On Thinking Up New Cake Flavors

I create new cake flavors rather often, and a lot of people ask me where I get ideas for new flavors from.

It's rather fun, actually. Seeking out inspiration for new flavors, that is. One of my favorite go-to methods is drawing inspiration from foods that are not cake. Take herbal tea, for example (my favorite source of inspiration). Herbal teas combine so many different flavors that you wouldn't typically think of pairing together. One quick glance at Teavana's web site, and I'm already excited by the combinations I'm seeing: fig + rose, lavender + citrus, orange + chocolate, orange + rose... The possibilities truly are endless. And while you're browsing Teavana's site, take a look at their non-herbal teas. I know. Inspiration overload.

It doesn't have to end with cakes, either. Love oatmeal raisin cookies? Why not an oatmeal raisin cake? Or maybe your Sunday breakfast of blueberry pancakes with syrup will inspire you to create a blueberry maple cake. And how about a hazelnut raspberry cake inspired by all the hazelnut and raspberry foods you saw when you went to France? Once you start to see exciting flavor combinations, you'll really start developing an eye for catching them anywhere and everywhere.

One other source I might mention: scented candles. You know the ones. Cinnamon coconut, coconut and vanilla bean, Thanksgiving dinner (a.k.a. pumpkin and apple)... If they smell good together, they probably taste good together. (Fun fact: taste = flavor + smell.)

And that's enough to get your creative juices going for the time being, methinks.

Chocolate Cake

This is my go-to recipe for basic chocolate cake or cupcakes. Have at it!

BASIC CHOCOLATE CAKE BATTER
Makes 16 cupcakes or just over enough batter for one 9" round cake pan. Remember that you need to double the recipe if you're making a full-sized cake.

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour*
• 3/4 tsp baking soda (err on the side of not enough)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, plus a little extra for added moistness
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 c chocolate chips**

* I tend to use cake flour in my cupcakes, but chocolate is an exception. You generally want a slightly denser cake, and cake flour makes cake less dense.

** Totally optional, but dang, these make it wonderfully chocolatey.

Method

If you haven't already, you should check out my basic cake baking method and my list of cake baking tips! Every cake batter recipe I post follows that same method, and my cake baking tips are great to memorize for whenever you're preparing a cake batter such as this.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.


2. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.


3. In a larger bowl, beat together the oil and sugar. Then, beat in the eggs one at a time.


4. Now you will gradually be adding the dry mixture and the sour cream to the oil-sugar-egg mixture. To do this, alternate mixing in some of the dry mixture, followed by some sour cream, followed by some dry mixture... You get the picture. Do that until you've incorporated the dry mixture and the sour cream completely. Just don't over-mix here.


5. Finish by incorporating the vanilla.


6. Baking time. For cupcakes, fill your liners 2/3 full and bake for 17 to 22 minutes. For a cake, fill agreased 9-inch round cake pan about 2/3 full with batter and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Since this is a thick batter, do be sure to stir a little once the batter is in the cupcake wells or cake pan so that the cake will rise more evenly! Use the toothpick test for perfect doneness.