Ginas Chocolate Pound Cake Food

HORTENSIA'S BEST-EVER CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Brush a 10-inch Bundt pan with the room-temperature (but still firm) unsalted butter. Pour 1/2 cup sugar into the pan, swirling the sugar in the pan so that the chimney and sides are covered well. Turn the pan upside down to remove any excess sugar and set aside.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, cream the butter on medium speed. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beating at medium speed, add the eggs, one by one, beating only until they are well blended.
• Beating on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and a third of the buttermilk. Do this twice more with the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula in between. Finally, beat the batter on medium speed for 30 seconds, until it is smooth.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top feels springy and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. Then turn it out onto the wire rack to finish cooling.
• To finish, dust the cake with cocoa or confectioners' sugar.

GINA'S POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Oil 3 medium size loaf pans.
• In a large mixer, cream together the margarine and sugar.
• Add in eggs, vanilla and flour.
• Divide evenly among the loaf pans.
• Bake about 1 hour.
• Cool completely and dust with more confectioners sugar.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the bundt pan.
• Sift the flour, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs, yolks, vanilla, and espresso powder together in a bowl and set aside.
• In a heavy-duty mixer, beat the butter with the paddle attachment, on medium speed for 1 minute, or until smooth. Gradually pour in the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until the butter begins to lighten, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat, on medium-high, until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes more.
• Adjust the mixer's speed to its lowest setting. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture and mix until completely absorbed before adding the rest. Scrape down the sides of the mixer then beat on medium-high for 30 seconds more.
• Adjust again to low speed and add half the egg mixture, mix until blended and smooth. Add the remaining egg mixture and beat until almost blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer, and fold in the chocolate by hand. Take care not to over mix the batter.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
• Cool the cake in the pan, on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out of the pan, and cool right side up on a rack. If not serving the same day, wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Glaze just before serving. Cake can be frozen for 1 month.
• For the glaze: Put all the ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more. Remove from the microwave and whisk until fully combined, smooth and glossy. While warm, pour glaze over cooled cake and do not spread. Serve as desired.

GINA'S FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spray a 9-inch springform pan with baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper and spray again.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate and butter, constantly stirring until fully incorporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
• In a large bowl add the sugar and eggs. Using a handheld mixer beat together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. While mixing, slowly add cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, and brandy. Add the chocolate mixture and blend until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven for about 50 minutes or until a thin crust forms on the top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs attached. Remove and cool in the pan on a bakers rack. Remove the sides of the pan and dust with powdered sugar and arrange seasonal berries in a pleasing fashion on and around the cake. Serve with Whipped Cream.
• With a hand-held mixer, beat the cream until peaks soft peaks form. Add the sugar and brandy and beat until well combined.

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 10-inch tube pan with butter.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa together. Set aside.
• With an electric mixer, cream the 1 cup butter, the shortening and the sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one a time, beating well after each addition. With the motor running, add the flour mixture and the milk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour. Add the vanilla.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake; it should come out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Slice the cake and serve topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans and dust them with cocoa powder.
• With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs one by one until incorporated. Add the buttermilk and vanilla. Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture until incorporated.
• Divide the batter equally among the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool the cakes on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove them from the pans and cool completely on the rack.
• For the vanilla Italian buttercream: With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and 3/4 cup of the sugar to stiff peaks. Heat the remaining sugar and 1 1/4 cups water to 240 degrees F in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour the boiling syrup into the egg whites, and beat until cooled to room temperature, 8 to 10 minutes. Cube the butter and add it to the bowl slowly. Mix until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla until incorporated.
• To assemble the cake, coat the top of 1 cake round with some of the buttercream. Stack the next cake round and coat with some buttercream; repeat until you have 3 layers. Then frost the sides with the remaining buttercream.