Tuesday, November 4, 2008

The chocolate cake that makes you look like freakin' Martha Stewart!


Ok, you have to admit the cake looks good. Well it tastes good too, and its super easy.
Ingredients:
2 box chocolate cake mixes
2 small chocolate pudding mix boxes (instant)
8 eggs
1 c oil
1/2 water (add a couple more tablespoons if you want)
2 c sour cream

Mix together cake mix and pudding, then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well with stand mixer of hand mixer. The batter will be really thick. Divide into 9 nine inch round cake pans (sprayed with pam) and bake at 350 for 30-40 min. Try to make the batter as even as possible, you will be glad when its time to layer the cake You'll have to poke with a tooth pick to make sure they are done. (I cooked them for 35) You really don't want to over cook them!

Meanwhile . . . .
Frosting
You can use the can frosting, that is easy and is fine, I have done it before. Or you can make frosting. To be honest, since I never go off recipes this is what I did, generally. . . .

Melted a bar of Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate with a stick of butter on the stove (or the microwave, but I don't have one . . .we'll get to that later)
a bag of powdered sugar
a splash of vanilla
a dash of salt (tiny dash)
and enough milk to turn it to frosting

Its a tasting thing, taste it, does it need more sugar? too sweet? better melt some more chocolate.

You can use coco powder as well, but to me the flavors don't blend as well with coco powder, I taste coco powder and sugar instead of CHOCOLATE

When the cakes are done, if you cakes have a little bit of a mushroom top, get your bread knife and give it a hair cut so the top is level. that way the cake will all stack well. But the first cake on the plate top down. Add frosting to the top, next cake bottom down, add more frosting. Last layer bottom down. Now it is time to frost the whole cake. Make it look pretty! Add some fruit to the top for looks (make sure the fruit is super dry and if you do strawberries, don't do it till serving because once you cut the tops of the strawberries they will start to bleed after a couple hours and make a little liquid on your cake). The key is making sure the cakes are flat.
Aren't you proud of yourself? You know I am!

1 comment:

suzette said...

Hey Natalie,
I love it! I think I may become obsessed with your blog. Keep it up. Great idea! I'm always looking for new food ideas and recipes, especially simple ones. I new you were a chef when you made us spagetti at four-years-old. Go Nan - I'm a fan! Suzette