My first order! Chocolate cake

My very first order came long before the creation of London Baked and was completed last Sunday, April 29, 2012. It was during a time when I was still playing with some ideas on raising funds for London. One of my enthusiastic supporters who is also a lover of ALL foods dared me to bake a chocolate cake and so I was in search for a great-tasting, classic recipe.

It doesnt get any better than Martha Stewart which is also why I am now a subscriber of her Everyday Food magazine full of simple yet delicious recipes.

Here's how the cake turned out... I need to work on the aesthetics.



    Into the oven it goes!                            And here is my mixer

    The two layers                      ... stacked!

    Getting the frosting together  Complete!

 
     My first customer and           Sharing the cake with New Life Now
     his chocolate cake.

 

  Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (so good!)
• 3 cups sugar (you don't need this much sugar... I used 2 and 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups hot water

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter paper. Dust the pans with cocoa; tap out extra.
2. Sift cocoa, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar into bowl. Beat in oil, buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and hot water one at a time, using a mixer set at low. Beat until smooth, about 2 minutes.
3. Pour batter into pans. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean; an adult should rotate the pans halfway through and remove cakes from the oven.
4. Let cakes cool in pans on wire racks, 20 minutes, before inverting to remove. Discard paper. Cool completely on racks, top side up. An adult should cut off top of one layer.
5. With a butter knife, frost top of trimmed layer.
6. Place the other layer on top. Frost top and sides of cake.

And don't forget the frosting

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar (I used a little less but this sugar is needed for texture so don't take too much out)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• Pinch of salt
• 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (ALL OF IT!)
• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
• 3/4 cup creme fraiche, or sour cream

 

Directions

1. Sift together sugar, cocoa, and salt.
2. Beat cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Reduce speed to medium-low; gradually add sugar-cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Pour in chocolate in a slow, steady stream. Add creme fraiche; beat until combined.