All The Stops Out Chocolate Cake Recipes

"ALL-THE-STOPS" CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks to middle and bottom positions. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray three 9-inch round pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with cooking parchment paper rounds; spray with cooking spray.
• In 3-quart saucepan, heat coffee and butter over medium heat until butter melts and mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add cocoa. Beat with wire whisk until there are no lumps; set aside and cool 5 minutes.
• In very large bowl, beat flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt with wire whisk. Pour coffee mixture over dry ingredients and stir just until no dry flour mixture is visible. In small bowl, beat eggs and egg yolk with wire whisk. Add to flour mixture, beating well. Stir in sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well mixed.
• Pour batter into pans. (Batter will nearly reach tops of pans.) Carefully place pans in oven, 2 on bottom rack and 1 one on middle rack. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake top is no longer wobbly. Cool on wire racks, about 10 minutes. Invert cake layers onto wire racks and remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour. (Layers are easier to handle when cold, so you may want to wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours before frosting.)
• In large bowl, place chopped chocolate and set aside. In 4-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream and corn syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour mixture over chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and beat with wire whisk until chocolate is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes. Stir well and refrigerate 30 minutes longer. Continue to stir every 30 minutes until icing is spreadable, about 2 hours total.
• Place about 2 tablespoons icing in center of serving plate or stemmed cake plate. (This will steady the cake as you ice it.)Place 1 layer on plate and spread approximately 1 1/2 cups icing to edge of layer. Top with another layer and spread 1 1/2 cups icing to edge. Top with last layer. Frost side and top with remaining icing. Smooth top and side of cake. Use hands to liberally press coating into side of cake. Repeat all around cake to cover side with coating, filling in any bare spots.

CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Make the filling: Bring the milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and egg in a medium heatproof bowl until smooth. Gradually whisk half of the hot milk into the sugar mixture, then return to the pan with the remaining milk. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl (strain through a fine-mesh sieve if it looks lumpy), then stir in the chocolate until melted. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cold, at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache: Put the chocolate and salt in a large heatproof bowl. Bring 1 1/2 cups heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; pour over the chocolate and let sit 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Pour 3/4 cup of the ganache into a liquid measuring cup and set aside at room temperature. Refrigerate the remaining ganache in the bowl until thick but not set, about 1 hour.
• Assemble the cake: Put 1 cake layer on a platter; spread the filling on top, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge. Top with the second cake layer and press down gently.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons heavy cream to the chilled ganache and beat with a mixer on medium speed until just fluffy, about 1 minute (do not overbeat). Frost the whole cake with the whipped ganache. Pour the room-temperature ganache on top, letting it drip down the sides. Let set before slicing, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

ALL-CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE FROM EBINGER'S

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Butter and lightly flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Make the cake: Place the cocoa in a small bowl and whisk in the boiling water to form a paste.
• Combine the chocolate and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat.
• Stir frequently until the chocolate melts, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Whisk a small amount of the hot chocolate milk into the cocoa paste to warm it.
• Whisk the cocoa mixture into the milk mixture.
• Return the pan to medium heat an stir for 1 minute.
• Remove and set aside to cool until tepid.
• In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together.
• Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, and add the vanilla.
• Slowly stir in the chocolate mixture.
• Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Using a spatula or a wooden spoon, slowly add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture.
• Fold until just mixed.
• In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cakes comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Cool the cakes in the pans on a rack for 15 minutes.
• Gently remove the cakes from the pans and continue to cool.
• While the cake is baking, make the filling: Combine the cocoa and boiling water in a small saucepan over low heat.
• Stir in the sugar and chocolate.
• Add the dissolved cornstarch paste and salt to the pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
• Boil for 1 minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the vanilla and butter.
• Transfer the mixture to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cool.
• Make the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over hot, not simmering, water, stirring until smooth.
• Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time.
• Return the top to the hat, if necessary, to melt the butter.
• Whisk in the hot water all at once and whisk until smooth.
• Whisk in the corn syrup and vanilla.
• Cover and refrigerate for up to 15 minutes prior to using.
• Assemble the cake: Use a sharp serrated knife to slice each cake layer horizontally in half to form 4 layers.
• Set 1 layer aside.
• Place 1 layer on a cake round or plate.
• Generously swath the layer with 1/3 of the filling.
• Add the second layer and repeat.
• Set the third layer on top.
• Quickly apply a layer of frosting to the top and the sides of the cake.
• Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, crumble the remaining cake layer.
• Apply the remaining frosting to the cake.
• Sprinkle it liberally with the cake crumbs.
• Serve the cake within 24 hours, store in a cool place.
• Note: The filling ingredients make for a very runny filling, which is how a real Ebinger's cake should be.
• For those who desire a less syrupy consistency, they can stir in an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch.

BEST MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

" ALL-THE-STOPS-OUT" CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks to the middle and bottom positions. Heat oven to 350°F
• Spray three 9-inch round pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper rounds; spray with cooking spray.
• In a 3-quart saucepan, heat coffee and butter over medium heat until butter melts and mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add cocoa. Beat with wire whisk until there are no lumps; set aside and cool 5 minutes.
• In a very large bowl; beat flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Pour coffee mixture over dry ingredients and stir just until no dry flour mixture is visible. In a small bowl, beat eggs and egg yolk with wire whisk. Add to flour mixture, beating well. Stir in sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well mixed. Batter will be thin and watery.
• Pour batter into pans. (Batter will nearly reach top of pans.) Carefully place pans in oven, 2 on the bottom rack and 1 in the middle. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top of cake is no longer wobbly. Cool on wire racks, about 10 minutes. Invert cake layers onto wire racks and remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour. (Layers are easier to handle when cold, so you may want to wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours before frosting.).
• In a large bowl, place chopped chocolate and set aside. In a 4 quart saucepan, heat whipping cream and corn syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour mixture over chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and beat with wire whisk until chocolate is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Stir well and refrigerate 30 minutes longer. Continue to stir every 30 minutes until icing is spreadable, about 2 hours total.
• Place about 2 tablespoons icing in center of serving plate or stemmed cake plate. Place 1 layer on plate and spread approximately 1 1/2 cups icing to edge of layer. Top with another layer and spread 1 1/2 cups icing to edge. Top with last layer. Frost side and top with remaining icing. Smooth top and side of cake. Use hands to liberally press coating into sides of cake filling in any bare spots.