Town Talk Chocolate Cake Food

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE I'VE EVER HAD (AND A PAR-TAAAY!)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 2 9-inch cake pans with butter, then coat with flour. Then trace the bottom of the cake pans onto parchment paper, cut out the circles, and put them in the bottom of the pan.*
• In a medium saucepan, melt 1 cup butter over medium heat. Stir in the water and cocoa and whisk until combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for about 30 seconds. Remove pot from heat and let sit aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the white sugar, flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt.
• In another medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs. Slowly sprinkle baking soda and baking powder over the top while you whisk. Beat until there are no lumps. The mixture may foam, and that's ok!
• Stir in the vanilla and 1 cup brown sugar.
• When the chocolate mixture in the pot has cooled enough to handle, stir it into the flour mixture. Then add the egg mixture. Each time mix only until combined.
• Lastly, fold in the sour cream. DON'T over mix!!
• Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans (I use a scale). Drop the cakes on the counter from a few inches above to get out some of the air bubbles.
• Bake for about 34-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven when a toothpick comes out of the center clean.
• Let cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then carefully loosen edges with a knife and invert onto a cooling wrack. Let cakes cool completely.
• Wrap the cakes securely in plastic wrap and freeze for about an hour or 2. (This is only so that it's easy to frost the cake. If you are in a hurry and presentation isn't an issue, frost as soon as they are cool!)

THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Arrange a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds and lightly coat the paper with nonstick spray. Dust the bottom and sides of each pan with Dutch-process cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
• Sift the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low speed to combine. Add the eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, sour cream, oil, vanilla, salt and 1 cup of hot water. Beat on medium speed until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Smooth the tops. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the centers comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cakes cool for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the sides of the cakes and invert onto the wire rack. Remove the parchment and let the cakes cool completely.
• Trim the domes of the cake rounds with a large serrated knife so the tops are flat.
• For the frosting: Melt the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over simmering water in a medium saucepan. Remove from the simmering water and let it cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
• Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low, drizzle in the chocolate and beat until completely blended. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• To assemble the cake: Place one cake, cut-side down, on a platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the remaining cake, cut-side down, on top. Spread the top with 1 1/2 cups of the frosting. Frost the sides of the cake with 3/4 cup of the frosting and smooth out completely to make an even crumb coat. (It's ok if some of the cake shows through. This is just a base layer.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the frosting set.
• Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, swirling decoratively.

TOWN TALK DINER - BRAT BURGER

Steps:

• Combine all the spice mix ingredients.
• To make the burgers: Toss the pork shoulder and fat back with the salt and the spice mix and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Grind through the coarse die of a grinder and form into four 8-ounce patties.
• To make the spicy kraut: Soak the store-bought kraut in water for 20 minutes, drain excess water. Render the bacon; add the onion and saute until translucent. Add white wine and cook off the alcohol. Add sauerkraut and spices and enough water to cover. Simmer for 1 hour. Cool. Mix in garlic-chili paste.
• To assemble: Cook burger patties until medium-well. Melt 2 slices of cheeses on top of each patty. Place on toasted bun and top with spicy kraut.

TOWN TALK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat over to 350 F.
• Cream butter and sugar together.
• Add milk and Egg, stirring well after each addition.
• Sift the Flour, 1 tsp Baking Soda, baking powder and Cocoa into the Butter mixture.
• Stir until well combined.
• Add the 1/2 teaspoons Baking soda and the water, pour into the cake mixture and mix.
• Put in an 8 x 8 inch square pan and cook until toothpick when inserted into the center comes out clean.

CHOCOLATETOWN SPECIAL CAKE (CHOCOLATE CAKE)

Steps:

• In small bowl combine cocoa and boiling water, set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans. (Don't use 8-inch pans or they will overflow!).
• Cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, beat well.
• Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with buttermilk to creamed mixture. Blend in cocoa mixture. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until they test done. Cool and frost with a icing of your choice.