Sunday, August 27, 2006

Leslie's Chocolate Chip Cake


INGREDIENTS:
· 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
· 1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
· 1 cup vegetable oil
· 4 eggs
· 1/2 cup hot water
· 1 cup sour cream
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· 1 cup mini semi-sweet
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Chocolate Cavity Cake

INGREDIENTS:
1 (18.25 ounce) package dark mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup coffee flavored liqueur
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan.
2. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, eggs, oil and coffee liqueur in a large bowl. Beat until ingredients are well blended. Mix in chocolate chips. Batter will be thick. Spoon into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until cake springs back when lightly tapped. Cool 10 minutes in pan, then turn out and cool completely on wire rack.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

2 Layer Chocolate Cake

For cake layers
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet such as Callebaut
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate such as Callebaut
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

Special equipment
two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 300°F and grease pans. Grease paper. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper.
Chop chocolate finely and combine with hot coffee in a bowl. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, and mixture is smooth.

Sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. In another large bowl usae an electric mixer to beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored. 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. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept. Wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. 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 (depending on chocolate used, 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 before serving.

Serves 12 to 14.


Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Chocolate Curb

Find everything at chocolate at Chocolate Cavity