Chocolate Cake

I have been making a lot of chocolate cakes lately, but that has given me more time to work on getting it just right.  I think I have it.  A perfectly moist, rich chocolate cake.  

I made one for a cub scouts banquet a couple of weeks ago and doubled the icing ingredients except I forgot to double the powdered sugar.  The icing was slowly making its way down the sides of the cake like slow moving lava.  I put the whole cake in the freezer while we ate dinner hoping the lava flow would stop and I could salvage the cake.  It did stop and the cake was devoured.  I think we brought home two slices.  Lesson learned:  Make sure to double all of the ingredients when doubling a recipe and people will eat it anyway.  It is chocolate after all.  

I made a cake last week for my son's school staff.  Parents are asked to bring things in once a month for staff birthday celebrations.  I would have loved that when I was teaching.  It was always exciting to find treats in the teacher's lounge and it did make me feel appreciated when the PTA did something for the school staff.  

When my husband saw that I had made yet another cake that would be exiting our house, he said, "I wish you would make a cake for us and not just for other people."  I thought about it and realized that he was right, although I know he ate a big slice of cake at the cub scout banquet so he wasn't completely deprived of all things delicious and chocolate.  

So alas here we are...a great big chocolate cake for our family.  The boys have been loving this.  One morning I even let them have cake at breakfast.  

A little goes a long way.  Enjoy this rich chocolate cake with a tall glass of cold milk. 

Cake Ingredients:

2 3/4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

2.  Grease and flour two 9" cake pans , one 9 X 13 pan, or line cupcake cups with paper liners.

3.  Place all ingredients in mixer.  Start on a low speed to blend ingredients then increase speed to medium high and mix for about 3 minutes.  Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.  

4.  Pour batter into prepared pans and bake.  To test cake doneness, stick the center with a toothpick and when it comes out clean the cake is done.  

Two 9" rounds = 40-45 minutes
9 X 13 pan = 40-45 minutes
Cupcakes = 20-25 minutes


Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

1 12-ounce package semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips*
1 cup half-and-half 
1 1/2 cup butter (3 sticks) 
5 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

1. Combine the chocolate chips, half-and-half and butter in a heavy saucepan.

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate chips melt. Remove from heat.

3. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, stirring well.

4. Put icing in mixing bowl and refrigerate until cold and firm (overnight or for several hours).  Then mix with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  

*Use semi-sweet chocolate chips to make a dark chocolate frosting and milk chocolate chips to make a milk chocolate frosting.  

Yum

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