Smoked Chocolate Cake with Smoky-Spicy Icing

A fun way to use your smoker. This cake has a light whiff of smoke (it’s not overly intense, unless you use very smoky wood). It’s smeared with a smoky icing that comes with a little kick from a dash of cayenne. You can also make this cake without smoking it. If you’re looking for a black rich look, use No Name brand cocoa powder.

Makes one 8” cake

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ cup soft butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 oz semi-sweet chocolate 70% - 80%, melted and cooled

1 cup milk

Smoky-Spicy Icing

¼ cup soft butter

2 cups icing sugar

½ cup sifted cocoa powder

1 tbsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp cayenne

½ tsp vanilla

4-6 tbsp milk

Preheat smoker to 200°F. If using an oven, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8” spring-form pan with parchment paper. Grease the paper.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, creaming well after each addition. Add the vanilla, and then the melted chocolate. On low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Slowly add ½ cup of milk. Continue alternating with the flour mixture until the cake is mixed, ending with the flour mixture. Transfer the batter to the prepared springform pan. Place in the smoker, close the lid and smoke for at least 1 hour. You can continue to smoke the cake until it is cooked to 180-190°F (about another 1-2 hours), or raise the temperature of the smoker to 350°F to complete the baking process, which will take another 30 minutes or so.

If baking in an oven, bake about 30-40 minutes.

Remove the cake and let rest 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, in a mixer bowl beat together the butter, icing sugar, cocoa, smoked paprika and cayenne. Add the vanilla and 4 tbsp milk. Continue to add milk, 1 tbsp at a time, as required to acquire a spreadable consistency. Spread on the outside of the cake.