Handmedownchocolatecake Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE

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.

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.

WORLD'S BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/170 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter round springform pan with butter and line with parchment paper, then set aside.
• Make the cake: Place butter, chocolate and hot coffee in a large heatproof bowl and mix well until everything is melted, combined and smooth. Whisk in sugar by hand until dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again until thoroughly combined and smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a bowl and then whisk this into the melted chocolate mixture. The batter here is liquid, but don't think you have missed something; this is how it should be.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached. The top will form a crust and crack a little, but don't worry, this is expected. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan, then set aside until completely cool.
• Make the chocolate ganache, if desired: Place chocolate pieces in a food processor, process until fine and set aside. Combine cream and corn syrup in a small pan and place over medium-high heat. As soon as bubbles begin to appear (just before it comes to a boil), remove from the heat. Get the food processor running again, with the chocolate still inside, and pour in the hot cream in a steady stream. Process for 10 seconds, then add butter. Continue to process until mixture is shiny and smooth. (You can also make the ganache by hand; just make sure the chocolate is chopped fairly finely before adding the cream mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until almost melted, then add the butter. Stir again until the ganache is smooth.)
• Use a rubber spatula to scrape the ganache into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, with the plastic actually touching the top of the ganache. Set aside until it has set to the consistency you want. If you want a thin layer to spread over the cake, it can be poured over while liquid so that you get an even, light and shiny coating. For a thicker ganache with a spreading consistency, leave it for about 2 hours at room temperature. (The ganache can be stored at room temperature, providing it's not too warm, for 3 days or kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen, although it will lose a bit of its shine when defrosted.)
• Make the espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream, if desired: Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.
• Peel the parchment from the cake and discard. Transfer to a serving platter and spread the ganache, if using, on top of the cake. Slice into wedges, divide the cake among plates and, if using, spoon the mascarpone cream alongside. With or without icing, the cake will keep well for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.

HAND-ME-DOWN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour two 8" cake pans (or use Pan Release, Professional Pan Coating, Recipe #78579, by Kittencal).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla; beat 1 minute at medium speed.
• In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
• Alternately add the flour mixture and the water to the creamed mixture, while mixing.
• Pour batter into pans, dividing equally.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
• Cool cake for 5 minutes, then remove from pans and place on wire racks to fully cool before frosting.

CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and line the bottom of 9- by 13-inch cake pan with parchment paper, overlapping on two sides to create flaps.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Heat the cola just to a simmer over low heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes; stir until smooth.
• Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the sugar and eggs in a separate bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until slightly thickened and pale, about 3 minutes. Gradually add the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and melted chocolate to the eggs. Beat on low until combined, but not aerated. Add the flour mixture and continue to beat until just combined. Stir lightly with a rubber spatula to remove any pockets of flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake springs back lightly when touched and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
• Cool the cake completely in the pan on a rack. Run a knife around edge of the pan and invert the cake onto the rack. Carefully remove the parchment paper and cool completely. (The cake may be made in advance, tightly wrapped and kept at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
• For the icing: Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a standing mixer's bowl above the water. Whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, salt and egg whites in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the bowl to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat the whites at medium-high speed until they almost hold a stiff peak and are fully cooled, about 10 minutes. Beat in the butter, a little at a time, until the icing is smooth and spreadable. (If the icing separates, just keep beating and it will come back together.)
• Frost the cake. Serve or set aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving, refrigerating if needed. (If cake is refrigerated, bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving.)

CHOCOLATE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. In a small saucepan, heat water and butter until butter is melted. Stir in brown sugar; mix well. Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with coconut, chocolate chips, pecans and marshmallows., Prepare cake batter according to package directions; carefully pour over marshmallows. Bake 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before inverting cake onto a serving plate.

HAND ME DOWN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs and vanilla.
• Beat one minute at medium speed.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt.
• Add alternately with water to creamed mixture.
• Pour batter into two greased and floured 8" pans.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
• Cool.
• Frost with chocolate frosting.