Ghirardelli Soft Center Chocolate Cake Food

GHIRARDELLI® MINI BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper; set pan aside.
• In a small saucepan, place 3/4 cup of the dark chocolate baking chips with the shortening. Heat over low heat until melted and smooth; set aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar and beat 2 minutes more or until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low after each. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk into butter mixture, beating on low after each addition. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile for the frosting: Melt the remaining 1 cup dark chocolate baking chips and cool. In a very large mixing bowl, beat 3/4 cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in melted chocolate, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar until combined. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar. If necessary, beat in enough additional milk until smooth and spreadable.
• Cut rounds of the cake using a 3-inch round cutter or heart cutter.* Halve the cakes crosswise to form 2 thin layers. Spread frosting over each round (both layers). Stack one frosted round over the other. Sprinkle with mini baking chips.

GHIRARDELLI DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH MOCHA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• CAKE:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease the bottoms of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans, and line with parchment paper. I've also been "lazy" and used one 9x13 cake pan.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the four, ground chocolate, granulated sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.
• Add 1 cup of the buttermilk and 1 cup of butter.
• Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add the remaining ½ cup of buttermilk, the eggs, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into the cake's center.
• Cool on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove cakes from the pans, discard the parchment paper, and transfer them to the wire rack to cool completely.
• FROSTING:.
• Melt the chocolate (broken into pieces) in a double boiler over hot, but not boiling, water. Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Dissolve the instant coffee granules in the boiling water.
• Stir coffee mixture into the chocolate then remove from heat and set aside. NOTE: this mixture does have a tendency to seize up, but don't worry, when it's added to the rest of the frosting and mixed in, it comes out just fine.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat the 2/3 cup butter until fluffy.
• Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla extract, mixing until smooth.
• Add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined.
• Frost your cake.
• Induce chocolate nirvana!