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Beige parchment paper with squares of cinnamon frosted chocolate cake.

Spicy Chocolate Cake

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It's a super moist chocolate cake with a touch of cinnamon and spice for a little kick. A one-bowl recipe that can be made as a sheet or layer cake, cupcakes, or bundt cake. The topping is a smooth cinnamon cream cheese frosting. Both parts can be made in advance. 

  • Total Time: 2 hours 25 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

Units

For the cake:

  • 1 3/4 cups self-rising flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (see Notes below for brands)
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (see Notes below)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup milk, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup prepared coffee (or water)

For the cream cheese frosting:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
  2. Butter or spray an 8x11-inch baking pan.
  3. Line with a piece of parchment paper if you want, covering the bottom of the pan and two long sides. The two short sides will remain unlined but greased. This will help you remove the cake from the pan. 

For the chocolate cake:

  1. Combine sifted flour mixture (flour, salt, and baking soda) with sifted cocoa powder, sugars, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper in a large mixing bowl. 
  2. Add eggs, oil, milk, and vanilla and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes, until smooth and no lumps remain. 
  3. Heat coffee (or water) until it's about to boil and add to the chocolate batter in a thin stream, beating at low speed until completely incorporated and smooth. 
  4. Pour batter into the prepared pan. It will be very thin.
  5. Bake for about 40 minutes, until the top springs and a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
  6. Let cake cool completely on a wire rack.
  7. Make sure the sides of the cake are not stuck to the pan and remove it carefully, helping lift it with the parchment paper.
  8. Transfer to the serving plate after removing the paper.
  9. Spread cinnamon frosting on top (I use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon) and sprinkle with chopped chocolate (or mini chocolate chips)and ground cinnamon if you want to. 
  10. Cut into squares and serve. 
  11. Store leftovers in the refrigerator, well covered.

For the cream cheese frosting:

  1. Beat cream cheese in a medium bowl with the soft butter until very creamy and no lumps remain. 
  2. Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until you have a thick, very creamy consistency, good enough to spread. 
  3. Add the cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Beat again until completely incorporated and smooth.
  4. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few weeks. Beat again before using to attain a creamy consistency.

Notes

Organization: always read the recipe first and make sure you have all the ingredients, at the right temperatures, and also the rest of the equipment and space to make it. This will make the process so much easier!

Baking time: keep in mind that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look the same or very similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as it can be, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer that is placed inside the oven (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend you keep track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust. 

Cocoa powder: always use unsweetened like Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, Ghirardelli Premium baking cocoa, Scharffen Berger natural cocoa powder. And, in my experience, the dark ones are the best (this does not apply to the super dark used for making homemade oreo cookies known as dark cocoa powder).

Adjust spiciness: I use a cayenne pepper that's very strong, so use 1/8 teaspoon maybe a smidge more. Up to 1/4 teaspoon is fine with most spices. But you can use ground chile de Arbol or other spices to add heat to this cake. And adjust quantities to your palate.

Storing this cake: the cake by itself can be kept for a week in the fridge or frozen for a month, well covered in both cases. The assembled cake lasts for a week also, covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

Cake pans: you can use a large bundt pan, make 18 or so cupcakes, 2 medium loaves, or three 8-inch layers (use round cake pans with removable bottom) with this recipe. Adjust oven baking times.

  • Author: Paula Montenegro
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cooling time: 90 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Cakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: International

Find it online: https://vintagekitchennotes.com/mexican-chocolate-cake/