Tag: One-layer Cakes

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Fruit · Holiday Fare · Uncategorized

CHEWY CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY CAKE

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This recipe is taken from a Taste of Home Magazine in the Easter Edition. 

Sprinkle fresh raspberries around the cake platter and have a bowl of fresh whipping cream sitting beside this wonderful cake and oh my, the compliments you will receive!

3 Cups sugar

3/4 lb melted butter

4 eggs

1 tables vanilla

1 tables almond extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teas salt

1/4 cup raspberry jam

1 cup miniature chocolate chips

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 300.

Mix the sugar and butter in a mixing bowl on low.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add the extracts. Sift together dry ingredients and add to the batter, mixing until smooth. Pour into greased and papered 9” cake pan, reserving about 1/3 of the batter.

Carefully smooth out a thin layer of the raspberry jam. Top with chocolate chips and half the sliced almonds. Carefully cover with the remaining batter.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the remaining sliced almonds.

Bake for 1 hour and almost 45  minutes or more to be sure cake is done when knife inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. 

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Desserts · Uncategorized

Chocolate Mocha Cake

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It has been the first day I have had the chance to just sit and look through my new magazines. When I saw this recipe I got up and headed to the kitchen to make it. But….as I was walking to the kitchen, I began to remember the skillet apple pie that is on the blog and for some reason, I ended up making that tonight instead of this cake. Give us a couple of days to finish off the pie and I will make this cake. It sounds so good with coffee in it and it is a one layer cake so just perfect for 2 people (well actually would feed 4-6, but the way I cut slices, it will only feed us for two nights. Taken from Paula Deen magazine, get your butter out of the fridge and start your oven.

Makes 1 (8″) cake
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs, room temp
1 teas vanilla
1 cup flour
1/3 cup plus 1 teas dark cocoa (I use Rodelle)
1/2 teas kosher salt
1/2 teas baking soda
3/4 teas ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 cup hot brewed coffee
Creamy Coffee Frosting (Follows cake directions)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8″ round cake pan with baking spray with flour; line bottom of pan with parchment paper. (I hardly ever use parchment and have no trouble getting cake out of pan)
In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and melted butter. whisk in eggs and vanilla until well combined.
in a medium bowl,sift together the four, 1/3 cup cocoa, salt, baking soda and 1/2 teas cinnamon. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture just until blended. Stir in coffee just until combined. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake until cake tests done, about 33-40 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.Remove from pan, let cool completely on a wire rack.

Spread Creamy Coffee Frosting onto cake. Stir remaining 1 teas cocoa and remaining 1/4 teas cinnamon onto frosting. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Frosting
Makes 2 cups
1/2 teas instant coffee granules
1/2 teas hot water
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, softened
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teas vanilla
1/4 kosher salt
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a small bowl, stir together coffee and 1/2 teas hot water until dissolved.
In a large bowl, beat coffee mixture, mascarpone, butter, vanilla and salt with mixer on low speed until well mixed.
Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Top cake with frosting.

Cakes · Chocolate · Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Chocolate Ganache (thank you Ina)

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A couple of weeks ago, we had dinner at a sweet friends house. She served all our favorite Southern Dishes, Southern fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. The great ending to the evening was this amazing chocolate cake, which she had found in her Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa) cook book. So, needing my fix of weekly chocolate, I bought the can of chocolate syrup yesterday and made it first thing this morning. It is such a rich velvety cake with coffee granules in the ganache frosting. It actually will make you forget that the weather is not cooperating with cool temps, just because we are ready to have the fall decorations up. Treat yourself to this wonderful rich cake that is truly very simple to make.
Thanks Marilyn (and Ina) for sharing that heavenly cake with us.

Cake
1/4 lb unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 extra large eggs (this is the first cake recipe I have seen that called for extra large eggs instead of large)
1 (16 oz) can of Hershey’s chocolate syrup
1 tables pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour

Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz good semisweet chocolate chips (not imitation)
1 teas instant coffee granules

Preheat oven to 325. Butter and flour a 8″ cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix just until combined. Don’t over beat, or the cake will be tough.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40-45 min, or until just set in the middle. Don’t overtake. Let cool thoroughly in the pan.
For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. (I don’t have a double boiler, so just cooked over low heat until chips were completely melted and mixture was smooth. I stirred it almost the whole time)
Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides. Then place cake carefully on a serving plate. it frightens me to have to transfer a cake layer from a wire rack to a plate so I * (once again, I didn’t do that. I just placed it on a cake plate and poured the ganache over the top, allowing it to flow over the sides of the cake.*
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Breakfast · Cakes · Desserts

Almond Cake

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I love the almond flavor in cakes and frostings. Some evenings the almond craving just gets to me and I have to get in the kitchen and make a “wedding cake” (not an actual wedding cake, but a almond flavored white cake) time favorite cake. When I don’t want a huge two layer cake, since I would be the one who ate all of it, this recipe makes one quick and easy layer and gives me plenty of the almond flavor I am wanting.

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

2 beaten eggs, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 teas almond extract. Preheat oven to 350. Combine all of the ingredients together and hand mix with a fork, as little as possible.  Spoon into a prepared 9″ round pie tin or cake pan. Cover with slivered almonds and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cake tests done.

*You may make ahead of time and freeze.