Moist Chocolate Cake

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(I’m using (3) 7-inch round pans)

Ingredients

200g [1½ cup + 2 tbsp] cake flour

50g [½ cup] dark cocoa powder

1½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

80ml [¼ cup + 1 tbsp] milk

15g [1 tbsp] white vinegar

200g [1 cup] fine sugar

90g [⅓ cup + 1 tbsp] light oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

140ml [½ cup + 1 tbsp] boiling water

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• Coconut Filling

113g [½ cup] unsalted butter

100g [½ cup] sugar

100g [½ cup] brown sugar

3 egg yolks

240ml [1 cup] evaporated milk

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g [1½ cup] coconut flakes

30g [½ cup] toasted coconut flakes

120g [1 cup] pecans, chopped

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• Chocolate Ganache

250g [1½ cup] semi-sweet chocolate

250ml [1 cup] hot whipping cream

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syrup 

[1 tbsp sugar + 2 tbsp hot water]

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Piping tip 353

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Instructions:

• Moist Chocolate Cake

1. Sift all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt). Set aside.

2. In a cup, add milk and vinegar. Mix to combine. Let it rest for 5 minutes before use.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add sugar, oil, milk mixture (milk+vinegar), vanilla extract and the eggs. Mix until well combined. 

4. Add in the sifted flour in few batches. Mix until incorporated, do not over mix.

5. Lastly, add in the hot boiling water. Add in gradually as you mix. Mix until combined. Scrape the bowl to ensure even mixing and no lumps. It is normal that the batter is liquidy.

6. Divide the batter into 3 pans. Using a scale is optional, you can eye level it. ***

7. Bake in preheated oven at 180°C/355°F for 25-28 min or until inserted skewer comes out clean.

Remark: you can also bake the cake in 1 pan. Baking time will be around 30-35 minutes or until inserted skewer comes out clean, at the same temperature.

8. Let the cake cool completely.

9. Slicing the dome if necessary, so that the layers are flat and even.

10. Set aside.

• Coconut Filling

1. Separate the eggs for 3 egg yolks.

2. In a stainless steel pot, add butter, both the sugars, the egg yolks and evaporated milk. Give it a stir, and break in the yolks before incorporating heat onto the pot.

3. Cook on medium low heat. Constantly stir to prevent burnt. Simmer the sauce for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat. Remove from the stove. 

4. Add in the vanilla extract, coconut flakes, toasted coconut flakes and chopped pecans. Mix until incorporated. Set aside for cooling before using for assembling the cake.

• Chocolate Ganache

1. In a bowl, add the chocolate and hot whipping cream. Place the bowl over a double boiler (boiling water in the pot). You don’t have to keep the double boiler over the heat (it can be off heat). Avoid putting the bowl touching the boiling water. 

2. Make sure all the chocolate submerge into the cream. Let it rest for about 5 minutes.

3. After 5 minutes, stir the mixture. Mix until well combined or until all the cream incorporated. Make sure there is no lumps. [if there is still lumps, pop the bowl into the microwave and heat it for 30 seconds to a minute to melt down the lumps]

4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour or until the chocolate is firmed up.

5. After 1 hour, with an electric mixer, mix the ganache until creamy and stiff. Once the mixer paddle able to hold a lump, it’s good to go.