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.