Chocolate Cake ”Just Like the Box!” with Cherry Compote and Homemade Whipped Cream
[Photo credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth Paternostro
October 19, 2021
For the homebaker, replicating the simple and standard flavors of the box without ol’ Betty and Mr. Hines is an entertaining exercise. While a fancy French cake or Austrian torte adds depth and distinction, the high-low mix of chocolate cake “Just Like the Box!” with cherry compote and homemade whipped cream is the perfect fix.
Moist, fluffy fun is hard to achieve alone, so I’d like to thank Samin Nosrat and her book, Salt Fat Acid Heat, for leading the way.
Serves 8
Total time
1 hour
Equipment:
small saucepan, 9-inch cake pan, measuring cups and spoons, digital scale, 2 small mixing bowls, microwave-safe bowl, large mixing bowl, fine mesh strainer, whisk, silicone spatula, kitchen towel, oven mitts, skewer or toothpick, wire drying rack, tasting spoon, microplane zester, small metal spatula
Tableware:
plates and utensils
Ingredients
½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (2 oz)
1½ cups sugar (10½ oz), plus as needed
1 tsp fine sea salt (6 grams), plus as needed
1¾ cups all-purpose flour (9¼ oz), plus as needed
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsps vanilla extract
½ cup coconut oil
1½ cup water
2 large eggs, at room temperature
Unsalted butter, as needed
4 cups frozen tart cherries
1 large milk chocolate bar
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the upper-third. Set out all equipment, tableware, and ingredients. Lay a kitchen towel out on a counter.
Bring the water to a boil in the small saucepan.
Grease the cake pan with butter, then coat with flour, tapping out any excess.
Sift the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, flour, and baking soda into the large mixing bowl, then whisk together.
In a small mixing bowl, lightly whisk the eggs.
In another bowl, combine the coconut oil, vanilla extract, and boiling water together.
Make a hole in the center of the dry ingredients, then gradually whisk in the boiling water mixture until homogeneous.
Mix a small amount of the batter into the eggs to temper them, then whisk them into the rest of the batter until smooth.
Pour into the prepared cake pan, then bang the pan straight-down on the towel-lined counter a few times to expel any pockets of air.
Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted all the way through the cake comes out completely clean.
Cool on the wire drying rack.
Melt the cherries in the microwave, then combine with a pinch of salt and 1 tbsp of sugar. Stir, taste, and adjust as desired.
Prepare 2 x Vanilla Whipped Cream.
Cut the cake into 8 equal slices, and serve with a few spoonfuls of cherries, a generous scoop of whipped cream on top, and a grating of milk chocolate.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 462 Total Fat 18.5g (24%) Saturated Fat 14.3g (71%) Cholesterol 58mg (19%) Sodium 430mg (19%) Total Carbohydrate 71.5g (26%) Dietary Fiber 2.2g (8%) Total Sugars 48g Protein 5.4g Vitamin D 4mcg (22%) Calcium 26mg (2%) Iron 2mg (9%) Potassium 70mg (1%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
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