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A slice of moist Turkish wet chocolate cake topped with ground pistachios.

Authentic Turkish Wet Chocolate Cake (Islak Kek)

A legendary Turkish chocolate cake known for its intensely moist texture and rich cocoa glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 12 Squares
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Turkish
Calories: 526
Ingredients Equipment Method Video Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cake:
  • 4 large Eggs
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup All-purpose Flour
  • 3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
  • 1 tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
For the Sauce:
  • 1.5 cups Milk
  • 1 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder

Equipment

  • Rectangular Baking Dish: A standard 9x13 inch glass or ceramic dish works best.
  • Small Saucepan: For boiling the chocolate sauce.
  • Electric Hand Mixer: Essential for getting the eggs and sugar to a frothy consistency.
  • Sieve: To ensure the flour and cocoa are lump-free.

Method
 

  1. Combine sauce ingredients in a pan. Whisk and bring to a boil, then set aside to cool.
    Boiling milk, sugar, oil, and cocoa for the chocolate cake sauce.
  2. Whisk eggs and sugar for 5-7 minutes until pale and frothy.
    Whisking eggs and sugar until pale and voluminous for a sponge cake.
  3. Add milk and oil to the egg mixture. Gently stir to combine.
    Adding milk and oil to the frothed egg and sugar mixture.
  4. Sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and vanilla. Mix until a homogeneous batter forms.
    Sifting flour and cocoa powder into the wet cake batter.
  5. Pour into a greased dish and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 30-35 minutes.
    Baking the chocolate sponge in a preheated 180 degree oven.
  6. Remove cake from oven, rest for 5 minutes, and slice into squares.
    Slicing a warm chocolate cake into squares before saucing.
  7. Pour the cooled sauce evenly over the warm sliced cake. Let it soak for 1 hour.
    Pouring chocolate sauce over a warm, sliced Turkish Islak Kek.

Video

Notes

If your cake does not seem to be absorbing the sauce, it might be because the sauce or the cake is too cold. The Golden Rule is a hot cake and a room-temperature sauce. To make it even more indulgent, serve it with a dollop of clotted cream (Kaymak) or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!