There is a new site that is giving dozens of recipes on FaceBook called Thinkarete. Just seeing the pictures has made me wish I were 35 again so I would have more time to test them all. But at my age, I’m pretty sure that I will be hearing from the Dr. “now you know you don’t need to be eating any salt sugar or anything that doesn’t taste like cardboard”. But until I actually hear him say that to me, face to face, I am going to pack in as many sweets as I can. This recipe will be one of the first and since we have kids here for the next two weeks, I’m sure that lots of desserts will be consumed.
Cake
2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup plus 1 tables cocoa powder
1 tables baking soda
1 1/2 teas baking powder
1 1/2 teas salt
3 eggs, at room temp
1 1/2 cups milk, plus 2 tables vinegar to sour the milk
1 1/2 cups strong black coffee (warm, not hot)
3/4 cup melted butter, not hot
4 1/2 teas vanilla extract
White Frosting
3/4 cup butter, at room temp
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup half & half (more or less for desired spreading consistency)
2 teas vanilla
Chocolate Frosting
3/4 cup butter at room temp
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup half & half (more or less for spreading consistency)
2 teas vanilla
Chocolate Ganache
4 oz dark chocolate
2 tables butter
1/4 cup cream (whipping cream)
Garnish *if desired
2 cups mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chocolate sprinkles
2 oz grated dark chocolate shavings
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease 3 (8″) round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease and lightly flour the paper and sides of pans.
Measure out the milk and vinegar and mix. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, using mixer on medium, mix the eggs, soured milk, coffee, melted butter and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix for 2-5 min with mixer, scraping down the sides until all is well combined.
Divide the batter between the 3 pans equally. Bake for 30 min or until cake tests done in middle, about 30 min. Test cake but do not over bake. You do not want a dry cake.
White Frosting
Using mixer, cream the butter, adding the vanilla and the powdered sugar alternately with the cream, in increments until you reach a good spreading consistency.
Chocolate Frosting
Using electric mixer, cream the butter, adding the vanilla and cocoa. Add powdered sugar with the cream until you have a good spreading consistency.
Chocolate Ganache
Over low heat, or in microwaveable bowl, melt the chocolate and the butter. Mix in the cream and stir until the sauce is thick and smooth. Let cool before drizzling onto the cake.
On a cake platter, alternate the cake layers with the white frosting, but leaving the top layer without. Frost the sides and top with the chocolate frosting.
Garnish with the sprinkles, chips and shavings and drizzle the ganache over the garnishes.
Chocolate Castles as wel 