Ice Water Cake

The perfect recipe for a great chocolate cake

65 minutes

Serves: 12-14

Medium

A unique ice water technique ensures this cake has a very unique, luxurious texture.

Ice Water Cake is definitely a family favorite! It was my Grandma Jack’s favorite cake and, while I found the recipe in my Grandma Jackie’s recipe tin, it was actually from my Grandpa Jack’s mother, my Great-Grandma Swan. I didn’t even realize how big of a staple cake this was in our family until I took a bite and immediately went back in my memory to many childhood birthday parties. This was THE cake that I remember growing up. There is something very unique about its flavor, but even more so, it’s texture. It must come from the ice water and the way it is mixed in.

One major note, the ingredient photo above shows a bar of Baker’s chocolate but it is German’s Sweet Chocolate. It is very important that you use UNSWEETENED chocolate. Not sweet chocolate. Not semi-sweet chocolate. Only UNSWEETENED chocolate. Luckily, I was FaceTiming with my mom while I was making this and she caught it. But I didn’t have any unsweetened chocolate (which can be tricky to find). No worries – if you have unsweetened Hershey’s chocolate cocoa on hand, you can easily make your own. To make 1 ounce, simply stir together 3 Tablespoons of cocoa with 1 Tablespoon of oil or shortening. If using shortening, you’ll want to microwave it first to melt it. To make three ounces for this recipe, of course, simply stir 9 Tablespoons cocoa with 3 Tablespoons of oil or shortening.

Grandma’s recipe calls for baking the cake in a 13″ x 9″ tray but you can also bake it in two cake rounds to make a layered cake which is what I did. I might affect your cooking time. It extended mine by about five minutes. As long as you checking your cake by inserting a toothpick or skewer you should be good.

Whether you’re baking the cake in a tray or in round cake tins, you’re gonna want some frosting. Actually, this cake is good enough, you might not need it! But if you DO want it, Grandma suggesting making a batch of Million Dollar Fudge (recipe coming) and adding powered sugar to it until you get the right consistency. Unfortunately, I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand to make that, so I used this recipe for Cocoa Fudge Frosting.

Steps:

Preheat Oven
Prep Baking Tins
Either use a 9x13 pan or two 8" round pans. Be sure to spray both with cooking spray with flour, or use cooking spray and lightly coat with flour. If using the round pans, be sure to line the bottom of the tin with parchment paper.
Cream Butter & Sugar, Vanilla
Cream the softened butter and sugar until sell combined. Add the vanilla and mix again until just combined.
Add Eggs
Add each egg, one at a time mixing until well incorporated after each addition.
Melt and Add Chocolate
If using bar chocolate, roughly chop it first and gently heat in the microwave to melt in ten second bursts, stirring between each. Do not overheat! Once melted, pour into the batter and mix to combine.
Sift Dry Ingredients
Into a separate bowl, sift together the flours, baking soda and salt.
Alternate Dry Ingredients & Ice Water
Start by adding about a cup of the dry ingredients and mixing on low until just combined. Next add a 1/2 cup of the ice water and mix again, just until it's all combined. Repeat two more times until all the dry ingredients and all the ice water is combined.
Pour Into Tins
Pour the batter immediately into your prepped baking tins or 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350º
Bake your cake(s) for 35-45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool Cakes
If baking in a 9x13 pan, allow cake to cool completely before frosting. If using round cake tins, take them out and cool in the tins for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen from the tin and turn out onto wire racks. Allow to cool completely before assembling and decorating.