Chocolate and warm spice are a natural match, and Chinese five spice brings both sweetness and a gentle licorice note. This cake is a straightforward chocolate cake with a small amount of five spice in the batter and a matching ganache. It is not a traditional Chinese dessert, but a modern flavor pairing.
Why five spice and chocolate work
Cocoa has bitter, roasted notes that pair well with cinnamon, clove and star anise, flavors already used in many chocolate and spice desserts. Five spice adds all of these in one jar. Used lightly, it makes the chocolate taste deeper rather than “spicy.”
What is in Chinese five spice?
Blends differ by brand, but the most common ingredients are star anise, cloves, cinnamon or cassia, Sichuan peppercorns and fennel seeds. Some blends include ginger, licorice or other spices. Check the label if you have allergies. Because each blend is different in strength, start with the smaller amount of spice in the recipe and taste the batter.
Ingredients
Makes two 23 cm (9 inch) layers, about 12 slices.
Cake
- 350 g (1 3/4 cups) sugar
- 220 g (1 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour
- 75 g (3/4 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
- 2 large eggs
- 240 ml (1 cup) milk
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) neutral oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 240 ml (1 cup) boiling water or hot coffee
Five spice ganache
- 300 g (10 oz) dark or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder, plus more to taste
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease two 23 cm (9 inch) pans and line the bottoms with parchment.
- Whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and five spice in a large bowl.
- Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, and beat until smooth.
- Stir in the boiling water. The batter will be thin, which is normal.
- Divide between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then turn out and cool completely.
- For the ganache, heat the cream until just steaming, pour over the chocolate with the salt and five spice, wait a minute, and stir until glossy. Let it cool and thicken until spreadable.
- Fill and cover the cake with the ganache.
Tips
- Start with 1 teaspoon of five spice if you are unsure. Increase to 2 next time if you want a stronger flavor.
- Hot water or coffee blooms the cocoa and deepens the chocolate flavor.
- A little orange zest in the batter or ganache pairs well with star anise and clove. Other bakers have made orange-based five spice cakes, which are lighter than this one. Our orange buttercream frosting shows how to get strong orange flavor without a runny frosting.
- Cool the ganache fully before frosting so it holds its shape.
Variations
- Make it a loaf, cupcakes or a single-layer sheet cake, and adjust the baking time.
- Swap the ganache for a simple whipped cream, a cream cheese frosting, or our easy caramel ganache for a sweeter, sticky finish.
- Add a pinch of five spice to brownies or hot chocolate too.
If you enjoy using Asian flavors in everyday baking, you might also like our Japanese banana cake or the Malaysian cake guide.
Storage
Cover and keep the cake at room temperature for a day, or refrigerate for up to a few days since the ganache contains cream. Let slices sit out briefly before serving. The unfrosted layers freeze well when wrapped tightly.
FAQ
What is in Chinese five spice powder?
Typically star anise, cloves, cinnamon or cassia, Sichuan pepper and fennel, though blends vary.
What is chocolate cake in Chinese?
It is written 巧克力蛋糕 and pronounced roughly “qiǎokèlì dàngāo” in Mandarin.
How do I make homemade chocolate cake?
The recipe above is a basic one-bowl chocolate cake. Leave out the five spice for a classic version.
What are some traditional Chinese cakes?
Steamed sponge cakes such as ma lai go, egg cakes, and nian gao (sticky rice cake) are all well known. See our Malaysian cake guide for more on ma lai go. Mooncakes are another popular traditional pastry, though they are not cakes in the Western sense.