From mouthwatering German chocolate cake to a simple Nutella-based variation, recipes for chocolate cake in any and all forms are classic — a fact no hotel restaurant understands quite like The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas. This legendary accommodation has a history that spans more than 100 years, and, crucially, a pastry and dessert menu that carries on the traditions of the past. At the top of the hotel’s culinary roster? The Driskill’s famous chocolate cake, dubbed the “1866 chocolate cake” in honor of the hotel’s year of construction.
According to a Fox 7 Austin interview with Kristen Groth, the Driksill’s pastry chef, the hotel’s beloved dessert follows the same exact recipe as years prior. The cake was originally the brainchild of Helen Corbitt, the curator of the hotel’s culinary aspects in the 1950s. She has consequentially been referred to as “the Julia Child of the ’50s and ’60s in Texas,” per Groth, creating a legacy the hotel honors with every slice. “We try to keep the history alive and make it special,” said Groth, in reference to the cake’s longevity.
As for what, exactly, makes this cake so special? It’s not only the delightful, decadent flavor and a nearly too-pretty-to-eat appearance, but also maintains the perfect level of sweetness — a feat managed, in part, by its chocolate ganache.
The 1886 chocolate cake reflects The Driskill Hotel’s past with a modern twist
There’s no such thing as too much chocolate, but some cakes can prove too sweet – two realizations The Driskill Hotel takes to heart. Similar to the success of Black Forest cake and other vintage cakes that are still popular today, the hotel’s 1886 chocolate cake packs a ton of flavor and chocolate-based richness without an overly sugary, cloying taste. Kristin Groth, pastry chef at The Driskill’s 1886 Café & Bakery, told Fox 7 Austin, “This cake with the original recipe is fudgy, it’s super moist, it [has a] really heavy cocoa flavor.” That becomes evident from the very first bite, as not only does the cake itself rely on chocolate, but both its ganache and mirror glaze also play crucial roles in imparting chocolatey goodness…