Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Base Recipe

Image is for illustrative purposes only.

This is about as simple as a chocolate cake base can get: a ready-made chocolate cake paste, water and self-raising flour, beaten together and baked. Because there is no butter, milk or cream in it, the base suits anyone avoiding dairy, and it still bakes up dark, soft and moist with a fine, even crumb.

I use a base like this when I need a reliable chocolate layer in a hurry. It slices cleanly, takes a soaking syrup well, and is firm enough to carry ganache, mousse or buttercream without collapsing. Keep the fillings and coatings dairy free too and the whole cake stays dairy free.

Ingredients

The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units', you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.

Weight Per Unit: 1000 Number of Units: 2 Unit Size: 20 cm round tin, about 1,000 g of batter each
	WEIGHT (grams)	ALTERNATIVE METRIC	INGREDIENT	IMAGE	CONDITION
A	1000	2.2 pounds	Calypso Chocolate Paste Calypso is a dark, chocolate flavoured baking paste used by bakeries to deepen the colour and flavour of chocolate cakes and sponges. At home the same weight of melted dark compound chocolate, or a little extra cocoa powder loosened with warm water, will do the same job.		room temperature
B	500	2.1 cups	Water		room temperature
C	500	17.6 ounces	Self-Raising Flour Self-rising or self-raising flour is white flour that is sold premixed with chemical leavening agents. Self-rising flour is typically composed of the following ratio: 1 cup (100 g) flour, 1 1⁄2 teaspoons (3 g) baking powder, a pinch to 1⁄2 teaspoon (1 g or less) salt.		sifted
	2000

Recipe Calculator Tool

Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.

STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.

STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.

STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.

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Method

STEP	ACTION	DETAIL	CONDITION
1	Pre-heat	Pre-heat the oven to 170°C (340°F). Grease two 20 cm round tins and line the bases with baking paper.	Oven fully up to temperature before the batter goes in
2	Mix	Place A (calypso chocolate paste) in a mixing bowl and beat on low speed with the paddle, adding B (water) in three or four additions.	Smooth and glossy, with no lumps of paste left
3	Fold	Sift C (self-raising flour) over the mixture and mix on low speed just until it disappears, scraping the bowl once.	Just combined, no dry flour showing; do not overmix
4	Fill	Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared tins, about 1,000 g in each, and level the tops.	Even thickness so both cakes bake at the same rate
5	Bake	Bake at 170°C (340°F) for about 35 to 40 minutes.	Springs back when pressed lightly and a skewer comes out clean
6	Cool	Rest the cakes in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and peel off the paper.	Completely cool before trimming, slicing or filling
7	Store	Wrap each cake well in plastic film once cold.	Keeps 3 days at room temperature, or freeze for up to 2 months

Important Notes

The batch makes about 2 kg of batter, enough for two 20 cm round cakes of about 1,000 g each, or one deeper 24 cm cake. The cake paste already carries the sugar, fat and cocoa, so the only things to watch are mixing the water in gradually for a smooth batter and stopping as soon as the flour is in. Chill the cakes before trimming and layering; they cut much more cleanly cold. Remember that the cake is only dairy free if the syrup, filling and coating you use with it are dairy free as well.

Tools & Arrangements

Kitchen scales, mixing bowl and electric mixer with paddle attachment (or a hand whisk and spatula), sieve, spatula, two 20 cm round cake tins, baking paper, cooling rack, skewer.