Samin’s Chocolate Cake
- 1 oz Dutch-process cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona
- 5.25 oz sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4.6 oz all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 50 grams neutral-tasting oil
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 large egg at room temperature, lightly whisked
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set a rack in the upper third of the oven.
- Grease an 8-inch cake pan, then line with parchment paper. Grease and sprinkle generously with flour, tap out the excess, and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, salt, flour, and baking soda, then sift into a large bowl.
- In a medium bowl, stir the vanilla and oil together. Bring the water to a boil. Add it to the oil-vanilla mixture.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and gradually whisk in the water-oil mixture until incorporated. Gradually whisk in the eggs and stir until smooth. The batter will be thin.
- Pour the batter in the pan. Drop the pan onto the counter from a height of 3 inches a couple of times to release any air bubbles that may have formed.
- Bake in the upper third of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the cake spring back from the touch and just pull away from the edges of the pan. An inserted toothpick should come out clean.
- Cool the cakes completely on a wire rack before unmolding them from the pan and peeling off the parchment paper.
- Serve with whipped cream.
Adapted from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat