comfort cake

Sorry this post is a day late. Flikr and I had an argument yesterday but after a nice chat, we have sorted out our issues.

Since it's midterm week here in Athens, I decided it would be a good time to break out some comfort food. And I wanted chocolate cake. Enjoy the slideshow and try out the recipe. It's really good.




Chocolate Cake Recipe:

Here's what you need:

• 1 cup boiling-hot water
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• Rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 4 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minute

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two small pans.

Whisk together hot water and cocoa powder in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture (batter may look curdled).

Divide batter between cake pans, smoothing tops. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean and edges of cake begin to pull away from sides of pans, 25 to 35 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, removing wax paper, and cool completely.

Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake stand or platter and, using offset spatula, spread top with icing. Top with remaining cake layer, rounded side down, and frost side and top of cake.

To make Buttercream Icing:

Here's what you need:

• 1/2 cup of shortening
• 1/2 cup of butter (1 stick)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 4 cups of powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons of milk

Creme butter and shortening with an electric mixer. Add vanilla. Add powdered sugar gradually (one cup at a time) while mixing at medium speed. Add milk. Beat on high until fluffy.

Have fun a good luck.