A pro baker shares his easy tip for making the most chocolatey cakes ever.

This cake was dark, moist but fluffy, and so chocolatey.

How could the cake taste so intensely of chocolate with just cocoa powder?

Triple layered chocolate cake topped with a slice missing

Simply Recipes / Abobe Stock

Why on earth would they do this to make cake?

Clearly, they knew what they were doing, and I quickly learned.

It’s the same idea as brewing coffee with hot water orblooming spicesin hot oil.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Sheet Cake in a Baking Pan, Surrounded by Small Plates, Utensils, and One Small Plate with a Slice of Cake

Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker

The heat extracts more flavor compounds from the cocoa, giving you an extra flavorful chocolate cake.

Many chocolate cake recipes, like thischocolate Guinness cakeand thischocolate Depression cakedo.

If your go-to chocolate cake recipe doesnt, here’s what you do.

Offset spatula spreading the melted chocolate over chocolate depression cake in the baking pan

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Most chocolate cake recipes call for a liquid like water orcoffee.

I wouldnt use buttermilk, as it will likely curdle when heated.

Off the heat, whisk in the cocoa powder until completely dissolved.

The liquid will thicken slightly.

Take a moment to appreciate the hypnotic smell of chocolate.

Then, add the cocoa mixture along with the wet ingredients.

Some recipes use both melted chocolate and cocoa powder.

Here are three examples:

Chocolate vs. Cocoa Powder: Which Has More Flavor?

It turns out chocolate isn’t actually very chocolatey.