Recipes

I LOVE YOU, CHOCOLATE!!! The recipe I want to share with you is called Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake by Martha Stewart. I tried so many chocolate cake recipes, but this one is exceptional. The frosting that goes with this cake is to kill for. I made this cake several times now for my family and friends and everybody just loved it. What I also like about this cake is that the recipe doesn't ask for much butter. Try to make it if you love chocolate cakes and let me know what you think. Just curious! I added my comments in red.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake (by Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray (I just buttered the cake pan)

1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 ounces (approximately 60 grams) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large egg yolks, plus 1 large egg white, room temperature

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract (I didn't use this extract and it was still heavenly)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees (approximately 177 Celsius). Coat an 8-inch (approximately 20 cm) round cake pan with cooking spray. Cut an 8-inch round of parchment paper, and place in bottom of pan. Coat parchment with cooking spray. Dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. 

2. Put chocolate, 1/4 cup milk (note that it's only a half of the amount listed in Ingredients), the granulated sugar, and 1 egg yolk into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until thickened; set aside.

3. Put butter and brown sugar into the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Mix in remaining yolk. Reduce speed to medium-low.

4. Mix in flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 1/4 cup water (not in the ingredients list), remaining 1/4 cup milk, and extracts. Mix i chocolate mixture.

5. Beat egg white to soft peaks; fold into batter with a rubber spatula. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a cake tester (or regular wooden tooth pick) inserted into center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes (this much time was not enough when I made it; I baked for about an hour, but I would check every 15 minutes; all ovens are different). Let cool on a wire rack 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cake to loosen; turn out onto rack. Remove parchment; let cool completely. 

6. Using a long, serrated knife, halve cake horizontally. Place bottom half, cut side up, on a cake stand; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining half; spread frosting over entire cake.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Frosting (by Martha Stewart)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)

3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder (if you are looking for a perfect taste, use only the best cocoa powder; I really like Dutch, it is rich and has perfect quality)

Pinch of salt

5 tablespoons (approximately 70 grams) unsalted butter, softened

4 ounces (approximately 120 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

7 ounces (approximately 210 grams) bittersweet chocolate, melted (use the best quality chocolate; I like Belgian)

2/3 cup sour cream (minimum 20 %, otherwise the frosting will be runny)

Directions

1. Sift sugar, cocoa powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Put butter and cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high until fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add sugar mixture. Mix in chocolate and sour cream. Use immediately.