Iowa Chocolate Cake Recipes

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.

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.

IOWA BROWNIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cream together the butter and sugar'til fluffy.
• Beat in chocolate syrup, then eggs 1 at a time.
• Beat in flour gradually.
• Fold in nuts.
• Pour onto a grased 10x15" baking pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
• Cool completely- frost with CHOCOLATE CHIP FROSTING.
• In a saucepan, combine butter, sugar, and evap.
• milk.
• Bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes.
• Stir in choc.
• chips and take off stove; let sit for 2 minutes to melt chips- don't stir during this time or frosting will be grainy.
• After 2 minutes, stir well.
• Frost brownies while icing is warm; cool completely and cut into squares.

CHOCOLATE CHURCH CAKE

Steps:

• Make the frosting: In a large saucepan, bring sugar and cream to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, chop chocolate and cube butter. After the sugar mixture has simmered for 6 minutes, turn the heat off and add chocolate and butter to the saucepan. Stir until everything is melted. Stir in the vanilla. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature while you make the cake. Do not stir until it has cooled almost entirely, likely for as long as it will take you to mix and bake the cake.
• Make the cake: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Coat three 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Cut three rounds of parchment paper to fit the bottom of each pan and line each pan with one. Spray the parchment. Sprinkle the pans with cocoa powder to coat, tapping each pan over the sink or trash can to shake loose any excess.
• Meanwhile, in a very large bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil while you prepare your wet ingredients.
• Whisk the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla in a medium bowl. Pour into the dry mixture and whisk gently until incorporated. It will be a bit clumpy but gently work it in. Pour in the boiling water to loosen the batter and gently whisk to combine, being careful not to splash.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Each pan should hold about 700 grams of batter. (Weighing your batter ensures even cooking and beautiful cake building.) Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs, 32 to 35 minutes. Set the pans on a wire rack to cool.
• When cakes are cooled, revisit your frosting, whisking to thicken and making sure not to overbeat or add any air or fluff to the frosting. Turn the cakes out of their pans and discard the parchment. Trim any rounded top off of each as evenly as possible.
• Assemble the cake: Scoop about 3/4 cup of frosting on one layer set on a cake plate, then repeat with the second and third layers. You can refrigerate the cake in between frosting each layer to ensure that your frosting is set and firm so that your next layer will be propped up properly. If the frosting is too soft, the next layer will just flatten the filling. Frost the outside of the cake with the remaining frosting, letting it chill as you go if needed. Use an offset spatula or butter knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean to smooth and shine the finished cake. This cake keeps and is best served at room temperature for up to 2 days. It holds remarkably well in the refrigerator for up to one week and can be served cold.

IRISH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F
• Grease and line 8-inch cake tins.
• Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Melt chocolate in a bowl placed over a saucepan of hot water.
• In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, then beat in the chocolate and mashed potato.
• Gradually beat in the egg, adding a little flour with each addition.
• Fold in the rest of the flour and stir in the milk.
• Divide mixture between cake tins and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is firm but springy to the touch.
• Remove from oven and after a few minutes, turn out on a cooling rack.
• While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Melt the chocolate as before, stir in the other ingredients and mix well.
• Use the icing to sandwich the cake layers together and coat the top and sides of the cake.
• HINT: What makes this rich chocolate cake "Irish" is not only to the creamy liqueur used in the filling, but also a particularly "Irish" ingredient in the cake mixture itself, which makes it extremely moist. Have you guessed it yet? Yes, it's the potato! Mystery solved! Bet you were wondering what potatoes were doing in a cake recipe! Even Irish dessert recipes make use of this abundant Irish crop!

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first 5 ingredients. Add the water, oil, vanilla and vinegar; mix well (batter will be thin). , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely. , For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, salt, milk and vanilla; mix well. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.