cooking ala mel

healthy recipes and the occasional craft

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Chocolate Layer Cake

For my friend Jaclyn’s birthday, my roommate, Lin, and I decided to make a chocolate layer cake.  I don’t think I’ve ever really made a cake before on my own other than a carrot cake, which was definitely only one layer, so this definitely turned out to be an interesting experience.

Now, let me tell you how impatient I am.  I think of something I want to do, and I will not rest until it is done.  Right away.  While things get done more quickly that way, and the determination that comes with it is great, it didn’t work out so well for this cake.  Lin and I didn’t wait long enough for the cake to cool in the pans, so removing it caused it to fall apart a bit.  We made the icing while it was baking, so it sort of hardened up a bit before we really could ice it.  And then we didn’t really have enough to cover the cake.  We thought we failed.  Beyond failed.  We pretty much gave up on it.  We didn’t even remove it from the wire rack for fear of it falling apart even more.  It may not have looked pretty but wow.  That icing was so rich and delicious.  Not too sweet like most icings are.  The cake was moist.  They paired perfectly together.  Although it was rather hideous, the flavor was great – I’ll probably try this cake again.

Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting
makes 1 two-layer cake

For the cake:
2 cups sugar1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 t baking powder
1 1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 t vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For the chocolate frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
4 T cocoa
4 T butter, melted
4 T strong, hot coffee
1 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Spray two 9” round pans with cooking spray. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water and pour equally into 2 pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and remove from pans to wire racks. For the frosting, beat all ingredients together until smooth. Frost the top of the bottom layer of cake, place the top layer on, and frost the top and edges.