I saw this quote for the first time in a cake shop in Budapest when Katelyn and I were there during our girls' trip. Eating cake for breakfast is something you can get away with on a girls' trip! Since we have celebrated two birthdays recently around here, I have some recent "cake experience" I thought I'd share.
The first are two favorite recipes. For Anujin's birthday, it's "the more chocolate the better" so we elected to make the chocolate cake and frosting recipe on the back of the Hershey's Unsweetened Cocoa can. I buy this brand just to have the recipe handy! But in case you don't have it on hand and don't want to squint at the photo, I share the recipe below.
This cake got rave reviews from the family, which is quite a feat considering they are cake connoisseurs.
While my cake decorating skills are sorely lacking, I make up for it with tasty cake and lots of frosting. In case you need inspiration, here is a picture of the birthday cake before adding candles and personalization.
I don't really have special tips to share other than if you can ever get a set of pans like these I inherited from my Mom, grab them! The "slider" allows you to loosen the cake from the pan, preventing the dreaded "cake stuck in pan" issue.
Here is the recipe:
Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake
Source: Hershey’s Cocoa Can
Ingredients:
· 2 c sugar
· 1-3/4 c all-purpose flour
· ¾ c Hershey’s Cocoa
· 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
· 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
· 1 tsp salt
· 2 eggs
· 1 c milk
· ½ c vegetable oil
· 2 tsp vanilla
· 1 c boiling water
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9” round baking pans (I use three because mine are shorter than normal). Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on med. speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour into pans.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting. Makes 12 servings.
While the cake recipe is amazing (it comes out very moist), the frosting is really what makes this cake over the top.
Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting
· ½ c butter or margarine
· 2/3 c Hershey’s Cocoa
· 3 c powdered sugar
· 1/3 milk
· 1 tsp vanilla
Directions:
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting. (Note: I make a double batch to accommodate the three layers in my cake).
If your cake-recipient is not such a huge chocolate fan, here is another recipe, this one for yellow cake. I discovered this recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook when my brother-in-law Clair visited on his birthday several years ago. It's also an amazing cake, and I top it with the same frosting recipe as above. Once when Katelyn was making Rick a cake, he paid her $5 to double the frosting recipe just so there would be leftovers!
Yellow Whipped Cream Cake
Source: Betty Crocker Cookbook
Ingredients:
· 1-1/2 c chilled whipping cream
· 3 eggs
· 1-1/2 tsp vanilla
· 2-1/4 c cake flour or 2 c all-purpose flour
· 1-1/2 c sugar
· 2 tsp baking powder
· ½ tsp salt
Directions:
Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour 13x9 baking pan (or two round layer pans). In chilled bowl, beat cream until stiff. Beat eggs until thick and lemon colored. Fold eggs and vanilla into whipped cream. Stir together remaining ingredients; fold gently into cream-egg mixture until blended. Pour into pan(s).
Bake oblong cake about 45 minutes, layers 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and frost.
For those times when you don't want to bake, especially if you live locally and have access to Oliver's Market, we have become big fans of the cakes from their bakery. Oliver's is a local market and bakes all their own cakes, using local ingredients when possible. They decorate with fresh flowers and shaved Belgian chocolate, so the cakes are beautiful as well as delicious. You typically need to order several days in advance if you want to customize it with the recipient's name or occasion. We have personally devoured the chocolate mousse cake, black and white mousse cake, the raspberry mousse cake, and the coconut cake, but I've heard rave reviews from others about all their cakes. For drooling purposes, or if you have an occasion upcoming, here is their menu: https://mdyo8n9ckd3g81vs1qipy6bt-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Olivers-Gourmet-Cakes_2019.pdf
Commentaires