Don't give up so easily!
Perfect Chocolate Cake
1 c. cocoa
2 c. boiling water
1 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Filling
Perfect Chocolate Frosting
Combine cocoa and boiling water, stirring until smooth; set aside.
Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beating at low speed of electric mixer, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla. Do not overbeat.
Line three 9-inch greased cakepans with wax paper; grease and flour wax paper. Pour batter into cakepans. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove from pans, peel off wax paper, and cool layers completely on wire racks.
Spread Whipped Cream Filling between layers; spread Perfect Chocolate Frosting on top and sides of cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Yield: one 3-layer cake.
Whipped Cream Filling
1 c. whipping cream
1 t vanilla extract
1/4 c. powdered sugar
Beat whipping cream and vanilla until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Chill. Yield: about 2 cups
Perfect Chocolate Frosting
1 6 oz. package semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 c. half and half
3/4 c. butter or margarine
2 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
Combine first three ingredients in a heavy saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring until chocolate melts. Remove from heat; add powdered sugar, mixing well. Set saucepan in ice, and beat at low speed of an electric mixer until frosting holds its shape and loses its gloss. Add a few more drops of half and half if needed to make spreading consistency. Yield: 2 1/2 cups.
Basic Chocolate Cake
1/2 c Butter, softened
2 c Sugar
3 Eggs
1 1/2 ts Vanilla
3 oz Unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
2 c Sifted cake flour
2 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
1 c Sour cream
1 c Boiling water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease & flour 2-9" cake pans.
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs; beat until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla and chocolate.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Add alternately with sour cream to chocolate mixture unti smooth and well combined. stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.)
Bake in prepared pans 35 minutes or until cakes test clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Frost as desired.
One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Butter for pans
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pans
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 2 eight-by-two-inch square cake pans, line bottoms with parchment; butter, and dust with cocoa.
In electric mixer bowl, sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. On low, stir in eggs, 1 1/2 cups warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake, rotating once, until a tester comes out clean, 35 to 45 minutes. Let cakes cool on wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely, right side up on rack.
Makes 2 eight inch square layers.
Chocolate Cake
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
3/4 cup cocoa, Nestles, plus more for dusting
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 T pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
Frosting:
16 oz semisweet chocolate chopped into small pieces
2 cups heavy cream
1. Heat oven to 350. Butter three 8-inch cake pans; line bottoms with parchment. Dust pans with cocoa; tap out any excess. Set aside. Sift cocoa into a medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup boiling water. Let cool.
2. In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter on low speed until light, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides twice. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
3. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk milk into the cocoa mixture. With mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour and cocoa mixtures, a little at a time, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Divide evenly among pans.
4. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer cakes to a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert pans, releasing cakes, and return to rack to cool, top sides up.
5. In the upper pot of a double boiler, combine chocolate and heavy cream. Place assembled double broiler over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula until chcolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.
6. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Transfer 2 cups chocolate glaze to a medium bowl. Set glaze over ice bath; stir until glaze reaches the consistency of thick frosting.
7. Place one cake layer on a cardboard cake round. Using a frosting spatula, spread 1/2 cup frosting on top. Set the second layer on top of the first; spread another 1/2 cup frosting on top. Stack the third cake layer on other two. Spread remaining cup of frosting on top and sides, creating a smooth surface.
8. Set a wire rack over a baking pan. Place cake on rack. Using a ladle, pour the remaining warm glaze over top and sides. Let stand until glaze has set, about 20 minutes.
9. Though Martha's recipe calls for the cake to be decorated with edible pansies, Daniel recommends using fresh strawberries, fresh cherries of canned sour cherries, or raspberries before pouring on the chocolate glaze.
