Nothing like a really bad senior portrait to motivate me to post something else in this category. So, last month was my 38th birthday. Obviously this isn’t a recent photo. It’s from about 30 years ago…I’m pretty sure it was taken at my 8th birthday party. This photo brings to light three things about me: my bad memory as I only remember two people from this photo and one of them is my older sister, my great fashion sense , and my love of CHOCOLATE CAKE. But not just any chocolate cake…the PERFECT chocolate cake. My mom made this cake for me on just about every birthday. To this day, when I go to visit my parents, she still makes it for me.
As a treat to you all, here is the recipe for the PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE (it’s seriously called that):
INGREDIENTS:
Cake:
- 1 cup unsifted unsweetened cocoa
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
- 2 1/2 cups granular sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1 package (6oz) semisweet chocolate pieces
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1 cup butter or margarine
- 2 1/2 cups unsifted confectioners sugar
Filling:
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1/4 cup unsifted confectioners suger
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
PREPARATION
Cake:
In medium bowl, combine cocoa with boiling water, mixing with wire wisk until smooth. Cool completely. Sift flour with baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease well and lightly flour three 9-by-1 1/2 inch layer cake pans.
In large bowl or electric mixer, at high speed, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla, scraping bowl occasionally, until light - about 5 minutes. At low speed, beat in flower mixture (in fourths) alternately with cocoa mixture (in thirds), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Do not over beat.
Divide evenly into pans, smooth top. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until surface springs back when gentely pressed with fingertip. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Carefully loosen sides with spatula, remove from pans, cool on racks.
Frosting:
In medium saucepan, combine chocolate pieces, cream, butter. Stir over medium heat until smooth. Remove from heat. With wisk, blend in 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar. In a bowl set over ice, beat until it holds shape.
Filling:
Whip cream with sugar and vanilla, refrigerate
ASSEMBLING
Cake:
On plate, place a layer top side down. Spread with half of whipped cream filling. Place second layer, top side down and spread with rest of the cream filling. Place third layer top side up.
Frosting:
With spatula, frost sides first, covering whipped cream filling. Use the rest of the frosting on top, swirling decoratively. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. To cut, use a thin-edged sharp knife. Slice with sawing motion. Serves 10 to 12.
A little side note on the frosting. It’s really good but was always a little too sweet for me so my mom would make more whipped cream filling and use that to top off the cake instead of doing the frosting.
