Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake is to die for!!! This is best chocolate cake recipe that was waiting to be found.
Today I am happy to bring you another old fashioned recipe from Aunt Lou's Archives. She named this one "Dark Cake" as you can will see in the old cookbook recipe photo below.
This homemade chocolate cake recipe, like all the Aunt Lou's recipes I've brought you before, presented me with some culinary challenges. For starters, the recipe had no instructions. Yeah, remember back then cooking was an intuitive process. The second, the recipe had no baking time or oven temperature written down for the chocolate cake. Hmm... did she run out of paper, ink? Was she in a hurry? Did she forget? We'll never know. You see, to her these things were "elementary my dear Watson".
If you love old-fashioned recipes, I highly recommend trying Aunt Lou's $200 Cake.
Old-Fashioned Instructions
The old fashioned cake recipe called for 2 squares of chocolate. A lot of head scratching went into this measurement...
Why? Well, I wasn't sure if the actual measurement of baking chocolate was the same then as it is now. Also, people went to their local grocer and bought only what they needed. No Sam's Club or Costco-sized portions of chocolate. Thankfully back then, like today, 1 square of chocolate equaled an ounce. Phew!!
Another challenge: the icing! Well, actually it evolved into a glaze due to lack of instructions. Despite all the challenges the cake turned out better than I expected. My husband took it to his office the next day where it was loved by all. Only crumbs came back. Aunt Lou would be proud!
Although it can be a challenge to recreate old recipes with no instructions, it's a great learning experience and an important part in my culinary journey. As I have said before, old family recipes are also a direct link to the past.
Love old-fashioned recipes? I recommend trying out other old-fashioned dessert recipes on my site that came directly from the family vault.
Aunt Lou's Chocolate Drop Cookies - Chewy, chocolatey, and crispy on the outside cookies that are perfect for dunking into a glass of milk.
Aunt Lou's Feather Cake - Lighter than poundcake and heavier than your typical birthday cake, this old-fashioned cake recipe is perfect paired with fruit, tea, or coffee.
Cinnamon Snaps - If you love cinnamon you will LOVE these cookies. This is Aunt Lou's spin on ginger snaps.
Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies - AKA Mrs. Allen's Cookies, these cakey cookies also come from the family vault.
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Aunt Lou's Chocolate Cake Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 1 egg
- 2 ounces baking chocolate semi-sweet, melted
- 2 cups flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¾ tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 cup buttermilk
Coffee cream glaze:
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 2 cups confectioners sugar sifted
- ½ oz. chocolate melted, semi-sweet
- 2 Tbsp. heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp. liquid coffee
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350F.
- In a stand mixer cream together the sugar, and ½ cup of butter at room temperature until light and fluffy then add the egg.
- Add 2 oz. of melted chocolate.
- Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and add this to the batter alternating with the buttermilk.
- Add to your prepared baking pan.You can use a mini bundt pan coated lightly with butter and cocoa powder, or a full size bundt pan.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- To make the glaze: In a stand up mixer cream butter at room temperature with the confectioners sugar until well combined. Add in heavy cream and the melted chocolate.
- Add in liquid coffee or just enough to have it achieve glaze consistency.
- Drizzle over cake.
Nutrition
Thalia @ butter and brioche
I love trying out old archived recipes like this.. you always learn something new! This old-fashioned chocolate cake does look delicious and it is so perfect for Valentine's day.
Analida
Thalia, thanks for your comment. Indeed, you always learn something new when trying out new recipes.
I hope you like it.
Rocio Mora
Elementary? I would have had the kitchen burning in flames! Thank you for taking the time to add the information to her recipe! This looks great!
Analida
Lol!!! You made me laugh.
Have a great day. 🙂
Alice
Wow! This is really cool! I love old recipes like this - and I think the "challenge" of figuring out the steps makes it kind of your own version, for every person that goes and makes this recipe. I bet Aunt Lou really enjoys this! Your photos are really great too!
This is the first time I've seen your blog and I'm really enjoying all of your posts!
Analida
Alice, thanks so much for your kind comments. Indeed, figuring out amounts and steps does make it your own.
I would love to take credit for the photos, but it's my husband's work. 😉
Thanks again. I am heading over to your blog to check it out!
Liz @ I Heart Vegetables
Chocolate cake is my favorite!! This looks so yummy and so pretty! What a perfect recipe for the holidays 🙂
Analida
Thanks Liz; we are actually making one for our Christmas dinner.
Anna
These look divine!
Analida
Thanks Anna!
Kim
Looks amazing great pics, sounds yummy! I still make some of my moms old 1970's cakes and they are still great. Thank you for sharing on Merry Monday! Sharing on G+! Have a great week!
Kim
Lisa Ehrman
I love an old-fashioned cake recipe! These mini-cakes are so charming for the Christmas holidays 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Analida
You are welcome Lisa. You are right, they are perfect and charming for Christmas. 🙂