Having trouble settling on a chocolate cake recipe :(

[Eric_Cartman]

As of now, here is what Im considering:

Epicurious's Double Chocolate Layer Cake
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Double-Chocolate-Layer-Cake-101275
This is apparently very popular on Chowhound and earned top honors from Epicurious.

"That Chocolate Cake" recipe from The Essence of Chocolate cookbook which earned a spot in Food and Wine's Best of the Best Annual Cookbook 2007 and won the Scharffen Berger Chocoholic’s Overdose.
http://www.tastespotting.com/features...
This cake was never mentioned on Chowhound though. Honestly, the hardest part is setting on a recipe. What are your recommendations?

[chowser]

As Transplant said, they're very similar. The Epicurious is more chocolatey with the addition of the Callebaut and I think the coffee adds a lot to the cake, in terms on intensifying the chocolate taste but you don't taste the coffee itself. If I used the second recipe, I'd still use coffee instead of the water. If you want a large cake, the epicurious is the way I'd go. If you want a smaller one, a recipe along the same lines as the two you've posted is the Hershey dark chocolate cake. I'd just add extra chocolate, like the epicurious cake has. The tastespotting recipe you posted is actually the same recipe as the Hershey chocolate cake.

To make that long explanation shorter: all three recipes are basically the same. Epicurious makes three layers, Hershey black magic, same ingredients scaled down (except the callebaut), made for two layers. The tastespotting is the Hershey chocolate cake recipe and is better w/ coffee, not as good as the former two.

One more thing, whichever cake you decide on I'd go w/ ganache frosting (either one but the epicurious is good) over the other one. I beat the ganache frosting after it cools so it has the old fashioned layer cake look. I like this cake best w/ whipped cream frosting, whipped cream mascarpone or sour cream fudge, though.

[Eric_Cartman]

Wow...im disappointed. But I now understand how both Scharffen Berger and Hersheys have the same recipe on both websites. It seems Scarffen Berger was bought by Hersheys. It was originally a recipe collected by John Scharffen Berger from a chef in the Caribbean though. Seems Hersheys adapted it for their brand. Only difference in the recipes is that Scharffen Berger uses baking chocolate in their frosting while Hersheys uses cocoa.
http://www.scharffenberger.com/chocol...

[iL Divo]

are you going for a multi level chocolate flavor? a true typical chocolate cake? one with depth and complexity? do you love chocolate?
if the answer is you love chocolate and want to create the deepest chocolate flavor you can, invent your own or add various ways of sneaking chocolate in where you can.

[Eric_Cartman]

Im going for the one that gives me an orgasm in my mouth. ;)

Basically, I want a cake that makes me say..."This is better than sex." Best part about chocolate is I always swallow. There is no such thing as bad chocolate. oohh..thats a little too graphic. Yes I like chcolate lol.

[chowser]

Yeah, you often see the same recipe from different sources, even when it hasn't been bought out. The Hershey black magic cake (not the dark chocolate I called it above) is also the same recipe as Ina Garten's chocolate cake from Beatty.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/in...

I haven't tried that frosting, though and it sounds good.

If you want to make this cake w/ a pretty slice presentation, try using a white buttercream (I like mint but some don't) a thin layer and then a layer of chocolate ganache frosting (not beaten, just use shiny). It's a nice layering effect of white/dark frosting and beautiful.

[Eric_Cartman]

Great advice. I hope this cake is worth diabetes. You're making me excited. This is for my little brother's birthday. I want to have it ready for him when he gets home from school.

[Eric_Cartman]

Im trying to visualize your buttercream/ganache suggestion. Is this similar to what you have in mind?

http://www.cakelove.com/images/inset/...

[chowser]

Yes, just like that, but with white frosting. The cake w/ coffee is very dark and the chocolate ganache frosting is shiny and dark so the white is a nice contrast. If you use the Hershey black magic cake recipe, I'd still add some of that callebaut chocolate into the batter, or even slivers of chocolate. The cake (all the recipes) comes together really quickly--before my oven comes to temperature. What a great treat for your little brother!

[Eric_Cartman]

I might substitute with Guittard or Valrhona instead though as they are much more easily accessible for me. But they are all good chocolate. Going the extra mile and making some chocolate shapes to garnish.

Grazie mille!!!! <33333

[iL Divo]

the epicurious one has more chocolate in the cake and the frosting.
when I need to go off the deepend myself and cure a major chocolate fix, I outdo the amount of chocolate called for and get it in there any way I can. So, I add the most I can get in.
not that it matters cause you may not like that much chocolate though so it's your call.

[Transplant_DK]

They're really not that different, so I'm sure both are delicious. I've only had the Double Chocolate one before and it was incredible (and huge!).

Guess you could make both and let us know which you prefer!