All The Stops Chocolate Cake Food

"ALL-THE-STOPS" CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks to middle and bottom positions. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray three 9-inch round pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with cooking parchment paper rounds; spray with cooking spray.
• In 3-quart saucepan, heat coffee and butter over medium heat until butter melts and mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add cocoa. Beat with wire whisk until there are no lumps; set aside and cool 5 minutes.
• In very large bowl, beat flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt with wire whisk. Pour coffee mixture over dry ingredients and stir just until no dry flour mixture is visible. In small bowl, beat eggs and egg yolk with wire whisk. Add to flour mixture, beating well. Stir in sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well mixed.
• Pour batter into pans. (Batter will nearly reach tops of pans.) Carefully place pans in oven, 2 on bottom rack and 1 one on middle rack. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and cake top is no longer wobbly. Cool on wire racks, about 10 minutes. Invert cake layers onto wire racks and remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour. (Layers are easier to handle when cold, so you may want to wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours before frosting.)
• In large bowl, place chopped chocolate and set aside. In 4-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream and corn syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour mixture over chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and beat with wire whisk until chocolate is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill 30 minutes. Stir well and refrigerate 30 minutes longer. Continue to stir every 30 minutes until icing is spreadable, about 2 hours total.
• Place about 2 tablespoons icing in center of serving plate or stemmed cake plate. (This will steady the cake as you ice it.)Place 1 layer on plate and spread approximately 1 1/2 cups icing to edge of layer. Top with another layer and spread 1 1/2 cups icing to edge. Top with last layer. Frost side and top with remaining icing. Smooth top and side of cake. Use hands to liberally press coating into side of cake. Repeat all around cake to cover side with coating, filling in any bare spots.

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray. Dust the bottom and sides of each pan with Dutch-process cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
• Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed to combine. Add the eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, sour cream, oil, vanilla, salt and 1 cup of hot water. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• Trim the domes of the cake rounds with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat.
• For the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over simmering water in a medium saucepan. Remove from the simmering water and let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, drizzle in the chocolate and beat until completely blended. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with 3/4 cup of the frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat. (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, swirling decoratively.

BASIC CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

ALL-IN-ONE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides of two 8-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Process to make a smooth, thick batter.
• Using a rubber spatula, divide batter between pans, and smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake pans.
• For frosting: Combine chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl, and heat until melted in a microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until very smooth. Frosting should be thick and spreadable. If necessary, add a teaspoon or two of boiling water to thin it, or additional sifted confectioners' sugar to thicken.
• Cut four strips of waxed or parchment paper, and place them side by side on a cake plate, covering the surface. Place one cake layer domed-side down on plate.
• Spoon about a third of the frosting onto center of cake, and use a knife or a spatula to spread it evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up. Spoon another third of frosting on top of cake, spreading to make swirls or a smooth finish. Spread sides of cake with remaining frosting, and allow to sit for a few minutes until set. Carefully remove paper strips. Place cake under glass or in an airtight container, and set aside in a cool place until serving.

" ALL-THE-STOPS-OUT" CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks to the middle and bottom positions. Heat oven to 350°F
• Spray three 9-inch round pans with cooking spray. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper rounds; spray with cooking spray.
• In a 3-quart saucepan, heat coffee and butter over medium heat until butter melts and mixture just comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add cocoa. Beat with wire whisk until there are no lumps; set aside and cool 5 minutes.
• In a very large bowl; beat flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt with a wire whisk. Pour coffee mixture over dry ingredients and stir just until no dry flour mixture is visible. In a small bowl, beat eggs and egg yolk with wire whisk. Add to flour mixture, beating well. Stir in sour cream and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well mixed. Batter will be thin and watery.
• Pour batter into pans. (Batter will nearly reach top of pans.) Carefully place pans in oven, 2 on the bottom rack and 1 in the middle. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tester or toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and top of cake is no longer wobbly. Cool on wire racks, about 10 minutes. Invert cake layers onto wire racks and remove parchment paper. Cool completely, about 1 hour. (Layers are easier to handle when cold, so you may want to wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours before frosting.).
• In a large bowl, place chopped chocolate and set aside. In a 4 quart saucepan, heat whipping cream and corn syrup to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour mixture over chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap; let stand 5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and beat with wire whisk until chocolate is smooth. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Stir well and refrigerate 30 minutes longer. Continue to stir every 30 minutes until icing is spreadable, about 2 hours total.
• Place about 2 tablespoons icing in center of serving plate or stemmed cake plate. Place 1 layer on plate and spread approximately 1 1/2 cups icing to edge of layer. Top with another layer and spread 1 1/2 cups icing to edge. Top with last layer. Frost side and top with remaining icing. Smooth top and side of cake. Use hands to liberally press coating into sides of cake filling in any bare spots.