Chocolate Cake Recipes Info

There are few puddings sweeter than the traditional chocolate cake. It is one meal guaranteed to bring smiles to faces of those young and old. Contrary to the opinions of less advanced chefs, making chocolate cake can be quick and easy. With a combination of a little skill and the right recipe, anyone can make a chocolate cake to die for.

A good chocolate cake needs to have certain characteristics to ensure that it is fully enjoyed by all who partake of it. Firstly it needs to be moist. A good chocolate cake will be light and fluffy and free of dryness. It will also be rich in chocolate flavor while at the same time not being too sweet for the average pudding lover.

A good simple chocolate cake recipe will comprise of two parts. The first part is the mixing of the dry ingredients in a small to medium bowl depending on the size of the desired output. The second part involves adding the wet ingredients and cooking. Both parts of the procedure should take relatively the same amount of time.

Another important aspect of your chocolate cake creation is to get the best quality ingredients. When mixed, poorer quality ingredients can dramatically damage the taste of the finished product so make sure to use good brand name ingredients such as Cadbury cocoa.

Preparation for chocolate cake making is very easy and can be a fun experience to share particularly with children. It's also a recipe that affords plenty of individual style to be included as the finished cake can be topped with a range of ingredients other than the standard icing sugar.

All up from start to finish you should have a chocolate cake ready to eat in just over an hour!

Chocolate cakes are a great idea for children's birthday's parties or to take to a friends place as an addition to dinner. Chocolate Cake is great combined with ice-cream for dessert for guests or even a family treat.

In today's busy world, time is of the essence. To be able to make a great tasting chocolate cake pudding quickly and easily is a skill to be proud of. With the right recipe and a bit of practice you will be cranking out chocolate cakes that people will love in no time. Even if you don't have time to slave away all day in the kitchen, you can still become a domestic kitchen God or Goddess.

Finding the Perfect Chocolate Cake Recipe

It is quite simple to find a great chocolate cake recipe nowadays. You can turn to a lot of amazing concoctions that will surely produce tasty results. You can visit many places to locate these recipes as will. There's a chance that you will find the right recipe if you consider the tastes of those who will partake in the cake as well as your specific needs.

The family is the traditional place to begin a search for any kind of cooking instruction. We all have a relative who has a fantastic chocolate cake recipe or two that everyone looks forward to during family get-togethers. You should draw inspiration from this individual.

However, consulting other family members for great recipes is a double edged sword. On one hand, the fact that you would like to adopt her approach to baking may flatter your relative. But then again, she might want people to recognize the chocolate cake recipe as her signature. There are even those who will make sure that the outcome isn't identical by changing the recipe a little here and there.

Consulting a good old-fashioned cook book is another traditional approach. You will be sure that you will get a great chocolate cake recipe that is good enough to be published in print through this method. However, cook books do have a little drawback. You really want to make sure that there are other recipes in there that you can use, because you will be investing quite a bit of money in the book.

The perfect chocolate cake recipe can also be discovered on the World-Wide-Web. You can seek the help of the Internet to find all kinds of ideas for the kitchen. The feedbacks that many sites offer on how well recipes work out are the great thing about this approach.

The overwhelming choices available are the downside to the online search method. This can be a problem to people who really want to spend as little time on the computer as possible. You may want to make your task simpler by doing a targeted search for your chocolate cake recipe.

For instance, try adding some details about the cake like "extra rich" or "super moist" in your search to narrow down your choices. This way you will be more likely to find a chocolate cake recipe that suits your tastes. If you take your time with your search, then you will find plenty of choices and lots of opportunities to bake something extra special.

Grandma's Old Fashion Chocolate Cake Recipes

Chocolate is one of the most popular type of cakes around the world. Remember the wonderful chocolate cakes of your childhood? Perhaps one of these great recipes will bring back that taste and wonderful memories for you. Here are three varieties, you're sure to find one to please. Cherry Devil's Food Cake is simple enough for a beginning baker. It uses a box mix and a few simple steps to make a great cake. Bittersweet Chocolate Cake is a buttermilk chocolate which is always tasty, and Dutch Mocha Chocolate Cake is sure to please the coffee lovers in your circle of family and friends.

CHERRY DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
1 recipe of your favorite chocolate frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch layer cake pans. Prepare cake mix as directed on package. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake and cool as directed on the package.

Fold the maraschino cherries into the whipped topping. Spread over the top of one of the layers. Top mixture with the second cake layer. Frost with the chocolate frosting. Store cake in the refrigerator.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup shortening
3 egg whites
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. Into a large mixing bowl measure all ingredients; mix with electric mixer at low speed, beat until well mixed, constantly scraping bowl. Beat at high speed for 5 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Pour batter into pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans on wire racks for 10minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks. Frost with your favorite frosting.

DUTCH MOCHA CHOCOLATE CAKE

3 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup cocoa
2 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup hot coffee
1 cup sweet butter
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla
5 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Thoroughly grease three 9-inch cake pans. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt together and sift three times. Combine cocoa, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and coffee. Cool. Cream butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar until light and fluffy. Add cocoa mixture, sour cream, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Beat egg whites with remaining sugar until stiff. Fold into the batter. Pour batter into pans and bake for 30 minutes. Cool and remove from pans. Frost with your favorite frosting.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake Recipe, French-Style

You know your weekend went well when you've got several new dessert recipes turned out, tasted and crumbs left to clean up by Monday morning.

I've noticed that I've been lagging in the homemade dessert department for some time now. And this isn't right for several reasons.

First of all, they bring added pizazz to a meal. Secondly, a little sweetness can go a long way to prevent the dreaded grazing habit and it's a great bonding dish to create with children who actively seek making stuff with you in the kitchen.

Finally, I've realized that some of my husband's fondest memories are about desserts that his mom used to make. But don't we all? No one reminisces over the canned veggies now do they?

Here's where the Suchard chocolate comes in. I had it on hand, quietly keeping the flour and sugar company in the pantry. Having no better recipe than the one on the back of the box. My daughter's got my brownie recipe in her head and went straight for melting the chocolate in the saucepan. (Personally, I think she just likes breaking the bar up into chunks and stirring what looks like Willy Wonka's chocolate River.) She also got out the eggs, a mixing bowl, un fouet, whisk and flour.

The recipe is quite simple, easy, not difficult (except for whipping les blancs d'oeufs en neige, whipping the egg whites stiff). My daughter practiced her reading (of the recipe) and I got a bicep workout whisking the yokes with the sugar and butter until light yellow. Excellent, reading practice, arm workout, dessert for all in one go. Of course when dessert-time came around, I let her do the honors of serving everyone.

But the icing on this cake (total pun intended) was that for so little initial investment my daughter and I baked up a batch of memories that will stay with us a lifetime. Now that's the kind of return I want on all my investments.

Suchard Chocolate Cake

*200 gr dark chocolate, or one dark, baking chocolate bar
*3 eggs, separate whites from yokes
*pinch of salt
*butter, softened
*1/3 cup or 50 gr sugar
*2/3 cup or 80 gr flour

Pre-heat oven to: 180°C (350°F). Grease and flour a medium-sized cake pan.

