Time 1h15m Yield 18 Number Of Ingredients 18 Steps:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a saucepan, melt 1 cup of butter. Stir in 1 cup water and 4 tablespoons cocoa powder. Remove from heat and set aside. In a medium bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the cooled cocoa mixture. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the cocoa buttermilk mixture. Stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Ice the cake with Buttermilk Pecan Icing while it’s still warm. For the icing: In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter with 4 tablespoons cocoa. Stir in 1/3 cup buttermilk, and heat until almost boiling. Stir in confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, salt and pecans. Remove from heat. Mix well and pour over warm cake.
Time 20m Number Of Ingredients 6 Steps:
Combine the milk, vanilla and salt in a microwave proof bowl. Microwave in 10 seconds increments until the milk is almost boiling. Pour the warm milk over the cocoa and whisk until smooth. Set aside to cool. Beat the butter on medium speed until it is softened and beginning to aerate. With the mixer running on low, slowly add the sugar to the butter and mix until completely combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the cooled cocoa mix, switch to the whisk. Whip until light and aerated. Use right away. Can be stored in the refrigerator until ready to use. Re-whip before using.
Time 2h Yield approximately 8 servings Number Of Ingredients 17 Steps:
Take everything out of the refrigerator so that all ingredients can come room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put all the cake ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, cocoa, butter, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream into a food processor and process until you have a smooth, thick batter. If you want to go the long way around, just mix the flour, sugar and leavening agents in a large bowl and beat in the soft butter until you have a combined and creamy mixture. Now whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs and beat this into your bowl of mixture. Divide this batter, using a rubber spatula to help you scrape and spread, into the prepared tins and bake until a cake tester comes out clean, which should be about 35 minutes, but it is wise to start checking at 25 minutes. Also, it might make sense to switch the 2 cakes around in the oven halfway through cooking time. Remove the cakes, in their tins, to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes before turning out of their tins. Don’t worry about any cracks as they will easily be covered by the frosting later. To make this icing, melt the chocolate and butter in a good-sized bowl either in the microwave or suspended over a pan of simmering water. Go slowly either way: you don’t want any burning or seizing. While the chocolate and butter is cooling a little, sieve the confectioners’ sugar into another bowl. Or, easier still, put the icing sugar into the food processor and blitz to remove lumps. Add the corn syrup to the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla and then when all this is combined whisk in the sieved confectioners’ sugar. Or just pour this mixture down the funnel of the food processor onto the powdered sugar, with the motor running. You may need to add a little boiling water, say a teaspoon or so, or indeed some more confectioners’ sugar, depending on whether you need the frosting to be thiner or thicker. It should be liquid enough to coat easily, but thick enough not to drip off. Choose your cake stand or plate and cut 4 strips of baking parchment to form a square and sit 1 of the cakes, uppermost (i.e. slightly domed) side down. Spoon about 1/3 of the frosting onto the center of the cake-half and spread with a knife or spatula until you cover the top of it evenly. Sit the other cake on top, normal way up, pressing gently to sandwich the 2 together. Spoon another 1/3 of the frosting onto the top of the cake and spread it in a swirly, textured way (though you can go for a smooth finish if you prefer, and have the patience). Spread the sides of the cake with icing and leave a few minutes until set, then carefully pull away the paper strips. I love to dot the top of this with sugar pansies, and you must admit, they do look enchanting, but there really is no need to make a shopping expedition out of it. Anything, or indeed nothing, will do.
Time 1h20m Yield 12 servings Number Of Ingredients 15 Steps:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans For the cake: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in stages with 1 1/3 cups water, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the layers out onto racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray. For the caramel icing: Mix 3 cups of the sugar and the milk in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil and keep it hot. Caramelize the remaining cup of sugar in an iron skillet. Do this by cooking over medium-high heat and stirring and scraping the pan with a flat-edged spatula as the sugar melts. Continue to cook until the syrup turns to medium or dark brown in color. This occurs at about 320 degrees F to 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Do not scorch the syrup. Stream the syrup into the boiling sugar and milk mixture and cook to the soft ball stage, about 238 degrees F. Add the butter, vanilla extract and baking soda. Pour the hot mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat as it cools until the icing is creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Watch the icing because it will go from runny to too thick very quickly. Spread on the cake layers while the icing is still warm. If it becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water.
