How come when I use hot cocoa mix as cocoa powder in chocolate cake, it doesn’t come out as dark as regular?

Like the cake doesn’t look dark like chocolate cake. It looks like a light brown. Its really frustrating!

Pecans in German Chocolate cake frosting?

Do you have to put pecans in german chocolate cake frosting? I’m making it but I only have walnuts. Would that work?

If I left out nuts and only put the coconut would that still taste ok?

what do i add to my basic yellow cake recipe to make it chocolate?

i want to make my basic yellow cake from scratch into a good chocolate cake. ive made cake using the recipe i got in a book a bunch of times and it always turns out moist and yummy so i want to modify it slightly to make it chocolate. what do i add that will make it taste like chocolate but have it keep its yummy consistency?
i dont need a whole new cake recipe, just need to know what to add to my already super awesome recipe. thanx in advance!

Chocolate frosting recipe to put on a chocolate box cake?

It’s just a chocolate cake you make from any old box, but I don’t have frosting. I want a chocolate frosting that’ll taste good on it, so I figured asking you personally would get better results than any old chocolate frosting. Thank you.

Anyone know what exactly the boiling water does in a chocolate cake recipe?

Just curious to know why some chocolate cake recipes call for boiling water. Why does the temperature of the water matter? I mean, can’t you just use room temperature water? What diff does it make, and is why is boiling the water important?
This is the recipe I used: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/one-bowl-chocolate-cake-iii/detail.aspx The cake turned out great, but I would really like to know what would have happened if I didn’t use the boiling water. Another recipe I tried before just used plain water (http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/detail.aspx?ID=30351). It didn’t seem much different from the recipe with the boiling water…

What’s the best topping and filling for a chocolate cake?

I am planning to make a chocolate cake, and I was just wondering what kind of filling and topping to put.

Do you have a recipe for a good chocolate cake?

I’d like tried and true recipes…this is important…it’s for my fiance’s birthday…which is on Christmas Day so I CAN NOT goof this up.

I’d like a moist chocolate cake, I have reasonably good cooking skills but don’t want anything wildly difficult. And can you please put a little feedback on what the cake tastes like when made? Thank you!

What is an alternative to using sour cream in a chocolate cake recipe?

I’m planning on baking a fudge chocolate cake this afternoon and need to know an alternative to using sour cream in the recipe. Please keep in mind I am baking for someone who is lactose intolerant and can’t eat creams, eggs, cream sauces, yogurt, etc. Any ideas is greatly appreciated. =) Thank you.
Thank you for all your responses, I appreciate all of them. Is it possible to not use anything in place of sour cream?

How will dark chocolate cake taste with cream cheese icing?

I’m baking a dark chocolate cake, i only have cream cheese icing in the house so i was wondering how do u think it will taste, maybe its time to try something new…what do u think?

How much caffeine is in a small/medium piece of chocolate cake?

I do not consume caffeine anymore (it’s been about 8 years or so). I just ate a small/medium sized piece of chocolate cake. I wonder if anyone has a clue about how much caffeine would be in that? By the way, I do not eat/drink caffeine anymore due to panic disorder and anticipatory anxiety disorders. Thanks for your input.
I also take Xanax, Buspar and Lexapro and have heard/read caffeine is not good to mix with these drugs. Does anyone have any good or bad experiences with consuming caffeine and any of these medications together?