Cake Recipes

I had a request for the cake recipes that I use. Here is the first one. I have a couple other friends who like to bake cakes and we all agree this is the best chocolate cake recipe we've tasted. It's from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook" (a GREAT cookbook by the way...Costco will probably start carrying it again soon for Christmas. I'd recommend it).

I typed the recipe as it is in the cookbook except I omitted the coffee (Dan doesn't like it). Also, the only thing I do that is different from the recipe is follow the recommendation of Bakerella, (a really divine baking blog) and wrap the cakes in plastic wrap after they come out of the oven and they are still warm. Let them cool in there (and I actually put them into the freezer because I make the cake a day or two before I decorate it to help with time management). But it really makes a moist cake that way. We love this recipe and I hope you do too! Even Dan likes it, and he's not a fan of chocolate cake.

If you're doing fondant make sure the cake is at room temperature before you try to cover it.

I'll try to get the white recipe up tomorrow. It's time for bed now. I'm turning over a new leaf and trying out this thing I heard about called--sleep.

All-Purpose Chocolate Cake
Makes Two 8 or 9 in layers or one 9x13 in sheet cake
Serves 8 – 12
Total time: 45 min plus cooling time

You will need about 3 cups of frosting to frost either the 2 layer cake or the sheet cake.

Ingredients
2 c. all-purpose flour
¾ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 ½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
12 Tablespoons (1 ½ stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups whole milk, at room temperature

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat two 8 or 9 in round cake pans or one 9x 13 in cake pan with vegetable oil spray, then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the four, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the vanilla.

3. Reduce the speed to low and beat in one third of the flour mixture. Beat in half of the milk. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining, flour mixture.

4. Give the batter a final stir using a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and smooth the top. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cakes come(s) out with a few crumbs attached, 20-25 min. for the round layers or 25-30 min for the sheet cake, rotating the pan(s) half way through baking.

5. Let the cakes cook in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen, the flip out onto the racks. Flip the cakes upright, discard the parchment and let cool completely before frosting, 1-2 hrs.

To Make Ahead (which is what I usually do)
After the cake has cooled, it can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 1 day. Or, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, the cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost at room temperature before unwrapping and frosting.