There is nothing like the pleasure of eating a moist, gooey chocolate cake. It is not only satisfying but also a real treat for the taste buds. We have compiled these questions about chocolate cake. Read on.

Q: Jun Jun and Adoree, I like my chocolate cake coarse and moist. Does this have something to do with the flour and choco powder? Instead of choco powder, can I use liquid choco? Please teach me also how to make the filling and its chocolate frosting. Thank you very much. (Boots Foronda of Bacolod City)

Adoree: Thanks for writing us again, Boots. I would have to ask for your recipe to be able to decipher it. I would also want to clarify what you mean when you say you want your cake ‘coarse’. Chocolate cakes come in different types. We have chocolate chiffon cakes and chocolate sponge cakes, which are on the softer side. We also have the butter-based cakes which are more ‘coarse’ than the chiffon and sponge cakes. Maybe this is what you wanted.

Using all-purpose flour rather than cake flour will also give you a different texture. Cake flour yields smoother, finer crumbs. Chocolate in liquid form is attained by melting the chocolate blocks or squares. Cocoa powder gives a more intense chocolate flavor. It is not a substitute for melted butter, and vice versa. You will need to alter something in the recipe to be able to do this.

Boots, we will take note of your request for the filling and the frosting so watch out for them. Hope to hear from you again.

Jun Jun: I guess Adoree has explained what is important. A change in the amount of sugar and/or fat can be increased to make it a bit more moist. This must be done with plenty of testing; also as earlier explained, you have to understand that the heat of the oven is also a very important factor to consider in baking a chocolate cake.

Q: Hi Chefs Jun Jun and Adoree. I’m so thankful for columns like this. I learn a lot from both of you. My question is about the best chocolate cake. Which do you think is better, the recipe which uses cocoa powder or the one that uses melted chocolate? Thanks! (Ofie de los Reyes of Taguig City)

Adoree: Ofie, it all boils down to the totality of the recipe. The proportion of the ingredients in your recipe will determine its success. But for comparison, cocoa powder gives off a more intense chocolate flavor than the chocolate block.

Jun Jun: For me, it is still cocoa powder, which will yield a better chocolate taste. Sometimes, the unalkalized variety is the one to use for a more bitter taste, but color-wise, it is not so pleasing.

Q: I love to eat chocolate cakes, especially the moist ones. How do you make a chocolate cake moist? I get annoyed when there are burnt corners on cakes. How do I avoid this? Thank you, Chefs. (Gen Mirabilla of Pasig City)

Adoree: Be sure not to over-bake your chocolate cake. Chocolate burns easily, so you have to watch out. Over-baking will not only give you those burnt corners, it will also give you a drier cake. Know your oven to be able to determine its hot spots.

It would also be a good idea to have an oven thermometer to be able to ensure the oven’s temperature. If your recipe calls for the separation of egg whites, be sure not to over-beat the egg whites as well for doing so will make the cake dry.

Jun Jun: The burnt parts are caused by overheating the oven or making the cake stay in longer than required. A chocolate cake can be made moist, as explained earlier, with the addition of softeners or tenderizers like sugar and fat. But the amount of liquid in a recipe will also be of great importance to the outcome of your cake’s texture later on. Have a thermometer in your oven; it will really make your baking more efficient.

Q: What is the secret to a very dark chocolate cake? Which is nicer to use, Dutch-processed or regular cocoa powder? (Lindy Marcelo of Makati City)

Adoree: I like using the Dutch-processed cocoa powder for it gives a nicer brown color to my chocolate cakes. However, there is a type of cocoa powder that is available in specialty stores that claims to give a midnight brown color to baked products. I think you can also give it a try if you are not satisfied with the Dutch-processed cocoa powder.

Jun Jun: The darker the chocolate cake, the more alkalized the cocoa powder is. The new kinds of cocoa powder have this new characteristic but sometimes lack the chocolate flavor and becomes a bit too sweet.