Passover Chocolate Cake 2012

Every year, I revise my recipe for Passover chocolate cake. Here's the link to the 2013 edition -- the best ever! It's even better than this recipe!

This cake is better the second day -- if it lasts that long! And (shhh, don't tell anyone) it's made with whole wheat matzo!

Edits
I started with  the recipe for Mrs. Strait's Passover Chocolate Cake and made so many edits, I decided it was time for a new post. Here's what I changed:

• Used whole wheat matzo meal and cake meal. Actually, I made my own whole wheat cake meal in the blender. Directions are provided below.
• Decided on ½ cup (= 8 tablespoons) each of the two above ingredients, which was a compromise between what my mom used (3/4 cups = 12 tablespoons) and what Mrs. Straight used (5 heaping tablespoons). Note 5.3 tablespoons = 1/3 cup.
• Used ¼ cup (= 4 tablespoons) cocoa. I thought that would be pretty close since Mrs. Strait's recipe called for 3 heaping tablespoons. Now that I've tasted it and looked at other chocolate tube cake recipes online, I've decided that ½ cup cocoa is what I should have used and that's what I've posted below.
• Used a large shot glass filled to the brim with kosher for Passover (KFP) wine. It turns out that equals ¼ cup.
• Left out the baking soda completely. It may be "legal" but as others have said it seems to fly in the face of the spirit of Passover.

The Results
Bottom line, this recipe works. It makes a moist cake -- and that, in itself, is a Passover miracle! Skipping the baking soda works. The whole wheat matzo and cake meal also work. Here are the issues that need tweaking:

• If I make this again, I'll double the cocoa from ¼ cup to ½ cup to give a stronger chocolate flavor. For a real chocolate Passover treat, I'd go for the Passover Brownies. Of course that (much smaller) recipe has half again as much cocoa, which leads me to think I should increase the cocoa even more -- up to  ¾ cup.
• The cake fell a little and I'm not sure if that's because I took it out late. If not, then it might need more matzo meal and cake meal. To be continued . . . next year! I'm just now noticing that I used large eggs but the original recipe used medium eggs. Here are the facts on egg sizes. Perhaps there's just too much liquid. I'm going to have to think about this. I may just increase the dry ingredients. Might end up using all cake meal and adding a little potato starch. We'll see. 

½ cup whole wheat matzo meal
~ ¾ to 1 cup whole wheat matzo meal -- enough to make ½ cup whole wheat cake meal
10 large eggs, separated
1¾ cups sugar
1 cup oil
¼ cup Passover wine
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa
1 cup chopped nuts (chop small -- it might keep them from all going to the bottom of the cake)

• If your tube pan has "legs" like this one, you are all set. If not, find a bottle that fits inside the neck of your tube pan to use when the cake comes out of the oven. See last step for details.
• Check your oven racks to be sure you have enough room for your pan and its "legs."
• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Next, make your own whole-wheat cake meal (from whole-wheat matzo meal.) Put about 3/4 cup matzo meal into blender and whirl until fine. You want to end up with ½ cup whole-wheat cake meal. Set aside.
• Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.
• Beat yolks. Add sugar. Beat until light yellow.
• Add oil, wine, and vanilla. Mix well.
• Add the salt and cocoa. Mix well.
• Add ½ cup whole wheat cake meal and ½ cup whole wheat matzo meal. Mix well.
• Add nuts.
• Fold-in one third of the egg whites into the batter to lighten it. Mix thoroughly.
• Fold-in the remaining egg whites. Mix thoroughly.
• Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan.
• Bake at 375° for 50-60 minutes.
• Remove from oven and cool upside down. If your tube pan has legs (like the one pictured above) you are all set, otherwise, turn the pan upside down and rest the neck of the tube over a glass bottle (don't use plastic as it will melt).
• Leave cake upside down until it is completely cool.