4 Levels of Chocolate Cake: Amateur to Food Scientist | Epicurious

We challenged chefs of three different skill levels - amateur Keith, home cook Daniel, and professional chef Penny from the Institute of Culinary Education - to bake us a chocolate cake. After each of them had presented their cocoa creation, we asked food scientist Rose to review their work. Which level takes the cake for you?


Rose is on Instagram! Follow her at @rosemarytrout_foodscience
Find Keith on social at @ohgoditskeith
Looking for Daniel on social? @iamdanielvictor
Follow the Institute of Culinary Education here! @iceculinary



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[andy]

Okay, I'm actually concern about Penny. She didn't put any booze in her cake and that is not like her at all

[joew]

i love that the number of cake layers are matched with the chef's level

[madeline]

The level one is literally me at 1am pretending I’m on a cooking show

[angieclare]

When you start understanding all the inside jokes in the comments about Frank and Lorenzo you know you’re in too deep

[chriskazakos]

The level 2 guy looks like a stereotypical cartoon character called max.

[Rockefellaxo]

They didn’t invite Stephen just because they didn’t want him to prepare chocolate cheesecake.

[tsudaira]

"Jesus take the wheel"


Clearly he is the hidden level 10 chef

[jacksonkloes]

I appreciate how Rose will never say a downright negative thing about anyone's cooking <3

[aashkenaz]

This is the first lvl 1 chef that actually made me feel like a level 2

[berlino]

They didn’t invited frank or he would have done his own chocolate.

[ndn]

The amateur: relatable funny cousin
The home cook: literally prince charming
The chef: that aunt that always bakes

[nicthomas]

Producer: "Make a chocolate cake"


Daniel: "I prefer to make homemade diabetes!"

[casuallyburning]

*IMPOSSIBLE.* Penny didn't use any _rum or alcohol_ whatsoever. This isn't the real her. Epicurious, let her out from where you've hidden her!!! 🤔

Edit: #SavePenny #SavePenny2020

[poperaymond]

Level one: **Makes a 1 Layer Cake.**
Level two: **Makes a 2 Layer Cake.**
Level three: **Makes a 3 Layer Cake.**

[californiahummus]

Keith is done first cuz' he's got his disco shirt on and has places to go.

[eca]

For everyone who is complaining about the level 3 cake, she still made a chocolate cake. Cakes are classified and named by the batter they are made with, not the icing or the filling. She used a CHOCOLATE batter, therefore it is a chocolate cake. Her cake is basically a chocolate cake with strawberry filling and peanut butter icing. The instructions were to make a chocolate cake and they did not specify that it had to have a particular icing flavor. All 3 chefs made chocolate cakes.

[jackeeleedee]

Did the level 1 guy say burnt chocolate can’t be that bad? Has he ever had burned chocolate, it’s pretty much the worst thing in existence

[judebaraka]

Last time i was this early Daniel put blackberries in his grilled cheese

[makesparkzfly]

Level 1: a mood
Level 2: damn attractive
Level 3: talent

[zofzofzof_iaa]

Penny, not putting in any booze to her cake:
Me: who are you and what have you done to Penny