Chocolate Cake

This is...probably the soul of chocolate goodness.

I made it one day as a romantic Just Because surprise for Michael. 

It's dense and moist and perfect. I wouldn't make a chocolate cake if it were even slightly "dry." 

This cake is committed to absolute chocolateyness.

You know how people say the way to a man's heart is through the stomach?

I think there's a definite pathway to my heart labeled Chocolate.

Chocolate Cake

printable version

3/4 cup butter

3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups milk

Now follow the directions carefully. This is homemade cake, and it's slightly particular in its science.

1. Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes (or bring egg to room temp by letting sit in cup of warm water--it has to be room temp for it to emulsify properly with other ingredients! And don't overheat the butter, make sure it's room temp, too!). 
2. Grease bottoms of two 8x8x2-inch square or 9x1.5-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper (you can trace the pan for the right size). OR grease on 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Set pan(s) aside.
3. In a medium bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350*F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds (yes, count). GRADUALLY add sugar, 1/4 CUP AT A TIME, beating on medium speed until well combined. Scrape sides of bowl; beat 2 minutes. 
5. Add eggs ONE AT A TIME, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla. ALTERNATELY add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more (yes, count again). Spread into prepared pans. 
6. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes for 8-inch pans and 13x9 pan, 30 to 35 minutes for 9-inch pans (until a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean). 
7. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Be patient. 
8. Remove layers from pans. Peel off waxed paper. Cool thoroughly on racks-- really. (With 9x13, just let it cool and leave it in the pan, of course). 

For the amazing finish, which is essential to making this cake adventure sinfully chocolate, frost with ganache. 

Yes, mmm, ganache. 

Banana Sheet Cake

shown without icing

This is a very good breakfast (and easily halved). There's no difference (to me) between using sour cream or yogurt. It's just GOOD every time. And super, super easy! I have often made this breakfast the night before.


Banana Sheet Cake
printable version


1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream OR plain yogurt
1 cup butter (or 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup margarine)
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour

Preheat oven to 375

°

. Grease 10x15 baking sheet.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and spread onto baking sheet.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden.

OPTIONAL ICING:
Melt 1/2 cup butter on stove top. Remove from heat and add:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 TBS milk
Stir until smooth and spread on warm cake.

Crumb Top Coffee Cake

Does anyone have a coffee cake recipe they're in love with? Because I really do like this cake, but every time I make it, I can't help but daydream of a better cake made by my harp teacher (I'll get that recipe someday, I promise myself and the world!).

Oh well. Dreams aside, this is a very good breakfast cake, and even if there are leftovers after breakfast, there are no leftovers by the end of the day.

Crumb Top Coffee Cake

printable version

Bake: 30 minutes @ 375*

TOPPING - I doubled the topping; there really wasn't enough for my taste otherwise, but if this is too much for you, cut it in half!

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour (always sift before measuring)

1/2 cup butter, room temperature (not melted!!!)

2 tsp cinnamon

CAKE

1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

~

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

In small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly (I like to use my pastry blender). Set aside.

Sift baking powder and salt with 1 1/2 cups sifted flour into a bowl. I skip the extra sifting and just blend the sifted flour with the baking powder and salt, but only because I'm perhaps a bit lazy. I don't always even sift the flour to start with. In other words, it works when you don't, but there's a reason it's part of the recipe!

In a medium bowl, beat together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 8- or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Or a 2-quart square pan, don't worry if you don't have the "right" pan.

Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over batter.

Bake at 375* for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack. Cut cake while still warm.

Cake Tips

The first cake I remember making is for my little sister's 8th(ish) birthday. Somehow it turned out very, very rounded on the top, and the frosting looked like toothpaste. But she liked the little bears dancing around it, and it tasted good. So she forgave me.

The next cake: ugly. Sorry, but it just was. And it was for the same sister! Poor dear. The cake was a plain round one, but the decoration was such a disaster I was embarrassed to show it to anyone. I'd tried to write a message...and tried to do hearts...and I don't know what else I tried, but I wished I'd stopped trying.

The next? HUGE flowers. Nobody wanted to gag down those wads of frosting. And the colors were a little more garish than pastel.

