Friday, July 13, 2012

A Fancy Twist on Chocolate Cake Mixes

Today, we all lead very busy lives and don't have hours to spend in our kitchens baking cakes.
When I am pressed for time and need a nice dessert cake, I will reach for a box of chocolate cake mix. I don't bake just plain cakes, I like to add things to them to make them 'extra special'.
Chocolate Cake
Cake Baking Tips:
1. Invest in a cake tester. You can pick up one for less than $6.00 at most kitchen stores.
2. Don't over bake your cakes. I tend to remove my cakes from the oven 3-4 minutes before the recommended time because they will continue baking in the cake pan.
3. Don't grease and flour your baking pans unless the recipe calls for it.
4. Always let your cakes cool before frosting them.
Here are some recipes that you can easily make from a box of cake mix.
Chocolate Surprise
1 chocolate cake mix
3 oz. box of cherry flavored gelatin
1 c. boiling water
1 c. 7-Up soda
1 box instant pudding mix, any flavor
8 oz. tub of cool whip
Prepare chocolate cake according to package directions. When cool, poke holes on top of cake with a fork. Dissolve the cherry gelatin in boiling water and add the 7-up. Pour over cake. Whip together the instant pudding mix and milk. Fold in cool whip and use this to frost the cake.
Triple Chocolate
1 box chocolate cake mix
1 3/4 c. milk
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
2 eggs
12 oz. chocolate chips
Combine all ingredients, mix by hand until well blended for about 3 minutes. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until cake is done. Do not over bake! Cool and then remove from pan.
German Chocolate Thunder
1 box German Chocolate cake mix
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
1 jar hot fudge ice cream topping
16 oz. tub of cool whip
2 heath candy bars
Bake cake according to package instructions. Let cool for 35 minutes. Poke holes in cake with a fork. Pour sweetened condensed milk over cake and spread evenly. Wait for 5 minutes. Spread fudge topping over cake. Wait another 5 minutes. Spread cool whip over cake and sprinkle crushed candy bars over the top.
Turtle Chocolate
1 German Chocolate cake mix
3/4 c. margarine
1/2 c. evaporated milk
14 oz. bag of caramels
1 c. chopped pecans
6 oz. chocolate chips
Mix cake according to directions. Pour half of the batter into 9 x 13" pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Melt milk, margarine and caramels together. Pour over hot cake. Add pecans and chocolate chips on top of caramel mixture. Pour rest of batter over cake. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the top layer comes out clean.
 
 

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

How to Make the Best Chocolate Cake

Best Chocolate CakeWe all know that chocolate cake is one of the easiest cakes to prepare but not everyone can make it deliciously, just like the ones that we have in pastry shops and restaurants. For you to bake chocolate cake that you and your family will surely love here is a chocolate cake recipe for you.
With a history that dates back to 1764, chocolate indeed goes a long way, proving that it is a favorite food among most people. It was first made when chocolate was first discovered, using ground cocoa beans using two circular millstones. It was further improved in 1879 when conching was introduced by Swiss Rodolphe. Conching is the process of making chocolate smoother and silkier which then made it better for baking since it mixes with batters completely. In 1930, there were chocolate cake mixes sold by the Duff Company in Pittsburgh. Chocolate cake became very popular during the 1980s and the 1990s wherein there can be other ingredients added aside from the chocolate such as tea, champagne, red pepper and a lot more. To this date, there are a lot of chocolate cake variants such as layer cakes, black forest cake, soufflé cake, fudge cake, snowball cake and a lot more.
One of the best chocolate cake variations is the black forest cake, which you can serve for both children and adults. For this delicious recipe, what you will need are 1/2 cup of softened butter, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, two eggs, 1 1/4 cups of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup of natural unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon each of baking soda and vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 3/4 cup of buttermilk. For the filling, you will need 2 cans of cherry pie filling, 3 cups of heavy whipped cream, 1/4 cup of confectioner's sugar. Should you choose to have garnish, you can have milk chocolate curls or sweet cherries or other garnishes that you prefer.
You will first need to prepare the cake which you start by doing the basics - preheating your oven to 350 0F and lining a cake pan with greaseproof paper. In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and the sugar using an electric mixer until it is fluffy and white. While beating the butter, add one egg at a time while mixing it well. Add the other ingredients - the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, baking soda, buttermilk and vanilla extract and continue mixing until the mixture is already smooth. Afterwards, place the mixture into the cake pan and then bake for about 45 minutes. When it is already cooked, allow it to cool then cut into three layers horizontally.
For the filling, you will first need to drain the cherry pie so that the juices will be removed. In a mixing bowl, beat the whipped cream and the confectioner's sugar until it is already thick. Shave the chocolate using a vegetable peeler and then refrigerate the mixture while waiting for the cake to be baked. When the cake is ready and the filling is prepared, you are now ready to assemble your black forest chocolate cake. You will first need to put one layer of the cake on a serving plate and then spread some of the whipped cream on top and then adding the cherry pie. Add the next layer of the cake and then do the same process. For the last layer, spread the whipped cream and the spread the remaining on the sides. Add the garnish of your choice and your black forest chocolate cake is now ready to be served.
Do this chocolate cake recipe and you will surely be delighted by the result if you follow the instructions carefully. You and your companions will certainly be looking forward to having more chocolate cakes from you.

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Death by Chocolate Cake - Your Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Chocolate CakeIf you are a cake lover and find it difficult to resist especially the chocolate cakes, then you must be a fan of one of the most popular cakes in the world i.e. Death by Chocolate Cake. This cake has all the ingredients, which can make it extremely sumptuous and desirable. It has several layers of different ingredients that include whipped cream, caramel, chocolate, etc. and the combination makes it very delicious and something to die for. The final layer of dark chocolate spread over the sponge cake is amazingly delicious and mouth-watering. It makes the cake more exciting. The term death by chocolate is basically an advertising term used for different desserts, made of dark chocolate.
The basic recipe of death by chocolate cake is quite simple. Anyone can make this cake by correctly following the recipe. You just need to keep in mind the layers, which would be there in the cake, their order and specific ingredients. The lowest layer is chocolate brownie, followed by a layer of chocolate ganache, layer of cocoa meringue, mocha mouse and the final layer is of brownie again. There's a chocolate paste coating, which covers all the layers. One needs to take an extra care while coating. Use of spatula is suggested as it helps to cover all the corners of the cake. After the coating, you can use some sauces or fruits like strawberry or cherry to decorate the cake. A lace border around the cake by melting the chocolate and putting it in a cone-shaped wax paper can also be made. You can then draw any shape on the cake with the cream. If you want to write a message, that is also possible.
In the end, chilling the death by chocolate cake is very important. You need to put it immediately into your refrigerator. Otherwise, it could start melting down and the whole cake can turn into a disaster. Make sure that you don't keep it in for a very long time. Thirty to forty minutes will do, and a delicious cake would be ready to eat. You need to make sure that your family members do not often overeat the cake, because the frequent intake of chocolate can cause many problems in which gaining weight and oral problems are pretty common, especially in children and people who are in their forties to sixties. If you mostly bake cakes at your home, you can use low calorie chocolates as well, depending upon the ages of the guests and your family members.
If you are searching for any type of online gifts for your loved ones then click here MyGiftShop and if you are searching for a delicious chocolate cake, then click here Death By Chocolate Cake