Darn Good Chocolate Cake With Marthas Icing Recipes

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Place rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and dust with cocoa powder; tap out excess. Sift cocoa; whisk in boiling coffee and milk. Let cool. Sift together cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Using a rubber spatula, mix the butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour in the cooled cocoa mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
• Add the sifted dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 4 cups in each pan). Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 15 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center.
• Remove the cakes from the oven, and allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes on a cooling rack. Carefully run a small offset spatula around the edge of the cakes to loosen them from the pan. Remove cakes from pans, and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• To assemble, using a serrated knife, level the top surface of each cake layer. Place four strips of parchment paper around the perimeter of the cake stand. Spread with 3/4 cup of frosting. Top with the remaining layer, bottom side up. Using a swirling motion, cover the outside of cake with the remaining frosting. Remove parchment-paper strips.

DARN GOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. I like to use a nonstick baking spray with flour in it.
• Add cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, warm water, and vegetable oil to a large mixing bowl.
• Mix on low speed for about 1 minute.
• Increase the speed to medium, and continue to mix for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the bowl as-needed.
• Fold in chocolate chips.
• Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the batter out as needed.
• Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed, about 45-55 minutes. A wooden toothpick inserted in the center may come out with melted chocolate but shouldn't have any batter on it.
• Cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
• Run a thin knife around the pan and invert onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.

DARN GOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE ( CAKE MIX CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans.
• Dust with flour and tap out the excess; set pans aside.
• Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
• Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.
• Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• On medium low speed, continue to blend for 2-3 minutes more.
• The batter will be very thick and should look well combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pans and smooth it out.
• Bake for 27-32 minutes (since I switched pans, I started checking the cakes at 25 minutes-- it was like gooey chocolate pudding-- then 3 minutes later it was perfect.
• Another couple of minutes and I think it would have been dry, so keep an eye on your cakes.
• Allow to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
• Now is the time to start preparing your frosting.
• Run a knife along the edges on the cakes pans and carefully remove cake by inverting it; allow to cool for 20 minutes more on the wire rack right side up.
• When the cake layers are completely cool, cut layers in half (save a domed layer for the top-- it makes your cakes look homemade) and frost.

DARN GOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MARTHA'S ICING

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly mist a 12 Bundt pan with PAM and dust with flour.
• Place cake mix, pudding, sour cream, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
• Blend with electric beaters on low speed for 1 minute.
• Stop and scrape down bowl.
• Increase speed to medium and beat 2-3 minutes more.
• Fold in chips.
• Turn batter into prepared pan and bake 58-62 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed. It will also begin to pull away from the pan.
• Place on wire rack and cool for 20 minutes.
• I always kind of shake the pan to make sure that it is loosened before inverting onto a rack to cool for 20 more minutes.
• Meanwhile make icing.
• Place sugar, butter and milk in medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Stir until it comes to a boil- about 3-4 minutes.
• Still stirring let mixture boil for 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in chips and stir until smooth.
• Pour and drizzle over bundt cake.

BEST DARN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease cake pan. 9x13".
• Dust with flour and tap out the excess.
• Place the cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, water, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.
• Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.
• Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• On medium low speed continue to blend for 2-3 minutes more.
• The batter will be very thick and should look well combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth it out.
• Bake for 27-32 minutes.
• Frost with favorite frosting.

DARK-CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans; dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. Line bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in chocolate and vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in three parts and buttermilk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pans 15 minutes; run a knife around edge of each pan, and invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Set a rimmed baking sheet upside down on a work surface. Place one cake on sheet, and spread top with 1/3 of ganache. Place second cake on top, and spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. Using two wide metal spatulas, carefully transfer frosted cake to a serving platter.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH VANILLA-BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Sift cocoa over a medium bowl; whisk in boiling coffee and milk. Let cool; set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt into another medium bowl; set aside.
• In a large bowl, mix butter using a rubber spatula until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Pour in cooled cocoa mixture. Mix until fully incorporated.
• Add flour mixture to chocolate mixture, stirring until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans (about 4 cups in each pan). Bake for 20 minutes, rotate pans, and bake until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into center of cake, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Remove cakes from oven, and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes. Carefully run a small offset spatula around edge of cakes to loosen from pan. Invert cakes onto a wire rack. Let cook completely, about 1 hour.
• To assemble, using a serrated knife, level the top surface of each cake layer. Place four strips of parchment paper around the perimeter of the lazy susan. Place the first layer on the lazy susan. Spread with 3/4 cup buttercream. Top with the remaining layer, bottom-side up. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on the top and sides of cake, called a crumb coat. Chill until the buttercream is set, at least 30 minutes.
• Apply the final coat of buttercream. Smooth the sides with a bench scraper or large offset spatula held steady at a 45-degree angle while turning the lazy susan.