Sourdough Chocolate Cake

Bake-a-thon 2015: Day 13

Bake of the day: Sourdough Chocolate Cake

I'm going to end this year and Bake-a-thon on a sweet note with this Sourdough chocolate cake. Sourdough is usually associated with rustic breads but it can also be used to make delicious cakes like this one. I already made carrot cake with sourdough and it was quite a hit. That reminds me to make that one again sometime.

I made this cake twice -- first time for my cousins birthday, but I couldn't take pictures and second time to take pictures and enjoy it again. The cake doesn't have any tell tale sign taste of sourdough and everybody liked it a lot. It is a very moist and chocolaty cake that needs just a little bit of planning. 
Recipe needs 'fed' starter, so plan accordingly. I usually feed the starter the night before I want to make the cake. Then the starter is mixed with milk and flour and set aside for 2~3 hours. Make sure to read the recipe completely before starting.

The cake is topped with a fudge like coffee icing that is a great counterpoint to the chocolate, both in flavor and appearance. My chocolate drizzle looks a little sloppy but that didn't take way from the taste of the cake.

The sun has been playing a little hooky for the past few days and taking pictures has become almost impossible. I made the cake yesterday but with the cloudy weather couldn't take the photos, I took the cake to my cousin's for dinner and brought back leftovers to take pictures today. With all the moving, the frosting melted and looks messy, but it tasted delicious though.

Recipe from King Arthur Flour:

Sourdough Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 1cup 'Fed' Sourdough
• 2cups All purpose flour
• 1cup Milk (whole, 2%, evaporated -- I used unsweetened almond milk)
• 1¼cups Sugar
• 1cup Oil
• 1tsp Salt
• 1½tsp Baking Soda
• ¾cup Unsweetened Baking cocoa
• 1tsp Instant espresso powder (optional)
• 2 Large Eggs (I used 2tbsp egg replacer whisked in 6tbsp water)
• 2tsp Vanilla extract

Method:

1. Combine the 'fed' starter, milk and flour in a large mixing bowl. Cover and rest at room temperature for 2~3 hours. It will be slightly bubble and expand just a little bit.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9"x13" baking pan.
3. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, salt, baking soda, cocoa, espresso powder and vanilla extract.
4. Add eggs, one at a time (or the egg replacer mixture) and beat well until combined.
5. Gently add the chocolate mixture into the starter-flour-milk mixture and stir until smooth. It will be a little gloppy at first but will smooth out eventually.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
7. Bake the cake for 30~40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool.

This is part of the Bake-a-thon 2015 .

 

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