Award Winning Chocolate Cake

Updated April 10, 2022 – Allergy Friendly Chocolate Cake/Cupcakes – #yummy

This Award Winning Chocolate Cake recipe will make you popular. And invited to lots of parties, backyard BBQ’s and brunches. Perfect for birthday, anniversaries, afternoon tea, Valentine’s…heck, everyday! Because chocolate = love. Everybody knows this. In fact, chocolate cake has been proven to improve moods. At least in my house! Additionally, this cake can be made in less than 2 hours (includes cooling down). So easy, my teenagers can prepare. All the time. Because it is Lick Your Lips Delicious! Promise. And if you have food allergies, we use a chocolate cake mix that is #glutenfree and #top9allergyfree from @NamasteFood

For food allergy friendly chocolate cake, can still fill with a jam filling, always double-check labels. Also, love @enjoylife chocolate chips as they make a scrumptious chocolate ganache frosting!

Award Winning Chocolate Cake Accolades

Because I come from a restaurant owners/caterers/cooks background, food must be exceptional. Specifically, I am half-Italian. Food is just below religion in importance. Family and friends will talk about your meals. For years – not kidding! Also, if you do not serve enough delicious food at your wedding. Indeed, people are still talking about that wedding and this was 33 years ago. So, all my recipes are scrumptious! Because who wants that reputation? Our award winning chocolate cake accolades include winning our local Cupcake Wars competition! We used this recipe and made into cupcakes. The judges included a local, well-know chef. He said, “there were many good cupcakes but these were exceptional!” Our prize winnings went into our Italy travel fund. For more culinary research.

Looking for Love Chocolate Cake

Actually, this award winning chocolate cake recipe is reflecting our Italian heritage with the addition of red wine and Nutella – yum! The original recipe was inspired by Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa! I just love Ina. And her house and garden. Isn’t her husband Jeffrey so sweet? Anyways, Italians often add wine or liqueurs to recipes to enhance the flavors. And in older days, to preserve food longer. Chocolate and red wine are a fantastic pair. Both are aphrodisiacs! And contain antioxidant flavanols. So if you’re looking for love, this rich, dreamy chocolate concoction delivers! Use what red wine you like or is currently open. If you use red wine in your cake batter be sure to also use red wine in the frosting. You can also substitute Grand Marnier instead of red wine. It’s delectable too! Actually, if you want good pairing advice (what to drink with your chocolate cake) see details from Wine Folloy. I really like Valdo Prosecco with this award winning chocolate cake! Considering my birthday is coming up…and Memorial Day and…LOTS of occasions!

Birthday’s, Brunches, Bashes

All Special Occasions deserve a Scrumptious Dessert. It’s the Grand Finale. No one talks about the vegetables. And what is that saying? No Fabulous Evening Started With a Salad…truth. So, let them eat cake! An award winning chocolate cake. Make it into cupcakes or even a tiered wedding cake. Just make sure you double or triple the recipe, depending on cake pan size. Actually, I made my sister and brother in laws wedding cake. Bought a professional cake pan and made several layers. In fact, perfect recipe for these special occasion cakes as this cake tastes even better made 2-3 days in advance. A guest at my sisters wedding was a chef. And all he talked about was how delicious this cake is. He wanted to now what bake shop made this chocolatey confection. This award winning chocolate cake really is scrumptious! And very versatile. Can be made into Black Forest Cherry Cake, German Chocolate, or Cupcakes that look like Ice Cream! Because my son always asks for this award winning chocolate cake for his birthday, we call it “Brandon’s Birthday Cake”.

A Romantic Evening In

Perfect for a Romantic night with your love. So pop the Prosecco (can save some to enjoy with cake or my recommendation: 2 bottles). Make our easy, delicious 30 minute Chicken Marsala while listening to some favorite tunes. Going with an Italian theme? Because if you are, Andrea Bocelli or Chris Botti are fantastic!

Need a romantic gift? How about a trip to Italy? Specifically, the hidden gem area of Treviso, the finest wine route for Italy’s premiere sparkling wine. Only about an hour from Venice. Plenty of award winning wineries, ancient churches and castles…Italian food and did I mention wine?

It’s 8 PM, You Need Dessert Tomorrow

We’ve all been there. Either your little darling forgot to mention tomorrows bake sale or you did. No matter. Make the cake and while it is baking, prepare the icing. Once cake comes out of the oven, allow to cool completely and then you can drizzle on frosting. This award winning chocolate cake (or cupcakes) does not need refrigeration if eating the next day. We usually put seedless raspberry jam as the filling but also have used chocolate buttercream. So sprinkle chocolate ganache frosting over the cupcakes, decorate and get some sleep. You deserve it. After all, you chose this great recipe!

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Easy, Award Winning Chocolate Cake

Easy, Award Winning, Amazingly Delicious Chocolate Cake that is so versatile. Can be made into a cake, cupcakes or even a wedding cake! My son always asks for this cake for his birthday.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Resting Time20 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: easy, fast

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups All Purpose Flour
• ¾ cup Sugar
• ½ cup Nutella or chocolate Fudge Ice Cream topping
• 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup Half & Half or Buttermilk
• 1 Applesauce - 4 oz container Plain
• 1 tbsp Dark Chocolate Cocoa Powder or Cocoa Powder
• 2 extra large Eggs Room temperature preferrably
• 1 tablespoon Real Vanilla Extract
• ½ cup Freshly brewed coffee Can be Decaf
• 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or Red Wine or other liqueur: Frangelico, Chambord or Creme de Cassis

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

• 12 oz. Good quality Chocolate Chips Guittard or Lily's are my choice!
• ½ cup Heavy Cream Organic
• 1 Tbsp Grand Marnier or Red Wine or Vanilla Extract

Filling

• 1 Raspberry jam - 10 oz jar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray two 8 inch round cake pans.
• In bowl of electric mixer, use paddle attachment and mix on low all dry ingredients for 15 seconds.
• In another medium bowl, mix together half and half, eggs, coffee, applesauce, Red wine OR Grand Marnier, Vanilla and Nutella using a large spoon.
• With mixer on low, add wet ingredients to dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix or cake will be tough. Make sure bottom of bowl is completely incorporated.
• Pour into pans and bake in center of preheated oven 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Ovens vary!
• Cool in pans on wire rack about 20 minutes, then turn out on wire rack and allow to cool completely.
• Once cool, put on cake platter round side up. Tip: I always put a small dab of frosting on platter and then put cake layer on top of frosting so that cake will not move.
• In between cake layers, add raspberry jam as filling. Optional: You can mix a tablespoon of Grand Marnier into jam before spreading as filling between cake layers.
• Add cake layer rounded side up. Press gently to adhere cake layer. Then make Chocolate Ganache Frosting.
• Make Chocolate Ganache Frosting by putting chocolate chips, Half & Half in a heat proof bowl over a small pot of boiling water (double boiler). Stir.
• Stir continually for a few minutes until chocolate chips are completely melted. Then add a splash of Grand Marnier or red wine.
• Allow to cool about 15 - 20 minutes and then pour over cake. Decorate with raspberries, whipped cream or sprinkles!

Notes

Original recipe from Barefoot Contessa. I sub ingredients to try and be a little more healthy and for dietary restrictions. This recipe was made into cupcakes for yearly school Bake-Off contest and won! As one judge (a local chef) said: "lots of delicious entries but these really stood out!" Yours will too.