Looking for a wonderful Valentine Dessert???
Why not try chocolate cake with chocolate icing???
I love to make this cake, because it seems like I am making something out of nothing.
These are very basic ingredients...
2 cups sugar
2 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup water
1 stick butter (or margarine)
1/2 cup oil
4 Tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
I always start by preparing my pan. I like to use a paper towel and apply a thin layer of Crisco. Then, I sprinkle a little plain flour in the pan, scatter it around, and shake off any excess. Today, I am using a 13x9 glass dish, but a metal cake pan will work fine.
Sift the flour, sugar, and baking soda together. I like to sift mine onto a sheet of waxed paper. Set aside.
In a saucepan, place the water, oil, margarine, and cocoa.
Mix well and bring to a full rolling boil over high heat.
(Be forewarned...this is the stage when everyone in your house will come into the kitchen to see what you are making. It smells sooooooooo good.)
Slightly beat the eggs together in a bowl, then add the buttermilk and vanilla. I never have buttermilk at my house. So, the above picture shows a little trick I do to make buttermilk. Just add about a half teaspoon of white vinegar to your milk, and you will have instant buttermilk.
Now, slowly add the egg/milk mixture to the chocolate mixture, mixing as you go. (As you can tell from the photo, I forgot to beat my eggs before adding the milk...do as I say, not as I do.)
Now add in your dry ingredients.
Beat well with a wire whisk. The batter may appear a little thin.
Pour yummy looking batter into prepared pan.
Then, bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
Now, it is time to make the frosting.
FROSTING
This has to be one of the best and easiest cake icings ever. I make it often, and use it on white cakes, yellow cakes, marble cakes, etc. etc.
You will need:
1 stick margarine
4 Tablespoons Cocoa
6 Tablespoons milk
1 box powdered sugar
Start by beating the softened margarine with a hand held mixer. Then, add the cocoa.
(Notice in the above picture, I am trying to do this by hand. It is not working. What was I thinking???)
Alternately, add the milk and powdered sugar.
Notice how beautiful this icing becomes as soon as I pull out the hand held mixer. (What was I thinking earlier???? This is truly an easy icing...almost impossible to mess it up.)
I took this picture of the finished cake in the sun on purpose. I was just so glad that the sun is shining. No snow for us today...
only sunshine and chocolate cake.
Can I tell you this cake is delicious???
Can I tell you everyone in my house was waiting for a piece???
Can I tell you the smell of this cake baking is heavenly???
I'll just bet you can even smell it just looking at the picture.
Enjoy!!!
Happy Valentine's Day
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