Aunt Geraldines Chocolate Cake Food

HAYDEN'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter one 4 x 3-inch round cake pan, one 6 x 3-inch round cake pan and one 8 x 3-inch round cake pan. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter and flour the pans.
• Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on high speed until light, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. On low speed, add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture alternately in thirds, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix the batter only until blended.
• Divide the batter between the three pans and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack of the oven as follows: for the 4-inch pan 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean; for the 6-inch pan 70 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean; and for the 8-inch pan 85 to 90 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes each on a cooling rack, carefully remove from the pans and allow to finish cooling.
• For the frosting, place the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chips are completely melted. Off the heat, add the corn syrup and vanilla and allow the chocolate mixture to cool to room temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the chocolate mixture and softened butter on medium speed for a few minutes, until it¿s thickened.
• Place a dollop of the frosting on a serving plate to hold the bottom cake layer in place. Place the 8-inch cake on the plate, flat side up. Frost the top and sides of that layer. Place the 6-inch cake in the center of the top of the 8-inch cake, flat side up, and frost the top and sides. Place the 4-inch cake in the center of the top of the 6-inch cake, flat side down, and frost the top and sides. Pipe any remaining frosting decoratively around the cake and decorate with the candy-coated chocolates.

BEATTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
• Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
• Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

AUNT GERALDINE'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9x13-inch pan; dust pan with flour. Sift flour, sugar and salt into large bowl. Combine coffee, butter, and cocoa in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over medium heat until mixture is smooth and comes to boil. Pour coffee mixture over flour mixture; stir until blended. Add buttermilk, eggs, cinnamon, baking soda and vanilla and stir until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack.
• For frosting:
• Combine cocoa, butter and 6 tablespoons buttermilk in heavy large saucepan over high heat. Stir until mixture is smooth and comes to boil. Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat frosting until smooth, adding more buttermilk by tablespoons if frosting is too thick.
• Spread frosting over cake in pan. Sprinkle walnuts over. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Let stand at room temperature 3 hours before serving.)

AUNT CAROL'S CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE

Steps:

• Grease and flour a cookie sheet and preheat oven to 400ºF.
• In a small bowl, mix the eggs, baking soda and sour cream.
• In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar and salt, stir to combine.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, water and cocoa powder, heat and stir to combine.
• Add cocoa mixture to flour/sugar, blend with mixer. Add egg mixture and beat 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips if desired. Put in cookie sheet and bake 14-20 minutes.
• When the cake is out of the oven, put the cream in a saucepan and heat to simmer.
• Add chocolate to the bowl of a food processor.
• Once the cream is heated, pour into food processor and let sit 4 minutes.
• Pulse a few times then process 5-10 seconds to smooth out the mixture.
• Transfer ganache to a non-plastic bowl. For a glaze style ganache, top cake now. For a lighter, fluffier "frosting", refrigerate 1-2 hours, whip in mixer, then top the cake. Top with walnuts, optional.
• Refrigerate the cake at least an hour before serving.

AUNT JOYCE'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave.
• Pour the melted chocolate into a large mixing bowl. Blend in the mayonnaise, vinegar and vanilla. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt and gradually stir into the chocolate mixture. Slowly stir in the warm water. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

THREE BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE FROM AUNT HORTENSE

Steps:

• Start with bowl #1 and beat the butter with the sugar until light, then add the eggs, one at a time, and beat in until light.
• Now go to bowl #2 and stir the baking soda into the sour cream.
• Now go to bowl #3. mix together the flour,salt,and cocoa.
• Add the flour mixture alternatively with the sour cream mixture to the butter mixture, but do not beat too much. Take off the beater and add the boiling water and carefully stir it inches Pour the batter in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan or two greased layer cake pans and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for about 30 minutes, or until done (test with toothpick). Ice with desired chocolate frosting.

AUNT ELSA'S DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• In the top of a double boiler or in a stainless-steel mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water so that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8-inch cake pans.
• In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, place the butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat on high speed until lightened in color, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally.
• Reduce the speed to low and beat in the chocolate. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with the buttermilk in 2 parts, starting and ending with the flour. Beat in the water until smooth.
• Pour into the prepared pans. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the cake layers cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the outside and turn out onto racks. Peel off the paper. Flip them over to completely cool right-side up on the racks. If not assembling right away, cover the layers in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 1 day.
• Meanwhile, prepare the frosting: In the top of a double boiler or in a stainless-steel mixing bowl set over a pan of simmering water so that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, melt the chocolate. Set aside to cool.
• In the work bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a handheld mixer, place the cooled, melted chocolate, the sugar, and the hot water. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg, butter, and vanilla. Continue beating until the frosting is thick and fluffy and mounds beautifully on a spoon, 2 to 3 minutes.
• When ready to fill and frost the cake, hold a serrated knife horizontally and use a gentle sawing motion to shave the domed top off each layer. Fill and frost the cake, using a crumb coat (page 202) if you have time.
• Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
• If the percentages you sometimes see on bars of chocolate seem baffling, just know this: They refer to the percentage of cocoa solids and cocoa butter in the chocolate. This varies from brand to brand, but generally semisweet chocolate is about 50 percent cocoa, and bittersweet is 60 to 70 percent cocoa. Always use a good-quality chocolate in chocolate desserts-it will usually determine how good your end result is!