Copycat Pepperidge Farms Chocolate Cake Food

CHOCOLATE FUDGE AND GOLDEN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together 3 times and set aside.
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix until blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing after each addition until blended. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix.
• With the mixer running at low speed, and working in alternating batches, add the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, mixing just to combine after each addition. Mix until just smooth. Pour into 2 cake pans. Bake until risen, golden, and firm to the touch, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pans.
• For the frosting: In a mixer with a whip attachment, cream the butter well. Add the confectioners' sugar gradually. Add the melted chocolate, then the vanilla. Add the milk by spoonfuls until you have reached a fudgy yet spreadable consistency.
• Once the cakes have cooled, place 1 layer on a serving platter and cover the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top of that but bottom-side up, to create a nice flat top. Press down to secure the layer. Frost the top and sides using a swirling motion. Or if you want it to look more professional, do a crumb layer of frosting, chill, then do a topcoat.

THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE FUDGE THREE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For cake: Combine water and chocolate in small saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts.
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Beat 2/3 cup shortening until creamy; gradually add 1 3/4 cups sugar, beating well and scrapping down edges of bowl.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift 2 1/2 cups flour, soda, and 1/2 tsp salt; add to cake batter, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Add cooled chocolate mixture and 1 tsp vanilla; mix just until blended.
• Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch layer pans.
• Bake at 350* for 17-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool in pans on wire wracks for 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wracks.
• For filling: Place 1/4 cup flour in small saucepan; gradually stir in milk.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick.
• Remove from heat and let cool completely.
• Beat butter and 1/2 cup shortening until creamy; gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well.
• Add 1 Tbsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt, and milk mixture; beat until smooth.
• Spread filling between cake layers.
• For frosting: Combine 3 cups sugar, 3/4 cup milk, 3/4 cup butter, 3 ounces chocolate in a medium saucepan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts.
• Cook over medium heat until mixture boils; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
• Beat at high speed of electric mixer until frosting is of spreading consistency.
• Immediately spread on cake.
• Garnish with chocolate shavings.

PEPPERIDGE FARMS MILANO COOKIE COPYCAT

Steps:

• Toast almonds- spread on baking sheet and insert in preheated 350*F oven, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until nuts are lightly toasted to pale golden brown Process almonds in food processor with the 3 tbs of sugar until almonds are finely ground.
• Set aside.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt onto a sheet of wax paper or into a bowl.
• Set aside.
• Cream butter with remaining 3/4 cups sugar until mixture is light in colour and texture (at least 3 minutes).
• Beat egg and almond extract;then the almond mixture into to butter mixture until just smooth.
• On a low speed, beat in flour mixture until just smooth.
• Cover dough tightly in plastic wrap.
• Refrigerate at least 2 hours (or until well chilled) or up to 5 days.
• Position racks in oven to center and top third of oven and preheat to 350*F.
• Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or lightly butter them.
• Portion dough into 80 pieces, about 1 tsp each.
• Roll into balls.
• (I have heard that you can put two bits of dough in one hand and roll them into 2 balls between your palms, which will cut your rolling time in half.) Place balls about 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets.
• Do not crowd.
• It is likely that 3 sheets will be needed to bake all of the cookies.
• Bake, switching the position of the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after about 5-6 minutes.
• Cook another 5-6 minutes, or until lightly browned all over.
• Let cookies cool on the sheets for about 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks and cool completely.
• Melt chocolate (a double boiler is recommended, but any method is fine).
• Spread about 1/2 tsp on the underside of a cookie, then lightly sandwich between another cookie.
• Alternatively-a parchment cone can be filled with melted chocolate and the chocolate can be piped onto cookies before being sandwiched.
• Refrigerate cookies breifly to set chocolate, but they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for some time.
• **Fora fancier cookie** Lightly brush each cookie with an egg glaze (beat 1 egg+ 1 tsp water) and top with a few sliced almonds before baking.