Nanny Hartenbaums Chocolate Cake Recipes

NANNY'S BLACK MIDNIGHT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a small bowl, dissolve cocoa powder and cayenne with hot brewed coffee and set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream oil and sugar until well combined.
• Add eggs and beat until light and creamy, about 1-2 minutes. This process beats air into the mixture. Scrape paddle and bowl and beat once.
• Slowly add in coffee/cocoa mixture, buttermilk and vanilla and beat until batter is smooth. Scrape paddle and bowl and beat once.
• In a separate bowl, sift flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to wet and beat on low speed to incorporate. Scrape down bowl and mix just until all ingredients are combined, do not over mix once flour is in.
• Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch cake pans and place a round parchment circle in each. Butter the top of the parchment then sprinkle the whole inside of the parchment and pan with cocoa powder, shaking out excess. Pour batter evenly between two pans and place in center of oven. (note, aluminum baking pans are by far, the best for baking cakes. Non-stick and dark colored pans can change the cake by browning it more than it needs to)
• Bake 30-35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Depending on your oven, you may need to rotate cake pans half way through. During our baking, one cake was done in 30 minutes and the second in 32 minutes. Do not over bake.
• Cool pans on wire racks for ten minutes then carefully invert out of pan onto rack to cool further.
• Sift cocoa powder with confectioner's sugar in a large bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer, cream butter until smooth. Add sugar and cocoa powder mixture along with buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth and creamy. Add additional buttermilk or whole milk if frosting is too thick.
• Place a small dollop of frosting on a cake dish to hold the cake from sliding and place one cake on the frosting. Frost the top of that layer. Place the second cake on the first and frost the entire cake, top and sides.

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth after each addition. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13x9-in. baking pan. , Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. When cake is cool, dust with confectioners' sugar or top with your favorite frosting.

SANDY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 9-in. round baking pans., In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in water until blended., Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely., For frosting, in a metal bowl over simmering water, melt butter and chocolates; stir until smooth. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture; beat until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate leftovers.

NANNY HARTENBAUM'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Combine 1 cup water and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat. Stir until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Let cool 10 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat 1 cup butter and dark brown sugar in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture will resemble thick frosting). Stir baking soda into chocolate mixture. Mix flour into butter mixture alternately with chocolate mixture in 2 additions each.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.
• Stir chocolate and butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Sift powdered sugar into medium bowl. Add chocolate mixture, 1 tablespoon water and vanilla and stir until smooth. Thin to spreading consistency with more water if necessary.
• Spread frosting over cake. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with foil and let stand at room temperature.) Cut into squares and serve.