As a self-proclaimed chocoholic chocolate connoisseur, I can tell you without shame that unless it comes from a quality bakery, chocolate cake is usually not all that great. When you want chocolate, it needs to be bursting with flavor and delicious goodness – rich. Not a lot of cake mixes fit the bill.

When it comes to baked goods, I’m generally all about making from scratch. Once you go there, it’s just so hard to go back to buying pre-packaged junk. There, I said it – JUNK! Bake some of my Best Cookie Dough Ever and compare to a log of chemically-laden cookie dough from the store and you’ll see what I mean; you can just taste the chemicals.

While I don’t often use pre-made cake mixes, I’ve found that I can get that rich flavor I crave from a box with just a few little tricks and one secret ingredient.

1. It starts with quality – and that doesn’t always mean pricey (but, sometimes it does). Typically, when it comes to chocolate, I’m a Ghirardelli fan. They have a few boxed cake mixes available, and those are my go-to. Even if you use a cheaper brand cake mix (I have, and I ate it just the same), make sure to splurge on a quality brand chocolate for your frosting.
2. Dark chocolate mixes yield a richer flavor. German chocolate cake mix hardly tastes like chocolate at all (where is the flavor in that stuff?!) – and its light shade of brown should have been all the indication I would need of this fact, but I was blinded by the words “German” and “chocolate” together, because I have a soft spot for both. Anyway, stick with the darker mixes if you want more chocolate-y flavor. If you don’t want more chocolate-y flavor, I’m not sure you should even bother reading this blog…
3. Whip those eggs into a nice froth. In all of my cooking/baking adventures, one thing I’ve learned is that well-whipped eggs make for better foods. I don’t know the science behind it, I just know it’s a rule.
4. Swap the water that’s listed on the box for a secret ingredient…. Coffee! Really, chocolate and coffee are the perfect marriage for richness and flavor. I like using a medium roast, but feel free to experiment with what you have/like.

If you want to really punch up the chocolate, use a homemade ganache (glaze or whipped) for frosting. Whatever you do, don’t commit the ultimate chocolate crime of topping your cake with frosting from a can. (Just say no to canned frosting. Forever.)

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

• 1 c. semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (buy the best quality you can afford)
• 2/3 c. heavy cream
• Pinch of salt

What to do:

1. Use a double-boiler to melt chocolate. Any amount of water will ruin the chocolate, so make sure your pan and spoon are completely dry. Stir chocolate until a smooth, melted texture.
2. Stir in heavy cream and salt until combined. Sauce should be a smooth, creamy texture.
3. Let sit for just a few minutes before pouring over warm cake; allow to set before cutting/serving (refrigeration may help). ~ OR ~ Let sit for about 10 minutes before whipping with a mixer to make a whipped frosting; top cake.
4. Lick the pan clean. Enjoy the delicious goodness.