Melt chocolate in pan over low heat; in a separate bowl whisk together butter, sugar and egg yokes until batter is light yellow in color. (Hand whisk is sufficient); fold in flour in increments, whisking well after each increment. Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside.

Stir chocolate in to flour, egg mixture, gently sit in egg whites. Pour into cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

 

Chocolate Cake Recipe

Chocolate is termed as the drink of the Gods and it seems as if it is going to be a continuing indulgence of man. Chocolates obviously come in an array of shapes, variants, and sizes. One of which is the chocolate cake. Of course, the chocolate cake is made out of several recipes too. The chocolate recipe is of one great popularity that it is included in almost every single occasion that each family celebrates. Christmas, New Year, Thanksgiving, Christening, Anniversaries, Birthdays, and many others could never be held as complete without one or two chocolate cake recipes prepared therein.

A chocolate cake recipe could be made out of different kinds of chocolate. It could be that the recipe would include a bitter chocolate, a dark chocolate, a plain chocolate, or a chocolate that has very little or should no longer be added with sugar. The chocolate cake recipe may also be made out of white chocolates--that is, the taste is much sweeter, smooth, rich, and has basically the quality that states "it melts in your mouth". The chocolate cake recipes which are made out of pure and organic chocolate involve a great deal of cocoa solids therein. More so, such chocolate variety is too costly.

As technology advanced throughout time, the chocolate cake recipes had never been left behind as well. Several ingredients have been proven to add more luscious taste to these foods. Some of the mouth-watering chocolate cake recipes include the choco orange angel cake, the hot spicy chocolate ginger crunch cake with the ginger soup, the tangy cinnamon cake, the chocolate cake that is topped with some mild tempering banana sauce, and many others. As it seems, almost everything that you have there resting on your kitchen cupboard may be utilized as an ingredient to the chocolate cake recipes. Basically, hazelnut, cheese, raisins, and beetroot are primary components of the chocolate cake recipes.

The chocolate cakes are topped with decorations and toppings which may be truly remarkable. These toppings generally add up to the delicious look of the cake. Chocolate cakes are inherently rich in taste so the toppings placed in them are maintained to be light. Some of the common toppings are almonds, dates, fruit sauces, and honey. Some chocolate cake recipes enable you to peel off some of the chocolate curls, have designs of melted chocolate, and chocolate balls also. The "covertures" is the kind of chocolate which exudes a glossy finish and has become a favorite choice of all. For many people, anything which is compacted with chocolate is always and forever delicious.

It is now extremely easy to spot a chocolate cake recipe these days because these tasty products are also being marketed online. There are specialty stores that sell great chocolate cake recipes. Some pastry centers also make available the recipes of their products. If you are serious in working with chocolate cake recipes, remember that you need to find the right people to consult. As always, the family lineage you have is always the best source of recipes. And since chocolate has been a part of all family traditions, there is a great possibility that any of your relatives know of a chocolate cake recipe. As you venture into creating chocolate cakes, you could draw inspiration from your relatives who had been fond of chocolate cakes.

Another approach that you could make use of in search of a chocolate cake recipe is flipping through the pages of a cook book. Another is by searching through the Internet. You may join forums so that you could get the chance to talk to the expert individuals regarding the real scope of the chocolate cake recipes.

Baking is one way of keeping you busy. You might not be entirely engaged in any business, yet creating the luscious recipes may really be a fanciful hobby of yours. If feels nice to be mixing all these stuffs and turning them into one fine masterpiece. After which, you may let other people taste your output. You could be a business-minded individual who would be serious in making money. Your product could always be saleable. Who knows, your chocolate cake recipe could be a hit one of these days!

The World's Best Chocolate Cake Recipe, Bake This and They Will Love You Forever

Ingredients

(This is to make a large birthday cake, you can scale down for an ordinary cake)

200 grams of stork or other baking margarine

200 grams of caster sugar

4 medium / large eggs

3 tbs of cocoa powder

Approx 75 grams of cornflour

100 grams of self raising flour

1 tbs baking powder

Vanilla essence

For the Icing

75 grams of margarine

Icing sugar to make a stiff mix

Water

Vanilla essence

Step 1

Using a mixer or food processor, cream together the sugar and margarine until it is light and fluffy. Add 1 tsp of vanilla essence and mix thoroughly.

Step 2

Add the 4 eggs, 1 at a time, mixing thoroughly until each egg is fully blended in. Leave mixer on for around 5 minutes.

Step 3

Into a weighing scale, put 3 heaped tablespoons of cocoa powder. Add cornflour to make up to 100 grams, then add 100grams of self raising flour. Finally add 1 tablespoon of baking powder.

Step 4

Sieve the flour mix into your mix. Fold in, then mix with mixer until fully incorporated.

Step 5

Split mix between 2 lightly greased non stick 8 inch baking tins. Bake in over at 175 degrees centigrade for around 20 minutes. Test by lightly shaking the tin to see if it wobbles like a jelly. (if it does give it 5 more minutes.) If its firm, slide in a skewer to check the mix is cooked. It should not have any cake mix on, but will have steam from the mix. As long as there is no mix on the skewer, remove from oven to cool.

Step 6

While the cake is cooling, mix the margarine for the icing with 1 tsp of vanilla essence and enough icing sugar to make a stiff mix. Add 1 tsp of water at a time and mix in, the mix will let down and become creamy and smooth. Set aside until the cake is cold. DO NOT attempt to ice the cake when warm, the icing will go runny.

Tip - when icing, do not spread the icing, as this cake is so light it will break under the pressure. Just add spoonfuls of icing around the bottom layer, then put the top on and rotate slightly to spread the filling.

Step 7

Decorate the top of the cake with sieved icing sugar or cocoa powder. Get a cup of coffee, then eat a huge slice!

To make a celebration cake you can ice the outside of the cake and decorate it with chocolate curls, or ice and fill with whipped cream, or make a chocolate fudge icing mix, or use cream and cherries for a black forest gateaux. What ever floats your boat really.

Variations

You can also make this recipe into a victoria sponge, just take out the cocoa and substitute with more cornflour. Then ice with vanilla icing and jam. Or, use lemon essence and lemon icing for a tangy variation.

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Chocolate Cake Recipe and Tips

One type of chocolate cake that is sure to receive rave reviews is terrific Black Forest Cake, an old-style recipe which originates from Germany. The following chocolate cake recipe and tips will provide you and your family or dinner guests with a confection they'll soon not forget.

The Recipe for Black Forest Chocolate Cake

Cake Ingredients:

One half cup of softened butter;

One and one-quarter cups of sugar;

Two eggs;

One and one-quarter cups of all-purpose flour;

One-half cup of unsweetened cocoa (powder form);

One-half teaspoon baking powder;

One teaspoon baking soda;

One teaspoon of vanilla;

Three-quarters cup of buttermilk;

Cake Filling Ingredients:

Two cans cherry pie filling;

Three cups of whipping cream-chilled;

One-quarter cup of confectioner's sugar;

Shaved milk chocolate to garnish the cake;

Tips and method:

1. First preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit;

2. Line a nine inch cake pan with non-sticking paper;

3. Using an electric mixer beat butter that has been softened by allowing to stand at room temperature and sugar together until fluffy in consistency;

4. Add one egg at a time, mixing well after each egg is added.

5. Next add sifted flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and buttermilk. Mix well until batter is smooth with no lumps.

