Yield 18 Number Of Ingredients 11 Steps:
Sift together flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, and salt. Cream shortening, sugar, and eggs. Blend in sourdough starter. Add sifted ingredients slowly to creamed mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in water and vanilla, and mix well. Pour batter into greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until done.
Number Of Ingredients 12 Steps:
Mix the starter, warm milk and flour in a mixing bowl. Cover and allow this mixture to sit for about 2-3 hours. It is ready to use when it starts smelling yeasty and slightly like sour milk. Cream together the sugar, vanilla, baking soda, salt, butter and cinnamon until well creamed. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition. Stir in the melted chocolate. Add this mixture into the sourdough mixture. Use a rubber spatula to mix the ingredients together initially. Use hand mixer to continue mixing until the sourdough until completely combined. The sourdough will be sticky and stretchy, so it can be difficult to get fully mixed. But if you don’t make sure it is mixed, the cakes will not bake evenly. Beat for at least 1 minute on low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Preheat the oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Grease with shortening and flour two 9" round cake pans. (or rub with cake release) Spoon the batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake tests done (toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). Place one cake on a large cake plate. Top with 3/4 cup frosting and spread to the edges. Place the second cake on top. Then frost the top and outsides of the cake. If you choose to put sprinkles or other toppings on the cake, be sure to do that before the frosting crusts over. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
Time 1h40m Yield 15 serving(s) Number Of Ingredients 11 Steps:
Prepare chocolate mixture by placing chocolate in a small pan and adding hot water. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add baking soda and mix– mixture will foam. Cool mixture to lukewarm. Meanwhile, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla and the cooled chocolate mixture. Add nuts, flour, salt and sourdough starter. Mix well and pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13 inch baking pan. Let set in a warm place for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a pick comes out clean.
Time 1h Yield 1 cake Number Of Ingredients 19 Steps:
Combine the “fed” starter, milk, and flour in a large mixing bowl. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. It won’t necessarily bubble, but it may have expanded a bit. Preheat the oven to 350°F Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan. In a separate bowl, beat together the sugar, oil, vanilla, salt, baking soda, and cocoa. The mixture will be grainy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gently combine the chocolate mixture with the starter-flour-milk mixture, stirring till smooth. This will be a gloppy process at first, but the batter will smooth out as you continue to beat gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes, until it springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and cool on a rack while you make the icing. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into a large mixing bowl, and set it aside. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter and add the buttermilk or yogurt. Dissolve the espresso powder in the hot water, add to the pan, and bring the mixture just to a boil. Immediately pour the simmering liquid over the confectioners’ sugar in the bowl, and beat till smooth. Pour the warm frosting over the cake. Combine the chocolate chips, milk, and corn syrup in a microwave-safe cup. Microwave till the chips soften, then stir till smooth. Drizzle the chocolate over the icing. (This can be done immediately or you can wait until the cake is cooled.). If desired sprinkle chopped nuts on top.
