A good practical cake.
- Carbohydrate 354.063415344708 g
- Cholesterol 284.358333546653 mg
- Fat 106.618165084906 g
- Fiber 8.54333350291668 g
- Protein 47.9932533616693 g
- Saturated Fat 65.835855885264 g
- Serving Size 1 1 - 8 inch layer cake (1156g)
- Sodium 4355.03142099857 mg
- Sugar 345.520081841791 g
- Trans Fat 8.37036367376598 g
- Calories 2551 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.
- Place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter or margarine, eggs, vanilla, and milk into mixing bowl. Beat slowly to moisten, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup batter; pour the remainder into pan.
- Stir cocoa into the 3/4 cup reserved batter. Drop by spoonfuls over top of white batter. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.
Substituting salted butter for the unsalted variety alters the final sodium balance significantly, shifting the flavor profile unless the additional salt is accounted for in the flour mixture. Achieving a proper crumb structure relies heavily on incorporating air evenly during the initial mixing phase. Operating the electric mixer at medium speed for precisely two minutes develops the gluten network just enough to trap expanding carbon dioxide released by the baking powder without toughening the crumb. Softened butter at 68 degrees Fahrenheit creams effectively with white sugar, creating microscopic air pockets that expand under heat. When reserving a portion of the batter to mix with cocoa powder, dropping spoonfuls over the plain base requires a gentle hand. Dragging a butter knife through the layers creates distinct strata rather than a muddy gray blend, because distinct viscosity differences keep the dark and light batters separate until thermal convection currents take over in the oven. Baking at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 to 35 minutes ensures the starch gelatinizes fully while the proteins coagulate around the trapped air cells. Piercing the center with a wooden pick confirms doneness when it emerges without wet crumbs clinging to the wood. Allowing the baked dessert to cool inside the pan for ten minutes prevents structural collapse before transferring it to a wire rack for complete heat dissipation.