6. Pour the batter into the lined cake pan and bake in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until middle is set. Approximate bake time is forty-five to sixty minutes. In order to determine if cake is done insert a toothpick in its centre. It should come out fairly clean with only a few crumbs. It is important that you do not over bake Black Forest chocolate cake.

7. Once the cake is cooled take a long knife that is serrated and cut the cake in three layers, equal in size. Tip: The cake will be easier to cut if you keep it in the refrigerator for two to three hours.

Prepare the cake's filling:

1. Take a colander and drain cherry pie filling in order to remove most the heavy juice.

2. Beat the whipping cream adding confectioner's sugar until thick.

3. Shave milk chocolate using a vegetable peeler. Place the shaved chocolate inside the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the cake.

Cake Assemblage:

1. Place the first layer on the serving plate.

2. Spread approximately one fourth of the whipping cream on the initial layer and add half of the cherry filling on top of the cream.

3. Add the cake's second layer spreading one fourth of the cream on it plus the remainder of the cherry filling.

4. Add the cake's third layer and spread another one-fourth of cream to the top and apportion one fourth to the cake's sides. Press the chocolate shavings gently onto the cake's top and sides.

Tips:

• If you use three cake tins for the layers as opposed to one the bake time needs to be reduced.

• Using traditional cake flour instead of all-purpose flour will make your chocolate cake much lighter and fluffier.

• If you do not have cherry pie filling, you may substitute jam.

To know more about cake decorating check this cake decorating tutorial. Also do not forget to check this popular cake decorating course.

Fabulous Chocolate Cake Recipe

This recipe for chocolate cake is absolutely delicious. I found this recipe on the BBC good food website. Over time I have adjusted a few things here and there and the original recipe page that I printed is covered in notes and scribbles. I guess I could just print out a shiny new recipe but I like my scribbled on page.

The quantities in the recipe differ to mine because I have found that increasing them by 1 1/2 times makes 2 good size sandwiches for a wedding cake tier.

If you just want to bake a cake because you like cake (and who doesn't) then you could use the quantities given online.

The recipe online also includes buttermilk although I do not add it to my recipe.

Ingredients for an 8 round cake

300g dark chocolate - app 50 - 60% cocoa solids
300g butter
1 1/2 tbsp coffee granules
127 g plain flour
127g self raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
300g muscovado sugar
300g golden caster sugar
38g cocoa powder
5 eggs

Method

Butter and line two 8? sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to fan 140C/conventional 160C/ gas 3. Break the chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy-based pan.

Tip in the butter, then mix the coffee granules into 187ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave on Medium for about 5 minutes, stirring half way through.

While the chocolate is melting, mix the two flours, bicarbonate of soda, sugars and cocoa in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.

Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency.

Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 1 hour 25- 1 hour 30 minutes - check your cakes after 1 hour as the mixture has been put into two smaller tins. If you push a skewer in the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit). Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

At this point my recipe differs from the original

The chocolate covering that I make is thicker than the recipe given for the ganache. I find that it is easier to work with and more controllable.

If you do want a coating that you drizzle onto the cake use the one in the recipe on the website.

Ingredients for chocolate icing

150g butter
150g dark chocolate 50 - 60% cocoa solids
70g icing sugar
30g cocoa powder

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water - don't put too much water in the pan. Water is not a good mix with chocolate. Once melted remove from the heat, add the butter and beat in.

Sift the icing sugar and cocoa together and add gradually to the chocolate and butter.

If you find the mixture gets a little thick add a little whole milk

Once this chocolate icing is ready you need to use it pretty quickly before it starts to harden and set. It is very easy to spread onto the cake with a palette knife or spatula.

This cake contains a lot of ingredients made up pretty much equally of sugar and fat all mixed together to make a scrumptious, gooey, rich cake.

Even with the long list of ingredients this cake is pretty easy to make and does not involve the use of a whisk or electric mixer. You do have to get your sparkly, clean (not for long) hands stuck into the sugar mix but I like doing this.

 

How to Make a Perfect Eggless Chocolate Cake?

Most of the chocolate cake recipes contain eggs. If you need to make an egg free chocolate cake or vegan, it is always challenging to convert the classic chocolate cake recipe into an egg free version or even vegan. There are a plenty of egg replacements or egg substitutes are available in the market for using in baking. The common egg substitutes are silken tofu, flaxseed powder, Pureed fruits (such as mashed bananas, applesauce, apricots, pears, prunes, etc), vinegar/baking soda, buttermilk/yogurt or commercially available egg replacer powder (like EnerG). In terms of vinegar types, there are white distilled vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Here is the tried and tested chocolate cake recipe using silken tofu as the egg substitute:

Cake Ingredients

All Purpose Flour - 2 cups

Salt - 1 teaspoon

Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon

Baking Soda - 2 teaspoons

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup

Granulated Sugar - 2 cups (See My Notes)

Vegetable Oil - 1 cup (I used Canola Oil)

Hot Coffee - 1 cup (I mixed 1.25 teaspoons of instant coffee powder with 1 cup of hot water)

Milk - 1 cup (I used 2% milk)

Silken Tofu, pureed - 1/2 cup (I used Nasoya Brand Silken Tofu)

Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon

Vegan Option: Use soy milk instead of regular milk and you have your decadent vegan chocolate cake!

Frosting Ingredients:

Dr Oetker's Organic Chocolate Icing Mix - 1 packet

Hot Milk/Hot Water - 1/4 cup (heat it in the microwave oven for 15 seconds)

Butter, at room temperature - 1/3 cup (which is 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)

Vanilla Extract - 1/4 teaspoon

Baking Soda - a pinch

Yield: One 9-inch layer cake or 8-inch layer cake and 6 cupcakes

Cake Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C).

2. Grease and flour (I used cocoa powder to flour the base of the pan because it's a chocolate cake) two 9-inch cake pans.

3. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa and sugar into a large mixing bowl.

4. Make a well. Add the canola oil. Then the hot coffee decoction.

5. Add milk.

6. Add the pureed tofu. (Remove the silken tofu from the packet using a spoon add it to the blender and puree it to a creamy mixture)

7. And a couple of drops of vanilla essence.

8. With an electric mixer, beat at medium speed for 2-3 minutes. (At first I did not use the hand mixer to combine the batter, because I remembered reading somewhere that while using egg substitutes, in this case tofu, beating the batter is not recommended and was so worried to see such a diluted batter and it was also having a lot of small lumps. So anyhow I decided to use my hand mixer to get rid of the lumps, but still the batter was considerably thin).

9. Pour the batter evenly into both 9-inch cake pans. (or fill the 6 muffin cups halfway with batter and divide the remaining batter between both 8-inch pans).

10. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden tooth pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (Check the cupcakes after 15 minutes). I placed 1 pan in the middle shelf and the another in the bottom shelf and set the timer for 25 minutes and switched the pans around 12 minutes. Switching the pan means moving the pan from the middle shelf to the bottom and the bottom shelf pan to the top. This is done to ensure even baking of both the cakes. One of my make was done exactly at 25 minutes and the other one took 30 minutes.

