Chocolate cake is our highest-volume single flavour. We tested every percentage from 45% to 75% over the first year. 56% won.
Why not higher. Indian palates skew toward less bitter desserts than European ones. 70%+ dark chocolate cakes are loved by adult chocolate enthusiasts but consistently rejected by kids and many older customers. We do not want to make a cake that half the table will leave on the plate.
Why not lower. Below 50%, the chocolate becomes a sweetness vehicle rather than a flavour. Mass-market chocolate cake in India usually uses 35-40% cocoa content, which is why it tastes uniform and forgettable.
The specific chocolate. Callebaut 56% Belgian couverture. We have used it since the first month and have not found a better single chocolate. Source: a Mumbai importer who supplies our monthly stock.
The sponge uses cocoa powder plus melted couverture. The ganache filling between layers is 1:1 cream to couverture, set overnight in the fridge. The outer ganache (the glossy top) is 2:1 cream to couverture so it pours and sets smoothly.
Flavour additions. We can add coffee (a tablespoon of decoction in the sponge — deepens the chocolate without tasting like coffee). We can add a touch of orange zest. We can add cardamom for festival weeks. Avoid: chilli (does not translate well in cake form despite social-media claims), too much salt.
Decoration: cocoa nibs on top, gold leaf for occasion cakes, hand-piped 'happy birthday' in plain white royal icing. We avoid chocolate shavings on chocolate cake — same texture and colour, no contrast.