Recipe: Rich Chocolate Cake with Fluffy White Frosting

Rich Chocolate Cake with Fluffy White Frosting

Yield: 16 servings from 13x9-inch cake or 8-inch 3-layer cake.

From: Good Housekeeping Great Baking: 600 recipes for cakes, cookies, breads, pies and pastries, published 2003

This is a great cake for birthdays; it’s easy and has a Mexican Chocolate Spice version.


Ingredients for cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

4 large eggs

Fluffy White Frosting


Directions: Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan or three 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottom/s with waxed paper; grease and flour paper.

In medium bowl, stir together four, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In measuring cup, mix milk and vanilla.

In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat sugar and butter until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until creamy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture may appear grainy).

Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until batter is smooth, scraping bowl occasionally with rubber spatula.

Pour batter into prepared pan/s. Bake 40 to 45 minutes for 13x9-inch cake, 30 minutes for 8-inch cake layers or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. With small knife, loosen sides of 13x9-inch cake or 8-inch layers from sides of pan; then invert cake onto wire rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile, prepare Fluffy White Frosting. Frost side and top of 13x9-inch cake; or use to fill and frost layer cake.

Makes one 13x9-inch cake, 16 servings or one 8-inch 3-layer cake, 16 servings.

Nutritional analysis per serving of 13x9-inch cake: about 355 calories, 5 grams protein, 54 grams carbohydrate, 15 grams total fat (8 grams saturated), 2 grams fiber, 87 milligrams cholesterol and 365 milligrams sodium.



Alternate Version of Cake: Mexican Chocolate Spice Cake

Prepare batter as for Rich Chocolate Cake but use only 2/3 cup milk and add 2/3 cups strong black coffee; add 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves with flour mixture. Bake and frost as directed.

Rich Chocolate Cupcakes

Prepare batter as for Rich Chocolate Cake. Line (36) 2 1/2 –inch muffin-pan cups with fluted paper liners. Pour batter into prepared pans. Do not bake all cupcakes at once. Bake only as many as will fit on center rack of oven. Bake 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Repeat with remaining batter. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans to cool completely. Frost tops of cupcakes with Fluffy White Frosting or desired frosting. Makes 36 cupcakes.

Each cupcake: 155 calories, 2 grams protein, 24 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), 1 gram fiber, 39 milligrams cholesterol and 160 milligrams sodium.


Fluffy White Frosting

2 large egg whites

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions: In top of double boiler, or in medium stainless-steel bowl, set over 3 to 4 quart saucepan, over 1-inch simmering water (double boiler top or bowl should be about 2 inches from water), with hand-held mixer at high speed, beat egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup and cream of tartar until soft peaks form and temperature reaches 160° F. on candy thermometer, about 7 minutes.

Remove double boiler top or bowl from saucepan; beat mixture 5 to 10 minutes longer, until stiff peaks form.

Makes about 3 cups.
Nutritional analysis per Tablespoon: about 15 calories, 0 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrate, 0 grams total fat, 5 grams fiber, 0 milligrams cholesterol and 5 milligrams sodium.

Harvest Moon Frosting variation:

Prepare as above but use 1 cup packed dark brown sugar in place of white sugar. As to nutritional analysis this frosting is 20 calories.

Recipe: Green Spinach Noodles - casserole

Green Spinach Noodles Casserole

Serves 6 to 8. From Betty Istre.

Here’s an easy fast dish to prepare on a cold winter’s night. Use some of that leftover ham, chicken or turkey from the holidays that was not enough to serve alone. Combined in this comfort pasta dish it’s a real winner!


Ingredients:

½ chopped onion

½ cup chopped celery

1 stick butter

1 can cream of celery soup

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 (8-oz.) can sliced mushrooms

Water

2 cups chopped cooked ham, chicken or turkey

1 (6-oz.) package spinach noodles, boiled until barely done, drained

1 cup diced cheese (Colby cheese is really good)

1 (8-oz.) carton sour cream

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese


Directions: Sauté onions and celery in butter until clear.

Add soups and mushrooms. Mix well and gradually add 1 soup can of water.

Stir in meat and noodles and season to your taste. Stir in diced cheese and sour cream. If not very soupy, add a little water.

Bake in a greased casserole dish at 350 degrees F. until bubbly (about 35 minutes).

Sprinkle with grated cheese on top and let sit 10 minutes in oven that has been turned off.

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By flread45

Molecular Gastronomy – Where Science Meets Cuisine

Molecular Gastronomy – Where Science Meets Cuisine: "The science of molecular gastronomy has given us knowledge about why foods do what they do, under what circumstances, and how. And it has fascinated us by busting myths..."

By Sallys Trove
Photo by Claire L. Evans @ flickr

Recipe: Triple Chocolate Fudgsicle Panna Cotta

Triple Chocolate Fudgsicle Panna Cotta

From: Pastry Chef John Miele, from restaurant Aureole, New York City

Yield: 6 servings

Easy as any other panna cotta Italian dessert! Takes only 35 minutes preparation time plus chilling time.


Ingredients:

¼ cup water

1 envelope powdered unflavored gelatin (about 2 ¼ teaspoons)

1 ½ cups whole milk

1 ½ cups heavy cream

2 Tablespoons sugar

4 ½ ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped

1 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

½ ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract


Garnish:

Whipped cream

Fresh berries


Directions: Have ready six 10-ounce martini glasses. Pour water into small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water and set aside to soften for 5 to 10 minutes.

Combine milk, cream and sugar in medium-sized, heavy saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and add chocolates. Whisk until chocolates are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and immediately add softened gelatin mixture. Whisk until dissolved. Whisk in vanilla.

Strain mixture through fine-mesh sieve into pitcher or large glass measuring cup with pouring spout and fill martini glasses. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours.

Garnish each dessert, if desired, with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Aureole
34 East 61st Street
New York, New York 10021
212 – 319 - 1660