11. Let the cakes cool completely before removing them from the pans. The time mentioned in the original recipe was 15 minutes and so I tried to transfer the cake to a wire rack after 20 minutes and it was little messy. So I left the other cake in the pan itself for quite some time. Maybe after an hour I touched the bottom of that pan and found that it had cooled completely and so transferred it to the wire rack.

12. The cake should cool completely on the wire rack before frosting. I baked the cakes on Saturday and frosted them on Sunday. I left it out on the kitchen counter and covered it with a bamboo basket. You could also refrigerate the cake to cool it off.

Frosting

1. Sift the mix.

2. Add the butter, hot milk, vanilla and baking soda. (I read in the same book that adding a pinch of baking soda to icings prevents hardening and cracking so icing stays moist)

3. Beat the mix using a hand mixer at medium-high speed. Add few drops of water/milk if required.

Frosting the Cake:

This was my first experience with frosting a cake, so I simply followed the steps listed in the book.

1. First I placed the bottom layer upside down, so the rounded side (top of the cake will be on the serving plate). If you have dome top on the cake, even it out by slicing it with a serrated knife and then place it upside-down.

2. Spread about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup of frosting on top of the bottom layer. Don't use hard strokes, but spread it gently using an offset metal spatula or plastic spatula.

3. Now place the second layer on the first, cut or domed side up.

4. Frost the sides of the cake first with another 1/2 cup of frosting.

5. Finally frost the top of the second layer.

It was slightly difficult for me, but somehow I managed to frost the entire cake. Before and while frosting the cake I was not sure about the consistency of the frosting. Later after seeing quite a few cake pictures I realized that my frosting was definitely thick and that's why was I having hard time spreading it. I should have added a few more drops of water to thin it and frosting would have been a breeze.

Decorating

As you all know the options are endless. Being a rookie that I am, and because my son loves M&M's I used them to line the cake. I also used the ready made Cake Mate decorating pens which are available in the grocery store in the baking aisle to write the birthday message and draw some flowers.

My Notes

As a whole the cake was excellent. But considering healthy eating I would modify the recipe a little bit the next time. Like reducing the quantity of sugar in the cake recipe from 2 cups to 1.5 cups. Since the frosting is also sweet enough, we don't need that much sugar in the cake too. Next reducing the quantity of oil too. Instead of 1 cup of oil, 1/2 cup can be replaced with unsweetened applesauce.

Quick and Easy Chocolate Cake Recipes For the Busy Cook - Rocky Road Cake and Chocolate Chip Pecan

Busy cooks, don't despair! You do have time to bake cakes for your hungry family. Here are a couple of quick and easy recipes to satisfy even the most difficult cake and/or chocoholic in your family! The Rocky Road Cake is quick and easy yet very tasty. The Chocolate Chip Snack Cake is also an easy treat. No frosting or decorating these cakes.

QUICK AND EASY ROCKY ROAD CAKE

1 box (2-layer size) dark chocolate cake mix
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsp milk

Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions and bake in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. When cake is done (a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean), remove from the oven and sprinkle the marshmallows evenly over the top. Return to the oven for a couple of minutes until the marshmallows are softened. Remove from oven again. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over top of cake.

In the microwave or a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips with the milk until chips are completely melted and mixture is well blended. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the marshmallow and nuts. Cool before cutting.

Easy Chocolate Cake Recipe

CHOCOLATE CHIP-PECAN SNACK CAKE

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup chopped pecans (or your favorite nuts)
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tsp powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt by stirring with a whisk. Set mixture aside.

Combine brown sugar, vanilla, and egg whites in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at high speed for 1 minute. Add flour mixture and beat just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans.

Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread batter into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until golden and crusty on top. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then sprinkle with the powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Ultimate Chocolate Cake Recipe

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" chocolate cake recipe

There are varieties of chocolate cake recipes to choose from. If you are someone who loves deserts, you will enjoy this chocolate cake recipe. It is called "Perfectly Chocolate" cake. It is a very simple recipe that anyone can make. All you need are the right ingredients and you are all set and ready to go. Try this new recipe for someone who is expecting a birthday anytime soon. This is one of the most delectable cake recipes out there. Here are the ingredients and the direction for creating this easy to make cake.

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup boiling water
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Frosting

Directions:

First Step: You need to grease up and flour at least two 9 inch round shaped baking pans.

Second Step: Combine all the dry ingredients together which are the sugar, cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt in a large container. Then combine all the wet ingredients together which are the eggs, milk, vanilla extract and vegetable oil. Beat them together on a mixer at medium speed for at least 2 minutes. Add boiling water into the mix. You will have a thin batter texture. Pour the whole thing into the baking pans that are already prepared in advance.

Third Step: Place it in the oven for half an hour or more. Insert a toothpick and take it out to see if it is clean. That is how you know it is ready. Wait for 10 minutes and then take it out of the oven. When it is completely cool you can start applying the frosting. It should be at least 10 to 12 servings.

Variations:

There are different procedures depending on how you plan to serve the dessert. There are four different ways to serve it. You can choose from one-pan, three layer, Bundt or cup cakes.

The recipe to make the "Perfectly Chocolate" frosting is in the following:

Ingredients:
1/2 cup or 1 sticks butter or margarine
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
All you need to do is melt the butter or the margarine. Then mix in the cocoa. Add the powder sugar and milk into the mix. If necessary add extra milk. Then finally add in the vanilla extract. There you go, your frosting is made. It should be enough to cover the whole thing. That is how simple it is to make this beautiful dessert. It required just several simple ingredients in order to make it.

 

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe Ever

Like many of my generation, I was dispatched to boarding-school at a young age. There, we were served poor and insufficient food. Yes, there were times when I was hungry and the inadequacy of the diet also fostered an appetite for all things sweet, bordering on an addiction. This is where my abiding memory of chocolate cake comes in. On the rare occasions when my parents visited me in boarding-school, my Mother invariably brought me a chocolate cake. Yes, a whole cake all for myself.

Now in other schools, like the polite convent establishment which inadequately prepared my sisters for life, it was the practice for such goodies to be shared with those at one's table in the school refectory. Not so in my borstal. Despite rules to the contrary, we squirreled away all tuck in our locker in the dormitory and it was then slowly gobbled up, sometimes in the dead of night, when other boys were not about to threaten one's food hoard. Salivary juices still run riot in my mouth when I think of those large wedges of chocolate cake, which I stuffed clandestinely into my mouth. They melted on the tongue, instantly satisfying those insatiable cravings for anything sweet.

Even then, I dabbled in the kitchen and so I can remember that, in the case of this chocolate cake, ground rice and ground almonds partly or wholly took the place of the more usual flour. The cake also had two icings, a butter icing in the middle and a glacé icing on top. Many years later, I recall asking my Mother for the recipe for this school chocolate cake, which had brought me so much joy. In her characteristically vague way, she promised to search for it but she never did and she took the culinary secret of how it was made to her grave.

Over the years, my consequent inability to re-create this confection periodically came to mind and with it came a sense of sadness, a sadness I shared one day with my older sister. To my surprise, she also had a memory of our Mother's chocolate cake and wondered where the recipe had gone. She then told me that she had come across a recipe, which produced a chocolate cake that came close to the one made in our youth. It is to be found in West of Ireland Summers, A Cookbook by Tasmin Day-Lewis. It is pure serendipity that this cookbook dwells on the author's memories of food eaten during childhood summers on the west coast of Mayo, for I too spent the happy summer holidays of my youth in this part of the country.

