Our Favorite Chocolate Cake

Ingridients

8 tablespoons shortening

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup milk

1 cup white sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tablespoons butter

5 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 13x9 inch cake pan.

Cream together the shortening and the white sugar. Add the melted chocolate and eggs, mix well.

Sift the flour with baking soda and salt. Add alternately with 1 cup milk to shortening mixture. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick stuck into the center of the cake comes out clean. Once cool frost with Coffee Frosting.

To Make Frosting: Mix together instant or leftover coffee, 1/4 cup milk or cream, cocoa powder, butter, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and confectioners' sugar until of spreading consistency.

Auntie's Buttermilk Cake

Ingridients

3/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 3/4 cups cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour 1- 13 x9 inch square cake pan.

Cream shortening and sugar together and add 1 tablespoon buttermilk.

Sift flour three times and add baking powder and salt.

Combine 1 1/2 cups buttermilk with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Alternate adding buttermilk to shortening mixture with flour.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into batter. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes. Once cool frost with frosting of your choice. If you want you can add orange extract to the frosting, about 1 teaspoon.

Chocolate Fudge Buttercream Frosting

Ingridients

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup shortening

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup hot fudge topping

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Cream together the butter or margarine with the shortening.

Sift the cocoa with the confectioners' sugar and add to the creamed mixture. Mix together adding 1 tablespoon at a time of milk to keep mixture smooth. Don't add more than 1/4 cup of milk.

Add the hot fudge topping and the vanilla extract. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Devil's Food Cake I

Ingridients

1/2 cup butter

3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup water

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan or two 9 inch round pans.

In a small pan melt the butter or margarine with the unsweetened chocolate. Set aside to cool slightly.

Cream together the sugar and the eggs until light in color. Add the chocolate mixture to the eggs and temper mixture by beating well (so you don't end up with scrambled eggs!) Add 1 cup boiled water (still warm) and blend well. Mixture will be very liquid.

Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this mixture to the chocolate mixture and blend well.

Mix together the vinegar and the milk and stir into the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan(s).

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cake divides well for filling with mousse, or ganache, or black forest fillings. The best clue to this cake being nearly done is that you will start to smell the aroma of chocolate filling your house!

Creamy White Layers

Ingridients

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups super fine sugar

3 cups heavy whipping cream

2 1/2 teaspoons brandy

3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1 pint fresh strawberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.

Stir together the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and super fine sugar.

Separate the eggs save the egg yolks for another use. In a glass or copper bowl beat the egg whites until foamy.

Mix 1 1/2 cups of the heavy cream with the vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture then fold in the egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C ) for 30 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for ten minutes then invert onto a wire rack to continue cooling. Once cakes are completely cool frost with fresh whipped cream and serve with fresh strawberries.

To Make Frosting: Beat on low speed until stiff 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (make sure it's very cold). Beat in the confectioners' sugar and 2 1/2 teaspoons brandy. Use immediately to frost cake.

Fresh Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingridients

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 fresh pineapple - peeled, cored and cut into rings

Directions

Prep 30 m

Cook 30 m

Ready In 1 h 10 m

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).

Melt the butter. Brush a little bit of the butter on the inside of a 9-inch cake pan.

Mix 5 tablespoons of the butter with the dark brown sugar and 1/4 cup of the pineapple juice. Place this mixture in the bottom of the cake pan. Arrange the pineapple rings on the brown sugar mixture in a decorative pattern (be creative). Set pan aside.

Stir together the flour, salt, white sugar, and baking powder.

Separate the eggs. Beat the whites until stiff but not dry.

Beat two of the egg yolks until lemony yellow. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup pineapple juice, vanilla, and remaining melted butter. Add this mixture to the flour mixture. Gently fold in the egg whites. Pour batter over the top of the brown sugar and pineapple rings.

Bake in the preheated oven until cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger, about 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes then cover pan tightly with a serving dish and invert so that the pineapple side is up.

Coconut Cake I

Ingridients

1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix

1 cup sour cream

2 cups white sugar

1 (14 ounce) package flaked coconut

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

Prep 30 m

Cook 30 m

Ready In 3 d 1 h

Mix together sour cream, sugar and all but a portion of the coconut (some should be reserved for top). Set aside one cup of this mixture. Spread remainder between layers of cake.

Combine whipped topping and the reserved sour cream mixture. Use this to ice the cake. Toast remaining coconut and sprinkle on iced cake. Store in the refrigerator for three days before cutting. The longer it is refrigerated, the better it is!