Sourdough Chocolate Cake

I didn't know that we could even bake a cake with sourdough. Yeah, I'm happy that I could used my sourdough starter to make this yummy chocolate cake. It's delicious! 😘 You'll never taste the sour, just the rich, full flavor of chocolate. The Ermine frosting (also called Roux frosting or Boiled Milk frosting), is very light and almost like whipped cream. Drizzle some melted milk chocolate , takes this cake to another level. Oooh... yummy ...yummy!😋

This recipe can yeilds two 8" pan sourdough chocolate cake. So, one pan for my family and another sourdough chocolate cake sharing with my MIL and neighbour.😉

☝Packed some for my mother in law and my neighbour.😘

Sourdough Chocolate Cake 

Ingredients:

1 cup (225g)   Sourdough starter, ripe (fed) or discard

1 cup (225g)   Full cream milk or evaporated milk

2 cups (240g)  King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 cup (200g) Granulated sugar

1 cup (198g) Vegetable oil

2 tsps    Vanilla extract

1 tsp      Salt

1 1/2 tps Baking soda

3/4 cup (64g)  Cocoa Powder

1 tsp      Espresso powder, optional

2 large   Eggs

Drizzle:

1/3 cup(55g)   Semisweet chocolate chips

1 tbp(14g)      Milk

1 tbp(21g)      Corn syrup

Instructions:

1. Combine the starter, milk, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. It won't necessarily bubble, but it may have expanded a bit.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180ºC. Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.( I used two 8" baking pan)

3. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, baking soda, cocoa. and espresso powder. The mixture will be grainy.

4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

5. Gently combine the chocolate mixture with the starter-flour-milk mixture, stirring till smooth. This will be a gloppy process at first, but the batter will smooth out as you continue to beat gently.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

7.Bake the cake for 35 to 45 minutes, until it springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Remove the cake from the oven, and set it on a rack to cool while you make the icing. 

Chocolate Drizzle:

1.Combine the chocolate chips, milk, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe cup. Microwave until the chips soften, then stir until smooth.

2.Drizzle/drip the chocolate over the icing. You can do this while the icing is still warm, or wait until it's cooled.

*I didn't use King Arthur Baking frosting recipe. I prefered to use this traditional frosting ~ Ermine frosting. Ermine frosting does not contain eggs, but relies on flour to thicken and stabilize the frosting. I admit making the roux did not seem very appetizing but after I gave it a taste, it tastes really good!😊 The frosting is super smooth and creamy. A nice light vanilla flavor and no hint of a flour taste. 

For the Ermine Frosting: ( Recipe from kitchenjoy)

1/3 cup + 1 tbp (50 grams) All Purpose Flour

1 cup (200 grams) Granulated Sugar

1 cup   Whole Milk

1 cup (227g) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

1 tsp  Pure Vanilla Extract

A pinch of Salt

Method:(Making Ermine frosting is actually pretty simple. )

1. Combine your flour and sugar in a medium sized saucepan and toast on medium high heat for a couple of minutes to cook the flour.

Add in your milk and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer and reduce to medium heat. Cook until the mixture thickens. Make sure you stir constantly to prevent the milk from burning. 

2.Pour the mixture into a heat-proof bowl and cover with plastic wrap (make sure the plastic touches the surface of the mixture) and let cool. I put mine in the fridge. 

3.Place your butter in the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attached. Whisk until light and fluffy. 

4.Add the cooled milk mixture into butter a little by the spoonful, allowing to combine between each addition, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add salt and vanilla. Raise the speed to high and beat until very light and fluffy.

Notes:

1.With added Espresso or coffee powder bringing out the Chocolate flavor.

2. I reduced the sugar for the cake from 260g to 200g and I think I'll reduce more to 160g in the future.

3. The Ermine Frosting can be recuced the sugar to 150g because I find it a bit too sweet to my liking!

Recipe adapted from: kingarthurbaking.com

Happy Baking!