Chef's adds 1 unusual ingredient to make chocolate cake taste better

Chocolate cake may be a timeless dessert, but chefs and bakers around the world are constantly finding new ways to enhance its rich, decadent flavour. One surprising ingredient is gaining momentum in kitchens everywhere. Though espresso powder might sound unconventional, culinary legend Ina Garten swears by this trick to take chocolate desserts to the next level.

Espresso powder, made from ground and brewed coffee that is then dried and finely ground, is far more concentrated than brewed coffee. When added in small amounts, typically just a teaspoon, it deepens the flavour of chocolate without leaving behind a noticeable coffee taste.

The result is a more intense, luxurious chocolate cake that's anything but ordinary.

"It doesn't make the cake taste like coffee," Garten explained in one of her cookbooks.

"It just makes the chocolate taste more like chocolate." This subtle yet powerful enhancement is a favourite among seasoned bakers and pastry chefs, and it's easy to see why.

Pastry chef Lena Morales, of Flour & Co in Seattle, says espresso powder is a staple in her kitchen. "It's like a secret weapon," she says. "People won't know what you did differently, they'll just know your chocolate cake tastes incredibly rich and complex."

The reason espresso powder works so well lies in how it interacts with cocoa.

Coffee and chocolate share similar flavour compounds, especially those rich in bitterness and earthiness. The espresso enhances those elements in chocolate, making the flavour bolder and more rounded.

Best of all, espresso powder is widely available and easy to use.

It blends effortlessly into dry ingredients and doesn't alter the texture of the cake. Even box mix cakes benefit from this trick, instantly tasting more homemade and gourmet.

For bakers looking to elevate their chocolate creations, a dash of espresso powder may be the simplest, most effective solution. And for those worried about caffeine, the amount used is typically small enough to avoid any noticeable effect.

So next time you're whipping up a chocolate cake, take a page from the pros. That little spoonful of espresso powder might just be the magic touch that transforms a good dessert into a great one.