Common Ingredients in chocolate cake Recipes

We researched the most common ingredients in over fifty popular chocolate cake recipes and found the top 15 ingredients.

The most common ingredient in chocolate cake dishes is sugar.

Eggs, vanilla, flour, butter, baking soda, chocolate, cocoa powder, baking powder, oil and cream are also common ingredients in chocolate cake recipes. For herbs and spices, vanilla extract is popular. Variations include:

• milk in place of butter
• chocolate pudding mix and white chocolate in place of chocolate
• white chocolate in place of cocoa powder

Salt is in 65% of chocolate cake recipes.

The average chocolate cake recipe has about 13.1 ingredients, with a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 30.

In terms of directions, chocolate cake recipes have about 6.7 steps on average, ranging from 1 to 18 instructions.

Ratios of Common Ingredients in Chocolate Cake

For 2 eggs (112 g), the median and average amounts of other significant ingredients are below. Some ingredients are potential substitutes for others, meaning they almost never exist together in a single chocolate cake recipe, and are marked below.

Ingredient	Median	Average	% of recipes with eggs	Potential subsitutions
sugar	1.1 cup (224 g)	1.2 cup (235 g)	83%	chocolate pudding mix
flour	1.5 cup (193 g)	1.6 cup (197 g)	71%
salt	three quarters of a teaspoon (4 g)	0.61 teaspoon (4 g)	67%
vanilla extract	1.1 teaspoon (5 g)	1.3 teaspoon (6 g)	57%
baking soda	1.3 teaspoon (6 g)	1.3 teaspoon (6 g)	55%
cocoa powder	0.67 cup (57 g)	0.6 cup (52 g)	48%	white chocolate
baking powder	1.5 teaspoon (8 g)	1.4 teaspoon (7 g)	43%
butter	8.2 tablespoon (117 g)	11.3 tablespoon (160 g)	36%	milk
vegetable oil	half a cup (109 g)	0.56 cup (121 g)	31%	canola oil

Ingredients by Average Weight in Chocolate Cake

We also found the average content of the significant ingredients by weight in chocolate cake recipes. This would be: 35% sugar, 16% flour, 16% eggs, 11% butter, 9% semisweet chocolate, 4% cocoa powder, 3% vegetable oil, 3% chocolate and 1% oil.

Here are the top ingredients, listed in order of popularity.

sugar

Sugar is the most popular ingredient in chocolate cake dishes. In fact, 100% of chocolate cake recipes contain sugar.

Granulated is a frequent preparation for sugar in chocolate cake dishes.

Sugar is often included in chocolate cake dishes in amounts of 2 cups, 1 cup or half a cup.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain sugar, it is on average, 18% by weight.

For chocolate cake recipes, sugar is frequently used with flour, eggs, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder.

Potential substitutions for sugar in chocolate cake:

• chocolate pudding mix

Also, sugar is not often used with cake mix devil food.

eggs

Another popular ingredient in chocolate cake is eggs. From the recipes we've sampled for chocolate cake, over 85% have eggs.

Variations of eggs include:

• egg whites: 12% of recipes
• egg yolks: 8% of recipes

In recipes for chocolate cake, eggs is often used with sugar, flour, salt, vanilla extract and baking soda.

vanilla

Vanilla is another common ingredient in chocolate cake dishes. In fact, over 70% of chocolate cake recipes contain vanilla.

Variations of vanilla include:

• vanilla extract: 55% of recipes

Sugar, eggs, flour, salt and baking soda are commonly used together with vanilla in chocolate cake dishes. Conversely, vanilla is not often used with vanilla extract, sugar, sour cream, chocolate pudding mix, cake mix devil food and spray.

vanilla extract

Another popular ingredient in chocolate cake is vanilla extract. From the recipes we've sampled for chocolate cake, over 55% have vanilla extract.

Vanilla extract is often included in chocolate cake dishes in amounts of 1 teaspoon, 2 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain vanilla extract, it is on average, 0.4% by weight.

In recipes for chocolate cake, vanilla extract is often used with sugar, eggs, salt, flour and baking soda.

flour

Another popular ingredient in chocolate cake is flour. From the recipes we've sampled for chocolate cake, over 65% have flour.

Flour is often included in chocolate cake dishes in amounts of 1.75 cups, 1.5 cups or 2 cups.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain flour, it is on average, 13% by weight.

For chocolate cake recipes, flour is frequently used with sugar, salt, eggs, baking soda and cocoa powder. However, chocolate pudding mix and cake mix devil food are almost never used together with flour in chocolate cake dishes.

salt

Salt is another common ingredient in chocolate cake dishes. In fact, over 65% of chocolate cake recipes contain salt.

Salt is often included in chocolate cake dishes in amounts of 1 teaspoon, half a teaspoon or an eighth of a teaspoon.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain salt, it is on average, 0.3% by weight.

