Monday, May 9, 2011
The best chocolate cake EVER
9:56 AM | 
Posted by
Heather |
We make everything from scrap scratch here. (If you belong to our facebook page you'll get the scrap joke) Birthday cakes are no different. The week before I ask the upcoming birthday kid what they want and it's usually cupcakes. I guess my 15 year old is maturing. He asked for chocolate cake. Nothing fancy, just something good. I have to say, this is good. Better than good, it's the best chocolate cake you will EVER eat.
For the cake you will need:
3 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup oil (use what you want. I love organic extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp. vinegar
1Tbsp instant espresso
1 tbsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare your baking dish. For this I used 2 9 inch square pans.
To prepare spray with oil or coat with butter.
****tip time*** For a chocolate cake dust the pan with cocoa powder to help with sticking.
In a large bowl together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In a glass measuring cup combine water, oil, vinegar, espresso and vanilla.
Add to the dry ingredients and mix. Lumps are ok. **tip time** Over mixing cake batter will make a tough cake.
Add cake batter to pans and pack for 35 mins. Check with a toothpick. If it comes out clean it's done. Let the cakes cool and then.........
The best chocolate frosting ever!!!!
You will need:
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. instant espresso
2 tsp. vanilla
Melt butter in a large saucepan.
While that is melting combine heavy cream, sour cream and espresso in a large measuring cup. Mix until smooth.
Mix in sugar, cocoa and salt. It's going to be thick!!!
Slowly add cream mixture to chocolate until smooth. Cook until the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil.
Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let icing cool. I like to put it in another bowl for that.
Ice your cake and enter chocolate bliss.
3 cups of flour2 cups of sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup oil (use what you want. I love organic extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp. vinegar
1Tbsp instant espresso
1 tbsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 and prepare your baking dish. For this I used 2 9 inch square pans.To prepare spray with oil or coat with butter.
****tip time*** For a chocolate cake dust the pan with cocoa powder to help with sticking.
In a large bowl together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In a glass measuring cup combine water, oil, vinegar, espresso and vanilla.
Add to the dry ingredients and mix. Lumps are ok. **tip time** Over mixing cake batter will make a tough cake.
Add cake batter to pans and pack for 35 mins. Check with a toothpick. If it comes out clean it's done. Let the cakes cool and then.........
The best chocolate frosting ever!!!!
You will need:
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tsp. instant espresso
2 tsp. vanilla
Melt butter in a large saucepan.
While that is melting combine heavy cream, sour cream and espresso in a large measuring cup. Mix until smooth.
Mix in sugar, cocoa and salt. It's going to be thick!!!
Slowly add cream mixture to chocolate until smooth. Cook until the sugar has dissolved. Do not boil.
Remove from heat and add vanilla. Let icing cool. I like to put it in another bowl for that.
Ice your cake and enter chocolate bliss.
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Sunday, May 1, 2011
Healthy snacks..Healthy snacks....
You know that song Mrs. Salt and Mr. Pepper sing from Blues Clues. I have it stuck in my head. Whole Foods had a big sale on organic strawberries on Friday so we bought some even though we still have tons in our freezer from picking them almost a year ago. Tonight I made the yummiest snack for the kids with them. I really wish I thought about doing it for the blog earlier. I would have made sure my camera was charged fully. I couldn't get a good focus on the shots. Oh well. You'll get the idea. So it's super easy. All you need is strawberries, heavy cream and honey. I'll give you the measurements I used but you could tweak it for more or less.
Slice 2 lbs of strawberries. Toss them with 1 Tbsp of honey. Set aside.
Make sure your heavy cream(1 pint) is very cold. Add it to a ceramic or stainless steel bowl. **I like to use either of these two bowls because it helps keep the cream cold when whipping it. Another trick I use is putting the bowl and the beaters in the fridge to get them cold.**
Add 3 Tbsp of honey to the cream and beat on high. Once it's thick and peaks form stop. If you go to much it will get grainy. It can take a very long time. Do not get worried it will work.
Spoon the cream on top of the strawberries and enjoy!
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