need expert advice here pls!!

[PAM25]

Hi There,

I need an expert advice. I have the following choc cake recipe which is simply delicious, soft dark and full of flavour. Can an expert tell me which is the main ingredient that one cannot omit in order for it to become soft (is it the oil that makes it soft?) or as delicious as it is??? There is someone who always wants my recipes and I don't want her to get it as good as I do because she always invents that she invented the recipe and that's not fair because I found the receipe I have my personal reasons for this nasty trick so don't blame me ! Anyway, i think all chefs do it hehe!!

Choc Cake:
2 cups sugar
· 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
· 3/4 cup Cocoa
· 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
· 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 2 eggs
· 1 cup milk
· 1/2 cup vegetable oil
· 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
· 1 cup boiling water
tks
pam

[Luc_H]

Hi Pam25,

yes the oil is the main ingredient to make it moist.

The boiling water is (probably) used with the cacao to make it bloom (make the chocolate flavour come out)

The is a lot of sugar (more than the flour) that will give you the fudgy texture.
Lot's of leavening also, 1 1/2tsp of each baking powder and soda! This will add a lot of foaminess to the cake.


I would switch the oil for butter (same amount). The new recipe will not be as soft.
(to be on the safe side reduce the baking powder and soda to 1tsp each, that will reduce the foam and height).

After these adjustment that cake will taste very similar but not as moist.

(my suggestions)
Luc

PS a Tsp of instant coffee (or expresso powder) in the boiling water will enhance the chocolate notes.

[Goose]

Originally Posted by PAM25

There is someone who always wants my recipes and I don't want her to get it as good as I do because she always invents that she invented the recipe and that's not fair because I found the receipe I have my personal reasons for this nasty trick so don't blame me ! Anyway, i think all chefs do it hehe!!

This is deliciously conniving! Please share more details about your “friend” and post back as to what happened when s/he served the revised cake…

Come to think of it, wasn’t this an episode of Desperate Housewives?

[Luc_H]

there was a Everybody loves Raymond episode when Ray's mother switched rosemary for tarragon when she gave a favorite recipe to Ray's wife....

(ugh!)

Luc

[allie]

That is so funny! LOL I would never have thought to do that but would have just told the friend that it's a secret recipe. It's like my bbq sauce. I'm happy to make it for someone but will never share the exact recipe!

[PAM25]

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[cookie jim]

Pam 25; I'm just passing through this thread,I find your font rude and your cake can fall and crumble...cookie

[Pete]

Anyway, i think all chefs do it hehe!!

No, chefs do not knowingly alter a recipe to screw with someone. We might alter a recipe by cutting it down, but not to decieve or "mess" with someone. We either willing give out a recipe, or we do not.

[kuan]

There really are no secrets.

[foodnfoto]

There really are no secrets.

That's as true as it gets. All recipes, or ideas for them, originate somewhere.

Either share the recipe or don't. Intentionally changing a recipe so it won't be as good, yet passing it off as the same is really just a big, fat lie and inherently unethical.

Saying that all chefs do it is no justification and untrue, as well.

All recipes are variable anyway depending on who is making it, and how the instructions are written.

[PAM25]

tks luc for your suggestions.

for all the others who misunderstood me...in fact I didn't want the recipe to be a mess or to fall apart or any of the sort. I only want it to be not as good, for example by it being less soft than mine is. I made lots of cakes which aren't soft but good anyway! so therefore It would still be good anyway! and anyway you cannot judge me because as I told you i have my personal reasons and if you didn't want to give me any suggestions then you're free to do so and not post anything.

It's true that maybe when i said all chefs do that, maybe I shouldn't...but my one and only experience with a chef was that....he used to give recipes without saying one key ingredient.

cookie jim - i didn't quite understand your post...

[amatuer andma]

I agree, either share the recipe or don't.
I would hate to be one of your "friends". What you are trying to do is immature and insecure. If your so called friend, is really your friend, then you should encourage and support her efforts to emulate you. Intentionally sabotaging the outcome of her cake...well just seems like a knife in the back.

[ChefRAZ]

wow I never thought I'd see the day when someone would post in public, something like this...geeeze lewes... We give our recipe to our guests all the time. so they can re create it at home, that way they knew they could trust us, and would tell friends, and come back. its good business.
plus if anyone has trouble reading what she typed copy and paste it into googles language tools google site right hand side, after the search window box, last one .

[siduri]

I'm with those who vote to either give it right or not give it at all. No reason you have to give your recipe. Unless you are as false as you say your friend is (who takes the recipes and claims they're her own). So if you don;t trust her, just don;t give it. But to give the recipe so it won;t work is really low and you debase yourself by doing it.