Wednesday, July 7, 2010
humblebites: COLBERT FAMILY CHOCOLATE CAKE There are things in life which, once experienced, will end up as the one to which all subsequent occurrences are inevitably compared.  The first kiss.  The first true love.  The first chocolate cake.  Okay, perhaps for most, chocolate cake does not make this list.  And it is quite possible that the chocolate cake I associate as “the one” was not the first chocolate cake that I ever had.  Nevertheless, for me, the Colbert family chocolate cake stands on a pedestal, high above all challengers and has forever caused not just other chocolate cakes, but all cakes in general to pale in comparison.  The subtle, not too sweet flavor of the cake itself acting as the perfect balance to the decadent sweetness of the powdered sugar based frosting, this is the cake of my youth, the cake of my dreams.  Having been more years than I can remember since I’d last had a slice of this dream cake I decided this past weekend to finally take on the recipe myself, attempting to recreate for the first time the Colbert Family Chocolate Cake.  And I am happy to report it is still as fantastically delicious as I remember. For the Cake 1/2 cup hot water 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup buttermilk (or use powdered buttermilk & 1 cup water) 2 1/4 cups flour 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Add cocoa powder to hot water and blend to make a paste.  Cream the shortening and sugar, add eggs and beat with an electric mixer.  Add the cocoa paste and vanilla and continue to beat.  Mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder (and powdered buttermilk if using) and sift into the wet ingredients alternatively with the buttermilk (or water if using powdered).  Beat hard (2 minutes). Cut wax paper to fit in the bottom of two round 9-inch cake pans.  Grease the pans, dust with flour and add wax paper to the bottom.  Divide batter into pans and cook in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees (325 degrees if using glass pans) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out dry.  Remove from pans and place on baking racks to cool. For the Frosting 4 tablespoons butter 2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened baking chocolate 16 ounce package powdered sugar Milk (very little) Melt butter and chocolate in a pan.  Add just a touch of milk to the powdered sugar and beat.  Add the chocolate/butter to the sugar and enough more milk to make the frosting spreadable and beat.  Frost the cakes and enjoy.

humblebites:

COLBERT FAMILY CHOCOLATE CAKE

There are things in life which, once experienced, will end up as the one to which all subsequent occurrences are inevitably compared.  The first kiss.  The first true love.  The first chocolate cake.  Okay, perhaps for most, chocolate cake does not make this list.  And it is quite possible that the chocolate cake I associate as “the one” was not the first chocolate cake that I ever had.  Nevertheless, for me, the Colbert family chocolate cake stands on a pedestal, high above all challengers and has forever caused not just other chocolate cakes, but all cakes in general to pale in comparison.  The subtle, not too sweet flavor of the cake itself acting as the perfect balance to the decadent sweetness of the powdered sugar based frosting, this is the cake of my youth, the cake of my dreams.  Having been more years than I can remember since I’d last had a slice of this dream cake I decided this past weekend to finally take on the recipe myself, attempting to recreate for the first time the Colbert Family Chocolate Cake.  And I am happy to report it is still as fantastically delicious as I remember.

For the Cake

  • 1/2 cup hot water
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or use powdered buttermilk & 1 cup water)
  • 2 1/4 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Add cocoa powder to hot water and blend to make a paste.  Cream the shortening and sugar, add eggs and beat with an electric mixer.  Add the cocoa paste and vanilla and continue to beat.  Mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder (and powdered buttermilk if using) and sift into the wet ingredients alternatively with the buttermilk (or water if using powdered).  Beat hard (2 minutes).

Cut wax paper to fit in the bottom of two round 9-inch cake pans.  Grease the pans, dust with flour and add wax paper to the bottom.  Divide batter into pans and cook in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees (325 degrees if using glass pans) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out dry.  Remove from pans and place on baking racks to cool.

For the Frosting

  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 2 ounces (2 squares) unsweetened baking chocolate
  • 16 ounce package powdered sugar
  • Milk (very little)

Melt butter and chocolate in a pan.  Add just a touch of milk to the powdered sugar and beat.  Add the chocolate/butter to the sugar and enough more milk to make the frosting spreadable and beat.  Frost the cakes and enjoy.

Posted at 5:35pm Reblogged via humblebites