Sunday, Jul. 12, 2009

Deep dark chocolate cake

Here is a recipe from Harriet Church of Lebanon

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa or Hershey's European Style cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Pan Frosting (recipe below)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan.

In large mixer bowl, stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes.

Remove from mixer; stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. (Cake may be left in rectangular pan, if desired). Frost. Makes 8-10 servings.

CHOCOLATE PAN FROSTING

1 stick butter

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup 2 percent milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over low heat, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in cocoa powder, milk and vanilla. Cook another minute, stirring, until mixture thickens and just begins to come to a boil. Remove from pan from heat. Stir in powdered sugar then more if needed until frosting is thickened and smooth and the consistency of hot fudge sauce.

Ladle warm frosting liberally over cooled cake to frost as indicated in cake recipes. Frosting will harden as it cools. Work quickly; this frosting goes on best while still warm.

Frosts one 9-by-13 or two 9-inch round cakes.