Aunt Almas Chocolate Cake Recipes

AUNT JOYCE'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
• Pour the melted chocolate into a large mixing bowl. Blend in the mayonnaise, vinegar and vanilla. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and gradually stir into the chocolate mixture. Slowly stir in the warm water. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

BEATTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
• Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

AUNT ELSA'S DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• In the top of a double boiler or in a stainless-steel mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water so that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans.
• In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, place the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat on high speed until lightened in color, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally.
• Reduce the speed to low and beat in the chocolate. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with the buttermilk in 2 parts, starting and ending with the flour. Beat in the water until smooth.
• Pour into the prepared pans. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outside and turn out onto racks. Peel off the paper. Flip them over to completely cool right-side up on the racks. If not assembling right away, cover the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1 day.
• Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: In the top of a double boiler or in a stainless-steel mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water so that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool.
• In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, place the cooled, melted chocolate, the sugar, and the hot water. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg, butter, and vanilla. Continue beating until the frosting is thick and fluffy and mounds beautifully on a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes.
• When ready to fill and frost the cake, hold a serrated knife horizontally and use a gentle sawing motion to shave the domed top off each layer. Fill and frost the cake, using a crumb coat (page 202) if you have time.
• Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
• If the percentages you sometimes see on bars of chocolate seem baffling, just know this: They refer to the percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter in the chocolate. This varies from brand to brand, but generally semisweet chocolate is about 50 percent cocoa, and bittersweet is 60 to 70 percent cocoa. Always use a good-quality chocolate in chocolate desserts-it will usually determine how good your end result is!

AUNT GERALDINE'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9x13-inch pan; dust pan with flour. Sift flour, sugar and salt into large bowl. Combine coffee, butter, and cocoa in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture is smooth and comes to boil. Pour coffee mixture over flour mixture; stir until blended. Add buttermilk, eggs, cinnamon, baking soda and vanilla and stir until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack.
• For frosting:
• Combine cocoa, butter and 6 tablespoons buttermilk in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Stir until mixture is smooth and comes to boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat frosting until smooth, adding more buttermilk by tablespoons if frosting is too thick.
• Spread frosting over cake in pan. Sprinkle walnuts over. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 3 hours before serving.)

AUNT CAROL'S CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour a cookie sheet and preheat oven to 400ºF.
• In a small bowl, mix the eggs, baking soda and sour cream.
• In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar and salt, stir to combine.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water and cocoa powder, heat and stir to combine.
• Add cocoa mixture to flour/sugar, blend with mixer. Add egg mixture and beat 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips if desired. Put in cookie sheet and bake 14-20 minutes.
• When the cake is out of the oven, put the cream in a saucepan and heat to simmer.
• Add chocolate to the bowl of a food processor.
• Once the cream is heated, pour into food processor and let sit 4 minutes.
• Pulse a few times then process 5-10 seconds to smooth out the mixture.
• Transfer ganache to a non-plastic bowl. For a glaze style ganache, top cake now. For a lighter, fluffier "frosting", refrigerate 1-2 hours, whip in mixer, then top the cake. Top with walnuts, optional.
• Refrigerate the cake at least an hour before serving.

AUNT MARY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch pan. In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate, margarine and water until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt and soda. Pour in milk and eggs. Mix the cooled chocolate mixture into the batter. Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Frost with Best Buttercream Frosting.

AUNT ALMA'S CHOPPED APPLE CAKE

Steps:

• Mix apples and sugar and let stand to draw juice.
• Mix dry ingredients, then add oil, eggs and vanilla.
• Stir in apples and juice.
• Combine well and stir in raisins and nuts.
• Bake in 9x13 pan in 350 oven, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Top with Vanilla Butter Frosting or Philadelphia Cheese Frosting (I prefer Phily Frosting).

AUNT ALMA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together eggs and dark brown sugar. Add melted butter and melted chocolate; set aside. Combine sifted flour with baking soda and salt. Alternately add dry ingredients with buttermilk to sugar and butter mixture until batter is smooth. Then add 1/4 cup hot water and vanilla to batter. Mix well and pour into 2 greased and floured 9" cake pans. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 35-40 minutes.