Chocolate Cake Variations

"Grandma Irwin's Chocolate Cake"

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp vinegar

2/3 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla 

2 1/3 cup flour 

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 cup boiling coffee

Combine milk and vinegar and let sit (may also use 1 cup buttermilk). Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to chocolate mixture alternatively with vinegar and milk mixture. Add hot coffee. Bake in 3 9" rounds or one large rectangular pan for 25 minutes, 350°.

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Chocolate-Raspberry Cake

For a raspberry layer cake, bake chocolate cake as directed (I used 9" rounds).When cake has cooled, spread cooled raspberry mouse generously between layers and frost with chocolate frosting (see recipes below). Decorate with fresh raspberries.

 

Raspberry Mousse*

12 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries

2/3 cup water (less if using fresh raspberries)

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp corn starch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp cream cheese

8 oz. whipped cream

Bring raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon to a boil. Simmer about 15 minutes (until raspberries break down). Add cornstarch and water, stir constantly. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes (careful that the bubbles do not "explode"!). Let cool completely. Beat cream cheese and add to raspberry jelly. Fold in whipped cream. 

Chocolate Frosting 

1 cup butter, room temperature (not melted!)

3 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond

3-4 Tbsp heavy cream

Cream butter. Sift in 3 cups powdered sugar and cocoa, mix well. Beat in vanilla, almond, salt, cream. Add sugar and milk to thicken or thin mixture until it has reached the desired consistency. 

*Recipe for Raspberry Mousse slightly modified from cakecentral.com.

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Chocolate Peanut-Butter Cake 

For a peanut-butter layer cake, add 1/2 cup peanut butter to the coffee before combining with chocolate cake. For a mini layer cake, I baked the cake in a large rectangular pan and cut out two circles for the layers. Frost generously with Peanut-Butter Frosting (see recipe below). Decorate with peanuts or chocolate (I used "De Ruijter" sprinkles).

Peanut-Butter Chocolate Fudge Frosting*

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup vanilla 

3 Tbsp cream

Cream butter and peanut butter. Slowly add powdered sugar and cocoa. Add vanilla and cream and beat until creamy. 

*Recipe for Peanut-Butter Frosting found here.