Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup cocoa powder
2 cups boiling water
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Cake Directions:

•  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.
• In a medium bowl, stir the boiling water into the cocoa until smooth, and set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
• At medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar  for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Turn mixer down to low speed. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
• Stir in the vanilla, and do not over-beat.
• Pour an equal amount of batter into each of the three prepared pans.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool in pans set on racks for 10 minutes. Invert pans on racks, remove pans, and allow layers to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Frosting Ingredients:

1 6-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup half-and-half
3/4 cup butter (1-1/2 sticks)
2-1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

(Half and Half is a dairy product consisting of half light cream and half milk.)

Chocolate Frosting Directions:

• Combine the chocolate chips, half-and-half and butter in a heavy saucepan.
• Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate chips melt. Remove from heat.
• Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, stirring well.
• Set the saucepan in a large bowl filled with ice, and beat at low speed with an electric mixer until frosting begins to lose its gloss and holds its shape. If necessary, add a half-teaspoon or so of half-and-half to achieve perfect spreading consistency.

Source: http://www.momswhothink.com/cake-recipes/chocolate-cake-recipe.html/

Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Ingredients
Cupcake

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar, sifted
• 2 pieces raw eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla essence

Frosting:

• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1  1/3 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1  1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Cooking Procedure

• Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.
• Put the cocoa powder in the bowl where the hot water is and stir until the cocoa powder is diluted. Set aside.
• Combine the butter and sugar in a separate mixing bowl then cream (electric mixer is needed) until texture become fluffy
• Add the eggs while mixing continuously then put-in the vanilla essence.
• Put in half of the flour-baking powder-salt mixture then mix well.
• Add the other half of the flour-baking powder-salt mixture then continue mixing until all the ingredients are well distributed.
• Pour the cocoa mixture and continue mixing until texture becomes smooth.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
• Fill the cupcake pan with cupcake paper cups.
• Put the batter in each paper cup then bake for 18 minutes (insert toothpick in the cupcakes, if it comes out clean then the cupcakes are done).
• Remove the cupcake from the oven and allow to cool down over a wire rack.
• Melt the chocolate by placing it in a bowl over boiling water.
• Once melted, set aside and allow to cool down to room temperature
• Put the butter in a mixing bowl then cream (use electric mixer)
• Add the sugar and continue mixing until the texture becomes fluffy.
• Put-in the vanilla essence and chocolate then mix thoroughly until texture becomes smooth.
• Place the frosting over the cupcakes.
(I use a pipe so that the frosting can easily be swirled. If you don’t have any tools, you may use a spoon or spatula to spread the frosting.
• Serve with a smile. Share and enjoy!

SOURCE: http://panlasangpinoy.com/2009/11/06/dessertchocolate-cupcake-recipe/

Perfect Chocolate Cake

The Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Mix A- Mix below
1 cup Hershey’s Cocoa
2 cups Boiling water
(mix the above till smooth then cool)

Mix B- Mix well in plastic
2 3/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

-Prepare the rest of the ingredients below
1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 pieces eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Procedure
1. Cream butter; add sugar gradually. (Make sure butter is soft when starting to cream). Cream till light and fluffy.
2. At low speed, add eggs, one piece at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla.
3. Add Mix B in fourths and Mix A in thirds alternately, ending with Mix B.
4. Bake at 350 F for 25-30 minutes in two or three 9″ round layer pans. Cool 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack.
5. Add fudge icing (see recipe below) to the top of one layer then combine the two layers to ice the whole cake.

The Fudge Icing
Ingredients
1 can condensed mik
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup butter
1. Mix milk and cocoa with wire whisk or wooden spoon until smooth. Strain through a wire strainer.
2. Cook mixture in double boiler. Stir occasionally- when thick, remove from fire and add butter thoroughly.
3. Add desired flavor.
4. Use this icing right away. Keep bowl in double boiler to maintain warmth.
Other notes
1. You can decrease the cocoa down to 1/3 cup.
2. Icing starts getting thick when you see thick icing clinging to the sides of the bowl. Continually scrape sides of bowl until icing becomes very thick.
3. Do not over cook or else you will have a fudge candy.

