Deliciously evil chocolate – two times over

For some reason I’ve made chocolate cake and cupcakes 3 times in the last couple weeks. I know I said I would start baking more this year, but is this getting out of hand? I know several people who would adamantly disagree with that last statement.

I like chocolate just as much as the next person, but I love baking with chocolate. Stop the presses…I just said “I love baking…” is this really happening? Sweet.

I was vacationing up north (Two Harbors, MN) this past weekend and it just so happened that two of the friends with were celebrating birthdays. And what do they like? Cupcakes. Chocoloate cupcakes. Lots and lots of cupcakes.

My friend and I essentially made homemade Hostess cakes. Oh yeah they were good.

Pictured above are the Cream-Filled Devil’s Food Cake cupcakes for the birthday boys.

As for the cake that I made the following night…I felt like making chocolate cupcakes a couple weeks ago. And they turned out pretty good with the exception of my complete and utter lack to successfully make that buttercream frosting. Never fear, I found the one that I made 4 years ago (that’s right, 4 years ago) that worked!

When I remade this chocolate cake with the new frosting, I added chocolate ganache topping…oh yeah. I love chocolate ganache like a nervous tic I can’t get rid of.

A friend and coworker has changed jobs and his last day was yesterday so I baked him this chocolate cake. It was pretty darn good.

In fact, I should quote another friend:

“Your cake is sick… by that I mean phat…or dope…”

You get the idea.

So make this cake. It’s easy and it’s fun to get a lot of stuff like flour and cocoa all over the kitchen and yourself.

Recipes after the jump…

Chocolate Cake

1 cup boiling-hot water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes

Make cake layers:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottom of each with a round of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.

Whisk together hot water and cocoa powder in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.

Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture (batter may look curdled).

Divide batter between cake pans, smoothing tops. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean and edges of cake begin to pull away from sides of pans, 25 to 35 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, removing wax paper, and cool completely.

Assemble cake:
Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake stand or platter and, using offset spatula, spread top with about 1 cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer, rounded side down, and frost side and top of cake with 2 cups buttercream.
from epicurious.com

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

1 1/2 pounds sweet butter, soft
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

To make the frosting: In an electric mixing bowl place the soft butter and beat it on a low speed while adding powdered sugar. When all the sugar is mixed in, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the vanilla and salt and let the mixer beat for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium speed. Fill and frost the cake and refrigerate it for 10 to 20 minutes to set up the frosting.

Chocolate Ganache

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 tablespoon light corn syrup
3/4 cup heavy cream

In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips and the corn syrup. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk it until smooth then set it aside. Pour ganache over the top of the cake and, with a cake spatula, smooth the top of the cake and allow ganache to spill over the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer.
Serve the cake cold or allow it to come to room temperature before serving.
frosting and ganache from foodtv.com