Post by CherieKropp on May 30, 2008 12:55:22 GMT -5
I've been asked to post my favorite chocolate cake recipe.
A little history. For years I tried to find the perfect chocolate cake recipe. I must have tried over 50 different recipes.
Then I read in a magazine about a man who thought his wife made the best chocolate cake - and so he held a contest.
Many women turned in their chocolate cake recipes.
Guess whose cake was the best?
His wife's cake turned out to REALLY be the best one.
Well, I HAD to try it with that recommendation--and sure enough, I agreed, and that is the recipe that follows.
And only recently, I discovered the best chocolate cake recipe is the same as what some people call the Texas Sheet Cake or just Sheet Cake. The sheet cake is baked in a 11 x 17 pan and makes the cake in a height of about brownie size - 1" or so. Recipe for it is at the end.
Following are TWO recipes for the same cake.
Use one for a round cake that makes 2 layers
and
the other one is for a 9 x 13 pan cake.
The recipe for a rich fudge frosting is last.
Then the Texas Sheet cake follows.
BEST CHOCOLATE BAKE IN WHOLE WIDE WORLD
*** FOR (2) round 9” cake pans***
Mix and melt in microwave on medium power
(chocolate will scorch on high power):
1/2 c oleo
2 sq. unsweetened chocolate
In 2 cup measure, put
1 c water
1/2 c oil
1/2 c buttermilk or sour milk*
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
In mixing bowl, put following and gently mix up:
2 c sugar or 1-3/4 c brown sugar
2 c flour
1 t soda
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
Add liquids to sugar/flour mixture; then add melted oleo/choc mixture.
Pour batter into two greased 9" round pans. DO NOT PUT IN 9 x 13 PAN!
Bake on center oven rack at 350 for 20-25 min. or til tests done w/toothpick.
*To make sour milk—measure out nearly all milk recipe calls for—then add about 1 T vinegar to it and let sit 30 min.
Frost with fudge icing recipe
---------------------------------------------------------------------
BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE IN WHOLE WIDE WORLD
***FOR 9 x 13” pan***
Mix and melt in microwave on medium power
(chocolate will scorch on high power):
3/4 c oleo
3 sq. unsweetened chocolate
In 4 cup measure, put
1-1/2 c water
3/4 c oil
3/4 c buttermilk or sour milk*
3 eggs
1-1/2 t vanilla
In mixing bowl, put following and gently mix up:
3 c sugar or 1 3/4 c brown sugar
3 c flour
1-1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 t cinnamon
Add liquids to sugar/flour mixture; then add melted oleo/choc mixture. Take out 1 cup of mixture and throw away.
Pour batter into a 9 x 13 PAN or three (3) greased 9" round pans.
Bake on center oven rack at 350 for 30-40 min. or til tests done with a toothpick.
*To make sour milk—measure out nearly all milk recipe calls for—then add about 1 T vinegar to it and let sit 30 min.
Frost with fudge icing recipe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUDGE FROSTING
1 c sugar, granulated
1/4 c cocoa or ½ pkg milk chocolate chips
4T oleo
1/4 c milk
1 t vanilla
Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Stir til mixture comes to full boil.
Boil 2 minutes exactly (soft ball stage). Remove from heat, and beat until thick.
Pour over cooled cake and spread. Hardens when cool.
If mixture tends to thicken too much during spreading, add 1-2T milk to thin.
------------------------------------------------------
TEXAS SHEET CAKE
2 c sugar
2 c flour
1 t soda
¼ t salt
1/2 c buttermilk
1 t vanilla
2 eggs, beaten in a cup with fork
1 c real unsalted butter
1/3 c cocoa
1 c water
Grease sheet cake pan (11" x 17") with butter sticks used in recipe.
Melt butter in saucepan. Add cocoa. Mix. Set aside.
In mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, soda and salt. Add buttermilk, water, vanilla and eggs.
Mix in cocoa-butter mixture.
Pour in greased pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE FROSTING
1/2 cup butter or good quality oleo
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 tablespoons whole milk (1/3 c)
1 lb/box SIFTED powdered sugar (3-1/2 cups) (sift or will have white lumps)
1/2 cup chopped nuts -- optional
Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add cocoa, milk and vanilla. Remove from heat.
Place sugar in mixer bowl and gradually stir butter-cocoa mixture into sugar.
Beat til smooth. Pour immediately on cake and spread to cover. It hardens fast.
