Celebrate National Chocolate Cake Day

Jan. 27 marks National Chocolate Cake day.

What better day is there to dive in to 5 fast facts about chocolate?

1. Chocolate cakes are about 250 years old, with the first being made around 1764. (Days of the Year.com)

2. There are variants of a plain chocolate cake like the Black Forest cake (more on that later), the German Chocolate Cake with coconut pecan toppings and the newer chocolate lava cake filled with runny chocolate sauce. (Days of the Year.com)

3. Black Forest cake has its own day on March 28. (Days of the Year.com) The original Black Forest cake not only has cherries and whipped cream, but also includes liquor called kirschwasser, or kirsch. Some recipes call for brandy or rum.

4. Conching is what makes baking with chocolate easier, combining with cake batter. Conching distributes cocoa butter and other ingredients evenly in the chocolate. The full process is explained on Grenada Chocolate's website.

5. Where does chocolate come from? Most of it comes from Africa, two-thirds to be exact, while Cote d'Ivoire produces 33 percent, according to the World Cocoa Foundation. Most cocoa comes from family-run farms.

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About the Author

Natalie Dreier