Chocolate Cake & Fudge

With February officially over, I can start posting delicious chocolate recipes, since you've probably had time to detox from all the chocolate from V-day. In my family we have a tradition of having chocolate cake with chocolate fudge for any occasion that requires a cake. The recipe I used for this cake makes a very moist and rich cake, the fudge is super easy to make and really delicious. Fresh flowers work perfectly for decorating cakes, it gives it a really elegant but natural look and it just looks so pretty. I chose these white flowers since it was all chocolate, but for example if you have a yellow frosting you could use pink or purple flowers. I think that sometimes using chocolate can intimidate people, but if you have a good recipe you'll most likely get it right, and once you see you can do it you can bake anything! Let me know what you think!

Xo

Flor

Basic Chocolate Butter Cake

(Makes 2 9" layers)

2 cups sifted cake flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened to room temp

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted or 3 ( 1 ounce) envelopes no melt unsweetened chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour with baking soda and salt and set aside. Combine buttermilk and vanilla. Cream butter until light, add sugar gradually, beating until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; mix in chocolate. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the dry and adding about 1/3 of the total at a time. 

Beat just until smooth. Spoon into 2 greased and floured 9" layer cake pans and bake 30-35 minutes until cakes shrink slightly from sides of pans and are springy to the touch.

Cool upright in pans on wire racks 5-7 minutes, then invert on racks. Turn cakes right side up and cool thoroughly. 

Fudge Frosting

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cups water or milk

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, coarsely grated, or 2 (1 ounce) envelopes no-melt unsweetened chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Place all ingredients except vanilla in a heavy saucepan with a candy thermometer, set over moderate heat, and stir once or twice as chocolate melts.

Boil without stirring until thermometer reaches 234 degrees F or until a little mixture dropped into cold water forms a very soft ball. Remove from heat at once and cool without stirring to 120 degrees F; mix in vanilla and beat until thick and of good spreading consistency

Note: If frosting seems thick, add a little milk or light cream; if too thin, beat in a little sifted confectioners' sugar