Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Chocolatey Chocolate Cake


I've been making this cake for years and years and years. This is also my son's favorite birthday cake. Don't try to change that up on him either ... he only wants this cake.

As he got older, and became an adult, I tried to make some "fancier" cakes for his birthday, to include a chocolate mousse cake covered with a chocolate ganache' .. sounds great doesn't it? Oh he ate it, but it wasn't "his" cake, so I gave up.

Now this is the only cake I bake for his birthday because it's the only one he wants. Sometimes you just can't change things up, and maybe that's a good thing. (original recipe from Hershey's)



RECIPE
Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Method
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your pans (see below for variations).

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.

Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake according to variations below, or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.

Cool completely. Frost as desired.



Variations:
One pan cake: Grease and flour 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

Three layer cake: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

Bundt cake: Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. Heat oven to 350. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

Cupcakes: Line muffin cups with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 tbls. butter
4 tbls. cream cheese
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Beat butter and cream cheese together. Beat in confectioner's sugar and vanilla and continue beating until smooth. May need to add 1 tbls. milk if necessary for spreading consistency. You'll need to double this for a layer cake.

Also seen on Meal Plan Monday

Enjoy,

Mary

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