder, to the yogurt and lemon juice and stir. The mixture will start bubbling.
6. While the mixer is on low speed alternate adding the dry ingredients and the yogurt, scraping off the sides frequently. Optional: you can thin out your yogurt with a little bit of water or add two to three tbsp of water to the batter.
7. Once the mixture is fully incorporated add turn off your mixer, remove the bowl and fold the mixture using a spatula to ensure that all ingredients are mixed in and nothing is stuck on the sides. The batter is thick and has a chocolate pudding consistency.
8. Spoon the patter into two 9 inch round pans filling 2/3 of each, or one sheet cake pan. Or scoop into cupcake carton cups (1 ice cream scoop per cup, depending on size). Allow to rest for ten minutes. (Optional: lick the batter or have your children lick the batter that is left on the spatula)
9. Place in the oven at 180 C and prop your oven door for ten minutes with a wooden spoon, then take down the temperature to 150 C and bake for another 30 minutes at least.
10. You can also use the water bath method for baking the cake at 160 C (see Lemon and Yogurt Cake for this method)
11. When a toothpick is inserted and nothing comes out your cake is ready. Do not check the cake until at least 30 minutes have passed.
12. Take out of the oven and let cool in pans before turning out.
13. You can dust with icing sugar, or make your favorite butter cream.