If you’re looking at this luscious, delicious chocolate cake and wondering if there’s really sauerkraut in it then the answer is “yes”! But, don’t worry- this isn’t a sauerkraut cake. What I mean by that is that it doesn’t taste like sauerkraut at all. This German condiment adds a lot of moisture and texture to the cake, but you’d never know that there’s sauerkraut in the batter! It’s kind of like when you add applesauce to a cake and you never really taste much apple flavor.
This cake is the most like a really nice chocolate bakery cake in terms of flavor that I’ve ever made at home. Honestly, it’s one of the better chocolate cakes I’ve had in quite some time which is not something I would have expected from this combination.
For the sauerkraut you want to make sure the kraut is well drained (squeezed dry if you can) and that it is chopped finely. You can also use a food processor for this.
You don’t want bigger pieces of the cabbage in the batter to give it away. When chopped small many people will mistake the cabbage for coconut.
So why add sauerkraut? Well the acidity helps the cake to rise. Along with the high moisture content it ensures that this cake is extremely tender, dense, and tall at the same time. It’s a combo that not many cake recipes can offer which makes this strange-sounding cake a triple threat. But, wait, there’s more!
I can’t not mention the frosting for this cake because it is truly out of this world. You’ll need a bar of unsweetened baker’s chocolate and a whole lot of butter for this rich, decadent, creamy frosting. It takes this cake over the top into heavenly flavor and it might just be my new favorite frosting recipe. I suspect I will be using it on lots of cakes from now on.
It might seem wacky, but this vintage recipe really gets it right in terms of both flavor and texture. You might get some weird looks when you tell people the secret ingredient, but they’ll turn to smiles after folks taste this rich, fudgy cake.
Sauerkraut Cake
Diet: Vegetarian
For the cake:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Dutch cocoa
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup sauerkraut, drained, squeezed dry and chopped
For the frosting:
- 1 1/3 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup whole milk
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cream together butter and sugar in large bowl. Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla.
- In another bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift flour mixture into wet ingredients one cup at a time, alternating with milk. Fold in chopped sauerkraut.
- Pour batter into 2 8” greased and lined baking rounds. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Or use one 9”x13” cake pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.
- Allow to cool in pans for 30 minutes before removing to cooling rack to cool completely. Place in freezer for 10 minutes before frosting.
For the frosting:
- Beat butter and chocolate together in large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy.
- Level cakes with bread knife if they have become domed in baking. Place first cake on platter or plate. Frost top. Then add second cake. Do a thin layer of frosting for a crumb coat all over both cakes, then apply a thicker layer of frosting in design of your choice.
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
