Blog.EmealsForYou

Chocolate Chocolate Cake

We usually celebrate special occasions with family and our extended family who strangely have been our neighbors in suburban Chicago and now we are all in Cincinnati and neighbors again.  So when some of the kids came home for a weekend last month we decided to have a family dinner and celebrate a couple of birthdays at the same time.  Our friend and extended family member, Mary, offered to make one of the cakes; saying she had a really good chocolate birthday cake recipe.

Mary gets the award for understatement.  The cake she brought was the most dense, chocolaty, delicious chocolate cake I have ever had.  The photo above doesn’t really do it justice, but to make it look as it actually is would be too dark to show the layers.  I had to lighten up the photo just to post it here.  I thought I had the best chocolate cake posted on my  site www.emealsforyou.com but mine is a lot more complicated to make and frankly this one is better and easier.

Another benefit of this cake is that it will feed an army, even those who really are chocoholics will find it difficult to eat more than a thin slice.  If you don’t believe me; make it and let me hear from you in our comments sections.

Mary’s Special Birthday Cake

Preheat oven to 300°F. Grease pans (two 10 inch cake pans or three 9 inch cake pans), line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper and grease paper.
Place chocolate in a bowl and combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes ) Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Remove parchment paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature. Ckae may also be frozen at this point.
Make frosting:
In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable it may be necessary to chill frosting to spreadable consistency.
Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature to serve.