The Perfect Chocolate Cake
This is the story of how I came to have a recipe for THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE.
I am blessed with a husband who is extremely easy to please, at least as far as food is concerned. We will have been married 36 years on the 28th of this month, and in all that time he has never complained or had a negative comment about anything I have made for him. Anything, that is, except chocolate cake.
I love to bake (probably because I love to eat, but that’s another story) and I learned early on in our relationship that chocolate cake is Randy’s favorite. So, since I love to bake and I love Randy, I wanted to make him the best chocolate cake he had ever eaten on the first Valentine’s Day after we were married. I used a delicious sounding Bon Appetit recipe I had been saving and was thrilled at how it turned out. But to my dismay, when I served him my masterpiece, he was underwhelmed to say the least. I was sooooo disappointed because I wanted badly to make him happy and knowing that he was so easy to please about everything else, I was perplexed as to why he wasn’t delighted with the cake I had made especially for him.
“Well it just isn’t quite right”, he said. “Something is just a little off from how a really perfect chocolate cake should taste.” I decided not to be discouraged but to just try again with another recipe. And try I did. For the next ten years, every chocolate cake recipe I could find in cookbooks or magazines or from well intended friends, I tried! I tried cakes with sour cream, cakes with multiple kinds of chocolate, cakes with a touch of instant coffee that was supposed to make the cake taste more chocolatey (he particularly disliked those). Always the response was the same, “It’s good, but not perfect.”
Finally, one day after chocolate cake # 100 or so, he suggested that I just get a boxed cake mix and try that……the gauntlet had now been thrown down…..I would not be out done by a cake mix!!! I began making chocolate cake nearly every week, it seemed, in search of that elusive “perfect chocolate cake”.
One day I was in Pic N Save, a closeout store we used to have in our area, and saw a little paperback cookbook called “A Family Raised on Sunshine” by Beverly Nye. I perused the pages in hopes of finding some new recipe for chocolate cake I had not yet tried. There was a very simple cake recipe that I knew could not be it, but it was called Delicious Chocolate Cake, so, “What the heck?” I thought. It was all of 50 cents and had a couple of other tasty sounding recipes, so what did I have to lose?
I went right home and made the cake. We finished dinner, put the children to bed, and out of the kitchen I came with yet one more slice of dark, sweet decadence. I handed it to him and waited for the usual critique. But to my shock he grinned from ear to ear and exclaimed joyously, “Robin, this is it! This is how chocolate cake should taste. This is the perfect chocolate cake!” I am smiling right now, as I write, remembering the elation I felt at that moment.
We had plans that coming weekend, to get together with Randy’s parents and siblings (4 sisters and a brother) and their families, and he requested that I make another one of these cakes to take with us because, “My family will all love it as much as I do”.
Saturday came and off we went to our family outing. After lunch, I proudly started slicing cake for everyone. Randy beamed and said he knew they would all love this cake. They did. There was great joy in the Northrup home that day.
“Yes”, his mother said. “It tastes as good as it always has.” “What do you mean ‘always has’? “, I asked. “Well it tastes just like it did when I used to make it. This is my recipe isn’t it?” she inquired.
I was in shock. I love my mother-in-law. She is a warm, generous and loving woman, but with 6 children, (5 of them born within 6 years) cooking was never something she did for enjoyment. She was just happy to get a meal on the table. Making cake would have seemed like the last priority on her mind. In all the years I had known her, I had never known her to bake anything except some slice and bake cookies. It would no more have occurred to me to ask her if she had a recipe for chocolate cake, than it would have to ask her if she was secretly the Queen of England! Now she was announcing that MY cake recipe was really HER recipe!
She went straight to the kitchen and emerged with a box (I had never seen this box before) and she pulled out a dog eared 3 x 5 index card with exactly the same recipe written on it as the one I had found in my Pic N Save, 50 cent, paperback cookbook……IT WAS HER CAKE!!!! It seems that my impossibly easy-to-please husband had the memory of his mother’s chocolate cake ingrained in his taste buds.
Over the years this cake has had a place at more birthdays, anniversaries, showers, memorial services, holiday gatherings and any ole’ Tuesdays, than I can begin to count. No matter who eats it, everyone always joyously says the same thing, “This is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten.”
So thirty six years later, as Valentine’s Day approaches, I want to spread some more love, joy and abundant living in this world of ours and bless you with the recipe for THE PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE. Enjoy!
