Simple Chocolate Cake

from Cook’s Illustrated (March/April 2009, pg. 25)

Updated with pictures.

This is a surprising little cake.  And the surprise is mainly because of one ingredient - mayonnaise.  NOT “salad dressing,” mind you.  No.  The real stuff.  Mayonnaise.  It was a method used in war-times when butter and eggs were scarce; the mayonnaise served as a substitute for those ingredients.  This is not a fancy dancy, decorate up with fondant and buttercream icing kind of cake. But it is definitely simple enough for a week-night dessert.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or “Special Dark”)
2 ounces dark, bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped fine)
1 cup hot coffee (or equivalent mixture of hot water and espresso powder)
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

You will also need:

8 inch square cake pan
Non-stick cooking spray
1 large mixing bowl
1 small-medium mixing bowl
Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar for garnish

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare cake pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In smaller bowl, combine cocoa powder and chopped chocolate; pour hot coffee over cocoa/chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.  Let this mixture cool for several minutes then whisk in mayonnaise, egg and vanilla.  Pour mayonnaise/chocolate mixture into flour mixture and stir until combined.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth it all around.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out with few crumbs attached after being inserted into the center of the cake.  Note:  the cake will have a nice rounded domed middle and cracks on the top.  This is normal.

Allow cake to cool in pan on wire rack for 1-2 hours.  Turn cake out  onto serving platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar to serve.

Insanely Cinnamon Muffins

Adapted from: Cook’s Country “Coffeecake Muffins” (http://www.cookscountry.com)

 

Makes 12 muffins.

Be sure to use muffin-tin liners for this recipe or the cinnamon filling will stick to the pan.

Ingredients:

Streusel

8 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

Muffin batter

2 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks and softened
½ cup cinnamon chips

You will also need:

Muffin “tin” liners
1 Muffin “tin”
Food processor
1 medium – large mixing bowl
1 medium mixing bowl
Whisk
Rubber/silicone spatula
Small & medium spring loaded scoops (if available)

Method:

For the streusel:

Pulse 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter in food processor until just combined. Place in a small bowl and set aside in the refrigerator while mixing the muffin batter.

Do not wash food processor.

For the muffins:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tin with cooking spray and line with paper liners.

Whisk eggs, sour cream, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl and set aside.

Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in food processor until thoroughly combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles wet sand then transfer to a large bowl.

Pour egg mixture over the flour mixture; using rubber spatula, gently fold it in a few times. Add cinnamon chips and continue to fold together until just combined. The resulting batter will be very thick. Using a small spring-loaded scoop, place 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup and top with 1 tablespoon cinnamon filling. Using back of spoon (or fingers), press cinnamon filling lightly into batter, then top with remaining batter (using a heaping medium-sized spring loaded scoop). Sprinkle streusel topping evenly over batter.

Bake until muffins are light golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few dry crumbs attached, 22 to 28 minutes. Cool muffins in tin for 30 minutes, then carefully transfer to rack to cool.

Serve.

(The muffins will keep in airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)

 

Look at that crumb top and he layers of cinnamon in these bad boys. 
Oh the YUM!

 

Nom-i-licious!

My Favorite Chocolate Cake (and the Chocolate Peanut-butter Cake variation)

From Cook’s Illustrated (#79, March/April 2006)

Once you make this chocolate cake one time, you’ll realize how easy it is to make a fresh, homemade, not from a box delicious chocolate cake that has such good chocolate flavor that… well… you may be ruined like I am and never want to go back to a box again.

 

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
1 3/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup (3/4 ounce) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot water
1 3/4 cups (12 1/4 ounces) sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks

 

You will also need:

1 tablespoon butter for greasing pans
1/8 – 1/4 cup flour for dusting pans
Baking pan (1 – 9x13, 2 or 3 9-inch round)
Stand mixer (whisk and paddle attachments needed)
Double boiler set-up (or small sauce pan and heat-proof bowl)
Extra bowls
Scraper/spatula

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease pan(s) with butter and dust with flour.

Combine chocolate, cocoa powder and hot water in heat-proof bowl & set over sauce pan containing 1 inch of simmering water.  Stir with rubber spatula until chocolate is melted.  (This mixture will be very thick and dull.)  Add 1/2 cup sugar and stir until a little more fluid and glossy.  Remove bowl from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. 

Combine buttermilk and vanilla in a separate bowl. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer with whisk attachment, whisk eggs and yolks on medium-low speed until combined (about 10 seconds).  Add remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar and increase the speed to high and whisk until fluffy and lightened in color. (Not the same fluffy as when you cream sugar/shortening.  I would describe it as aerated and thick such that you can see the lines that the whisk leaves as it runs.)  Remove whisk and attach paddle.  Add the cooled chocolate mixture to egg/sugar mixture and mix on medium until thoroughly combined, pausing to scrape down the sides of bowl with rubber spatula if needed. 

Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time, mixing about 10 seconds after each addition.  (You will see some very small pieces of butter in the batter.  They will not completely incorporate.)  Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/2 of the buttermilk mixture, mixing until incorporated.  Repeat using half of remaining flour and all of remaining buttermilk mixture.  Scrape down sides of bowl and add remaining flour mixture; mix at medium-low speed until batter is thoroughly combined, about 15 seconds.  remove bowl from mixer and fold batter once or twice with rubber spatula to incorporate any remaining flour.  Divide batter evenly between prepared cake pans; smooth batter to edges of pan with spatula.

Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 25-30 minutes.  Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes then invert onto wire rack.  Cool cakes to room temperature before frosting and you may even consider freezing for about 30 minutes before frosting.

 

Suggested uses:

Double Layer Birthday Cake: Decorate using Marshmallow Fondant or other frosting options. 

Chocolate Peanut-butter Cake (as seen on Smitten Kitchen):  Make a 3-layer chocolate cake.  Freeze the layers for 30 minutes – 1 hour before frosting.  Frost using  Peanut-butter Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.  Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.  Top with Chocolate/Peanut-butter Glaze by pouring (while warm) on top of cake (while cold) and spreading with off-set spatula so that it drips down the sides.  Refrigerate to set the frosting and glaze well.  Cut while cold and dip knife in water between cuts to keep the glaze from sliding around on you.

Peanut Butter Frosting

10 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually add confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Continue to beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add peanut butter and beat until thoroughly blended.

Chocolate/Peanut-butter Glaze

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half

In the top of double boiler or in a heat-proof bowl set over a sauce pan with 1 inch of simmering water (use the same set-up as for the cake), combine the chocolate, peanut butter, and corn syrup. Cook, whisking often, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  (You can always start this process in the microwave by cooking for about 30 seconds to get things started.  Once melted, it will be thick and dull.)  Remove from the heat and whisk in the half-and-half, beating until smooth and shiny. Use while still warm.

 

(Please excuse the picture quality.  All I had handy was my phone.)

Cupcake Cream Filling

I’ve tried a few cream filling recipes, but this one that I discovered over at Evil Shenanigans takes the cake…. or fills it.

 

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 – 7 ounce jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

 

Method:

Dissolve salt in hot water.  Whisk marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar & vanilla with stand mixer until fluffy.  Whisk in salt water until incorporated & fluffy. 

Use a pastry bag fitted with a decorating tip poke a hole down into the cupcake and fill until a little peeks out the top.

One batch fills approximately 3 dozen cupcakes.

Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

 

Cupcakes have become quite a trendy thing among adults and there has been an effort to find more adult flavors for cupcakes in the last year or two.   The original recipe from Cook’s Illustrated that I used for this recipe is for Dark Chocolate Cupcakes.  While I thought they were good as a more adult flavor, the dark chocolate flavor was a little too dark for the kids in my family.  And let’s be honest, for most of us, when we make cupcakes, it’s for the kids.  So I traded out the unsweetened chocolate for semi-sweet and the Dutch Processed or dark cocoa powder for regular cocoa powder.  The result was a chocolate cupcake with a good chocolate flavor that was pleasing to the general kid population and adults alike.

By the Cook’s Illustrated’s recipe, this makes exactly 12 cupcakes.  By my experience, however, if you take all the batter and divide it among 12 cupcake cups, you will have mushroom shaped cupcakes that are neither pleasing to look at nor are they easy to frost.  In my experience, this recipe makes an odd 13 cupcakes.  SO, if you have a way to make 13.  Or make 12 and you will have a bit of batter left over.  Regardless, I highly discourage using all the batter in 12 cups.  I’ve done it.  It’s not pretty.

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup cocoa powder (1 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup all purpose flour (3 3/4 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream

 

You will also need:

Heat-proof bowl
Sauce pan
Mixing bowl
Cupcake pans
Paper cupcake baking cups

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine butter, chocolate and cocoa powder in heat-proof bowl and set over a small amount of barely simmering water in a sauce pan and allow to fully melt and combine until smooth.  (To quicken the process, you can melt the butter in the microwave and pour it over the chocolate and cocoa to begin the melting process sooner.)  Once melted, set it aside to cool for a few minutes until just warm to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs until smooth.  Add sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk until fully combined and smooth.  Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.  Sift in 1/3 of the flour mixture and whisk to combine.  Whisk in sour cream then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.

Using a large scoop, place 1 just over-full scoop into each cupcake liner.  The recipe makes 13, so if you only have room for 12 cupcakes, you will have a bit left over.