Be that as it may, with many thanks to Tasmin Day-Lewis, I now share this recipe with you. My sister was right. Although my addiction for sweet things has long since gone, this cake wafts me straight back to that school dormitory with its serried ranks of beds and to the culinary delights of that chocolate confection made by my Mother.

175g good dark chocolate, chopped

175g butter

175g caster sugar

4 eggs separated

85g ground almond

85g flour

whole walnuts to decorate

RICH CHOCOLATE ICING:

125 g good dark chocolate, chopped

40g butter

50g caster sugar

85 ml cream

First make the icing. Put all the ingredients into a bowl over a saucepan of hot water and stir gently over the heat. When smooth, leave to cool and then put in the fridge, where it will thicken as it cools and become much easier to spread.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease two 18cm sandwich tins. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan of hot water.

Cream the butter with the sugar (this is easily done in a food processor), add the egg yolks one by one, then the almonds, flour and the melted chocolate.

Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks and gently fold them into the mixture, little by little.

Divide the mixture between the two sandwich tins and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes. Leave to cool slightly in the tins and then turn out on a wire rack.

When cold, sandwich the cakes together with half the icing and spread the other half on top, which I also like to decorate with whole walnuts.

First Birthday: Chocolate Cake Recipe With Delicious Frosting

Kids of all ages love chocolate cakes. If you bake one for the first birthday of your child, you will definitely get the reward for being star mom in the form of lots of hugs and kisses from the children at the birthday party. Here is a simple first birthday cake recipes with delicious chocolate frosting.

Items needed for the chocolate cake recipe and frosting:

Cake:

Cocoa powder - 1 cup
Boiling hot water - 2 cups
Soft and unsalted butter at room temperature - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 ½ cups
Eggs - 4
All-purpose flour - 2 ¾ cups
Baking soda - 2 ¼ teaspoons
A pinch of salt
Vanilla extract or essence - 1 ½ teaspoons

Frosting:

1 packet of semi sweet chocolate chips
½ cup of half and half cream (you can use full cream too, but add some milk to it)
¾ cup of unsalted butter at room temperature
2 ½ cups of icing sugar

For decoration:

Mixed fruit jam - 1 cup
Edible silver balls - 1 packet
Colorful chocolate gems - 1 packet

Preparing the cake:

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a deep bowl.
Add the butter and whisk some more to get a fluffy texture.
Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
Dissolve the cocoa powder in boiling hot water and let the mix cool.
Add this mix to the butter-egg mix and whisk some more to get a smooth batter.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Now add the dry ingredients to the prepared mix, spoon by spoon, and whisk some more to get the cake batter to dropping consistency.
Grease a 9 inch baking pan and pour the batter in the pan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 35-40 minutes.
After the baking time, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

Preparing the frosting: Chocolate frosting recipe

On a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and butter.
Remove from heat and stir in the cream and icing sugar.
Whisk to combine well and your chocolate frosting is ready.

Assembling the cake:

Let the cake cool completely before assembling.
Cut the cake in the middle horizontally.
Place the bottom layer on a serving plate.
Spread a generous amount of frosting over the layer and cover with the top layer.
Spread the rest of the frosting on the cake and cover all the sides.
Put the mixed fruit jam in a piping bag and decorate the top and sides of the cake in any design you like.
Use the silver balls and chocolate gems to cover the top and sides of the cake.
Put the prepared cake in the fridge for 2 hours to let everything set before serving.

 

 

German Chocolate Cake Recipe

Germans are famous for their cake recipes. They have several that I love and have made on several occasions. I have came up with a really good recipe, and I hope that you enjoy it.

Ingredients for the Cake Mix:

1/2 Cup of water

4 Ounces of semi sweet chocolate

1 Cup butter

2 Cups sugar

4 Egg yolks

1 Teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

2 1/2 Cups flour

1 Teaspoon of baking soda

1/2 Teaspoon of salt

1 Cup buttermilk

4 Egg whites Stiff peaks

Bring the water to a simmer, You will then add your chocolate and water over a double boiler and melt the chocolate until it is smooth. You will remove from the double boiler and cool down to room temperature. You will then start to mix your sugar, vanilla bean paste, and and butter until creamy, and then add in egg yolks one at a time until incorporated. You will need to make sure the chocolate mixture is cooling down because you are going to start getting the rest of your ingredients ready to put them all together very soon.

We are ready to get the dry ingredients ready now. First thing you will need to do is get your dry ingredients ready at this point. You will need to sift the flour, soda, and salt. You will then add in buttermilk and give it a stir. Now you will add the buttermilk flour mixture to the chocolate liquid and stir them just until they are incorporated.

I would preheat the oven to 350F degrees, so you can pour the batter and go directly into the oven. This is the last step of the chocolate cake batter. This is what is going to make the cake light and fluffy. You will need to whisk the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. You will add about a third of the stiff peaked egg whites in to the batter and fold gently into the chocolate mix, repeat two more times until all of the egg whites are folded in. Do not mix, but fold them into the batter. You will lose the lift the egg whites will produce.

Grease and flour two or three 9" circular pans, pour in the batter, and put into the oven. Bake at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, remove and cool. When the toothpick comes out clean the cake is ready.

Ingredients for the coconut and pecan frosting:

1 Cup evaporated milk

1 Cup sugar

3 Beaten egg yolks

1/2 Cup of butter

1 Teaspoon of vanilla bean paste

1 Tablespoon of Meyers Dark Rum

1 Can of flaked coconut

1 Cup chopped pecans

In a bowl you will mix the milk, rum, sugar, yolks and butter. You will then heat in a pan stirring constantly until it thickens, 10 minutes or so. Then pour into the vanilla bean paste, coconut and pecans, and let cool.

For the Chocolate Icing:

8 Ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 Ounces of unsalted butter

1 Cup heavy cream

1 Bag and a metal tip for the ring of frosting around the cake

You will add the chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and butter. You will heat the cream to get it hot enough to melt the chocolate. You could also do this over a double boiler if you like to make more of a ganache. You will then remove from heat and gently pour over the chocolate. You will give it a quick stir, and then let stand until all of the chocolate has melted stirring occasionally. You will let this sit until you are ready for this at room temperature. If you like you can add your tip to the bag and add about a third of your icing, so you are ready to go. You will leave the rest of the icing for the sides of the cake.

