Farmhouse Chocolate Cake Food

ONE BOWL SOURDOUGH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Prep oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
• Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined.
• Add wet ingredients. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and sourdough starter. Stir to form a thick batter. Pour in the cup of boiling water and stir well until a smooth batter forms.
• Bake. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with only a few crumbs. (The top may crack.)
• Cool. Cover cake with a clean tea towel and allow it to cool directly in the pan. Cool completely before frosting.
• Frost and serve. To make the frosting, combine the melted butter and cocoa in a large mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and milk, alternating with each other, and beat with an electric mixer until a smooth frosting forms. Frost the cake and serve directly out of the pan.

FARMHOUSE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Lightly butter an 8 inch springform pan.
• In a double broiler, melt 4 oz. of the chocolate and 1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces.
• In a medium bowl, blend the flour and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add eggs and mix well.
• Add the melted chocolate and butter to the bowl and with an electic mixer, beat at high speed for about 5 minutes, until the batter is smooth and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
• Unmold the cake onto a rack and let cool; it will fall to about half its original height.
• Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the remaining 3 oz. chocolate and 1 tsp butter.
• In a small heavy saucepan, bring the reduced cream to a boil, then whisk it vigorously into the chocolate.
• Continue whisking until smooth and glossy.
• Place sheets of waxed paper under the cake and cooling rack.
• Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, using a metal spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top and sides.
• After the frosting has hardened slightly, about 5 minutes, use a long straight knife to mark the top in a criss-cross pattern,.
• Mix the cocoa with the remaining 1 T. sugar and sprinkle it decoratively over the cake before serving.

CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA CHECKERED FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• For the vanilla and chocolate cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare four 9-inch cake pans with the nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the granulated sugar and butter and cream together until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate them. Add the baking powder, salt and 1 cup of the flour and continue to beat. Add the milk and remaining 2 cups flour, alternating back and forth. And the vanilla extract and beat for 1 more minute. Pour half of the batter into 2 of the prepared cake pans, reserving half to make into chocolate cake batter.
• To make the chocolate batter, add the cocoa and hot water to a small bowl and mix to make a paste. Combine the chocolate paste with the remaining cake batter and mix until evenly combined. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the remaining 2 cake pans.
• Place all 4 cake pans in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire baking rack for 30 minutes.
• For the vanilla frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the confectioners' sugar and butter and mix on low speed for 1 minute until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, another 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean seeds and continue to beat for 1 more minute. Set aside.
• To assemble checkerboard cake: To each cake, using a 5.5-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 1 ring, place a 2.5-inch round cookie cutter on the inside of the 5.5-inch ring to cut out a 2nd round. Repeat with the other 3 cakes. (This will give you 2 rings and 1 round per cake)
• For the first layer: Place the largest yellow cake ring on your desired cake plate, place the second largest chocolate cake ring inside of the yellow cake ring, then place the smallest yellow cake round inside of the chocolate cake ring. Spread an even layer of vanilla frosting on top.
• For the second layer: Place the largest chocolate cake ring on top of the first frosted layer of cake, place the second largest yellow cake ring inside of the of the chocolate ring, then place the smallest chocolate round inside of the yellow cake ring. Spread an even layer of vanilla frosting on top.
• For the third and fourth layers, repeat the steps for the first 2 layers. Finish the top of the cake with an even layer of frosting, leaving the sides of the cake untouched.