Guys, I made a cake for a very special occasion.
Two years ago I started this journey. It all started on a drive back to DC after an amazing Thanksgiving weekend. As with most post-Thanksgiving journeys we were stuck in traffic and thus left with plenty of time to talk about life and all that heavy stuff. It was on this drive that the hubby and my friend Lauren convinced me that I needed to start a food blog. I owe them a huge thank you for encouraging me to take my love of food to the internet. I also owe a big thank you to all of my family and friends for being loyal readers and spreading the word. These past two years have flown by. I didn’t know if this blog thing would work. So many talented people are out there filling the web with their delicious and beautiful creations. I was worried that no one would take notice. Luckily, people have taken notice and for that I am forever grateful.
I made this cake to celebrate and it should be noted that this is the first time I have ever shared a cake with all of you. Let’s just say that cake decorating is not something I have mastered yet. To be perfectly honest with you, I thought this cake might turn out horribly wrong and look like some lopsided pile of icing and cake. When it came to making it look like something you might want to eat I figured I couldn’t go wrong with sprinkles (or jimmies if you live in Pittsburgh). How cute are the sprinkles on this thing?!
I made this cake for a special occasion and I picked a recipe that was perfect for special occasions. At my bridal shower I received a few family recipes from my in-laws. One of those recipes was this cake recipe from Nana Ruth. The hubs is extremely close to his Nana and I think one of the reasons might be because she would make him this crazy cake for his birthday. It is no secret that the he is a chocolate lover, he has a hard time turning down a brownie and has been known to eat chocolate chips before they make it in to the cookie. Nana obviously knew of this choco love since this cake has three types of chocolate. It is definitely a tall glass of milk kind of cake.
I want to thank you all for being Haute Pepper fans and please stay tuned for bigger and better bites!!
Notes
Icing recipe from Cook's Illustrated
Ingredients
- 1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix (Dark of Fudge)
- 1 Pkg. Chocolate Fudge Instant Pudding Mix (chocolate will work)
- 4 Eggs
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Cup Sour Cream
- 1/2 Cup Instant Coffee (dissolve 1 tsp. instant coffee in 1/2 cup water)
- 12 Oz. Chocolate Chips (1 bag)
- Fluffy Vanilla Icing (Recipe Below)
Fluffy Vanilla Icing
- 2 Large Egg Whites
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp. Water
- 1 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
- 1 Tsp. Vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Coat two 8 inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Combine all cake ingredients in a bowl and mix until everything is incorporated and smooth. Divide batter in to two 8 inch round cake pans and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until cooked through. When done allow cakes to cool on a cooling rack. Make sure they are cooled completely before proceeding.
- You can place the cakes in the fridge if you wish to ice them at a later point. Wrap the cakes in plastic wrap before placing in the fridge.
- To assemble the cake take one of the cakes and trim the top to create a level surface. Set the first cake aside and repeat the step with the second cake. Place one of the cakes on a flat surface and then apply a healthy scoop of icing. Spread the icing evenly so that it covers the entire cake surface. Carefully place the second cake on top of the icing, make sure the edges are lined up. Chill the cake for 10 minutes before applying the remaining icing.
- To finish icing the cake start by spreading the icing on the top layer and then along the side by running your spatula along the side, it might help to have the cake on a surface where you can rotate the cake as you spread the icing. Decorate the cake as you see fit, you can't go wrong with sprinkles! You can place the cake in the fridge to allow the icing to set but make sure to bring to room temperature before serving.
Instructions for Icing
- Add all of the ingredients to a metal bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water, make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Cook the ingredients, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and registers 160 degrees (about 5-10 minutes). Once cooked mix on medium speed using a whisk attachment on a stand mixer until soft peaks form. Once soft peaks form, up the speed to high and continue mixing until the mixture has cooled and stiff peaks are formed.
Thank you Sam. Your cake looks better than mine ever did, though Dan loved it. Such wonderful birthday’s we had.
Nana Ruth