This week instead of doing thin mint cookies, I had the task of making a birthday cake for my grandma's friends. I went through cake recipes that I had stashed away and I also looked on the internet. I came across Martha Stewart's website. I was amazed. Not only did she have an ample amount of recipes she had pages after pages of crafts and fun things to make and do. So I went and looked through her cake recipes and came across The Ultimate Chocolate Cake recipe. It looked so yummy and so chocolaty I just couldn't resist making it.
So I have to say that this cake is not for a baking beginner! It takes a lot of time to prepare, to make and to assemble. In total it took me roughly about 6 hours from start to finish. And this wasn't my first dosey doe with a cake.
All in all the cake came out perfect.
The first thing that I did was butter the two 8 inch pans and then lined them with parchment paper. This took me at least 20 minutes on each pan. You would not believe how hard it is to line the sides with the special paper. Your hands are covered in butter from the first part and your trying to hold onto the pan but it's slipping and then your trying to put the paper in.
Believe me I get it, I completely sympathize with you.
This is the buttered pan
This is what the parchment lined pans look like dusted with cocoa powder
Next came the hardest part. Mixing 3 sticks of butter by hand with a rubber spatula until light a fluffy. The recipe says it will take about 2 minutes, well it took me at least 10 to get it to the light and fluffy stage; keeping in mind that I am a girl with not a lot of arm muscle
(don't make fun of me. haha)
I will give you before and after pictures.
Before light and fluffy stage
Next I added the sugar, vanilla and the eggs. This took me about another good 20 minutes. Why? you ask, well because you have to slowly add in the sugar and you can only mix in one egg at a time. So you can estimate each egg will take about 2 minutes to mix in so when you have 4 eggs that's almost 10 minutes. And that's why it took so long.
Like a said this cake is not for a beginner.
Yes I know it doesn't look that good now but it will, I assure you.
The dry ingredients came next. I mixed them together and then sifted them into a medium sized bowl. You will need this mixture in a little bit.
Now for the chocolate part of the cake.
I took 3/4 cup strong boiling coffee and added 1 cup milk and 1 cup cocoa powder, and whisked it together. This mixture you need to let cool completely before adding it to the butter and sugar.
This is when the cake really started to smell good.
Next I combined the butter and sugar mixture with the chocolate coffee liquid, and whisked it until it was fully incorporated with each other.
Next add the flour a little at a time. Being sure to mix it in well.
(This is showing the flour going into the liquid above. It should not be left like this!)
Next divide the batter between the two pans and voila you are almost done with the cake.
The batter in the pans
I baked the cake for about 45 minutes in 20 minute intervals, each time rotating them.
Once the cake was finished (when a toothpick comes out clean from the middle) I took them out and put them on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
I inverted the cakes onto another wire rack and they came out of the pan like a charm.
Once they were completely cooled (I waited about 3 hours) I leveled the tops, then filled and frosted it.
This is the finished product.
I put a pretty design on the top and bottom, just to cover my edges.
Top view
Side view
Enjoy making this wonderful cake. It really is worth all of the mess and all of the hard work. It tastes delicious.
Here is the link to the recipe for the cake:
Ultimate Chocolate Cake <--- Click the link
Here is the link the the recipe for the frosting:
Chocolate Frosting <--- Click the link
So I have to say that this cake is not for a baking beginner! It takes a lot of time to prepare, to make and to assemble. In total it took me roughly about 6 hours from start to finish. And this wasn't my first dosey doe with a cake.
All in all the cake came out perfect.
The first thing that I did was butter the two 8 inch pans and then lined them with parchment paper. This took me at least 20 minutes on each pan. You would not believe how hard it is to line the sides with the special paper. Your hands are covered in butter from the first part and your trying to hold onto the pan but it's slipping and then your trying to put the paper in.
Believe me I get it, I completely sympathize with you.
This is the buttered pan
This is the pan (finally) lined with parchment paper
The next step was to butter the parchment paper and then dust the insides with cocoa powder. The recipe calls for cocoa powder that I have never heard of. Valrhon coco powder. I used Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder, to me chocolate is chocolate
This is what the parchment lined pans look like dusted with cocoa powder
Close up
Next came the hardest part. Mixing 3 sticks of butter by hand with a rubber spatula until light a fluffy. The recipe says it will take about 2 minutes, well it took me at least 10 to get it to the light and fluffy stage; keeping in mind that I am a girl with not a lot of arm muscle
(don't make fun of me. haha)
I will give you before and after pictures.
Before light and fluffy stage
After light and fluffy has been achieved.
The way you can tell is the butter changed color. It went from a dark yellow to a pale yellow.
Next I added the sugar, vanilla and the eggs. This took me about another good 20 minutes. Why? you ask, well because you have to slowly add in the sugar and you can only mix in one egg at a time. So you can estimate each egg will take about 2 minutes to mix in so when you have 4 eggs that's almost 10 minutes. And that's why it took so long.
Like a said this cake is not for a beginner.
Yes I know it doesn't look that good now but it will, I assure you.
The dry ingredients came next. I mixed them together and then sifted them into a medium sized bowl. You will need this mixture in a little bit.
Now for the chocolate part of the cake.
I took 3/4 cup strong boiling coffee and added 1 cup milk and 1 cup cocoa powder, and whisked it together. This mixture you need to let cool completely before adding it to the butter and sugar.
This is when the cake really started to smell good.
Next I combined the butter and sugar mixture with the chocolate coffee liquid, and whisked it until it was fully incorporated with each other.
Next add the flour a little at a time. Being sure to mix it in well.
(This is showing the flour going into the liquid above. It should not be left like this!)
Next divide the batter between the two pans and voila you are almost done with the cake.
The batter in the pans
I baked the cake for about 45 minutes in 20 minute intervals, each time rotating them.
Once the cake was finished (when a toothpick comes out clean from the middle) I took them out and put them on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.
I inverted the cakes onto another wire rack and they came out of the pan like a charm.
Once they were completely cooled (I waited about 3 hours) I leveled the tops, then filled and frosted it.
This is the finished product.
I put a pretty design on the top and bottom, just to cover my edges.
Top view
Side view
Enjoy making this wonderful cake. It really is worth all of the mess and all of the hard work. It tastes delicious.
Here is the link to the recipe for the cake:
Ultimate Chocolate Cake <--- Click the link
Here is the link the the recipe for the frosting:
Chocolate Frosting <--- Click the link
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