Treat your family or guests with an easy one-bowl chocolate cake inspired by the Tejana legend Selena Quintanilla. A delicious fudgy chocolate sheet cake that is so easy to make with a creamy chocolate frosting that I served at my Raised on Selena event.
Selena’s song “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” is always on repeat here at mi casita. Released as part of her album Amor Prohibido on July 31, 1994, this song is iconic. But did you ever stop to wonder what the lyrics of the song mean?
In an interview with Don Francisco on Sábado Gigante in 1994, the late Tejana singer talked about the catchy chorus of her new song. She revealed she was the one who wrote the song and what the special meaning behind it was.
“It’s the sound the heart makes when you see a man pass by. It sounds like, ‘Bidi bidi bom bom,'” Selena told Don Francisco. According to Selena’s brother, A.B. Quintanilla, she wrote the song shortly after Chris Pérez joined Los Dinos, so it all makes sense, right?
My daughter Angelica who is currently enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America invited her classmate over to cook a few weeks ago and made this cake. One bit and I knew I had to serve it at my Raised on Selena event. I asked her fellow classmate for the recipe and she happily shared it with me.
I served this stunning at my Raised on Selena event, it was a HIT with my guests. Our amigos at Fresco made my recipe and decorated this cake to fit the evening’s festivities. I LOVE IT!
We served the cake with the amazing chocolate from mi amgia over at CocoAndre & the fabulous cookies from A+ Plus Cookies.
Note about coffee: The coffee does not make the cake taste like a coffee-flavored cake. The coffee helps to enhance the chocolate flavor of the cake. The coffee must be at room temperature as to not scramble the eggs.
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 ounces plain yogurt or sour cream
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee room temperature
- 1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional
- Chocolate Ganache
- 9 ounces semi-sweet chocolate about 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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DIRECTIONS:
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Preheat oven to 350° F. Liberally spray a 9x9 square baking pan; set aside until ready to use.
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In a large mixing bowl combine egg, sugar, yogurt, oil, vanilla, and whisk until smooth. Add coffee, cocoa powder, and whisk until batter is smooth and free from lumps.
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Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and whisk until batter has just combined, about 1 minute.
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Add batter to pan, bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan completely, at least 30 minutes, before frosting.
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Place chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl and heat on high power for 1 minute to soften chocolate; set aside.
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In a small microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, heat the cream on high power just until it begins to bubble and show signs of boiling, about 60 to 75 seconds.
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Pour hot cream over the chocolate and let it stand about 1 minute. Whisk until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth and velvety.
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Add vanilla or optional flavorings and stir to combine. Set bowl aside for about 10 minutes, allowing the ganache to cool and thicken a bit. Whisk mixture briefly before pouring all of it over the cake. Lightly smooth and spread the ganache with a spatula or offset knife. Allow ganache to set up for at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving the cake; or speed this process up by placing pan in the refrigerator or freezer briefly.
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