Finally getting his cake...
and eating it too!
For the last three years, maybe more, I can only remember back that far, Tom has asked me for a dark chocolate cake with white buttercream frosting. Being a non chocolate lover, I guess I just didn't think he really wanted this cake. It seemed so boring to me, with so many other options out there, I somehow talked him into a different cake. They were variations on the dark chocolate cake, last year I made a chocolate cake with twinkie filling and chocolate frosting, the year before that chocolate skor cake with whip cream frosting. I thought he would be completely satisfied, but as his birthday got closer each year he begged me to make the cake he really wanted. Well this year I did. I was skeptical, I couldn't imagine it could or would taste as good as my other fancy cakes, and not nearly as impressive, which is always something to consider. But I was wrong. It was delicious and actually harder to make than any other cake I've made. Partly the recipe, partly the fact I followed it exactly. I usually cut corners when making things, but I wanted it to be the best birthday cake he had ever had. I would like to say it was, it only took three days for it to be completely consumed, and a lot of it was by me.
I figured I better document this recipe where I can find it easily. It was from one of my mom's cookbooks, and it looks like I will be making it every year from here on out.
Best Ever Chocolate Cake
from better homes & gardens best recipe book
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
2 cups four
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk
1. Allow buter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Lightly grease bottoms of three 8x11/2 round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper. Grease and lightly flour waxed paper and sides of pans.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, soda, powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt;set aside.
3. Beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed for 3-4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
4. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to beaten mixture, beating on low speed. Beat on medium speed for 20 more seconds. Spread evenly into pans.
5. Bake for 30-35 minutes for round cake pans. Cool cake in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Peel off waxed paper, and cool completely on wire racks.
Butter Cream Frosting
makes 3 1/2 cups of frosting ( I double it for this recipe)
8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
DON'T substitute margarine, it doesn't thicken as well, I made this mistake.
3 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
3-4 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with a mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, and vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more.
Chocolate Curls
6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate
2 tablespoons of vegetable shortening
Melt chocolate with shortening. Line a small bread pan with either tin foil or wax paper. Pour chocolate into pan and chill for approximately 2 hours. Take chocolate out of pan and use a peeler to create curls.
Monday, March 3, 2008 at 4:10AM
