Sunday 8 November 2015

Fudgy Buttermilk Chocolate Cake


I bought a carton of buttermilk to bake this cake for my mum but in the end I baked something else (this happened back in September). So I had a carton of buttermilk siting idle in the fridge. Buttermilk is not always available at the supermarket. So when I see it, I grab a carton, provided that the expiry date is still a long way off. I know I can make buttermilk at home by mixing lemon juice with milk but I want the fermented stuff, if you get what I mean.

I have always loved this Buttermilk Chocolate Sheet Cake which I baked when I first started baking. But the complaint that I have with that cake is that it is so moist and soft that it is hard to handle. It's good to eat but messy.


So this time I tweaked the recipe to increase the amount of buttermilk and I omitted vegetable oil. I believe it is the oil that made the cake extra gooey, which is not a bad thing in terms of mouth feel and enjoyment but not so good in terms of handling.


The result? The cake is still moist and good with a firm texture. No more ooey gooey mess when slicing and serving. It is very nice topped with ganache as it adds on to the chocolaty experience. 


When chilled, the cake is hard but you could take it to room temperature before serving or better still, warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds or more. That would warm and up and soften the cake. That is how I prefer to enjoy the cake.











Fudgy Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
Recipe source : Adapted from here
(Makes one 9" square cake)

Ingredients :
- 113g unsalted butter, cut into small or thin pieces (can be straight from the fridge)
- 1 cup boiling water
- 250ml buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 65g cocoa powder (sifted)
- 250g self-raising flour
- 180g caster sugar

Method :
1. Preheat oven to 160C and line a 9" square pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, add butter and hot water and stir to melt the butter.
3. Sift cocoa powder into the melted butter mixture. Stir to mix.
4. Then add sugar, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine and to dissolve sugar. Set aside.
5. In a mixing bowl, sift flour.
6. Pour the wet mixture into the flour and whisk to combine. (The batter will be lumpy in the beginning and will smooth out)
7. Pour batter into the baking pan.
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cake is springy to the touch and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes and remove from the pan to cool on a cooling rack.
10. To frost, pour ganache onto the cake and spread using a spatula.

Ganache Frosting

Ingredients :
- 100g dark chocolate
- 100 ml whipping cream
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Method :
1. Break chocolate into smaller pieces.
2. Put into a heatproof container together with butter.
3. Boil the whipping cream and pour onto the chocolate and butter. Wait for 5 minutes before stirring the mixture.



35 comments:

  1. This is the first time I hear Buterrmilk and it is interesting to know its fermentation process.
    The cake looks yummy and good as usual. That is the Diva's Signature cakes we have been following but not getting a bite. Tsk! Tsk!

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    1. Now I use buttermilk not just for cakes but for making ranch dressing and fried chicken. yum yum!

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  2. You think you'd ever bake this for me? ;) ;) :)

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  3. I love the look of your fudgy buttermilk chocolate cake, so yummy.

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    Replies
    1. It is yummy! In fact there's some somewhere in my freezer hee..hee,,,

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  4. Love your fudgy buttermilk chocolate cake. The cake looks so good and see the chocolate flowing down the side in the 3rd photo! Have a beautiful new week!

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  5. I want to be your neighbour or colleague, hehe...

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  6. Buttermilk is made with lemon and milk? I thought butter and milk zzz... Then why call buttermilk and no lemonmilk? Darn those angmohs...

    Handling what? Gooey is nice lah. The messier it gets the better it is! That's the fun in eating chocolate cakes what...

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    1. hah..hah...just like ice cream is not ice+cream :D

      Yup gooey chocolate cake is very nice indeed!

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  7. Hi Phong Hong,
    Oh this cake is so moist and fudgy! Must be yummy-licious with the ganache frosting. Somehow it taste like brownie?

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    1. Hi Karen! I would say that it is quite close to brownies, like a brownie cake.

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  8. I've always use buttermilk substitutes unless I accidentally buy buttermilk wrongly haha. This chocolate cake looks so moist and delicious!

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    1. You mean "accidentally" buy? hah..hah.. I always buy it on purpose and then figure out what to do with it :D

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  9. That's a double dose of ganache? First you spread some on top and then you drizzled more on top! There's no such thing as too much chocolate, eh? :D It's a very moist and chocolaty cake, I'm sure :)

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    1. Yes, because it looked so plain so I thought some wavy lines would do it some good hee..hee...

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  10. I see the word fudgy, I wana faster click on your picture already.. Indeed the first picture already makes me lau hau sui, really fudgy wor, and chewy too, can imagine.. Looks a bit like brownie, can imagine after being refrigerated, it looks like that, chewy gooey fudgy, yummzzz...

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    1. Louiz, it is something like brownies. I used to think of it as a brownie cake. Sedap lor!

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  11. aiyoyo look at that fudgy chocolate cake!! it is so sinful, but who could really resist that if it is placed right in front of you huh?? hehe.. yes, look at how rich and how moist and how dense and how taste-to-kill your piece of cake is!!! nom nom and slurps slurps.. warm or cold, hard or soft, I have no problem with that, for a cake lover I just love any cake as long as it is moist and padat enough, hehe~~

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    1. This cake is moist and padat, best taken warm. With ice cream lagi best!

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  12. Oh my goodness!!! I want to sink my teeth in if only I could.. hahahaa.. Anyway, I better refrain from sweeties.. my teeth is begging me to... too much sweeties lately and it is now causing me some discomfort.. sigh.. but I am not giving on these drooling desserts!!

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    1. I am sure you have had quite a bit of sweet treats during your European tour. The people there have very sweet tooth.

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  13. I am thinking what to prepare for our Independence Day on 11 November and it sounds like a very good option!

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    Replies
    1. Ola, hope you bake this cake!

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    2. I made it! Perfect! Just tell mi for the future how do you make these waives as a decoration? Thanks!

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    3. Glad to hear that, Ola! Just apply one smooth layer of ganache, then let it chill in the fridge. After that, pipe the remaining ganache in waves on the smooth layer. It's easy :)

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  14. So deliciously sinful! Must be so very tasty. You are really tempting me here but I don't think I can buy a slice of buttermilk chocolate cake as tasty as the ones you bake.

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    1. I don't know if there is any sold at the bakery or cafes.

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  15. Hi Phong Hong,
    Your cake looks moist and divine! I am so kiamsiap, would not buy buttermilk, but will substitute with milk and lemon or lime juice instead!

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    1. Hi Joyce! Homemade buttermilk will do. I'm just being fussy hah..hah,,,

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