Grandma Jo's Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake
This recipe delivers a surprisingly rich and moist chocolate cake with no hint of sauerkraut flavor; it’s all science, not magic. This recipe delivers a surprisingly rich and moist chocolate cake with no hint of sauerkraut flavor; it’s all science, not magic.
Ingredients
Cake
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 cup water
- 18 ounces sauerkraut drained and chopped (about 1½ cups)
Frosting
- 3 cups confectioners' sugar
- 6 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 3-5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer, starting on low and increasing to medium speed until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Again, mix on low, increasing to medium speed until incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder.
- Alternating between the flour mixture and water three times, add each to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing until incorporated.
- Fold in the drained and chopped sauerkraut.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake 35-40 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool before adding the frosting.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth. Then, alternating between the sugar mixture and heavy whipping cream three times, add each to the creamed butter. (I ended up using all 5 tablespoons of the heavy cream.)
- Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more whipping cream or sugar.
- Spread the chocolate frosting over the cooled cake.
Notes
This recipe calls for Dutch-processed cocoa powder, and there's a specific reason. Dutch-processed cocoa powder has a neutral pH. It is less acidic than natural cocoa powder. This difference in acidity impacts both the flavor and texture of the final chocolate sauerkraut cake.
The Dutch-processed cocoa powder results in a milder, smoother chocolate flavor. It also helps to create a more tender crumb. Natural cocoa powder, on the other hand, has a more intense, slightly bitter flavor and can sometimes lead to a drier cake. I recommend sticking with Dutch-processed for this recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 456kcal
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