Preheat oven at 350 degrees
Beat together:
1 1/2 cups melted butter
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add and mix well:
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 heaping Tablespoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Then add and mix again:
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Line 3 round 8″ cake pans with waxed paper and butter the sides of the pan to prevent sticking when cake is done. Pour batter evenly amongst the 3 pans. Bake for about 30 minutes or just until the center of the cake feels firm to the touch and the sides of the cake are beginning to pull away from the pan. Cool thoroughly and remove from pans. (You can wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at this point if you are making the cake a day ahead or hours ahead of when needed.) Spread icing liberally and smile….perfect chocolate cake is on its way.
Icing
1 cup butter at room temperature
8 oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature
12 oz. package chocolate chips, melted
1/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 lbs. powered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Enough heavy cream to soften to spreading consistency
Beat together the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the melted chocolate and vanilla. Sift powdered sugar and cocoa. With the mixer off add sugar and cocoa to butter and chocolate mixture. Turn on mixer slowly, and beat in sugar/cocoa mixture very slowly increasing speed of the mixer so as not to shoot powdered sugar all over the kitchen. Add cream as needed, 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, to create a good spreading consistency.
Yum ~ perfect chocolate cake!
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I love this post! Is 8am too early for chocolate cake?
Too early for chocolate cake? Is it ever too early for chocolate cake? :))
Robin- this was a totally adorable story! I was smiling the entire time reading it. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I think Jason will love this since you’ve told us on Freutcake.com that he is such a chocoholic 🙂
Hi Dear Chum,
This is beautifully told..a very “sweet” little story , and I can vouch from tasting it , an amazing Chocolate cake !
For us chocolate lovers…this is a real find:)
Keep on keeping on….sending your great tips and “how-tos” our way 🙂
Thanks Connie….always a joy to share a good find with our “chums” 🙂
Made the chocolate cake tonight, in the shape of a bunny!!!!! Deeeelicious!!!! Thanks guys Wishing you a blessed Easter xo monica
You are so welcome, Monica. Happy Easter to you and yours!
Sounds very yummy! What temperature should I use? Thank you Robin for such a fun website!
Thanks for pointing out that we neglected that. We have now corrected it. It is 350 degrees. Thanks again, Julie.
I too have been in search of the perfect chocolate cake all of my adult life. Sometimes they are too rich, almost sickening…sometimes they are heavy like lead sinkers, sometimes they are too chalky…I want a moist and light cake with a perfectly balanced chocolate taste…not too much so that you could slip into a diabetic coma! I gave up several years ago after trying Martha Stewart’s “perfect” chocolate cake recipe…not so perfect, now I will try this one for Valentine’s Day and will let you know how it goes. I’m SOOOO Excited because I know Robin knows her chocolate and she knows how to bake up a storm…this could be it…STAY TUNED!
Hey Cath: Can’t wait to hear how it goes. One note to you, if you want it to stay as light as possible, don’t refrigerate it after you bake it. Just let it cool and then add the frosting. I’ve noticed that refrigerating it does tend to make it a bit more dense (which some people will not mind) I think it is because of the butter in the cake getting cold and then firming up and making it seem more dense. Anyway try it and keep us posted 🙂
I thoroughly enjoyed your story, Robin. I’m going to share the link on my blog! Chocolate cake is my husband’s favorite, too. Just a plain and simple chocolate cake, nothing fancy for him either. lol
Thanks for sharing the recipe! I love to bake from scratch and I love buttermilk cakes, they are the best.
Lot’s of love, Lisa xo ;D
P.S. Do you know how I know you and Randy? It’s through Jimmy G in Fairfield. ;D
It’s true! The most amazing Chocolate Cake ever. I’ve never made it and not had someone ask for the recipe. You can’t go wrong and it’s tough to mess it up. People will think you are a master baker and never know how quick and simple it was. Those are my favorite kinds of recipes. Quick, Easy and most importantly Delicious!!!!!
You do such a wonderful job, Amanda, with all of your baking ~ whether it is a quick and easy recipe or a long and tedious one! I know, I have seen you at it!
And I need to give a shout out to my daughter, Amanda. The chocolate cake in the picture is actually one she made recently for her husband’s grandmother’s 90th birthday. Everybody loves Grammy, so it made sense to bake it in the shape of a heart. And it turned out so beautifully it made the perfect photo for us to use in this post.
I have to admit that I am usually not a huge fan of chocolate cake but that cake that Amanda made for Grammy’s 90th was by far the best cake I have ever had. LOVED it!!!
I agree, Carrie – it really is the best chocolate cake ever!
I will now be using this recipe for ALL my chocolate cakes. I make a lot of cake , but I would say this is my favorite one, by far. Every time you serve it, I intend to get the recipe from you, but always end up with my standby chocolate recipe. Mine is good, but this one is so much better. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Dana…..If you all knew Dana and what an amazing cook/baker she is you would know this is the ultimate compliment. Dana has NEVER made a bad cake in her life and they are always amazingly beautiful to boot!
