Moist Chocolate Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting Includes Dairy Free Substitutions Recipes

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Line the bottom of two 8 or 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, grease and flour the sides. (The parchment paper will make the cake come out much easier than just grease and flour).
• If you prefer to bake the cakes in 4 separate pans, see the notes at the bottom.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the hot coffee and cocoa together until smooth. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using a whisk, blend and sift the ingredients together.
• Add the eggs, milk, oil, vanilla, and the cocoa mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds until the dry ingredients are moist. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and beat for another minute. The batter will be thin.
• Pour the batter into the two prepared pans and place in the center of the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for the 9 inch pans or 33 to 37 minutes for the 8 inch pans (a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes should come out clean).
• Let cool in the cake pans for 5 to 10 minutes then run a knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the cake from the pans. Invert the cakes onto a cooling rack and remove the parchment paper. (At this point if you re-invert the cakes onto another rack and let them cool with their tops up, they will retain more height and the tops of the cakes will not stick to the cooling rack.)
• To make the cream cheese frosting, combine the cream cheese and butter, and beat until soft and creamy.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla beat on low speed until the sugar is mixed in then beat on high speed until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• Slice each layer of cake in half horizontally by using a cake leveler or by placing each layer of cake on a turntable and use a serrated knife to slice through the cake as you turn the turntable. This will give you 4 layers to fill and stack. To transfer each layer, use a thin plastic cutting board to slide under the layers.
• Put a dab of frosting on a cake plate and place a cake layer on top of the plate. Use 3/4 to 1 cup of frosting to spread between each layer of cake then use an off-set spatula or knife to ice the top and sides of the cake.
• Put a dab of frosting on a cake plate and place a cake layer on top of the plate. Use 3/4 to 1 cup of frosting to spread between each layer of cake then use an off-set spatula or knife to ice the top and sides of the cake.

MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING (INCLUDES DAIRY-FREE SUBSTITUTIONS)

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and dust with cocoa two 9" layer cake pans. Set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir with wire whisk until blended. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla and beat well with wire whisk or mixer until combined, about 2 minutes. While beating, heat water in microwave oven to boiling. Stir boiling water into cake batter. (optional - stir in chocolate chips) Pour the thin batter into the two prepared pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes or until cake pulls away from sides of pan, top springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes with pan facing down on wire racks, then remove from pans and cool completely. Cream Cheese Frosting: With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 3 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add the sifted powdered sugar. Spread frosting on the top of the bottom layer of the cake. (sometimes i make a raspberry filling and add that on top of the middle layer of frosting. Add the top layer of the cake and finish frosting and decorating as desired.