12 X 12 Chocolate Challenge … The Light One

The creative minds of my fellow chocolate lovers amaze me. It never occurred to me that someone could create a Hot Chocolate Cake. How do people come up with that?

I’m a tea drinker myself, but just because I enjoy my Yogi Tea before bedtime doesn’t mean I don’t savor a good cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows on an extra cold day. So it wasn’t a surprise that I enjoyed the chocolatey treat of this week’s 12 x 12 Chocolate Challenge.

Hot Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

It was definitely moist and rich on the cocoa bean side, but lighter than the other cakes in this challenge. Probably had something to do with the fluffy frosting. It’s no wonder my kids particularly enjoyed this cake, especially the frosting. They are taking the taste testing phase of these challenges very seriously. So glad I eased up on the sugar used for the frosting otherwise it would have been too sweet and my kids would have never gone to sleep. Also glad their portions are on the tiny side, nothing like mom portions. I feel my stress level requires larger pieces. All moms deserve bigger pieces. It’s how they get to their Zen State of Mind.

 

My tasty end of day portion with my cup of tea.

 

So if you’re looking for a chocolatey cake that’s not too heavy you might want to give it a try. Although I’m not sure how many calories are in this thing … I figure a lot. So if you’re on a diet, this might not be for you.

 

 

Ingredients

1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c. hot chocolate (I use 1 cup of hot water mixed with 1.25 oz. of hot chocolate powder)

1 ¾ c. granulated sugar

1 ¾ c. all-purpose flour

2 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. kosher salt

2 large eggs

3/4 c. whole milk

1/2 c. butter, melted

1/4 c. Greek yogurt or sour cream (not fat-free)

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans; set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and hot chocolate; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
4. With an electric mixer (either hand or stand), beat eggs for 1 minute.
5. Add milk, butter, and yogurt. Beat until well-combined.
6. Stir in vanilla extract until incorporated.
7. Add hot chocolate mixture, and stir to combine.
8. Add flour mixture, and stir in until just combined.
9. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
10. Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
11. Cool in pans for 10 minutes.
12. Remove cakes from pans and cool on wire rack until room temperature.
13. The cake is now ready to frost and assemble

 

Recipe courtesy of I Heart Eating.