Mexican Hot Chocolate Layer Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Food

DOUBLE FEATURE CUPCAKES WITH MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard cupcake pan with liners.
• To prepare the cupcake batter: In a large heat resistant bowl, combine the chocolate and butter over a pot of simmering water, without letting the bottom touch the water. Stir gently until melted and well combined. You may use a microwave, if preferable.
• Remove chocolate from heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the sugar. Beat with a handheld electric mixture until smooth and combined, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing for 20 seconds between each egg to incorporate.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well blended.
• Using ladle or small measuring cup, fill the cupcake cups 2/3 of the way full. Place a peanut butter cup in the center of each cup and press down slightly. Bake until the cupcakes are firm to the touch about 20 minutes.
• To prepare the frosting: Using a handheld electric beater, cream the cream cheese and butter together thoroughly. Add the chili power and cinnamon, mixing to incorporate. Add the salt, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar. Finally, mix in the melted chocolate and blend thoroughly until smooth. If additional thickening is needed, add more sifted confectioners' sugar, a little at a time, until a spreadable consistency is reached.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350*F.
• Lightly coat an 8" round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray.
• Combine all cake ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.
• Pour into a pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes (until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Remove from pan and cool completely.
• When the cake has cooled whisk together the first three glaze ingredients.
• Dip each strawberry into the glaze and set aside.
• Pour the remaining glaze over the cake and arrange the strawberries on top.
• Set aside to dry- about 30 minutes.

MEXICAN HOT CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Mix the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, chipotle powder, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl until blended. Add the oil, milk, vanilla and eggs and beat with an electric mixer until thoroughly blended, about 2 minutes.
• Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a wooden pick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 20 to 22 minutes. Cool on a rack 10 minutes, then invert the pans to remove the cakes and cool completely.
• Beat the cream cheese and butter together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thoroughly combined and smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and continue to beat until the frosting is very smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Spoon 2 cups of the frosting onto the top of one cake layer and smooth evenly with an offset spatula. Top with the second layer. Spoon just enough frosting on top to make a thin but even coating of frosting on top and all along the sides of the cake; it is okay if this frosting gets messy and full of crumbs. Freeze the cake until the frosting is firm, about 10 minutes.
• Spoon the remaining frosting onto the cake and smooth evenly over the entire cake with the offset spatula. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and serve.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Coat an 8-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line bottom of pan with wax paper.
• Coat wax paper with cooking spray, dust with 2 tsp flour; set aside.
• Lightly spoon 1 cup flour into dry measuring cup, level with a knife.
• Sift 1 cup flour and next 5 ingredients (through salt) into a bowl.
• Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes).
• Add egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add yogurt, vanilla, and egg, beating until blended.
• Gradually add flour mixture, beating until combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, sharply tap dish once on counter to remove air bubbles.
• Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven, cool 10 minutes in pan.
• Place a plate upside down on top of cake; invert cake onto plate.
• Carefully peel off wax paper.
• Combine milk and chocolate in a small microwave safe bowl.
• Microwave at high for 30 seconds or until chocolate melts; stir until smooth.
• Cool slightly; drizzle over cake.
• Let glaze set; sprinkle with powdered sugar.

CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 3 circles of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in .
• In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth.
• Add the sugar and eggs and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add the vanilla, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix.
• Add 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the sour cream and mix. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream.
• Drizzle in the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.
• Pour into the prepared pans and bake until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), about 35 minutes. Halfway through the baking, quickly rotate the pans in the oven to ensure even baking, but otherwise try not to open the oven.
• Let cool in the pan 10 minutes.
• Turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely before frosting.
• Frosting:
• In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
• Drizzle in the melted chocolate and mix. Add the coffee and vanilla and mix.
• Add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Mix until well blended and fluffy.
• To frost the cake, use a spatula to cover 2 of the cake layers with frosting. Stack them together.
• Flip the third cake layer over and rest it on the top to create a very flat top for the cake. Frost on the sides and top.
• Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.