Chocolate Cake for Chocolate Lovers

A whole can of chocolate syrup goes into this cake. Not cocoa powder, not melted chocolate bars. Syrup. It gives the batter an intense, fudgy chocolate flavor and a dense, moist crumb that’s almost brownie-like.

The method is old-school and simple. Cream the butter with sugar, beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth, fold in the syrup, then gently stir in the flour and baking powder. No mixer required for the dry ingredients. Folding keeps the batter tender.

Four eggs and a tablespoon of vanilla (not a teaspoon) give this cake a richness and fragrance that matches the heavy chocolate hit. Room temperature eggs are a must for a smooth batter. Cold eggs will seize the softened butter into lumps.

Kitchen Tips

• Grease the pan thoroughly, getting into every crevice. This batter is sticky and will cling to any uncoated surface.
• Bake at a lower temperature. The chocolate syrup has a lot of sugar, which burns easily at higher heat.
• Let the cake cool for a few minutes in the pan before turning out. Too soon and it breaks apart. Too long and it sticks.
• This cake is rich enough to serve plain, or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Variations

• Dust with powdered sugar for a simple, elegant finish.
• Frost with a dark chocolate ganache (equal parts cream and chopped chocolate, melted together) for a double-chocolate experience.
• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso powder to the batter to deepen the chocolate flavor.