Tandy cake with chocolate cake

So I have this rather strange dilemma. I make a rather wonderful tandy cake, ya know the vanilla cake with peanut butter covered with chocolate? We tweaked it, actually, to use chunky peanut butter, and it made it even better, in our opinion. However, a friend asked if instead of white cake bottom, if it could be chocolate. I've read where adding cocoa could do the trick...but I'm not sure just how much to add to experiment with this concept. He absolutely loves chocolate, so he would like a chocolate cake with peanut butter, topped with chocolate. Any suggestions on doing this? Using a basic tandy cake recipe, easily available on the internet. Let me know if anyone has any ideas! Thank you so much!

Maggie
  • Posted by: Maggie
  • April 9, 2017
  • 3417 views
  • 5 Comments

5 Comments

foofaraw
foofaraw April 9, 2017
Without knowing your exact original recipe, if your cake uses cake/AP flour about 1.5-2c, I would try to sub around 1/4 cup of it with cocoa powder of same volume.
 
Maggie
Maggie April 10, 2017
here is the recipe i am using:
TANDY CAKE
----------

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
8 oz. sweet chocolate (melted or chocolate frosting)
1 cup peanut butter

Beat eggs with electric mixer until thick and lemony. Gradually
add sugar while beating. Add milk and vanilla. Blend dry
ingredients together and carefully fold into egg mixture by
hand. Blend well. Pour into greased (13 X 15 inch) jelly roll
pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Spread peanut
butter over hot cake. Allow to cool. Cover with melted chocolate or your favorite chocolate frosting.

The batter is pretty thin. You're advice is good advice, as I've googled it, and similar responses showed, although some people have also stated to also add melted chocolate in addition. Thank you for putting me on the right road!
 
foofaraw
foofaraw April 10, 2017
yeah, I'd be comfortable substituting 1/4 cup of the flour with cocoa powder. From http://blog.kingarthurflour.com/2014/01/10/the-a-b-cs-of-cocoa/ , it seemed that:
... "in recipes calling for baking powder (or predominantly baking powder, with a lesser amount of soda), use either type of cocoa."

In recipes calling for baking soda (or predominantly baking soda, with a lesser amount of baking powder), and without any acidic ingredient (e.g., yogurt, vinegar), use natural cocoa."

So from your recipe, the flour can be substituted with either: 1/4 cup dutch (darker result, deeper flavor), or 1/4 cup natural (less dark, more 'flowery'), or even 2 T each of both dutch and natural (4T=1/4 cup, will probably result somewhere in between) - I'd say whichever cocoa you have in your pantry. Also to enhance chocolate flavor, I'd add 1/2 - 1 tsp espresso powder (optional) because coffee helps with chocolate flavor.
 
foofaraw
foofaraw April 10, 2017
Just read your reply about melted chocolate addition, it can (likely will) deepen the chocolate flavor, but can mess up with fat ratio of the recipe. 1 substitution is easier than 1 sub + 1 addition, and people normally start from flour subs because it is easier. Alice Medrich also have brownie recipe here that she said she prefer butter+cocoa than melted chocolate because of reasons stated in recipe https://food52.com/recipes/21007-alice-medrich-s-best-cocoa-brownies. I'd say to try 1 substitution first, then move to next subs or addition.
 
Maggie
Maggie April 10, 2017
THANK YOU so much for helping me out, you have given me the confidence to at least give it a try, and see how it goes. Thank you for all your helpful suggestions!
 
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