Top with pecans if desired.
A little history. For years I tried to find the perfect chocolate cake recipe. I must have tried over 50 different recipes.
Then I read in a magazine about a man who thought his wife made the best chocolate cake - and so he held a contest.
Many women turned in their chocolate cake recipes.
Guess whose cake was the best?
His wife's cake turned out to REALLY be the best one.
Well, I HAD to try it with that recommendation--and sure enough, I agreed, and that is the recipe that follows.
And only recently, I discovered the best chocolate cake recipe is the same as what some people call the Texas Sheet Cake or just Sheet Cake. The sheet cake is baked in a 11 x 17 pan and makes the cake in a height of about brownie size - 1" or so. Recipe for it is at the end.
Following are TWO recipes for the same cake.
Use one for a round cake that makes 2 layers
and
the other one is for a 9 x 13 pan cake.
The recipe for a rich fudge frosting is last.
Then the Texas Sheet cake follows.
BEST CHOCOLATE BAKE IN WHOLE WIDE WORLD
*** FOR (2) round 9” cake pans***
Mix and melt in microwave on medium power
(chocolate will scorch on high power):
1/2 c oleo
2 sq. unsweetened chocolate
In 2 cup measure, put
1 c water
1/2 c oil
1/2 c buttermilk or sour milk*
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
In mixing bowl, put following and gently mix up:
2 c sugar or 1-3/4 c brown sugar
2 c flour
1 t soda
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon
Add liquids to sugar/flour mixture; then add melted oleo/choc mixture.
Pour batter into two greased 9" round pans. DO NOT PUT IN 9 x 13 PAN!
Bake on center oven rack at 350 for 20-25 min. or til tests done w/toothpick.
*To make sour milk—measure out nearly all milk recipe calls for—then add about 1 T vinegar to it and let sit 30 min.
Frost with fudge icing recipe
---------------------------------------------------------------------
BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE IN WHOLE WIDE WORLD
***FOR 9 x 13” pan***
Mix and melt in microwave on medium power
(chocolate will scorch on high power):
3/4 c oleo
3 sq. unsweetened chocolate
In 4 cup measure, put
1-1/2 c water
3/4 c oil
3/4 c buttermilk or sour milk*
3 eggs
1-1/2 t vanilla
In mixing bowl, put following and gently mix up:
3 c sugar or 1 3/4 c brown sugar
3 c flour
1-1/2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 t cinnamon
Add liquids to sugar/flour mixture; then add melted oleo/choc mixture. Take out 1 cup of mixture and throw away.
Pour batter into a 9 x 13 PAN or three (3) greased 9" round pans.
Bake on center oven rack at 350 for 30-40 min. or til tests done with a toothpick.
*To make sour milk—measure out nearly all milk recipe calls for—then add about 1 T vinegar to it and let sit 30 min.
Frost with fudge icing recipe.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUDGE FROSTING
1 c sugar, granulated
1/4 c cocoa or ½ pkg milk chocolate chips
4T oleo
1/4 c milk
1 t vanilla
Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Stir til mixture comes to full boil.
Boil 2 minutes exactly (soft ball stage). Remove from heat, and beat until thick.
Pour over cooled cake and spread. Hardens when cool.
If mixture tends to thicken too much during spreading, add 1-2T milk to thin.
------------------------------------------------------
TEXAS SHEET CAKE
2 c sugar
2 c flour
1 t soda
¼ t salt
1/2 c buttermilk
1 t vanilla
2 eggs, beaten in a cup with fork
1 c real unsalted butter
1/3 c cocoa
1 c water
Grease sheet cake pan (11" x 17") with butter sticks used in recipe.
Melt butter in saucepan. Add cocoa. Mix. Set aside.
In mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, soda and salt. Add buttermilk, water, vanilla and eggs.
Mix in cocoa-butter mixture.
Pour in greased pan. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes.
CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE FROSTING
1/2 cup butter or good quality oleo
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
6 tablespoons whole milk (1/3 c)
1 lb/box SIFTED powdered sugar (3-1/2 cups) (sift or will have white lumps)
1/2 cup chopped nuts -- optional
Melt butter in heavy saucepan. Add cocoa, milk and vanilla. Remove from heat.
Place sugar in mixer bowl and gradually stir butter-cocoa mixture into sugar.
Beat til smooth. Pour immediately on cake and spread to cover. It hardens fast.
Top with pecans if desired.