Spicy Chocolate Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How to make box cake taste like a bakery? ›

You can try any of the following: adding a 1 oz. package of pudding (any flavor that complements the cake's flavor profile), adding 1-2 egg yolks (along with the eggs called for on the box), or substituting milk for the water called for on the box.

Mexican Chocolate Uses

Mexican chocolate is frequently made as hot chocolate, chocolate atole, or used in recipes like mole negro. Mexicans traditionally whip their hot chocolate into a froth with the help of a tool known as a molinillo.

Most box cake recipes will tell you to add water to the mix. Instead, try adding milk using the same proportions. This will make the cake richer and creamier because it ups the fat content. You can even use buttermilk here for a pleasant tang.

All this means that adding mayonnaise to the cake batter boosts the moisture of the final product—and leaves none of its characteristic taste. Testing showed that using oil or butter instead of mayo made for a drier cake, but keeping the eggs in addition to the mayonnaise improved richness and springiness.

Add an Extra Egg

The additional fat in the egg yolk helps create a more tender and moist cake that is full of flavor. The extra egg also helps the cake have a more stable texture, which is great if you want to bake it up as a layer cake instead of a sheet cake or cupcakes.

Add Some Sour Cream

Adding ½ cup sour cream to your cake mix will give it a richer taste and add moistness to the cake in one easy step. Don't worry, the sour flavor will disappear into the cake entirely. For a similar effect, add an equal amount of full-fat plain yogurt.

Put some pudding in the mix: Add a small box of pudding mix in with the cake mix. (Don't make the pudding.) The mix adds additional flavor, moistness, and a denser texture.

Milk in cake recipes, generally makes the texture lighter and stronger (thanks to the protein and lactic acid),. Adding the right amount keeps the cake from being dense. Milk (and other liquids) actually activates other ingredients in the cake batter like leaveners (baking soda, baking powder).

How do you make a cake mix lighter and fluffier? ›

Make your cake richer or fluffier with these quick options: Extra egg: To make your cake lighter, mixing in another egg will do the trick. "Adding an additional egg creates a richer, fluffier cake," says Waterson.

Like many Mexican candies, Mexican chocolate carries a twist of spice and heat, usually from spices like cinnamon, chili powder, or cayenne pepper. This makes Mexican chocolate a decadent treat, however it's served!

And that's about it. In the tradition of Mexican chocolate, there is no conching (long, thorough mixing), no intensive refining, no addition of cocoa butter. What you end up with is a chocolate that feels and tastes truer to the bean than its velvety counterparts on the other side of the pond.

In Aztec culture, cacao beans were considered more valuable than gold. Aztec chocolate, which they called xocolatl, was mostly an upper-class extravagance, although the lower classes enjoyed it occasionally at weddings or other celebrations.

As a professional baker, I don't often use boxed mixes, but I appreciate how easily they bring a cake together. I think premade mixes are great for beginners gaining confidence around the kitchen and also for last-minute cake "emergencies."

Replace water with milk for more flavor and moisture. Replace the oil with melted butter for more flavor. For chocolate cakes, try replacing the water with cooled coffee. The coffee intensifies the chocolate flavor.