Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake Recipes

OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE BUTTERMILK CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of two 8" round cake pans with parchment paper, or butter and flour the bottom of the pans (don't butter/flour the sides).
• Combine the cocoa and the baking soda in a small heat-proof bowl. Whisk the boiling water into the cocoa, it will foam up a bit from the baking soda. Set aside to cool while preparing the other ingredients.
• Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt, set aside.
• Combine the oil, eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and sugar in a mixer bowl. Mix on medium speed to combine the ingredients, continue mixing for 2-3 minutes to emulsify the ingredients.
• With the mixer running on low, add the flour and then add the cocoa mixture. Mix until completely incorporated.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed or a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
• Cool completely before filling and icing.

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Cream oil, sugar and cocoa.
• Add eggs.
• Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk.
• Add soda and salt. Add vanilla to hot water and fold water into cake. Bake in 9 x 13-inch pan at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until done.
• Icing For Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake: Bring margarine, cocoa and whole milk to boil.
• Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Mix until smooth and of spreading consistency.
• This is my favorite chocolate cake.

OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE ICING

Steps:

• Place sugar in a medium sauce pot. The taller the pot the better.
• Add butter.
• Add cocoa.
• Add vanilla flavoring.
• Add milk.
• Place saucepot over Medium heat on stove top.
• Constantly stir the mixture as the sugar and butter dissolve. Do NOT walkaway.
• As pot tries to boil over, remove from heat and let mixture settle down.
• Mixture will soon settle, but you must constantly keep stirring the pot.
• Let mixture cook for 12 - 15 minutes until it thickens. Something about like applesauce or apple butter.
• Remove from heat when thickened and spread warm icing over cake layers.
• Enjoy!

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.

OLD FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a saucepan, melt 1 cup of butter. Stir in 1 cup water and 4 tablespoons cocoa powder. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, dissolve the baking soda in 1/2 cup of buttermilk. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the cooled cocoa mixture.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the cocoa buttermilk mixture. Stir until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Ice the cake with Buttermilk Pecan Icing while it's still warm.
• For the icing: In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter with 4 tablespoons cocoa. Stir in 1/3 cup buttermilk, and heat until almost boiling. Stir in confectioners' sugar, vanilla, salt and pecans. Remove from heat. Mix well and pour over warm cake.

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10x15-inch cake pan.
• Mix flour, sugar, and baking soda together in a large bowl; set aside.
• Heat butter, water, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and just boiling. Pour over the flour mixture and stir to combine. Stir in buttermilk and eggs. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine butter, milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract for the icing in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a slow boil, then stir in powdered sugar. Pour icing over the hot cake. Let sit for 2 hours before serving.

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, milk, vegetable oil, baking powder, salt and vanilla.
• Spread into greased 8 inch square baking pan.
• In medium bowl stir together remaining 4 tablespoons cocoa, brown sugar and hot water; pour over mixture in pan.
• Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until pudding bubbles around edges.
• Remove from oven; let stand 20 minutes.
• OPTIONAL SERVING METHOD:.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl stir jam until smooth.
• Drizzle each serving of warm pudding with jam.

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350. Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray. Cut an 8-inch round of parchment paper, and place in bottom of pan. Coat parchment with cooking spray. Dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
• Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
• Put chocolate, 1/4 cup milk, the granulated sugar, and 1 egg yolk into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until thickened; set aside.
• Put butter and brown sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in remaining yolk. Reduce speed to medium-low. Mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 1/4 cup water, remaining 1/4 cup milk, and extracts. Mix in chocolate mixture.
• Beat egg white to soft peaks; fold into batter with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cake to loosen; turn out onto rack. Remove parchment; let cool completely.
• Using a long, serrated knife, halve cake horizontally. Place bottom half, cut side up, on a cake stand; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining half; spread frosting over entire cake.

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-by-3-inch cake pans. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on medium speed, cream together butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Sift together flour and baking powder. With the mixer set on low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with milk, starting and ending with flour; scrape down sides twice.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk egg whites with pinch of salt on high speed until stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in a large spoonful of the beaten whites into the batter to lighten the mixture. Fold the lightened batter into the remaining egg whites. Divide the batter equally among the prepared pans. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes clean, about 1 hour 5 minutes. Remove the pans to a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack to cool completely.
• If cakes are not level, use a serrated knife to trim tops off. Carefully slice each cake horizontally into three equal layers, about 3/4 inch thick. (You will have six layers.) To assemble, place one sliced layer on an 8-inch cardboard cake round. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Repeat with remaining layers, placing the final layer bottom side up. Cover cake with remaining frosting. Serve immediately.

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch round cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Combine water, chocolate and coffee powder in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and coffee powder dissolves. Remove from heat. Cool.
• Beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in chocolate mixture. Mix flour and baking soda in medium bowl. Add to butter mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in sour cream.
• Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pans to racks and cool 10 minutes. Using small knife, cut around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap tightly in plastic and store at room temperature.)
• For frosting:
• Melt butter and chocolate in small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Transfer to large bowl; cool. Add sugar, cream and vanilla; beat until smooth. If necessary, refrigerate until firm enough to spread.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over top. Top with another cake layer. Spread 1/2 cup frosting over top. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over sides and top of cake in decorative swirls. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at cool room temperature.)

GRANDMA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk and hot water, beating well after each addition. , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack., For frosting, melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar, water and cream of tartar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 240° (soft-ball stage). Remove from the heat. Cool completely, without stirring, about 1 hour. Add vanilla; beat until thickened. Add cream; beat until smooth. Frost cake.