Putting the cake together. Take the cake layers and assemble by adding a layer of the coconut frosting in between the layers. And the second, and then third and repeat the frosting in-between the layers. Once the last layer is on top add the coconut frosting layer on jut the top of the cake. You will then start to frost the sides of the cake with the chocolate icing. You will need a knife and a glass of water to dip into to smooth down the sides. Once that is complete you will add decorations on the top of the cake. You can do a decorative ring or whatever you wish. Then serve

Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and Executive Research and Development Chef, for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon, CA. Shelley is also the desserts editor for http://www.BellaOnline.com

Let Them Eat Cake: Yummy Chocolate Cake Recipes

Ready to indulge in two of our favorite things; sweets and chocolate? Chocolate Cakes are some of our most popular desserts and there are many different chocolate cake recipe. We all have our individual favorites but why not branch out a little and try something different? Like Chocolate Zucchini Cake, moist and delicious. This cake is so good, you don't even need to load it down with a sugary frosting. What a way to fool the kids into eating their zucchini; they will never guess! Or how about an Oooh So Good Warm Brownie Pudding Cake combining three of our favorites, cake, brownie, and pudding. The kiddos are bound to love this one, too. This is another cake that does not need a sugary frosting! Mouth watering for some chocolate yet? Grab a mixing bowl and get started!

YUMMY CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups canola oil
3 cups sugar
3 cups grated zucchini
2 squares baking chocolate, melted
1 cup chopped nuts
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl beat the eggs, canola oil, and sugar until well blended. Stir in the zucchini and the cooled melted chocolate; mix well. In a medium bowl stir the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together to mix well. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, mixing well. Stir in the chopped nuts. Spoon the batter into a greased tube pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for several minutes before removing to a wire rack to continue cooling completely.

Note: This moist cake is delicious as is. You can, however, make a drizzle of powdered sugar, a tiny amount of milk and vanilla to drizzle over the top if you so desire.

OOOH SO GOOD WARM BROWNIE PUDDING CAKE

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 3/4 cups boiling water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch square baking pan or dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the 1/3 cup cocoa. Combine the milk, butter, and vanilla in a measuring cup and stir the mixture into the dry ingredients just until blended. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

Combine the brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over the batter in the pan. Pour boiling water over the entire mixture but do not stir! Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Put onto a dessert plate or bowl and top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.

Enjoy!

New Ideas For Chocolate Cake Recipes

There's very little in life that has the potential for happiness that chocolate cake recipes do! Just reading them over and, better yet, looking at a photo can start a person drooling. Oh, I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!

Chocolate cake recipes are not all equal; some can be dry and some can be flavorless. But some can be just right. If you have a basic recipe that calls for milk or water, substitute some coffee to perk up the flavor (pun intended!)? Try using some of the new extra dark cocoa powders, to make your chocolate cake recipes more intense. Sour cream is always a good addition to chocolate cake recipes, too, making a cake so moist that it doesn't even need frosting -- you can just dust it with confectioners' sugar, which makes for a beautiful presentation.

Probably the most famous of all the chocolate cake recipes is the Brooklyn "Blackout Cake," which is frosted with a pudding-like fudge icing and then coated with chocolate cake crumbs. Those who've eaten it can be transported to Nirvana simply thinking about it! After all, you don't name a cake after the darkness unless it's particularly deep and rich and delicious!

Arguments about supposedly authentic recipes continue to this day. But even without the exact details, you can take the best ideas from the various chocolate cake recipes and make a "Blackout Cake" of your very own. If I were going to make one, I'd bake it in a 10" springform pan, rather than in 2 8" layers. And while the cake was baking, I'd bring out my jar of Chocolate Pie Filling and Dessert Mix to help me to make the perfect frosting.

Makes the best product I've found in all my years of cooking and baking; it's even low in fat and comes in a jar for freshness -- it's hard to beat that! So I'd mix up the recipe provided, but substitute coffee for the milk and use a bit less liquid than the provided recipe calls for to make the pudding thicker. Then, once the cake had cooled, I'd spread it lovingly with my pudding/frosting, and then sprinkle chocolate cookie crumbs on top ... sigh. I'd better go start baking -- if I may say so myself, this sounds like it has the potential to be one of the best chocolate cake recipes around!

Old-Fashion Chocolate Cake Recipes From Grandma's Recipe Box

Just the thought or a picture of a chocolate cake is enough to make most of us mouths water. And for us chocoholics, there's nothing much better. Remember the wonderful old-fashion chocolate cakes your mother and/or grandmother used to make? Now you can make them too. Here are some delicious chocolate cake recipes that could have come straight from that little old recipe box that sat in your grandmother's kitchen.

Miz Maxine's Chocolate Fudge Cake

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter (margarine)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups boiling water

Cream sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk together. Sift dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with the boiling water. Bake in a 9 x 13 inch pan in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

CHOCOLATE SAUERKRAUT CAKE

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup shortening or butter
3 eggs
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 to 2/3 cup sauerkraut, chopped, rinsed, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together shortening and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Add vanilla, salt and cocoa. Sift together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Alternating, add flour mixture and water. Fold in sauerkraut. Bake in a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Frost with your favorite frosting.

MARTHA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

1/4 lb butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup water
4 tbsp cocoa
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix butter, shortening, water, and cocoa in pan and bring to a boil. In bowl, mix sugar and flour. Pour liquid mixture over dry ingredients and then add eggs, milk, vanilla, and pecans. Cook in a greased and floured loaf pan 20 to 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

Chocolate frosting recipe

1 1/4 lb butter
4 tbsp cocoa
4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 box powdered sugar

Five minutes before cake is done start the icing. Melt butter, cocoa, milk in pan. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix in 1/2 cup pecans. Ice cake while it is hot.

Enjoy!

My Love Affair With Chocolate Cakes

I have this undying love affair with chocolate ever since I could remember and one of my favourite chocolate-made food has to be the good old chocolate cake. Now, even if I love chocolate cakes, does not mean I will eat any such cake that is placed before me. No, no. I must only eat the best of the best ever chocolate cake or else, I will not eat it at all.

This is because I have come across many a different types of cakes made from chocolate and cocoa and some are downright horrible tasting concoctions not worth the stomach space I wasted consuming them. No, even as crazy I am over chocolate and a die-hard chocoholic, I have my standards. No lousy cake will pass my lips. Especially when its main ingredients contain chocolate. Can you even imagine eating some tasteless cake impersonating as a chocolate cake?

I consider it an affront. An insult to the absolutely richness of chocolate cakes. Seriously, people who make louse cakes should be banned from going near any oven at all. I mean, we are talking about chocolate cakes here, you know. So, due to my love for this absolutely sinful, yet worth every bite, chocolate dessert, I started a journey to search for as many chocolate cake recipes as I could possibly find.

Then, I will try each and every single recipe until I come across one that is able to produce the perfect and best ever chocolate cake in the whole wide world. At least to me. After all, how the cake tastes only mattered to me since I will be the one eating it all! Bwahahahahah...the cake is mine. ALL mine!  But of course, if it is simply horrible, then I don't mind sharing a bit of it with others.

Chocolate cake recipes are pretty easy to find online nowadays. Gone are the historic days when we need to ask around our relatives, mother, grandmother, aunts, etc, etc, just to get a simple cake recipe made from chocolate. I mean can you imagine scribbling it all down on a piece of paper and then losing the paper? It would have been darn inconvenient and a total waste of time. Yep, the online way of finding recipes is really great. You can copy and paste the recipes and save it for later. Some of these instructions even come with step-by-step photo-instructions to guide readers along.

Actually, baking a chocolate cake is pretty easy. You just mix everything together, pop it into the oven and it is done within 30 minutes or more. Not much hassle and you get great returns when it is done. Of course, there are a lot of different recipes to choose from such as flourless chocolate cakes, low fat cakes, cocoa-rich cakes or even the famous 5-minute chocolate cake!

