Chocolate cake comes out the oven creamier if you add 1 unusual item to the mixing bowl

Most of us are spending more time indoors now that the weather is getting a lot colder, so why not keep warm by baking truly delicious chocolate cake? Chocolate cake is fairly easy to make, but it can come out dry or not rise properly if you do not add enough moisture to your batter. Some people like to bake cake with milk or water, but Elizabeth Waterson, the founder of Confessions of a Baking Queen, has revealed that for the best results it is better to use sour cream.

Elizabeth said: "I have tried making chocolate cake without sour cream and trust me, it's not worth eating! Sour cream is an intense moisture bomb to the cake batter." It may seem unusual, but sour cream is very thick and rich so adds more moisture to a cake without diluting the batter like milk or water would.

This results in a really rich and velvety cake that has a incredibly tender crumb but will not fall apart.

However, the main reason bakers use sour cream in their recipes is that it is slightly acidic, which will react to the baking soda and baking powder in the batter to help it rise better so you get a taller cake.

Sour cream also makes chocolate cake fluffier, moister, and more flavourful, as the fat helps balance the sweetness and enhances the chocolate taste.

How to make chocolate cake better

You will need:

• 400g of caster sugar
• Three large eggs
• Two and a half teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 180ml of vegetable oil
• 240ml of sour cream
• 250ml of plain flour
• 90g of cocoa powder
• Two teaspoons of baking soda
• Half a teaspoon of salt
• One teaspoon of baking powder
• 240ml of freshly brewed coffee

Method:

To begin, preheat the oven to 180C and then grease a standard-sized pan (23cm to 33cm).

Place the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, vegetable oil and sour cream into a mixing bowl. Then stir using a whisk or electric mixer on the mixture until fully combined. Next, place a sieve over the mixing bowl, and then sift the flour, coca powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder.

Make sure to stir the cake batter slowly and gently until everything is mixed together. Next, add in the hot coffee and continue mixing.

Do not worry if the cake batter seems thin at this point. Pour the batter into the prepared tray, and place in the oven. Bake for roughly 33 to 38 minutes until fully risen. Once ready, take out the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

You can then make some chocolate icing at this stage, but also spread it on the cake once it at room temperature. Your plump and incredibly tasty chocolate cake will then be ready to serve.