Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing the pans

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans

2 cups sugar

3/4 cups good cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk, shaken

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee or Pero

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, recipe follows

 

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.
2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
3. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

1. Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake. 

Recipe courtesy of Ina Garten

- Adrian

ALMOND LEMON POPPY SEED BUNDT CAKES

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Ingredients

1 box white cake mix

1 box (4 oz.) lemon instant pudding mix

2/3 C. oil

1 C. plain Greek yogurt

4 eggs

Zest of two large lemons

½ C. freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 Tbl. Poppy seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and grease bundt pan or mini bundt pans.  In bowl combine the following until smooth: pudding mix, oil, yogurt, eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Add cake mix and poppy seeds, stirring until well combined.  Fill pans ¾ full and bake 17 – 25 for the mini bundts or 45 – 55 for a large.  Cool, then turn out onto serving plate.

Frost with homemade cream cheese icing (I use almond extract, instead of vanilla in my icing.)

Top cakes with sliced almonds and fresh raspberries.     - Tricia

 

Carrot Cake

2 cups flour
1tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 cups grated carrot

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix dry ingredients. Cream oil, eggs, sugar together, combine with dry mixture. Stir in grated carrots. Pour into greased and floured 9X13 or round pans and bake 25-35 minutes (round pan) or 35-50 minutes (rectangle pan).

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz brick cream cheese, soft
1 16oz box powdered sugar
4 tablespoons butter, soft (1/2 cube)
1 tsp vanilla