Chocolate cake is one of the most delicious things I can think of, but there are also very specific distinguishing factors that a chocolate cake must have for it to be truly satisfying and loved by all. It must be rich and have an intense chocolate flavor and a hint of coffee. It must be moist and have a delicious crumb that melts in your mouth but has a distinct chew. And, the frosting, in my opinion, is the most difficult thing to get spot-on. You don’t want it to be too buttery or oily and you don’t want it to overpower the cake itself. My recipe hits all those notes. 

This chocolate chocolate coconut cake uses dutch-processed cocoa powder for that intensely rich and deep chocolate taste with coconut undertones for a fun twist. You can literally smell this baking in the oven from miles away. The frosting is a cream cheese chocolate frosting, without too strong of a cream cheese flavor. And to tie it all together, there are toasted coconut chips for that extra crunch and coconutiness. I’ve crafted this recipe to be a one-layer sheet cake for simplicity and something a bit different. Not all chocolate cakes must be tiered or layered!

Yield: one 8 by 8 cake

Ingredients

cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup coconut cream or heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup boiling water

frosting

8 oz cream cheese

3/4 cup powdered sugar*

3 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 teaspoons coconut oil

toasted coconut chips, for garnish

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 350°. Butter an 8 by 8 baking pan and line with parchment paper.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Set aside. In another mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, coconut cream, coconut oil, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Transfer the wet batter into the dry. (It’s okay if the batter looks a bit dry.) Mix in the boiling water. Transfer batter to baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a moist crumb or two. Let cool completely.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or using a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese briefly until lightly fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix on low until combined. Mix in the coconut oil. Frost the cake and top with toasted coconut chips.

Notes

• adapted from hershey’s “perfectly chocolate” chocolate cake

• dutch-processed cocoa powder is a must for that dark and rich flavor and color

• if desired, replace the powdered sugar with 1/2 cup of sweetened condensed milk