Chocolate Spice Cake

Name: Chocolate Spice Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 8 serving(s)
Ingredients: butter at room temperature, for cake pan; 1 1/2 c. sifted cake flour, plus more for cake pan; 1/3 c. Dutch-process cocoa; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 c. sugar; 1/2 tsp. kosher salt; 1 c. Strong brewed coffee, warm; 1/3 c. light olive oil; 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract; 1 tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar; 1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp. ground cloves; 1/4 tsp. nutmeg; 1/4 tsp. coriander; 1/4 tsp. black pepper; 1 1/4 c. chopped mixed nuts; 1 1/2 c. chopped golden raisins; 3 tbsp. chopped candied orange peel; 8 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate

This simple spiced chocolate cake is perfect for an elegant afternoon snack or after dinner treat.

By Linda West EckhardtPublished: Jun 25, 2007

1 Rating

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Charles Schiller

Yields:

8 serving(s)

Prep Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Try this delicious variation on our Basic Chocolate Cake. Recipe adapted with permission from Cakes From Scratch in Half the Time, by Linda West Eckhardt (Chronicle Books, 2005).

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Ingredients

Basic Chocolate Cake:

butter at room temperature, for cake pan
1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour, plus more for cake pan
1/3 cup Dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup Strong brewed coffee, warm
1/3 cup light olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. aged balsamic vinegar
1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. coriander
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups chopped mixed nuts
1 1/2 cups chopped golden raisins
3 Tbsp. chopped candied orange peel
8 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate

Directions

1. Step 1Heat the oven to 400° F. Butter and flour a 10-inch nonstick springform pan. Set aside.
2. Step 2Whisk the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside. Stir the coffee, oil, vanilla, and vinegar together and whisk into the flour mixture just until smooth.
3. Step 3Stir the cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, coriander, black pepper, vanilla extract, nuts, raisins, candied orange peel, and bittersweet chocolate into the batter.
4. Step 4Pour into the prepared springform pan. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean — about 40 minutes. Cool completely, in the pan, on a wire rack. Remove cake from mold and dust top with cocoa before serving.