Thin Layer Chocolate Cake
I was raised on these little cakes. These little layer cakes are so easy to make once you get the hang of it. Give yourself extra time the first time that you make one. I have given you a scratch and a box cake method here. The box cake method is quick and easy especially for first timers learning to cook this cake.
~~Ingredients ~~
**For the cake (Homemade)
2 sticks Land o Lakes unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups Dixie Crystal extra fine granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup butter flavored Crisco shortening
5 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
5 cups cake flour* measured correctly
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
5 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups milk
Pecans for decorating, optional
Bakers Joy for pans
Short cut from Box Mix (A lot of your cake Bakers are using this method and you don’t know it unless you are a professional baker. The cake is still delicious and a lot quicker and recommended for people who don’t bake much.)
~~Ingredients ~~
**Shortcut Method
2 boxes butter flavored Duncan Hines cake mixes (Do hot substitute)
6 large eggs
Plus butter from Instructions on box, melted
Plus water from Instructions on box
Pecans for decorating, optional
Bakers Joy for pans
~~Instructions ~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and then follow the same exact baking Instructions as listed below for baking the homemade cake layers. This cake is made simple if you use disposable aluminum cake pans, or use your regular cake pans or a cast iron skillet.
**For the frosting
4 -1/2 cups Dixie Crystal extra fine granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 sticks Land o Lakes Butter
1 15-ounce can Carnation evaporated milk, don’t substitute
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
~~Instructions ~~
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare four 8 inch cake pans by spraying with Bakers Joy, and line with rounds of parchment or waxed paper.
In a mixer or by hand, cream together butter, sugar, oil and shortening until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time and continue to mix on medium until eggs are well incorporated. Stir in vanilla.
Sift flour, then add salt, baking soda and baking powder. Sift a second time. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and milk in about 4 additions, then increase speed to medium. Beat until smooth, you do not want to over,is Cake at this point. Beat about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl.
**CAKE STEP-BY-STEP
Spread 3/4 cup batter in each pan. Even out the batter using the back of a spoon. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until cake springs lightly when pressed with a finger. Mine took 13 minutes. Flip cake out of pan onto parchment, wax paper or cake rack while still very warm, do NOT let them sit in pans. The cakes should flip out with the parchment still attached. Repeat with the rest of layers. The parchment paper can be reused, but wipe out the sides and bottoms of the pans so that no old batter remains, and respray with Bakers Joy. You should have 3 total cookings, 4 plus 4 plus 2 equals 10 layers
**ICING STEP-BY-STEP
Do not start cooking chocolate until all layers are out of the oven and cooling. Add butter in a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan and let melt. When the butter has melted, add the sugar and cocoa. Using a wire whisk, whisk well. Turn heat to medium-high and add carnation milk, whisking the entire time and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for about 2 minutes, whisking continually, careful to watch that it does not boil over. Lower heat to simmer, and whisk for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add vanilla and whisk slightly to incorporate. If you cook it too long or too high, the sugar could crystallize on you.
**Assemble
All your layers should be cooled at this point. Place your first layer on your carving vessel. Begin icing as soon as frosting is ready. I ice from the mid ring to the edges first, then to the center of the layer. Flip layers over so that top side faces up. I always lightly mash on my layers slightly, this helps them to adhere and they won’t slide on you, Use about 4 tablespoons of icing per layer. Icing will be thin but will firm up as it cools. Stack layers, then continue icing and stacking til you have all layers stacked and iced. Ice the edges last.
Contours of layers will be visible through icing. If icing hardens too much while frosting cake, set back on low heat and stir until it is spreadable. That shouldn’t happen unless you slightly overcooked it. Decorate with Pecans, optional.
**Notes
Measured correctly means to dip by tablespoons and then level with back of a butter knife.
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