Your Next Chocolate Cake Needs Some Help From This Pantry Staple

Of all the classic and creative flavors of cakes, there may not be one as exciting as chocolate. Chocolate cake is all at once symbolic of celebration, comfort, and indulgence, and is arguably universally pleasing. There are several unconventional ways to amplify a standard recipe, like adding mayonnaise and coffee for unparalleled moisture and depth of flavor. To expand on the matter, we spoke to Vivian Villa, the chef and founder of Unbutter, which makes amazing plant-based butters. She relies on an acidic condiment normally associated with savory foods to amplify her chocolate cake creations: vinegar.

Villa offered, "The acidity in vinegar reacts with the baking soda in the mix, causing the formation of bubbles [which results in lightness]. It also provides tang as a balance to the richness of chocolate." If you've ever poured vinegar over baking soda (hello, erupting volcano science projects), you know the effervescent reaction that Villa is referring to. The mixture of the ingredients also makes a superb cleaning solution for smelly ovens. As to what kind of vinegar is best suited for chocolate cake and the method she recommends, Villa said, "Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar is added to room-temperature milk to trigger the curdling, at which time the mixing process can begin."

Have no fear, your cake will not taste like vinegar when it's finished. Instead, the flavor will be amplified, and the texture will be extremely light and moist.

As for the frosting that would taste great with vinegar-enhanced chocolate cake, Vivian Villa again relies on the pantry staple, saying, "Milk curdled with vinegar makes a wonderfully tangy base for a frosting. This method would work best for a mock cream cheese type frosting, where butter, sugar, and vinegar-curdled milk is the base." The trio of ingredients makes a tangy frosting that, when combined, will not appear curdled and would also taste great on carrot, red velvet (which has a unique flavor despite being made with cocoa), and spice cake.

You can make a very similar vegan frosting using vegan butter, like Villa's own line of plant-based butters, dairy-free milk, sugar, vinegar, and salt, which will lift all of the other flavors. If you don't have vinegar, fresh lemon juice is a suitable substitute, which will also react with baking soda to produce a fluffy crumb. Similarly, buttermilk and sour cream can add fat for excellent moisture, although neither is vegan.