Another Fudge Icing Recipe
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup evaporated milk ( or 2/3 cup evaporated milk + 1/3 cup water)
1 Tablespoon butter
vanilla
1. Mix sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and milk making sure there are no lumps.
2. Cook until thick.
3. Take away from fire and add butter and vanilla. Mix well
(Tip from Lisa, a reader: It should be noted that the icing should be cooked over the lowest heat, stirring constantly until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon without dripping. The icing does thicken as it cools so it must be stirred every now and to prevent a film from forming on the top. It may take a couple of times to learn when to stop cooking it, but I think it’s well worth the effort. )

Easy Chocolate Icing
1/2 bar of butter, softened
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar)
4 tablespoons (more or less) HOT water (boiling hot water preferred)
Directions:
1. Cut in margarine with cocoa, salt and powdered sugar until it resumes the size of cornmeal
2. Add water, 2 tablespoons at a time mixing until smooth.
NOTES:
*The icing can be used to simply frost or pipe out designs on the cakes. Just add more powdered sugar.
* It is very important to sieve the sugar before using

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Ingredients (serves 4)

500g dark chocolate

2 tbs golden syrup

125g unsalted butter

4 eggs

1 tbs caster sugar

1 tbs plain flour, sifted

Melted chocolate, to decorate

Chocolate sorbet, to serve

Coffee mascarpone

200g mascarpone cheese

2 tbs instant coffee

2 tbs pure icing sugar

Methods

• Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease and line the base of a 20cm round spring-form cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
• Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
• Place eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or use an electric hand beater and beat on high for 10 minutes until very thick and pale. Gently fold in the flour then fold in the chocolate mixture until combined. Pour into the cake pan and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and run a knife around the edge of the cake. Remove collar from cake pan and transfer the cake to the fridge for 1 hour to cool (this step is important as it sets the middle of the cake).
• Meanwhile, to make the coffee mascarpone, dissolve coffee in 1 tablespoon of boiling water and set aside to cool. Beat together the mascarpone, coffee and sugar in a bowl until stiff.
• To make the chocolate leaf, brush non-toxic leaves with the melted chocolate. When cool, peel the leaf off.
• Slice the cake and serve with a dollop of coffee mascarpone, a chocolate leaf on top and a scoop of sorbet on the side.

Source: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/6438/chocolate+mousse+cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Silky Chocolate Glaze Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

6 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

For Glaze:

2 1-ounce squares coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate squares

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 teaspoon milk OR light coconut milk

1 1/2 teaspoons Agave syrup OR honey

1/8 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

• Preheat oven to 350°F

• Spray a 7-inch tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. If you don't have a tart pan, use a 6 to 7-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray the paper.

• Melt 6 ounces of chopped chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.
• Add sugar and salt and reduce heat to low. Cook while stirring for about one minute, until sugar starts to dissolve.
• Remove pan from heat. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. The mixture will look smooth and glossy.
• Use a mesh hand sieve to sift cocoa into mixture. This prevents lumps. Whisk until the cake batter is smooth.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. The center of the cake should be just firm to the touch, but be careful to not overbake the cake or it will be dry.
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the cake on a plate.
• To prepare the glaze, melt 2 ounces of chopped chocolate and 1 1/2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the same saucepan you used to make the cake. When melted and smooth, remove the pan from heat. Add milk and Agave syrup OR honey and vanilla and stir until smooth and glossy. Let the glaze cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it on the cake.
• Pour all of the glaze in the middle of the cake. Use a silicone or rubber spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the cake, allowing the glaze to evenly run down the sides of the cake.

Serves 6

Source: http://glutenfreecooking.about.com/od/dessertsandsweets/r/flourlessgfcake.htm