We are having company this evening after going out to eat. When I was thinking about what I might bake, this cake came to mind, as it is really one of my favorite cakes. I know I say that about every cake, but really, this is one of my most favorite. It has chocolate frosting, almond flavored vanilla frosting and a gooey chocolate ganache topping that just tops it off beautifully.
All you need to do is make one Duncan Hines Chocolate Fudge Cake mix according to directions for the 2 9″ layers. Then make a Duncan Hines French Vanilla Cake mix, following the directions for the 9″ layers, giving you 4 layers when you have finished.
Layer the vanilla/chocolate layers one at a time, frosting between them with your favorite chocolate frosting. If you need a good one, there is one of the blog. When you have all 4 layers (chocolate,vanilla, chocolate, vanilla) frost with the almond vanilla frosting, which is as follows.
1/2 cup of softened butter
1/2 cup Crisco Shortening
Heavy Whipping Cream to get to spreading consistency (about 1/2 to 2/3 cup probably)
1-2 teas of almond extract (remember, almond extract is stronger than vanilla so start with 1 teas and taste. If you desire a little more almond flavor, add a little at a time)
3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Beat all ingredients until well blended and of spreading consistency. Frost sides and top of cake. Top with the ganache. I used Martha Stewarts ganache recipe. When it gets to room temperature, spoon over top of cake, allowing it to drizzle down the sides of the cake.
This makes a beautiful presentation!
Tag: Butter Cakes
Bonnie Butter Cake
Cannot tell you why this is called Bonnie Butter Cake, but leafing through my spiral notebook from the early 70’s that I copied different recipes into, I came across this one today. Since Randy loves white (or yellow) cake with chocolate frosting, I told him I would make this for him. This sound crazy, but I love all the stains from grease and little fingerprints that had cocoa or butter on them, that are all over this precious memory spiral book. It just always takes me back to days of having 3 little kids pulling up chairs to the cabinet begging to “help” mix or stir. Isn’t it odd that when you are in those days, sometimes we think, “oh how nice it would be to just come in the kitchen and be able to bake a batch of cookies without all “mother’s little helpers”…it would go so much faster and smoother and easier. Then years down the road we see things like I am looking at right now and wish we could go back and have “mother’s little helpers” still pulling up to the cabinets. Moms and dads, don’t wish your years away. Enjoy them and savor each moment that they want to “help”…trust me, it goes much quicker than you will realize. Memories are so wonderful, so don’t wish away the years in which you are making them.
Ingredients
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 teas vanilla
3 cups cake flour or 2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teas baking powder
1 teas salt (if you used salted butter I would only use 1/2 teas salt)
1 1/4 cups milk
Grease and flour 2 9” cake pans (or one 9×13)
In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat for 5 minutes on high speed.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and stir until well combined. Add to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Pour into prepared pans and bake until cake tests done. Cool completely before frosting.
Quick Fudge Frosting
1 cup sugar
4 tables cocoa
4 tables butter
1/2 cup milk
2tables corn syrup
Dash salt
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teas vanilla
Mix sugar with cocoa in a small saucepan. Add butter, milk, corn syrup and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently. Boil for 3 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool about 5 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until no lumps appear. If mixture is too thick to spread over cake layers, add milk about 1 tables at a time and continue beating until mixture is smooth and right texture to frost cake.
Kentucky Butter Cake
On Face Book this morning, this cake showed up and instantly I went to the fridge and took out butter to soften so I could make it later in the morning. All I can say is WOW…it is just amazing and you can make it in one bowl, which is always a plus. The glaze that oozes into the holes which you punch as soon as it comes out of the oven, just makes it even more delectable. Three different people have sampled it today, and if you could have seen the looks on their faces. This will be one of the cakes that I make through the holidays this year to sell.
Ingredients for Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teas baking powder
1/2 teas baking soda
2 teas vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
Ingredients for Glaze
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
3 tables water
2 teas vanilla
Preheat oven to 325:
For cake, combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Beat for 3 minutes and pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake until cake tests done. (depending on size of bundt pan, will depend on how long it bakes, I used a small bundt pan and 4 mini loaf pans, but if you use a typical size bundt, such as a 9 or 10 cup, it will need to bake about an hour).
Glaze
Combine the butter, water and vanilla in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved, but do not boil. (I added one teaspoon of the vanilla to the mixture while it was cooking and then added the last teas right before I poured the glaze over the cakes.)
Bake in 10″ bundt pan which you have greased and floured for 60-75 min depending on your oven. I begin to check for doneness after about 55 min. But test about every 3-4 min until cake tests done!
When cake comes out of the oven, punch holes with end of a stick, straw or small round handle. Pour glaze over the cake allowing to drip down into the holes. Let cake cool completely before removing out of pan.
Chocolate Castles 