Chocolate cake

Chocolate Cake

This cake is fabulous!  It is super moist, just like my chocolate scratch cake…but has a lighter texture.  When making chocolate cupcakes from a mix, this is the one that we use (and everyone loves them!)   

***This recipe does not work as well with fondant covered cakes–it is a little too soft for the weight of the fondant. 

Ingredients

1 box Devil’s Food chocolate mix (I prefer Pillsbury)

Ingredients as listed on the box (water, eggs, and oil)

1T cocoa

1t vanilla

2T mayo

Directions

Sift mix into bowl and add ingredients according to box instructions.  Add vanilla, mayo and cocoa.

Mix all ingredients on medium speed for two minutes, scraping the bowl when necessary.

Fill your greased/prepped pans.  Bake at 325 until cake springs back when touched in the center.

Don’t forget to wrap your warm cakes in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for extra moist cake.

Traditional Chocolate Cake

Traditional Chocolate Cake (from scratch) 

For all of you who think that chocolate cakes from scratch are dry–prepare to be blown away!

Ingredients 

3/4 cup cocoa 3/4 cup very hot coffee 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temp. 1/4 cup oil 2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1/4 tsp. salt 11/4 cups buttermilk 1 tsp. vanilla extract 

Directions 

GREASE 3 (8 inch), round cake pans. Cover the bottom of pans with wax paper; grease the wax paper. Flour the wax paper and sides of pans. COMBINE cocoa and the hot coffee in a small bowl; stir until smooth. Beat butter at medium speed of electric mixer until creamy; add the vanilla and oil; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating briefly after each addition until blended. COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl, by hand use a wire whisk and blend these ingredients together for approximately 30 seconds. Add this to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. I like to blend in at least half of the flour mixture first. If you minimize stirring once the flour and liquid are together you will have a more fine-grained and tender cake. STIR in the cocoa mixture and pour the batter into the 3 pans. BAKE at 350 for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 5 minutes; remove from pans.

CHOCOLATE CRUSTING BUTTER-CREAM

CHOCOLATE CRUSTING BUTTER-CREAM

Ingredients:

1/2 cup solid high ratio shortening

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tablespoon of meringue powder

3/4 cup cocoa or three 1 oz. unsweetened chocolate squares, melted

1 teaspoon clear vainilla extract

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (approx. 1 lb.)

3-4 tablespoons milk

Directions

(Stiff consistency)

Cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add cocoa and vanilla and milk. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating on a slow speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl. Don't mix in high and don't over beat. If you have a Kitchen Aid Mixer, use the white attachment.

Keep bowl covered or with a damp cloth until ready to use. This icing can be stored 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Re-whip before using.

Chocolate Mocha Icing: Substitute cold brewed strong coffee for milk in Chocolate Butter-cream recipe.

Darker Chocolate Icing: Add an additional 1/4 cup cocoa (or one additional 1 oz. square unsweetened chocolate, melted) and 1 additional tablespoon milk to Chocolate Butter-cream Icing.

For Thin (Spreading) Consistency Icing: Add 3-4 tablespoons light corn syrup, water or milk.

YIELD: Makes about 3 cups.

Marshmallow Fondant

Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients:

• 15 oz. mini marshmallows
• 2 Tblsp water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
• 2 tsp light corn syrup (helps w/ pliability)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 2 lbs (approx 7 C) confectioner's sugar, sifted
• 1/2 C Crisco or vegetable shortening
  
  
  

Directions:

Grease microwave proof bowl w/ Crisco.
Also

grease wooden or heat proof spoon. Pour

marshmallows and water into bowl. Microwave

for approximately 2 minutes stopping and

stirring at 40 second intervals. Mixture should

be soupy.

Take out of microwave and immediately add

corn syrup, lemon juice, salt and extracts.

Stir well. Sift confectioner's sugar into mixture,

one cup at a time. After approximately

5 cups, grease your hands well with Crisco and

knead the mixture in the bowl. Add the sixth

cup and continue to knead. Now grease your

work surface well and turn mixture out of

bowl onto counter. Sift remaining sugar,

regrease hands, and knead well. If mixture

seems soft, add one additional cup of powdered sugar.