Yield Serves 8 to 10 Number Of Ingredients 16 Steps:
Make cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Mix water, oil and vanilla in large bowl. Whisk in dry ingredients. Divide batter among pans. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chocolate chips over batter in each pan. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out; cool completely. Make frosting: Beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually beat in 3 cups sugar. Beat in 6 tablespoons milk and vanilla. Add cocoa and remaining 2 cups sugar; beat until blended, thinning with more milk if necessary. Place 1 cake layer, chocolate-chips side up, on platter. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer, chocolate-chips side up. Spread 2/3 cup frosting over. Top with remaining cake layer, chocolate-chips side down. Spread frosting over sides and top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; let stand at room temperature.)
Time 55m Yield 16 serving(s) Number Of Ingredients 15 Steps:
Cream oil, sugar and cocoa. Add eggs. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Add soda and salt. Add vanilla to hot water and fold water into cake. Bake in 9 x 13-inch pan at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until done. Icing For Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake: Bring margarine, cocoa and whole milk to boil. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix until smooth and of spreading consistency. This is my favorite chocolate cake.
Time 1h10m Yield 1 layer cake Number Of Ingredients 18 Steps:
Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the center. Spray two 8" round cake pans with nonstick spray. Whisk dry cake ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee granules, and vanilla in a large measuring cup. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined- a few lumps are ok. Divide batter between the two pans (about 3 cups each), then bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (35- 40 min). Cool cakes for 15 minutes on a rack, then invert them onto the rack. Leave upside down until completely cooled before frosting them. To make icing, melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt- the mixture will be thick/grainy. Combine cream, sour cream and coffee granules in a large measuring cup, mixing until smooth. Gradually add cream mixture to chocolate until blended and smooth. Cook until sugar has dissolved, and mixture is smooth and hot to the touch. DO NOT BOIL. Take mixture off the heat, and add vanilla. Cool at room temperature until spreadable (up to three hours). If it isn’t getting thick enough to be spreadable, put in the refrigerator until thick enough to spread. If it gets too thick to spread easily, warm gently in the microwave until it’s just right (20 seconds or so, repeat if necessary). Stir well, and ice cake, frosting first layer, then placing second layer on top, and icing the top and then the sides.
Yield Makes about 3 cups Number Of Ingredients 7 Steps:
Sift sugar, cocoa powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high until fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add sugar mixture. Mix in chocolate and sour cream. Use immediately.
Time 1h2m Number Of Ingredients 10 Steps:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 3 8" round cake pans, then line bottom with round parchment paper. Set aside. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix the cocoa powder and boiling water in a medium bowl until well combined and no lumps remain. Alternating between the two, slowly add dry ingredients and chocolate mixture to the bowl with the butter and sugar. Mix on low speed to incorporate ingredients. Divide the cake batter evenly between the three cake pans and place in the pre-heated oven. Bake 22-28 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside to cool for approximately 10 minutes before transferring the cakes from the pans to a wire rack to cool completely, approximately 10-15 more minutes. (Cakes should no longer be warm to the touch before frosting). To assemble the cake, place the first layer top-side down on a cake plate. Add 1/3 of the frosting to the top of the cake layer and spread it out evenly. Take the second layer and level off the rounded top with a knife or cake leveler. Place the second layer on top of the first layer, top-side down. Add frosting to this layer and spread out evenly. Repeat this with the 3rd layer, and spread the remaining frosting out on the top layer. Slice and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Time 50m Yield 1 two-layer cake (6-8 servings) plus 2 plain cake portions. Number Of Ingredients 14 Steps:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine cocoa and water until smooth; add the oil and butter. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. , In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar; gradually add cocoa mixture, beating until well combined. Beat in buttermilk and eggs. , Pour into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. , Cut cake into four 7-1/2x5-in. rectangles. Wrap two of the rectangles separately in foil; refrigerate or freeze. Set the other two rectangles aside. , For frosting, in a small saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa and milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute (the mixture will appear curdled). , Pour into a large bowl. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla; beat until frosting achieves desired spreading consistency. Spread frosting between layers and over the top and sides of cake. Unfrosted cakes may be frozen for up to 6 months.
Time 2h45m Yield 24 Number Of Ingredients 14 Steps:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15-inch cake pan. Mix flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large bowl; set aside. Heat butter, water, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and just boiling. Pour over the flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in buttermilk and eggs. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract for the icing in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slow boil, then stir in powdered sugar. Pour icing over the hot cake. Let sit for 2 hours before serving.
Time 1h10m Yield 12-16 servings. Number Of Ingredients 18 Steps:
In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and hot water, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack., For frosting, melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar, water and cream of tartar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 240° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat. Cool completely, without stirring, about 1 hour. Add vanilla; beat until thickened. Add cream; beat until smooth. Frost cake.
