I know I've mentioned this cake here at least twice, so I wanted to share the process. I've not had much success with cakes in the past, probably because I don't buy cake flour, and I'm not a fan of sifting. Laziness is not allowed in the realm of cake baking.
But this cake doesn't require either. And the recipe is always at hand- on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa container!
The recipe is also available online - complete with other baker's reviews and a shortcut for the Hershey's Chocolate Buttercream, which is also pretty amazing.
Back to the cake: I always bake two eight inch rounds. I then split those rounds into two more, creating four layers of chocolate goodness. Again, my kitchen supplies and tools are limited in the realm of cake baking, but some good floral wire will do the trick to split the cakes. I simply cut a piece wide enough so that I can hold an end in either hand, and using a gentle back-and-forth movement of the wire, it slices perfectly through a cooled cake.
Layer each skinny cake with a healthy portion of buttercream, and continue assembling.
As you can see, I always have help with the dishes ;)
I'm not attempting to achieve perfection, and actually, I prefer a rustic or homemade look to our cakes. So I simply use a butter knife and slather the butter cream all over until the cake has disappeared.
I find that this cake tastes even better if covered and refrigerated for a few hours prior to serving- if you can wait that long! It really gives the layers a chance to get cozy.
And this last picture- a true shot of reality. Our Friday cake was dotted with toddler fingerprints, and we drove it first to Nee Nee's house to share a slice or two, then to Aunt Judy's- to share some more. I didn't hear a single complaint about those fingerprints!
If you've got a special moment coming up- or even want to celebrate the weekend's arrival, try this recipe. You just might surprise yourself. I know I did!
Lisa
No comments:
Post a Comment