The BEST chocolate cake

I forgot to post this one… It’s been sitting, forgotten, in my folder for a while… This is literally the best chocolate cake I have ever had. I found the recipe in Bon Appetite a while back, and it’s now a staple. Not only chocolate, the goodness is raised to the next level with espresso in the luscious cream cheese frosting and the moist batter. I made this one as a thank you/birthday gift for some friends of mine. My brothers were rather disappointed that I was giving the “whole thing” away, but we enjoyed the leftover frosting . Another thing to remember is NOT TO MAKE THE FROSTING WITH HALF AND HALF. It doesn’t work! But the chocolate soup you are left with does make great chocolate milk .

It takes a bit of effort to make, but it totally worth it! I haven’t found anyone who doesn’t like it yet. If you were crunched for time or just lazy you could just put the frosting on a box cake, but it wouldn’t be nearly as good.

2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons instant espresso (or instant coffee) powder dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water
Frosting:
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder (or instant coffee)
1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 8-ounce containers chilled mascarpone cheese (I use cream cheese)
Bittersweet chocolate curls (optional)

Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Generously butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; dust with flour, tapping out any excess. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper.
Sift 2 cups cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add hot espresso-water mixture, beating just until smooth.
Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks; lift pans off cakes and remove parchment. Place wire rack atop each cake; invert again so top side is up. Cool completely.
For frosting:
Sift cocoa powder into large bowl; add espresso powder. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in small saucepan. Slowly pour cream over cocoa mixture, whisking until cocoa is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup cream and sugar; stir until sugar dissolves. Chill until cold, at least 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep chilled.
Add mascarpone to chilled cocoa mixture. Using electric mixer, beat on low speed until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high; beat until mixture is thick and medium-firm peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
Using pastry brush, brush off crumbs from cakes. Place 1 cake layer, top side up, on platter. Spoon 13/4 cups frosting in dollops over top of cake. Using offset spatula, spread frosting to edges. Top with second cake layer, top side up, pressing to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill 10 minutes. Using offset spatula, spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. Top with chocolate curls, if desired.

Mister Bowties

This is my little brother, Christian. Need I say more? =)

 

I will post some more pictures soon! I have been really busy with school work and life in general…. But as soon as I can I will be posting pictures from our trip to get out apples pressed into Cider. (And it is soo good!)

Apple Dumplings

Apple Dumplings are almost better than apple pie. Maybe. It’s a tie. I made them yesterday for my family and grandparents, and they were delish! Here’s how it’s done for those of you deprived enough who have never had an Apple Dumpling:

This is the best pie crust recipe ever. Ever. This makes enough for 2 double crust pies. I used a little over 1/2 a recipe for 7 apple dumplings. I just put the leftovers in the freezer and pull them out when needed.

Start with 2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour, and 2 cups of White Flour.

Mix in 1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt, and

1 TB of Evaporated Cane Juice or Sugar.

Cut in 1 3/4 cups of Butter. I used European Style Butter Blend, Unsalted. 100% butter is great as well, or 1/2 margarine 1/2 butter. Whatever you do don’t do ALL margarine. Butter is Better

Sunglow Butter Blend is available at Gordon Foods Service….

Cut the butter into the flour.

Cut cut cut cut cut until it’s nicely blended with no big butter chunks. Like coarse sawdust.

Add 1 egg.

And a 1/2 cup of water. Before you add the water stir into it 1 TB of Apple Cider Vinegar.

ACV.

I used an eye dropper so I could get the right amount of water. Not really, I’m just easily distracted =) You don’t have to do this step if you don’t want to =P

You will end up with something like this. Hopefully. They call it never fail for a reason =)

Divide dough into 4 equal sections and wrap in saran wrap or wax paper. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until dough is firm and workable.

Peel your apples. I use an Apple Corer Peeler Slicer. It makes the job 10 times easier!!

Roll ping pong ball sized balls of dough (or whatever thickness you like) in circles.

Place cored apple on the center of the dough and fill with a sliver of butter, natural sugar (I made mine with honey and it was really good too), a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. Wrap the apple up in the dough and seal. If the dough don’t seal wet with a little water.

You will need to make a sauce to cook the dumplings in. Mi madre made my sauce for me =) but here is the recipe.

Place your dumplings in a greased/buttered baking dish and pour sauce over top. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour, or until golden brown =)

*TaDa* The final product. They are super good! Like I said earlier, I made mine with honey, no sugar, and I liked it. I may do 1/2 honey 1/2 sugar next time though.

Ahhh.. Finally done uploading pictures! My “high speed” internet isn’t very speedy =(.

Hope you enjoyed the post and thanks for reading my blog!

<3 Liv