Ultimate Chocolate Cake Questions

[Luv to Cook]

Hi All,

I am thinking of making this tonite....just wondering if anyone has tried it and if it is any good. I am making it for a friend who just passed some sort of certification exam. I want to be able to decorate it but I noticed it said not to make the frosting too far in advance because it would dry out. Well, does that mean it will be hard the next day (I know we won't finish it tonite!)?

Thanks!
Anita

[AD]

I made this cake recently. I didn't have any light butter, so I substituted half the amount of regular butter (which is essentially what light butter is). Anyway, the cake itself had too much water and almost tasted diluted. It was not bad though; it just wasn't my particular favorite. The frosting was just the opposite! I had to add a lot of extra water to get it to even mix into anything. It was very rich. You would not want to use all of it.

The recipe is probably fine. It just was not my personal favorite, but I have unusual tasebuds.

[Denise]

We LOVE this cake!!! I'm assuming you mean the one in CL Complete that is a layer cake? I make it exactly as the recipe says (I do think adding boiling water to the batter is strange). The cake isn't super chocolatey which is good because the frosting could send you into a coma! I have had leftovers up to a week later and think it still tastes great.

[Bhamdining]

This is my husband's FAVORITE cake; I make it for his birthday, and often cut the recipe in half for less special occasions. The use of sour cream in the cake and cream cheese in the icing make for a wonderful flavor. We've even enjoyed it without icing!

[Curleytop]

Bhamdining: I found this recipe in my MC97 and copied it to my personal cookbook. Did you use "light butter" or cut the amount of butter in half. When you used half the recipe, what type of baking pan did you use? I would like to try it, but a big layer cake is too much for 2 people, even good cake eaters!

[BlueMoose]

would someone mind posting the recipe?

[maizeyoats]

Is this the one you want? I hope

Cooking Light's Ultimate Chocolate Layer Cake

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 18 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : April '97 Cakes


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
Cooking spray
2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons light butter -- softened
3/4 cup egg substitute
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
3/4 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Frosting

CHOCOLATE FROSTING
1 (4-ounce) tub light cream cheese -- softened
3 tablespoons skim milk
3 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate -- melted
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º.

Coat bottoms of 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray (do not coat sides of pan); line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; set aside.

Beat sugar and butter at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Gradually add egg substitute; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. With mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Gently stir in boiling water and vanilla.

Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350º for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when touched in center. Loosen layers from sides of pans using a narrow metal spatula; turn out onto wire racks. Peel off wax paper; let cool.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup Chocolate Frosting. Top with other cake layer; spread remaining frosting over cake.

____________________

To Make Chocolate Frosting

Beat cheese and milk at high speed of a mixer until creamy. Add melted chocolate, and beat until well-blended.

Combine sugar and cocoa; gradually add sugar mixture to cheese mixture, beating at low speed until well-blended. Add vanilla; beat well for 1 minute until very creamy

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Source:
"Cooking Light, April 1997, p.208"
Copyright:
"© Cooking Light"
T(Baking Time):
"0:35"

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[BlueMoose]

Thanks maiseyoats! It sounds like CL's version of Hershey's Ultimate Chocolate Cake which is my absolute favorite cake! I make it about 1 time a year.

Thanks,
Chrisi

[Luv to Cook]

Thanks everyone for your tips and advice. I made this on Friday nite and it was a hit. The only change I made was to use a coffee buttercream as the middle layer. Upped the fat and calories, but it was well worth it!

Anita

[funnybone]

For light butter, I believe the substitution is not qite a 1/2 ratio, but more like 1/3 c regular butter, to ever 1/2 cup of light butter called for. That is what I use in the Blueberry Pound Cake, and it works well each time.