If you love chocolate cakes, you can learn to bake your own cakes at the chocolate cake recipe site.

Tips On Making The Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Baking the Ultimate Chocolate Cake can strike fear in the hearts of some cooks. Thoughts of a tasteless cake, icky frosting and other horrors fill their minds. But really, it's not all that hard if you use the right tools and just take things one step at a time. Also, try to stick with easier chocolate cake recipes to begin with until you're more confident in your cake making skills. Here are some steps to get you started on the path to cake baking nirvana!

Preparing the Pan:

-Always be sure to use the size pan that is called for in the recipe.

-Grease and lightly flour your pan prior to assembling the recipe.

-If the cake pan you are using has an elaborate design be sure to grease all the nooks and crannies of the design thoroughly. In this case it is better to use too much than too little.

-Another option is to use a vegetable non-stick spray. These work very well.

-Do not grease or flour your cake pan if you are making an angel food cake or a sponge cake as this may prevent the cakes from rising. You can, if necessary line the bottom of the pan with parchment or wax paper.

Mixing the Batter:

-Have all your ingredients at room temperature.

-Measure all your ingredients out prior to assembling the batter.

-Turn on the oven and preheat while you prepare your mixture.

-If you are using an electrical beater to mix your ingredients, only beat the mixture until the ingredients are blended. Do no over beat.

-If you are mixing your batter by hand, keep in mind it will take a bit more time to get the ingredients thoroughly blended.

-When making a cake with butter be sure the butter is soft prior to blending with the sugar.

-If your recipe calls for several eggs add them one at a time and blend them into the batter before adding the next egg. This is especially true if you are mixing by hand.

-Each chocolate cake recipe asks for a different type of chocolate. There are so many dark chocolate bars available on the market today. Do not limit yourself to just baker's chocolate. Use your favorite dark chocolate. Just be sure it is as least 70% cocoa.

Filling the Cake Pan:

-Do not fill the cake pan more than ¾ full to allow for rising.

-If you are using a square pan be sure to spread the batter into the corners.

-If you wish to use a square, rectangular or irregularly shaped pan instead of the round pan the recipe calls for be sure you make enough batter. To calculate how much batter to make, simply fill your substitute pan 2/3rd full with water. Transfer the water to the pan the recipe uses to judge volume. Adjust the batter accordingly based on how full the recipe pan gets when the water is added. If the recipe pan is overflowing, cut back on the batter. If the recipe pan is not full enough make extra batter.

-If you use a pan other than the one the recipe calls for keep in mind cooking time will vary.

Baking Cakes:

-Always bake the cake in a preheated oven.

-Glass or dark colored pans will retain more heat. Cook for the same amount of time but reduce the heat temperature by 25 degrees F.

-Bake your cake on the center rack of the oven so heat can circulate.

-If you are baking multiple pans do not let them touch each other.

-If you are using more than one rack, stagger the cake pans so they are directly over or under each other.

-If you notice the cake is baking unevenly then turn it several times during the cooking process.

-Start testing you cake about 8 minutes before the cake should be done.

-To test if your cake is done, insert a small toothpick into the center of the cake as far as you can. It should come out clean.

-Another way to test if a cake is done is to lightly press the cake surface. The depression should spring back if the cake is cooked thoroughly.

-Also a cake that is done will pull away from the sides of the cake pan.

Cooling Cakes:

-Let cakes made with butter cool in their pans for about 5 minutes. Then turn out onto a cooling rack. If it should stick, try to loosen gently with a spatula.

-Angel food cakes, chiffon cakes and sponge cakes must be kept in their pans and inverted to cool. If the top of the pan does not have little feet for the pan to stand on when you invert it then tip the pan over a large bottle with the neck of the bottle going through the hole of the pan. When cool, loosen with a knife and turn out.

Frosting a Cake:

-If you are short of time and you are making a layer cake, use jelly between the layers. Or place slice fruit between the layers and dust with confectioner's sugar.

-Better to make too much frosting than not enough. Extra frosting will keep very well in the refrigerator.

-If your frosting was not made from scratch or was "not cooked" spread it on a cake while the cake is warm.

-If you just made your frosting, it is best to spread on the cake after it is completely cooled.

-If your frosting calls for beaten egg whites and the whites are not stiff enough just put it in the top of a double boiler and beat over the simmering water.

-If you cream frosting is too watery place it in the refrigerator for several minutes, beat over ice or add a little more butter to thicken.

-If, on the other hand, your frosting is too thick, add a few drops of hot milk or water.

-If your cake is lopsided feel free to re-shape it using a sharp knife.

-If you are making a 3-layer cake and the middle layer has a rounded top, slice off the raised portion

-To frost set the bottom layer on a plate covered with strips of wax paper to catch and frosting that may drip. Spread you icing on the top of this bottom layer and add the top cake layer over the spread icing.

-Cover the sides of the cake first with frosting using a spatula or frosting knife.

-Pile the rest of the frosting on the top middle of the cake and swirl out to the edges.

-Remove the strips of paper once the frosting sets.

-Decorate as desired.

I hope these tips helped you in your quest for the Ultimate Chocolate Cake. Just remember to take it one step at a time and your cake will be the envy of the neighborhood!

Maggie gives you easy to make dessert recipes for all occasions! From every day dessert to special holidays, Maggie has it all! Best of all, these are "yummy-tummy" tested and guaranteed to be a hit without giving you a nervous breakdown in the kitchen!

Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

This wonderful cake has been baked by my family for many occasions ranging from birthdays, to fund raisers, to gifts. It has never yet failed to draw high praises from all who have tasted it. This rich and velvety chocolate cake has many desirable virtues.

Quick preparation time. The preparation time is short; just throw everything in and mix.

Easy for beginners. Because the simple method does not require any complexities like separation of eggs, it is basic enough for even a novice baker.

Cheap. This inexpensive cake makes a perfect regular family dessert or fund-raiser item.

Oodles of chocolate. The light, fluffy texture combined with a densely chocolaty taste have made this cake an absolute favorite with the men in the house.

No milk, long shelf life. Because there is no milk in this recipe, it is not only good for the lactose intolerant folks, but the shelf life of the cake is well above the average too.

All in all, whatever the occasion, whoever the recipient, this cake simply won't let you down. So here is the recipe as it appears in our family recipe book.

The Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

2/3 cup softened butter or margarine 1 3/4 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp vanilla 2 1/2 one ounce unsweetened baking chocolate squares, melted 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/4 tsp baking soda 1 1/4 cups ice water

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light, creamy, and fluffy; (this should be about 5 minutes on high speed, be sure to scrap the bowl now and then to ensure proper integration). Blend in your cooled chocolate thoroughly. Mix the flour, soda, and salt together; then add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately (flour then water, flour then water) with the ice water. Be sure to begin and end with the flour mixture and to beat the batter briefly with each new addition. Pour the batter into two 9 x 1½ inch cake tins, greased or wax paper lined, and bake them for about 30 minutes or until the testing toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean. Cool thoroughly before frosting.

Ideas for Variation

If you prefer your cakes thicker, double the recipe and put half doubled quantity into each tin.