Shape into a mound and put a coating of crisco

on outside. Double wrap in cling wrap and

insert into ziplock bag. Press air out of bag

and seal. Allow to rest overnight, but, can

be used after sitting for a few hours.

Gum-paste recipe

Gum-paste

The following recipe will make approximately 2 pounds of gum-paste.

Ingredients:

4 - Large Egg Whites
1 - 2 lb. bag 10x powdered sugar
12 - Level teaspoons
4 - Teaspoons shortening (Crisco)

Directions

1. Place the egg whites in a Kitchen Aid mixer bowl fitted with the flat paddle.

2. Turn the mixer on high speed for 10 seconds to break up the egg whites.

3. Reserve 1 cup of the powdered sugar and set aside.

4. Turn the mixer to the lowest speed and slowly add the remaining sugar.

This will make a soft consistency royal icing.

5. Turn up the speed to setting 3 or 4 for about 2 minutes

using this time measure off the into a small container.

6. Make sure the mixture is at the soft peak stage. It should look shiny, like meringue and the peaks fall over. (If coloring the entire batch, add the paste color at this stage, making it a shade darker than the desired color.)

7. Turn the mixer to the slow setting and sprinkle the in over a five second time period. Next, turn the speed up to the high setting for a few seconds. (This will thicken the mixture.

8. Scrape the mixture out of the bowl onto a work surface that has been sprinkled with some of the reserved 1 cup of
powdered sugar. Place the shortening on your hands and knead the paste, adding enough of the reserved powdered sugar to form a soft but not sticky dough. You can check by pinching with your fingers and they should come away clean. Place the finished paste in a zip-top bag, then place the bagged paste in a second bag and seal well.

9. Place in the refrigerator for 24 hours if possible before using to mature the paste.

10. Before use, remove from refrigerator and allow the paste to come to room temperature. Take a small amount of shortening on the end of your finger and knead this into the paste. If you are coloring the paste, add the paste color at this stage.

11. Always store the paste in the zip-top bags and return to the refrigerator when you are not using the paste. Will keep under refrigeration for approximately 6 months. You can keep the paste longer by freezing. Be sure to use zip-top freezer bags. If you will be freezing a batch of paste, allow it to mature for 24 hours in the refrigerator first before placing into the freezer.

Tips

• Gum-paste is meant for delicate details. Not to cover a cake.
• Gum-paste is great for making sugar flowers
• Use X-Large eggs. If you use smaller eggs you might need to add one more egg-white
• If the mixture is too stiff at the royal icing stage add another egg-white
• You can save more than 1 cup of sugar and add manually at the end what's needed.
• Make sure you use 12 teaspoons can be use with fondant to make it stronger and elastic too.
• Don't leave the gum-paste without covering, it will dry hard
• Cover gum-paste in plastic all the time
• When not in use, save in the refrigerator. I put it in a Ziploc bag too or extra protection
• gum-paste will last 6 months in the refrigerator

Make sure that at the royal Icing Stage your icing is soft. If your

machine is struggling or your mix looks stiff add another egg-white.

2. Instead of saving one cup of sugar at the end save maybe 1 1/2 cup

of sugar for kneading. Keep in mind you might not need it all.

FOR GUM PASTE:

1lb confectioner's sugar, less ½c
2 egg whites
3tsp vegetable shortening
6tsp tylose** an edible thickening agent, available at cake shops or online

Lightly beat the egg whites with an electric or stand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and beat for 5 minutes on medium speed. Add the shortening and mix for another 15 seconds. Add the tylose and beat for a few seconds. The mixture will thicken rapidly, so be careful not to burn out the mixer's motor.

Store gum paste in a plastic bag, and sealed inside an airtight container. Refrigerate and let rest overnight. The dough will last several weeks if refrigerated when not in use and can be frozen for a longer shelf life.

Adapted from a recipe by sugar art guru Nicholas Lodge. His site, internationalsugarart.com, sells many of the needed supplies.

GUM-PASTE PEONY TUTORIAL (RECOMMEND)
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