The next: for a friend's son's birthday. I made a yellow cake from scratch...it smelled soooo good. But I made the mistake of starting late, so I had to rush with the decorating. :| Not a good idea! It was all rather monotone. Not too hideous, but not very exciting either. I just hoped the little boy was too young to care.

And then my son's 1st Birthday Cake... I "drew" a giraffe on the cake. It was cool. Finally. Cool, not ugly.

So, through all these cake experiences, I've gathered some handy tips!

printable version

1. If you've outlined a picture and want to fill it in with frosting, use a decorating tip and make little dollops throughout the shape. Then use a little spreading knife to blend it in.
2. If you're making a round cake or frosting any cake that is on its serving dish (rather than serve-able from its pan), slip some strips of wax paper or parchment paper or even tinfoil. Remove after frosting. This keeps the plate looking clean and pretty.
3. To get a round cake out of the pan without ruining it: trace a circle from the pan on wax paper. Cut out the circle and place it on the bottom of the pan. Flour or spray the pan (sides AND bottom).
   Let the cake cool completely before attempting to remove it from the pan. Put a plate on top of the pan. While clasping the plate to the pan, flip the pan over. The cake will gently plop onto the plate. It is upside down now, so take your final plate (the one you want the cake served from) and place that on top, as centered as possible. Repeat the process of flipping the cake. Frost the top of this bottom layer, making sure to bring the frosting to the edges (don't worry about the sides yet).
   Repeat the process with the second layer, but when you are ready to flip it onto the bottom layer, spread your fingers over the second layer's edges...line up one side of the edge with the bottom layer, and gently lay it down from there. Now frost the top and sides.
4. To frost: plop a large dollop in the center and gently spread from center to edges until layer is even.
5. You can freeze a cake before frosting if you'd like. You can always brush a cake to get rid of excess crumblies before frosting, but freezing the cake ensures it will be sturdy and can withstand some more vigorous spreading of the frosting. ;) It might also make it easier for you to line up the second layer with the bottom layer.
6. If you're doing a designer cake, definitely freeze it before you start cutting the shapes out.

Wow, was that exhausting? I kind of threw it out there all at once!

Carousel Cake

What I love about this charming little cake is that it was easy. We only had to buy animal crackers and twizzlers (everything else was on hand). It's simple, so anyone can do it!

I love looking at fancy cake pictures, but I admit they're a little intimidating sometimes. I secretly suspect they're not that hard once you know how to make that weird, doughy fondant stuff, but they're not at all what I think of when I'm about to make a cake for my 2-year-old! And besides, how do you cut into those fancy things anyway? Whatever. Someday, I'll probably try a fancy cake and become completely converted to the intimidating side.

Here's all I did for the Carousel Cake:

printable version

Two 9" round cakes (one box cake mix)

A TON of homemade frosting (just to be sure there was enough)

Snow Cone straws (ordinary straws work too, don't worry)

Paper circle colored like pinwheel

Animal Crackers

Jet Puff stuff (marshmallow cream)

M&Ms

Licorice

To make the pinwheel, cut a large circle. Draw a straight line from the center to the edge. This is what you will cut (after coloring) along to overlap sides and make into cone shape. For the pinwheel design, I snuck an old, ugly plate from the cupboards and traced along the edge. And...I was using permanent markers, so it didn't wash off. But nobody cares.

It all looks pretty self-explanatory to me, but here are some more details:

I taped the tips of the straws on the underside of the pinwheel first. Then I gathered them up in my hands (they stuck straight out) and carefully positioned them so they'd puncture the cake at the right spots. Gently push in, all at once if you can.

The marshmallow cream was kind of droopy. If you wanted your Carousel Cake to last several hours for showing off, I guess you could hot glue the animal crackers onto the straws! This cake here lasted only long enough for its photo opp. And that's okay with me! It took a long time to decorate, but I don't really care because it tasted really good and we have pictures. And for once, I didn't mind people around while I carried out my artwork because their company made the work less tedious. And it was flattering.

Another idea for the animal crackers is to do them paired up on the straw, one in front and one behind. I just didn't think it needed that.

Any questions?