Aunt Pearls Chocolate Cake Food

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 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.

GREAT AUNT LOLA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• In large bowl, mix flour, sugars, soda and cinnamon.
• In heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat til melted and just UNDER a boil, don't boil!, the 2 sticks butter, 4 Tbl. cocoa and the 1 cup water.
• Pour over dry ingredients.
• Stir. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Stir well til all is combined.
• I use a large whisk for this.
• Scrape sides and bottom to incorporate all til smooth, but you don't have to over-mix. Pour into greased and floured 13x9 pan.
• I use my old metal one for this, *it seems to come out MUCH better than using a glass one.
• Bake in 350º oven for 35-40 minutes, test with a toothpick.
• Remove from oven and while cooling, make icing.
• Fudge Icing:.
• In heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt and bring just UNDER a boil, the butter, cocoa and cream or milk.
• Stir in quickly the powdered sugar and vanilla til creamy.
• Then QUICKLY spread/pour over warm cake. Spread icing evenly over top.
• Chill in fridge til set.
• *For the icing, it's 3 3/4 cups powdered sugar or 1 (1 lb. ) box. It doesn't want to show up in the recipe.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Cut a circle of baking parchment to fit the base of a 25cm loose-bottomed tin. Melt 1 tbsp butter and brush the inside of the tin, then line the base with the parchment and brush again with more butter. Spoon in 2 tbsp caster sugar, swirl it around to coat the base and sides, then tip out any excess.
• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water, remove from the heat, stir in the brandy and leave to cool. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick; fold into the chocolate with the hazelnuts.
• In a separate bowl, with a clean whisk, beat the whites until they reach a soft peak (try not to whisk them too stiffly or you'll have trouble folding them in). Stir a spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mix, then carefully fold in the rest of them in 2 additions. Spoon into the prepared tin. Level, then arrange the pears over the mixture, cut-side down. Bake for 40 mins until the pears are soft and the cake is cooked all the way through. Leave to cool in the tin slightly before releasing it, then place on a rack to cool completely. Dust with icing sugar and serve with crème fraîche.

AUNT PEARLS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Cake Cream butter and brown sugar and eggs until smooth and fluffy. Add melted chocolate. Add flour and water alternately while beating. Grease and flour 9X13X2 pan. Pour batter in pan and bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool in pan Icing Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, almond and cream again. Add coffee, milk and melted chocolate and cream. If too thick add a little more milk. Iced cooled cake in pan. Cut in squares,