Try the cupcake version of this recipe. All that chocolaty goodness pack into a miniature version.

Choco-holics, try adding 3/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips or pieces for a real burst chocolaty flavor.

Try my other Chocolate Cake Recipe http://chocolate-cakerecipe.com/

 

A Blackforest Chocolate Cake Recipe to Destroy Your Dieting Resolutions

Did you make some New Years Resolutions this year yet? If so, did they contain the words "diet" or "lose weight" somewhere? Well, let me play devil's advocate and give you a delicious recipe for chocolate blackforest cake that should have you forgetting those pesky resolutions in no time at all. If I can't manage to lose weight, then no one will!

Black forest chocolate cake:

Nothing is more gooey and luscious than a good black forest cake, perfect to get you through the cold January nights. Who can diet in the winter anyway?! For a good size cake, you're going to need:

- 7 oz of butter

- 1 cup of sugar

- 5 egg yolks

- 5 egg whites (so separate them all, basically)

- 1 cup of grated chocolate

- 1/4 cup milk

- 1 tbsp of vanilla essence

- 1 cup flour

- 1 pinch baking soda

- 1 cup ground nuts

- 2 tablespoons sugar

Preparation:

Heat the milk until it is just about to boil it, then pour it on to the pre-grated chocolate. Have a square of chocolate to reward yourself for completing step one, then set the milk and chocolate mix aside and hurry up with step 2 already.

In a small-ish bowl, whip the butter and sugar together gradually until it's nice and creamy smooth. You could do this in an electric mixer I guess, if you really don't care about getting any exercise at all. Then add the yolks one by one and mix well after each. I mean, really press that mix button.

Take it out of the mixer now, or you'll break the nuts we're about to add. Add a good amount of vanilla, then add the nuts and grated chocolate and milk mixture.

Sift the flour and baking soda into the bowl, and mix again (by hand, sorry). In a separate little bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar until quite firm, then add into the cake mix by adding it in folding motions.

Next, grease a 9 inch baking tin and pour the cake mix in.

Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Test it by poking the center with a toothpick, and if it comes out clean it's done.

Serve hot with a generous helping of ice cream (I know you have some stashed in the freezer).

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Easy Chocolate Cake Recipes

Crepe is a type of very thin pancake, usually made with wheat flour. It is immensely popular in France and considered a national dish. Crepes are served with a variety of fillings which range from sugary to elaborate savoury fillings. Innovation is the key and chefs have come up with a wide variety of unusual fillings and crepe recipes. The French Crepe with Vanilla Ice-cream filling is a rather delicate dish and sure success to fine dining. The recipe for this dish is mentioned below.

Ingredients

· 250 ml Whole Milk

· 150 grams flour

· 2 large Eggs

· A pinch of Salt

· 1 Tablespoon Sugar

· 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil or Butter

· 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

· Vanilla Ice Cream

Description

Put all the Ingredients for the Crepe, except the Vanilla Ice cream in a mixing bowl and blend with a stick blender until the batter is smooth. Grease a cast-iron pan or a non stick pan over the flame and then apply the batter. Flip the crepe when one side is light brown and cook evenly. Cool down the Crepes Completely. Upon cooling, put one scoop of Vanilla Ice cream at the centre of every crepe and fold into a square pressing gently from all sides. Freeze the filled crepes for about 20 minutes in the freezer. Make sure that they are firm but not completely frozen. Prepare the sauce by adding 2 tbsp sugar, 2 shots Irish cream, 1 espresso and 2 tbsp chocolate sauce into 1 tbsp melted butter in a frying pan.

Serving on Plate

Cut each Crepe in 2 triangles and drizzle the sauce over it. Decorate the serving dish with banana scoops, cactus pear and star fruit.

Chocolate Truffle Sour Cream Bundt Cake

This cake is an amazing combination of chocolate and sour cream. This cake is sure to impress your guests and is definitely a party knockout. It is sure to add a whole new definition to fine dining. The recipe for this wonderful truffle cake is mentioned here.

Ingredients

· 2 ½ cups wheat flour

· 1 tsp powder espresso

· 1 cup cocoa powder

· 350 grams unsalted butter

· 3 cups sugar

· 1 cup sour cream

· 1 cup boiling water

· 5 large eggs

· 1 tsp vanilla extract

· 1 tsp baking soda

· ½ tsp salt

For the chocolate truffle

· ¼ tsp vanilla extract

· ½ tsp cocoa powder

· 2-3 tsp powdered sugar

· 2 tsp unsalted butter

· 170 grams dark chocolate

Directions

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder. Melt the butter and beat until creamy. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and continue whisking. Add vanilla extract and continue beating. Add 1/3 portion of the flour mixture and mix. Add half the sour cream. Add another 1/3 portion of flour mix followed by sour cream and then the last portion of flour mix. Finally add the boiling water. Continue beating at every stage. Grease the Bundt pan with butter and sprinkle some cocoa powder evenly across the surface. Add the batter to the pan and bake in a preheated oven for 50-60 minutes at 350°F. Allow the cake to cool slightly, sprinkle powdered sugar and it is ready to serve.

When you put all the ingredients in yourself, you know exactly what's going to end up on your table afterwards, and that's more than worth the little extra effort that it takes to prepare a easy chocolate cake recipe from scratch.

Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipe Secrets

Resistance is futile! It is indeed hard to resist the sweet smell of chocolate cake, especially when the aroma is linked with nice memories.

My mom is person that is always willing to share. Not only is she generous with her advice, but she can share with you anything that she knows. she is always willing to explain sewing, cooking, or advanced mathematics. But there is one thing that she guards jealously. It is her biggest secret, and one that she has sworn she will carry to the grave. And that is her chocolate cake recipe. We have been trying to get it from her for years, and have so far been unsuccessful.

This isn't some normal chocolate mix cake recipe. This is sincerely gourmet. It is not an uncomplicated chocolate cake recipe, either. Chocolate cake is normally very easy to cook, but hers requires all day and all night. She is plainly in there for 12 hours at a time, creating the perfect chocolate cake. But it is excellent. It is priceless. It is the most delicious thing that I have ever ate. I could do anything to get that chocolate cake recipe.

The thing is, in general my mom isn't all that into chocolate. She rarely makes chocolate brownies. She won't even order a chocolate brownie when she goes out. But that chocolate cake recipe is her favourite thing in the world. Every holiday she cooks it, and each time we request for more. Nobody ever gets sick of it. Even my cousins, strict vegetarians who can only consume vegan chocolate cake recipes usually, will make an exception for her yummy chocolate cake. It really is that great.

The really sad part is that, since I first tasted that chocolate cake, I will not eat any other sort of chocolate desert. Even the greatest German chocolate cake recipe leaves me flat. Part of it is that my mom made it. It is hard to resist because she spends so much time on it, and clearly wants us to like it so much. I don't know if I would love it quite as much if it were someone else who made it, but even so I would like it still. She has, after all, won several cooking competitions with her chocolate cake recipe. She has only entered a few times, but every time she has entered the same recipe, and every time she has won. I have tried sneaking into the kitchen, but it was no use. She simply refused to go on cooking until I left. I hope one day she will reveal her recipe. So, in the meantime I enjoy her delicious recipe and certainly not complaining.