Here's Why You Should Be Adding Sea Salt To Your Chocolate Cake

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It's hard to imagine there's much to improve upon when it comes to chocolate cake, but you are majorly missing out if you aren't incorporating sea salt. Of the many unexpected seasonings worth adding to desserts, sea salt is the thing your decadent chocolate cake needs — and we have science and the experts on our side to prove it.

Sea salt and chocolate have a centuries-old love affair, with both at one point being so valuable that they were literally used as a currency. Today, you'll find countless confections combining the two ingredients including cakes. To understand why sea salt and chocolate pair so well together, we spoke to Jerrelle Guy, founder of Chocolate for Basil and author of the James Beard-nominated cookbook, "Black Girl Baking: Wholesome Recipes Inspired by a Soulful Upbringing." Guy explained that she loves the addition of sea salt in chocolate cake, saying, "Sea salt just sharpens the chocolate flavor and makes the flavor more pronounced, overall." 

The way that salt enhances the profile of chocolate (milk, dark, or otherwise) and emphasizes its sweetness is also backed by research, which it's precisely why you should add salt when cooking with chocolate, no matter the recipe.

When asked for some tips on how to add sea salt into chocolate cake, Guy said, "I actually like dissolving the salt into the melted chocolate in the prep stages, so the salt makes it into every bite of the batter." She advises, "Use a fine sea salt so it dissolves well." 

If you like that salty crunch, you have options. According to Guy, "You can also sprinkle flaky salt over the finished cake or frosting." To really maximize the inclusion of salt, she recommends coating the cake with a glossy ganache, explaining, "That way you would get layers of saltiness  — the rounded flavors inside the cake that fill your taste buds, and a pop of saltiness right at the end." To add even more flavor to your chocolate cake, try a smoked (or flavored) sea salt. 

Feeling inspired? Beyond chocolate cake, salt coaxes out rich flavors in hot chocolate, too. Plus, we can't forget the timeless duo of sea salt and caramel. Try your hand at combining them all in our decadent layered chocolate flan recipe.