Israeli Chocolate Cake With Instant Icing Food

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MOCHA FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl. On medium speed, add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another bowl or a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the hot water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until smooth. Add the half-and-half and whisk until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the flour and chocolate mixtures alternately in thirds, starting and ending with the flour. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl to be sure the batter is well mixed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Turn out onto a flat platter or board and frost the top with the Mocha Frosting. Cut in squares and serve.
• Place the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a bowl. Heat the cream to simmer and pour it over the chocolate mixture, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. (If the chocolate isn't melted, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds.) Stir in the Kahlua and vanilla and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes only, until cool but not cold.
• Scrape down the bowl and beat the frosting with a handheld mixer on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds only, until the mixture forms soft peaks. (If you overbeat it, it will curdle!) Spread on the cake immediately with a metal spatula.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Grease the cake pans with 1 tablespoon butter, then dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, tapping out any extra. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and remaining 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and remaining 3 sticks butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs one at a time. On low speed, add the salt directly to the wet ingredients, then add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently incorporate the remaining flour mixture with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Spread half of the batter in each of the prepared pans. Tap the pans lightly on the counter so that the batter settles. Place the pans on the center rack of the oven and bake until a tester or small knife inserted in the center emerges clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes. Unmold onto a rack. Cool to room temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more.
• Mix together the bourbon and the simple syrup in a bowl. Set aside.
• For the frosting: In a medium pot, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. In a medium oven-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and sugar. Place the bowl on top of the pot with the heavy cream to melt. Once the cream is simmering, pour it over the chocolate mixture and stir until all of the chocolate has melted and you have a glossy ganache. Gently stir in the vanilla, followed by the butter pieces. Set aside to let cool to room temperature.
• Transfer the chocolate mixture to the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the frosting for 1 to 2 minutes to lighten the texture.
• Put the cake layers on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Using a pastry brush, brush about half the bourbon mixture on each cake layer. Frost the top of the bottom layer, then stack the other layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake.

ISRAELI CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH INSTANT ICING

Steps:

• In a saucepan on a low flame melt the chocolate, cocoa, water and sugar until the sugar melts.
• Add margarine (cut into chunks) and simmer on low flame until margarine melts.
• Mix well.
• Place in refrigerator until chocolate mixture cools.
• With a fork beat egg yolks, rum and wine. Add to cooled chocolate mixture.
• In a seperate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
• Fold in flour and baking powder.
• Add white batter to 3/4 of chocolate mixture, reserving remaining 1/3 for icing.
• Pour the cake into an 8 inch by 8 inch pan and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.
• While cake is still warm, pour remaining chocolate mixture over it for instant icing.

DARN GOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MARTHA'S ICING

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly mist a 12 Bundt pan with PAM and dust with flour.
• Place cake mix, pudding, sour cream, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
• Blend with electric beaters on low speed for 1 minute.
• Stop and scrape down bowl.
• Increase speed to medium and beat 2-3 minutes more.
• Fold in chips.
• Turn batter into prepared pan and bake 58-62 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. It will also begin to pull away from the pan.
• Place on wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.
• I always kind of shake the pan to make sure that it is loosened before inverting onto a rack to cool for 20 more minutes.
• Meanwhile make icing.
• Place sugar, butter and milk in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Stir until it comes to a boil- about 3-4 minutes.
• Still stirring let mixture boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in chips and stir until smooth.
• Pour and drizzle over bundt cake.

LIGHTER CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line the bases of 2 x 18cm round sandwich cake tins with baking parchment. Melt the butter and set aside to cool. Mix the flour in a large bowl with the cocoa powder, baking powder, both sugars and ground almonds. Stir the yogurt and vanilla into the beaten eggs. Pour this into the dry mixture along with the melted butter and oil. Briefly stir until just mixed, creamy and smooth. Do not overbeat.
• Spoon the mixture evenly between the two tins and level the surfaces. Bake for 20 mins until risen and starting to come away from the sides of the tin. Remove from the tins, peel off the parchment and leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. Remove the bowl from the pan and leave the chocolate to cool. Sift the icing sugar and cocoa into a separate bowl. Add the butter and milk, and beat until smooth. Beat in the cream cheese and quark, then stir in the cooled, melted chocolate.
• When the cakes are cold, use half the icing to sandwich both cakes together. Spread the rest of the icing on top in fluffy folds, then decorate with sugared almonds, if you like.