Bake 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Allow to completely cool before filling and/or frosting.

~~~~~~~~~~

Melt your chocolate and butter until smooth.

Whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sugar, salt & vanilla.

Whisk in the melted chocolate and then the flour and sour cream until thick and homogeneous.

 

Fill your spring loaded scoop until just over-full.

Believe it or not, it makes 13 cupcakes.  If you try to divide the batter between only twelve cups, they run over the tops they look like this….

when they should look like this…

Simple Chocolate Cake

from Cook’s Illustrated (March/April 2009, pg. 25)

This is a surprising little cake.  The surprising ingredient is mayonnaise.  NOT “salad dressing,” mind you.  No.  The real stuff.  Mayonnaise.  It was a method used in war-times when butter and eggs were scarce so the mayonnaise served as a substitute for those ingredients.  It is definitely simple enough for a week-night dessert.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 cup (7 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder (or “Special Dark”)
2 ounces dark, bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (chopped fine)
1 cup hot coffee (or equivalent mixture of hot water and espresso powder)
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

You will also need:

8 inch square cake pan
Non-stick cooking spray
1 large mixing bowl
1 small-medium mixing bowl
Confectioners’ (powdered) sugar for garnish

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare cake pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray.

In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt.  In smaller bowl, combine cocoa powder and chopped chocolate; pour hot coffee over cocoa/chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth.  Let this mixture cool for several minutes then whisk in mayonnaise, egg and vanilla.  Pour mayonnaise/chocolate mixture into flour mixture and stir until combined.

Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth it all around.  Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out with few crumbs attached after being inserted into the center of the cake.  Note:  the cake will have a nice rounded domed middle and cracks on the top.  This is normal.

Allow cake to cool in pan on wire rack for 1-2 hours.  Turn cake out  onto serving platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar to serve.

Cream Cheese Icing

 

Ingredients:

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla (clear vanilla if available)
1 pound confectioner’s (powdered) sugar (sifted)

 

You will also need:

Stand mixer with paddle attachment

 

Method:

Set out cream cheese and butter and allow them to come close to room temperature.  Beat in stand mixer to soften.  Add vanilla and beat to mix thoroughly.  Scrape down bowl and mixing blade.  Sift about 1/3 of the powdered sugar into the bowl at a time and mix thoroughly between additions until the icing has reached a nice smooth consistency.

Popcorn Cake

As passed down from my Nana P to my mom to me.

 

Ingredients:

1 pound M&M’s candies *
1 pound dry roasted peanuts
1 gallon popped popcorn (approximately 2 microwave bags) **
1 pound marshmallows
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup margarine ***

* Holiday specific M&M’s make this a special treat for any holiday.
** Get as close to no butter popcorn as you can.
*** I rarely use margarine any more. However, my mom tried butter while living overseas where she couldn’t get margarine and it didn’t work so well.

 

You will also need:

Very large mixing bowl
Medium sauce pan
Heat-proof spoonula
Thermometer with candy setting
2 wooden spoons
Cooking spray (oil)
Angel food cake pan or Bundt pan

 

Method:

Pop popcorn and allow to cool. You may want to shake out the popcorn in a bowl to get all the un-popped seeds out.

In a very large bowl, place M&M’s, peanuts and popcorn in that order with M&M’s on bottom, peanuts on top of the M&M’s and popcorn on top of that.

In saucepan over medium heat, begin melting margarine and add oil and stir. Add in marshmallows and begin stirring while allowing the marshmallows to melt. Stir constantly with a heat-proof spatula/spoonula. Allow to boil until approximately 230ºF. The mixture will be translucent when coating the thermometer or against the bottom of the pan when you tilt it to the side.

You can do all of the above in the microwave. Just be very careful about the marshmallows expanding and overflowing your bowl.

Once the marshmallow mixture is finished cooking, pour it over the popcorn. With two wooden spoons, mix the hot marshmallow mixture into the popcorn and gradually incorporate the peanuts and M&M’s at the bottom of the bowl as the mixture cools a bit. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. (Or until at least mostly evenly distributed.)

Lightly spray angel food cake pan (or Bundt) and hands with cooking spray. Using hands, press the popcorn mixture down into the pan. This recipe will completely fill an angel food cake pan and fill a Bundt pan with a little left over. Allow the pressed cake to cool in the pan for a while (maybe 30 minutes to an hour) until the cake has set and firmed up.

Turn cake out on platter or cake taker that can be covered. You may have to lightly squeeze the pan to release it or you may use a hair-dryer on the outside of the pan to warm and release it. Continue to allow the cake to sit out and set up in open air at room temperature for another hour or so.

Use a sharp bread knife to slice the cake and eat it with your fingers. And eat some more… and some more… you get the idea.

 

Order of the ingredients is important to protect the M&M’s from getting too hot and melting with the heat of the marshmallow mixture.

Reason #1,253 I dislike using a microwave.  I’ll use a stove-top and sauce pan thankyouverymuch.

Melt the butter, add the oil and marshmallows and mix while the mixture melts together and begins to boil.  Stir constantly.

At about 230ºF the mixture will be translucent on the tip of the thermometer and it’s ready.

Pour the marshmallow mixture over the popcorn and mix with two wooden spoons until ingredients are evenly distributed.  Press into pan until firmly packed and full.

 

It’s a crowd pleaser.  At least it is in my family.