Recipe Baking goodness

* Chocolate Heaven Recipe *

Ingredients

2 cups white sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water (may be replaced with freshly brewed coffee to get the coffee flavor)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9' round pans.
• In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Note: Let the cake cool completely before frosting it, the best is to leave it in the fridge for 15minutes before frosting.

Variations

1. You may cut the top of the cake to make a flat surface before adding the frosting.
2. You may divide the the batter in two and transfer to two bake tins. The baking time would then be about 15-20 minutes (but this is not encouraged because there will be differences between the two cakes as a result of different baking time )
3. Instead of vanilla extract, you may use an equivalent amount of freeze dried coffee to get a coffee cake.
4. You may use ½ cup of freshly brewed coffee instead of milk or water to get mocca flavor

Frosting

Ingredients

1 stick (250g) + 3 tablespoons (160 g) softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar or confectioner's sugar (i used icing sugar)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 to 5 tablespoons lukewarm/cold milk

Directions

• Cream the softened butter with powdered sugar in a bowl. Add cocoa, vanilla and 4 tablespoons lukewarm milk, and mix until smooth. Do not over-mix. If necessary, add some more milk.
• Use one 1/3 of the frosting between the two layers, 1/3 on top, and the rest around the cake.
• Refrigerate the cake for around 2hours & serve in room temperature

* Note: for step 1, mix the butter with sugar until a smooth and pale yellow cream has formed before adding the other ingredients - this is to ensure that sugar has melted completely and the frosting made will have a smooth texture.

Okay folks, that's all for today & have fun baking!

P/s. will post up my Tiramisu & Double chocolate chips cookies / pizza and mushroom soup recipe next time round :)

Off to boyfriend's house to bake brownies for the time being!

Tata ~