You know it is going to be a good day when you can enjoy a delicious chocolate cake with a rich filling. There are a lot of desserts that are tasty and can brighten your day. However, nothing beats a good chocolate cake. And the National Chocolate Cake Day gives you a good excuse to indulge yourself.
National Chocolate Cake Day – History
Chocolate cake first appeared in 1764, after the discovery which showed that grinding cocoa beans between heavy stones produced cocoa powder. It later became chocolate. Conrad Van Houten was a person who discovered a way that he used to mechanically extract fat from the cacao liquor. The cacao liquor was used to produce cacao butter. Frankly, he was the man who made chocolate affordable. Therefore, we all must thank him for this incredible discovery. What would life have been without chocolate? We don’t even want to imagine.
After this discovery, different types of cakes were made, and various techniques were used. So, today you can enjoy many different flavors. We are pretty sure you have heard of Black Forest cake with cherries and German Chocolate cake with coconut pecan frosting. You can enjoy many more. Moreover, bakers invent new ones that meet our sophisticated taste palate.
Today we consume chocolate in the form of cakes or bars. Back then, however, chocolate was not consumed as a snack. During the period of 1830-to 1840, it was mainly a drink that people mixed with water. Furthermore, the drink was not even sweet. People who drank chocolate would mostly make up a savory, bitter beverage that they usually consumed early in the morning.
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Chocolate cake recipes
Eliza Leslie included a chocolate cake recipe in her 1847 cookbook. It was the first verifiable recipe. However, her formula was not quite like the formula we use today. Her recipe called to use chopped pieces of chocolate and inserting them into a plain sponge. We add cocoa powder to the mix itself. We can imagine, though, how tasty the cake would have been. We are sure you would have enjoyed the cake with tiny chunks of melted chocolate.
Throughout all these years, cooks and authors like Maria Parloa came up with new ideas. They added their twists to the chocolate cake. First was frosting, followed by including defatted cocoa powder into the mix. They did not forget about a range of chocolatey fillings, which make the dessert even richer and more delicious.
Some things become mainstream at some point. The humble chocolate cake was not an exception. By the 1920s, it had become mainstream, so manufacturers began selling the recipes. Eventually, making the chocolate cake was not so difficult anymore. Even those with little experience in the kitchen were able to do it.
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National Chocolate Cake Day
Chocolate cake became an integral part of the culture more and more throughout the late twentieth century and the beginning of the 21st. This led to the development of National Chocolate Cake Day, which is celebrated on January 27th every year. It was designed for those who love chocolate and cake.
How to celebrate National Chocolate Cake Day?
It is very easy to celebrate this special day. Throughout the day, bake as many chocolate cake variations as possible and taste as many flavors of chocolate cake as you can! Use chocolate cake batter to make pancakes and enjoy them with whipped cream or maple syrup. Bake chocolate cupcakes with the rest of the batter and add strawberries to the center of the cupcakes. Take them to work to brighten the day of your colleagues.
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You have every right to treat yourself when you get home. Open the fridge and serve yourself a big and delicious slice of chocolate cake. You should never wait when it comes to dessert, you never know what could happen during dinner. National Chocolate Cake Day gives you every opportunity to enjoy delicious treats. So, don’t limit yourself and try another bite of cocoa-rich concoctions.
This day is your chance to be creative and adventurous. You are not obliged to stick with today’s recipes or boxed cakes. You can always use Eliza Leslie’s original cookbook and bake yourself the very first chocolate cake. Go for it, relive the experience of the early lovers of chocolate cake.
Another way to make the day even more colorful is to try making cakes that include all sorts of combinations. For instance, you can add matcha or pistachio to your cake. This is your chance to experiment. When you are finished you can share your delicious treats with your friends to see how they like it. However, be ready for some honest feedback. Everyone has a unique taste palate and their idea of what makes the chocolate cake perfect is different.