Here’s my post, hope you like it; http://honeystreasures.blogspot.com/2012/02/two-chums.html
~ Lisa xoxo
What a lovely gesture…..so appreciated and of course I know who you are. Thank you, thank you, Lisa!
I don’t bake much anymore,but I do love to make chocolate cake for special occasions. I will be sure to print this one for the next celebration and I can hardly wait to try it. Maybe I’ll bake it for the Sorority meeting on Monday. I really like your web site, keep it up. Love Libby
Thank you Libby. Please let us know how it turns out and feel free to pass out the recipe to anyone at your sorority meeting that wants it. We love to share with all our “chums”, old and new. 🙂
Robin, i have always loved this recipe of yours!
In fact, last weekend I tore through my recipe folder to find it so i could make it for my kiddos. But alas! no recipe. I spent a good hour searching for it. I had just reorganized my recipes last month and had my hands on it at the time – i know i will come across it. but long story short, i used another recipe and well, it just wasn’t the same as your wonderful recipe.
I think i will be baking tonight :).
Thanks Linda! Enjoy the cake….and all the appreciation you will get from your family….you deserve it 🙂
I remember that story well when you told it to me. What’s even funnier is I just made that same cake recipe for Katie’s 13th birthday, only I turned it into a chocolate mint and chip ice cream cake, but the cake was the same. Still my favorite chocolate cake recipe ever.
Oohhh! Another possible way to serve this Northrup family favorite….ice cream cake….nice Stephanie!!! Thanks for sharing.
What a wonderful story, Robin! I am printing it out and can’t wait to try it! Yum!
Let us know how it goes….there should be smiles in the Sinclair home when you bake it.. Thanks for checking in as one of our “chums” Theresa 🙂
Matt’s favorite too! And who knew it was tied to such a hilarious and touching story?! Love it! Thanks for sharing!!
Yes, there was this amazing, story that took place over many, many years, behind this recipe! Keep making it for darling Matt!
I just showed Lee this entry and he is drooling and said that if the cakes’ not named after him then he’s gonna be mad! 🙂
Well at least in this family, the cake can now forever be known as Lee’s Cake! It makes me happy that he loves it so much:)
Cake sounds great!! Like everyone else, the perfect chocolate cake has eluded me for years. Can’t wait to try it!! Love the website.
So glad you are enjoying the website. I think you will love the chocolate cake!
This IS the best chocolate cake on the planet, and one of the most simple to make. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that my maiden name is Northrup, and I also grew up making this. It makes great cupcakes, also. I have tried, and just about succeeded in making it a molten chocolate cake. Thanks for sharing the story. I loved reading it, and I can totally envision Randy doing this. It is pretty amazing you found the recipe. My husband, Todd, has one of those memories…Porcupine Cake…and I swear, I will never get that one right.
Oh, Bonnie, I bet you will get that Porcupine Cake recipe right! Just keep on, like Robin did ~ you will be led to it, I feel sure. Thanks so much for sharing.
Sounds wonderful, can’t wait to try it. I loved the story!!!
Let us know how it turns out when you try it Scotti….I think Steve will really like it! Glad you enjoyed the story behind it 🙂
I love your chocolate cake! You made it for my couples bridal shower and Nick still talks about it. It’s the BEST!!!
It was such a fun shower Ashley and I love that the chocolate cake is a part of the memories we have of that wonderful time 🙂
Robin, thank you for sharing this story! I love it. And I can’t wait to try this recipe.
You are so welcome! Let us know how you like it when you try it out.
By no means am i baker but this recipe sounded so good i deided to try it out this afternoon and man was it delicious! My friends loved it as well! Thanks so much. Im looking forward to trying more recipes from two chums!
So glad that you and your friends loved it so! Everyone does! It really is amazing!
I have no choice but to attempt to make this cake for Lee since he talks about it all the time. Hope it meets his expectations. 🙂
Michelle, dear one, I feel sure that it will!
We used to eat the batter uncooked when we were growing up. It was amazing that any of it ever made it into the pans. We never got sick from the raw eggs, and man…was it ever good!
I made your cake over the weekend for Juliet’s first birthday party. It turned out great and multiple people asked for the recipe. This will be my chocolate cake of choice for future celebrations!! Thanks!
So glad!
Ladies, I finally took the opportunity to make The Perfect Cake this week. We were invited to a 4th of July Dinner Party and your cake was the hit of the evening!! I used Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa for an extra kick of chocolate flavor…wow what a treat! Everyone sent their thanks to you!!
Julie I am thrilled to hear it was such a success. The Hershey’s Special Dark cocoa is a great idea! Thanks for sharing with us. We always love hearing from our Chums 🙂