Farmhouse Chocolate Cake Recipes

ONE BOWL SOURDOUGH CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Prep oven and pan. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray.
• Mix dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until well combined.
• Add wet ingredients. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, sour cream, and sourdough starter. Stir to form a thick batter. Pour in the cup of boiling water and stir well until a smooth batter forms.
• Bake. Pour into prepared baking pan and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, or with only a few crumbs. (The top may crack.)
• Cool. Cover cake with a clean tea towel and allow it to cool directly in the pan. Cool completely before frosting.
• Frost and serve. To make the frosting, combine the melted butter and cocoa in a large mixing bowl. Add the powdered sugar and milk, alternating with each other, and beat with an electric mixer until a smooth frosting forms. Frost the cake and serve directly out of the pan.

FARMHOUSE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Lightly butter an 8 inch springform pan.
• In a double broiler, melt 4 oz. of the chocolate and 1 stick of butter, cut into small pieces.
• In a medium bowl, blend the flour and 1/2 cup sugar.
• Add eggs and mix well.
• Add the melted chocolate and butter to the bowl and with an electic mixer, beat at high speed for about 5 minutes, until the batter is smooth and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
• Unmold the cake onto a rack and let cool; it will fall to about half its original height.
• Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the remaining 3 oz. chocolate and 1 tsp butter.
• In a small heavy saucepan, bring the reduced cream to a boil, then whisk it vigorously into the chocolate.
• Continue whisking until smooth and glossy.
• Place sheets of waxed paper under the cake and cooling rack.
• Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, using a metal spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top and sides.
• After the frosting has hardened slightly, about 5 minutes, use a long straight knife to mark the top in a criss-cross pattern,.
• Mix the cocoa with the remaining 1 T. sugar and sprinkle it decoratively over the cake before serving.

VANILLA BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Adjust the racks to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Spray two 9-by-1-1/2-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray.
• Add the granulated sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer outfitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until creamy, just 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time to the mixture and beat until mixed together.
• Whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a measuring cup, mix the milk and vanilla extract together. Turn the mixer back to medium speed and add the flour mixture and milk mixture alternately to create a smooth batter.
• Evenly divide the cake batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes start pulling away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes in their pans, then turn them out on a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
• Frost the cake by tucking parchment underneath the first cake layer and the cake plate. Spread the Chocolate Frosting evenly over the first layer, then place the second cake on top. Frost the top of the cake, then work your way over the sides. Remove the parchment and serve.
• Add the chopped chocolate to a heatproof bowl and set over a lightly simmering pot of water (make sure the bottom of the pot is not touching the water). Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. Remove from the heat and cool until room temperature, about 15 minutes.
• Add the confectioners' sugar to a medium bowl and whisk out the lumps.
• Beat the butter in a stand mixer outfitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Add the cooled melted chocolate. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar in 3 batches and beat until combined. Add the milk, vanilla and salt, and beat until the mixture is creamy, well mixed and spreadable.

CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA CHECKERED FLAG CAKE

Steps:

• For the vanilla and chocolate cakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare four 9-inch cake pans with the nonstick cooking spray and dust with flour.
• In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the granulated sugar and butter and cream together until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate them. Add the baking powder, salt and 1 cup of the flour and continue to beat. Add the milk and remaining 2 cups flour, alternating back and forth. And the vanilla extract and beat for 1 more minute. Pour half of the batter into 2 of the prepared cake pans, reserving half to make into chocolate cake batter.
• To make the chocolate batter, add the cocoa and hot water to a small bowl and mix to make a paste. Combine the chocolate paste with the remaining cake batter and mix until evenly combined. Pour the chocolate cake batter into the remaining 2 cake pans.
• Place all 4 cake pans in the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire baking rack for 30 minutes.
• For the vanilla frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the confectioners' sugar and butter and mix on low speed for 1 minute until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, another 3 minutes. Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean seeds and continue to beat for 1 more minute. Set aside.
• To assemble checkerboard cake: To each cake, using a 5.5-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 1 ring, place a 2.5-inch round cookie cutter on the inside of the 5.5-inch ring to cut out a 2nd round. Repeat with the other 3 cakes. (This will give you 2 rings and 1 round per cake)
• For the first layer: Place the largest yellow cake ring on your desired cake plate, place the second largest chocolate cake ring inside of the yellow cake ring, then place the smallest yellow cake round inside of the chocolate cake ring. Spread an even layer of vanilla frosting on top.
• For the second layer: Place the largest chocolate cake ring on top of the first frosted layer of cake, place the second largest yellow cake ring inside of the of the chocolate ring, then place the smallest chocolate round inside of the yellow cake ring. Spread an even layer of vanilla frosting on top.
• For the third and fourth layers, repeat the steps for the first 2 layers. Finish the top of the cake with an even layer of frosting, leaving the sides of the cake untouched.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda, then set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract and the eggs and blend until incorporated. Lower the speed to a stir, add the flour and mix until just combined. Then stir in 2 cups of the chocolate chips until incorporated.
• Drop the dough in teaspoon-size balls 2-inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Whip the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon vanilla until medium peaks form. Place about 1/4 cup of the whipped cream in a 9-inch circle on a cake plate and then cover the whipped cream with some cookies. Layer 1 cup whipped cream over the cookies and arrange another layer of cookies over the top. Repeat the layers three more times, finishing with a layer of cream. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the top. Refrigerate the cake until the cookies soften, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
• Slice into wedges to serve.