The Silver Palate’s Chocolate Cake Recipe (2024)

If you like chocolate (and if not, you're probably reading another recipe), add 3T unsweetened cocoa powder to cake batter along with chocolate and butter before the boiling water. Add 2T cocoa to frosting recipe, and pull back 25% or so on sugar. Bake time is a bit optimistic -- at least 50, maybe 55 mins. Allow cake to cool completely WITHOUT draping it in plastic wrap to avoid surface sogginess (oops).
P.S.: I used salted butter in cake and thought it essential.

I've been making this cake since 1987 and have always used a 10 inch springform pan. No problem with baking time and easy removal. And it looks quite elegant, either frosted or dusted with confectioner's sugar.

I made this cake for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. I let it cool for an hour before I removed it from the pan. I made it again this week (for a party) and let it cool for 10 minutes like the recipe states, and it fell apart when I removed it from the pan. I took the pieces, made a layer of them in a big glass bowl, put on a layer of sweetened whipped cream flavored with kahlua, repeated the layers and topped the whole thing with shaved chocolate. Everyone loved it!

It seems to me that the recipe for the cake is identical to Palm Beach Tube Cake, published by the late and very great Maida Heatter in her Book of Great Desserts (Warner Books, 1965). The icing recipe differs from Miss Heatter's. Miss Heatter's contribution is worthy of note.

For better depth of flavor, substitute an equal amount of coffee for the water! I've run a cup of water through leftover grounds before-- a tad weaker than fresh coffee, but it's a quick, easy flavor boost for any chocolate cake.

If you line your pans with parchment first, this works in layers for birthday cake. I use 2% Greek yogurt in lieu of sour cream without compromising flavor or texture-- it's the acid, not the fat that counts as there is plenty in the butter and unsweetened chocolate already. Although the chemistry of baking is less forgiving of experimentation beyond the tested recipe, I have had success using a third egg.

Its a great cake, but even better with small adjustments:
1) Warm one stick of butter to room temperature
2) Instead of 3 oz, use 4 oz of bakers chocolate
3) Add three tablespoons of quality coco powder to the boiling water and melted chocolate ]- hold on adding butter
4) Don't put the butter in until all other ingredients are mixed, the butter must be warm room temp, almost ready to melt. Mix well
5) After the cake cools, put it in the fridge - it makes the cake much more moist

Laurie-- I divided the recipe as is into two layers in standard 9" cake pans. Check layers after 30 minutes, and add more time as necessary. I recently doubled the recipe for a party and baked 2 large rectangular layers, split them into 4 layers, filled in between with ganache, then frosted the top and sides with 1.5x the amount of icing. It was a masterpiece.

The Cake Mix Doctor says that the boiling water can "help to wake up the taste of the cocoa." I have found this to be true with chocolate desserts that call for boiling water as part of the recipe. Hope this helps.

I've made this cake for years, using yogurt in place of sour cream (Greek yogurt is good), cutting down a bit on the sugar, and using far less confectioner's sugar and no heavy cream (a couple TBsp of milk does it) in the frosting. These modifications make it a bit less decadent/unhealthy and still delicious.

Includes some changes suggested by other bakers and added some of my own. Made in a 9x13 and doubled the ganache/frosting recipe. It turned out to be the best chocolate cake ever. Better than the Ruth recipe. 1. Instead of using flour, sprinkle sugar to coat pan. 2. Add salt to cake batter and use salted butter. 3. Substitute 1 cup of coffee instead of water 4. Use 4oz of the chocolate instead of 3oz5. Added a pinch of salt to the frosting and about 1 teaspoon or so of espresso powder.

Instead of a cake, I used this recipe to make cupcakes for my father's 92nd birthday. The cupcakes needed 25 minutes to bake through.

add salt to cake.

Joy, the cake can be frozen, but I would not frost it first. The frosting will lose its sheen. Wrap it in plastic wrap, then foil, then a big plastic bag. When ready to defrost it, remove the plastic bag but keep the other wrapping on. The moisture will collect on the foil and not the cake. Good luck!

I received a copy of The Silver Palette Cookbook when it first came out in 1982. It was even signed by the now famous Sheila + Julee. The cake was a revelation, as were so many other recipes in this collection. It's still my potluck go-to, a perfect chocolate cake from a cookbook for the ages!

I haven't read ALL the reviews, but I happened to compare this NYTimes adapted recipe to the original Silver Palate recipe in their book, and this version has left out the boiling water?! Although many of the comments mention using the 1 cup of boiling water, I do not see it in the Times' version here. It seems like a crucial ingredient, as many other chocolate cake recipes call for hot water or coffee.

50 min was not enough time and cake came out uncooked and a mess

Great cake! I doubled the batter and used 8" cake rounds to make a 3-tiered cake and poured the icing on each layer before assembling it. Made for an elegant presentation and got rave reviews.

Fabulous! Don’t change a thing! It’s not a complicated recipe, but given the various steps it’s helpful to have everything pre-measured, sifted, etc before you start putting it together.

I made this as written and something was just not “enough.” Maybe more chocolate or added cocoa powder might have done it, as some have suggested, and certainly some salt and/or salted butter. Everyone liked it, but not enough to make again.

I made this for a birthday cake for my 6 year old and it was a huge hit. I normally do not love chocolate cake but this was divine. The only thing I changed (as recommended) was I added 2 shots of espresso to the liquid (so it was 1 cup total liquid-water and espresso) and used 4 oz unsweetened chocolate vs 3 oz. I used two 9 oz circular baking pans and baked for 30 mins. Highly recommend this recipe! I used the Erline icing (she asked for vanilla frosting) and it was great.

For an easy ganache frosting:1. Pour ~10 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips into a double boiler over boiling water2. Add one 13.5 oz. can of unsweetened coconut milk3. Let it melt down, continuously stirring with a whisk4. Cool until it is a bit thicker. You can pour it over a cake while it is still hot/warm. I prefer to put it in the fridge/freezer until it sets up a little more, then ice the cake. Perfect and easy! Also foolproof-- chocolate & coconut milk amounts are adjustable!

Cut sugar be 1/2 c. Added 1/4c extra flour and 3T unsweetened coco powder. Used semi sweet chips bc that was all I had, so glad I cut the sugar. Sweetness level was perfect. Baked for 50 min in a 9” springform pan lined with parchment paper. We found the icing very sweet and would sub dark chocolate for semi sweet next time.

Needs a half tsp of salt!

Added extra sour cream and tblsp of vanilla pudding powered

Can this be made the day before serving?

This cake is delicious! Thank you for sharing it!

Outstanding moist cake, like others, cake fell apart the first round after 45 min baking & tester came out clean. Second round, baked the full 50 min, butter mold well & let cool for an hour. Will make again!!!

Lacks flavor, uninteresting. On the dry side at 40 mins. I was taken by surprise because it’s rated so highly with rave reviews here on NYT.

This cake was very good, but it needs a little salt.