I need a recipe for chocolate cake and icing

[granolalight]

DH is turning 40 next week, and the kids and I want to bake a cake from scratch, which I've never done before. Does anyone have a fabulous recipe for a chocolate cake, and for a light, fluffy, chocolate buttercream frosting?

Thanks!!

[treemom2]

2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling coffee (or boiling water)

Whisk the dry ingredients then add everything down to the vanilla. Then add the boiling water or coffee. It will be very soupy. Bake 350 for 30 minutes for a 2 layer cake or 40 minutes for a 9x13. I like to grease my pans with butter wrappers or spray oil and dust with flour mixed with cocoa. If you do a two layer cake, it's sometimes easier to use parchment on the bottoms to get the layers out easier. I usually only let mine cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing them to cool the rest of the way. Sometimes I like to also add mini chocolate chips. If you like cinnamon chocolate cake, go ahead and put some in the mix with the flour.

I like to frost it with a chocolate cream cheese frosting or just regular cream cheese frosting (I like to use this recipe and add 1/3c cocoa to it to make it chocolate).

[granolalight]

Thanks, Barbara. Looks great!

[momtoS]

holy moly!!! I was going to post the exact same recipe. I have made it several times, given out the recipe several times. It is a no fail recipe.

Instead of icing I make to circle cakes put cut up strawberries and whipping cream inbetween and I make a melted chocolate chip and cream glaze pour it on top and then put strawberries on top of that.

Or instead of strawberries....SKOR bits. YUMMY

I also have a recipe, that I am going to try soon, for a sweet potatoe chocolate cake.

[momtoS]

oh and in the above recipe I have NEVER added the salt.

and I have made it with whole wheat flour or half and half

and I have made it with soy milk!

[mollybet]

This is the absolute best chocolate cake and the buttercream is perfection: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/i...ipe/index.html Check out the reviews - 5 stars and over 600 reviews. It definitely fills two 9-inch rounds rather than 8-inch though. It was a big hit with my guests for my daughter's 2nd birthday a couple of weeks ago. Way above average!

[inkedmamajama]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/t...ipe/index.html

this is my favorite-i would halve the cake and frosting recipe for one layer cake though-it makes A LOT.

warning though-once you eat this you cannot go back to canned frostings and box cakes!!

[treemom2]

Originally Posted by momtoS

oh and in the above recipe I have NEVER added the salt.

and I have made it with whole wheat flour or half and half

and I have made it with soy milk!

I've made it with sour cream or yogurt before too. . .depending on what I have to use.

[granolalight]

OK, so I'm going to make the recipe from the food network. It looks awesome. Question - is it really necessary to heat the egg whites after beating them, then let them cool, then beat again? Seems like kind of a pain in the neck, and awkward, as far as pans and bowls are concerned. I'm not quite sure how to do it.

Thanks!

[inkedmamajama]

Originally Posted by granolalight

OK, so I'm going to make the recipe from the food network. It looks awesome. Question - is it really necessary to heat the egg whites after beating them, then let them cool, then beat again? Seems like kind of a pain in the neck, and awkward, as far as pans and bowls are concerned. I'm not quite sure how to do it.

Thanks!

sorry i missed this question!

heres what i do wrt to the icing.

chop the chocolate put in bowl and melt in double boiler, then set bowl aside to cool off.

then i simply put the egg white/sugar mixture in a glass bowl, and whisk for a full five minutes over the double boiler (yes whisk the ENTIRE five minutes) then i put the egg whites in the stand mixer and run it on high with the whisk attachment until the bowl is cool to the touch(as per the recipe). then i put the room temp butter in one tablespoon at a time and wait at least one minute between adding pats of butter. it takes a while, but its worth it. if the butter doesnt incorporate for any reason, i simply keep the mixer going and it will 'fix' itself and look smooth and silky again.

then add the flavorings (coffee, vanilla, rum) and then the melted chocolate.

the just a couple more minutes in the mixer, and it is ready!

[granolalight]

Thank you so much! Wish me luck.