Dark Chocolate Cupcakes/Cake/Bundt Cake, a Cake Magic edition

This recipe is from my all-time favorite cake cookbook, Cake Magic by Caroline Wright. The dry ingredients for this recipe can be stored and used for any other cake recipe that says “a Cake Magic edition”, you can even double it and store it for awhile. You can find the recipe for the regular and gluten free cake (dry ingredients) mixes by clicking on the button below. And if you would like to use the gluten free dry mix, do just that instead of the regular one, and they can both be doubled.

This recipe makes enough for 24 cupcakes, one 8- or 9-inch two-layer cake, one 10-inch bundt cake or one 13×9-inch sheet cake.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting the pans
• 4 cups Cake Magic Cake mix, whisked well before measuring
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 4 ounces melted semisweet chocolate, cooled
• 3/4 cup full-fat plain yogurt or sour cream
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted and cooled, or vegetable oil (don’t melt)
• 1 cup water
• 4 eggs, at room temperature

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of the pan(s). Dust with cocoa powder to coat, then invert and gently tap out any excess. (if making cupcakes, use liners instead of greasing and coating the tins)
• Whisk together the 1/2 cup cocoa powder, cake mix, and baking soda in a large bowl to combine. Stir in the melted chocolate, yogurt, butter, water and eggs until moistened and no lumps remain (be careful not to overmix). Divide the batter between the prepared pan(s).
• Bake until the layers are fragrant and a few moist crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake/cupcake. Which is around 35-40 minutes for a cake, 40-50 minutes for a Bundt cake, 25-30 minutes for a 13 by 9-inch cake, and 20-25 minutes for cupcakes.

To do the Cola flavor variation, use 1 cup Cola instead of the water.