In recipes for chocolate cake, salt is often used with sugar, flour, eggs, baking soda and cocoa powder. On the other hand, salt is almost never used with chocolate pudding mix and cake mix devil food.

butter

Another popular ingredient in chocolate cake is butter. From the recipes we've sampled for chocolate cake, over 60% have butter.

Common quantities for butter in chocolate cake dishes include 11 tablespoons or 2 sticks.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain butter, it is on average, 9% by weight.

Eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and salt are commonly used together with butter in chocolate cake dishes.

Potential substitutions for butter in chocolate cake:

• milk

Also, butter is not often used with chocolate pudding mix and canola oil.

baking soda

Baking soda is another common ingredient in chocolate cake dishes. In fact, over 55% of chocolate cake recipes contain baking soda.

Baking soda is often included in chocolate cake dishes in amounts of 1 teaspoon, 1.5 teaspoons or 2 teaspoons.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain baking soda, it is on average, 0.4% by weight.

For chocolate cake recipes, baking soda is frequently used with sugar, salt, flour, eggs and cocoa powder. However, egg yolks, chocolate pudding mix, cake mix devil food and white chocolate are almost never used together with baking soda in chocolate cake dishes.

chocolate

Chocolate is another common ingredient in chocolate cake dishes. In fact, over 55% of chocolate cake recipes contain chocolate.

Variations of chocolate include:

• semisweet chocolate: 27% of recipes
• chocolate pudding mix: 8% of recipes
• white chocolate: 8% of recipes

Sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda and salt are commonly used together with chocolate in chocolate cake dishes.

Potential substitutions for chocolate in chocolate cake:

• chocolate pudding mix
• white chocolate

Also, chocolate is not often used with baking powder, egg yolks, canola oil and cake mix devil food.

semisweet chocolate

Another popular ingredient in chocolate cake is semisweet chocolate. From the recipes we've sampled for chocolate cake, over 25% have semisweet chocolate.

Chocolate cake dishes often call for semisweet chocolate to be chopped.

Semisweet chocolate is often included in chocolate cake dishes in amounts of 2 cups or 1 cup.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain semisweet chocolate, it is on average, 18% by weight.

In recipes for chocolate cake, semisweet chocolate is often used with eggs, sugar, sugar, flour and vanilla extract. On the other hand, semisweet chocolate is almost never used with buttermilk.

cocoa powder

Another popular ingredient in chocolate cake is cocoa powder. From the recipes we've sampled for chocolate cake, over 50% have cocoa powder.

Cocoa powder is often included in chocolate cake dishes in amounts of three quarters of a cup, half a cup or 1 cup.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain cocoa powder, it is on average, 4% by weight.

For chocolate cake recipes, cocoa powder is frequently used with sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and eggs.

Potential substitutions for cocoa powder in chocolate cake:

• white chocolate

Also, cocoa powder is not often used with heavy cream.

baking powder

Baking powder is another common ingredient in chocolate cake dishes. In fact, over 35% of chocolate cake recipes contain baking powder.

Baking powder is often included in chocolate cake dishes in amounts of 1.5 teaspoons, 2 teaspoons or 1 teaspoon.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain baking powder, it is on average, 0.5% by weight.

In recipes for chocolate cake, baking powder is often used with salt, sugar, flour, eggs and cocoa powder. On the other hand, baking powder is almost never used with chocolate pudding mix and cake mix devil food.

oil

Another popular ingredient in chocolate cake is oil. From the recipes we've sampled for chocolate cake, over 35% have oil.

Variations of oil include:

• vegetable oil: 25% of recipes
• canola oil: 8% of recipes

Cream cheese, salt, vanilla, sugar and baking soda are commonly used together with oil in chocolate cake dishes.

vegetable oil

Vegetable oil is another common ingredient in chocolate cake dishes. In fact, over 25% of chocolate cake recipes contain vegetable oil.

Common quantities for vegetable oil in chocolate cake dishes include half a cup or 1 cup.

In chocolate cake recipes that contain vegetable oil, it is on average, 7% by weight.

Eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt are commonly used together with vegetable oil in chocolate cake dishes.

Potential substitutions for vegetable oil in chocolate cake:

• canola oil

Also, vegetable oil is not often used with cream cheese, heavy cream, egg yolks and spray.

cream

Cream is another common ingredient in chocolate cake dishes. In fact, over 35% of chocolate cake recipes contain cream.

Variations of cream include:

• sour cream: 18% of recipes
• cream cheese: 14% of recipes
• heavy cream: 10% of recipes

For chocolate cake recipes, cream is frequently used with salt, baking powder, butter, sugar and vanilla extract.

Other chocolate cake Ingredients

Other significant ingredients used in chocolate cake recipes include:

• milk - 20%
• buttermilk - 15%
• coffee - 10%
• cake mix devil food - 5%
• spray - 5%

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