We Don't Need An Excuse...But Here Comes Chocolate Cake Day

Buzz
January 27 is National Chocolate Cake Day – not that we need a day devoted to indulging in one of our favorite desserts, but we’ll take it. Whether you prefer a slice of classic chocolate layer cake, a decadent molten lava cake, or something creative, there’s no wrong way to enjoy this beloved confection. And, in case you didn’t know, chocolate cake has a storied history, with the first recipes appearing in the late 19th century. So, forget the calorie count and do like us, enjoy chocolate cake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. 
 
Of course, the team at TheListAreYouOnIt.com has a round up of some of the best chocolate cake offerings around the DMV (see below) and our own Nycci Nellis loves to bake. She’s shared one of her chocolate cake go-to’s as well.
 
From Nycci Nellis: I’ve been making a version of this chocolate cake since I first saw the recipe in the long-gone Fine Cooking magazine (RIP). It is quick, foolproof and I always have all the ingredients on hand. What I love most about this cake is it’s versatility. You can add chips or nuts to the batter, serve it as a single layer or stack ‘em high, and it’s good enough to eat on it’s own, but there’s no reason not to whip up some heavy cream with a pinch of sugar to pile high like a cloud on top.   
Cocoa-Coffee Snacking Cake
-Heat oven to 350 degrees
-Butter 9 inch pan, line with parchment, butter & flour parchment 
-In a mixer, cream 10 tablespoons of soft unsalted butter with 1 2/3 granulated sugar
-Once well-blended, add 2 eggs - one at a time
-Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1.2 teaspoon of salt 
-Sift 1 1/2 cups + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, 1/2+ 1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda and one teaspoon of baking powder into batter
-While mixing slowly, add 1 1/2 cup of room temperature brewed coffee 
-Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Sometimes I place a small bar of dark chocolate in the center - why not? 
-Bake 40ish minutes (toothpick will come out with crumbs and top will be springy to touch) 
-Let cool on rack for 20 minutes 
-Loosen cake, remove from pan and remove parchment
-If you can wait, let cool.
-If not, you are welcome to eat as is, sprinkle with confectioners sugar, or wait and pile barely sweetened whipped cream on top. 
 
Where We Eat Chocolate Cakes (And You Should Too)

801 Chophouse Tysons Corner - A Brooklyn Blackout Cake made of devil's food cake, chocolate pudding, creme Anglaise and sea salt butterscotch ice cream.

Ambar - The Chocolate Cake with white almond flour, Greek yogurt & espresso coffee glazed with rich milk chocolate, and toasted hazelnuts.

Annabelle - The Chocolate & Peppermint Chocolate Cake with peppermint fudge frosting, peppermint tuille and mint powder

Aventino -The Cioccolato, a dark chocolate cake with whipped black currant and dried fruit conserva, and candied cocoa nibs (pro-tip: add a scoop of the dark chocolate sorbetto

Baked & Wired - The Chocolate Doom is made with a rich chocolate cake and a dark chocolate satin frosting.

Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery -  The Chocolate Doberge Cake is made of six to eight thin layers of vanilla sponge cake sandwiched with a custard or creamy filling, then covered in rich frosting.

Blue Duck Tavern - The Virginia Peanut Chocolate Cakefeatures Candied peanut, 63% Illanka chocolate mousse, brown sugar ice cream, and salted peanut caramel for $17 per serving

Breadfurst - The Devil’s Food layer cake or the dense flourless chocolate cake

Buck’s - The famous Buttermilk Chocolate Sheet Cake (been on the restaurant's menu since its inception 21 years ago). It's frosted to order with a warm chocolate ganache and topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Ellē - Chocolate Hazelnut Cake that features chocolate cake layered with hazelnut buttercream, orange chocolate ganache, finished with chocolate hazelnut bark and candied orange.

El Taller del Xiquet - Xocolate (a play on the Catalan spelling) this light-as-air chocolate mousse cake is topped with a layer of gianduja chiffon, mirror glazed and coconut caviar.

My Cake Theory - The Chocolate Overload: flavor, no frills

Neutral Ground Bar + Kitchen - The Chocolate Candy Bar featuring rich flourless cake, praline crunch, mousse, nibs, salt, and smoked mandarin caramel

Paraíso - La Torre De Chocolate, a Chocolate cake made with chocolate mousse, fresh berries, and caramelized pecans

Pisco y Nazca - The Chocolate Dome is a dark chocolate sphere, sweet potato custard topped with warm ganache

St. James - A Molten Chocolate Cake with a hint of ginger and a ponche de crème anglaise (ponche de crème, is a popular egg and cream-based rum drink that’s enjoyed in the Caribbean during the holidays - like a coquito - and the crème anglaise has notes of the drink

The Smith Penn Quarter - The Devil’s Layer Cake, features nine layers of rich dark chocolate cake, creamy mascarpone mousse, and a delightful crunch of candied cocoa nibs

Unconventional Diner - The Death By Chocolate cake is three layers of devil’s food cake, buttercream and fudge sauce
 

Chocolate lovers, where will your chocolate cake adventure take you?