Chocolate Marvel Cake Recipes

Steps:

• To keep cake low-fat, use either a Seven-Minute Frosting or a powdered sugar glaze.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray the inside of two 8-inch cake pans or one 9-inch springform pan with Baker's Joy or grease and flour them.
• In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together and set aside.
• Place Lekvar (Prune Butter) in large mixing bowl; gradually add all other liquids, mixing on SLOW speed. (Unless you want to wear this)
• Add half of dry ingredients and mix 1 minute.
• Add remaining dry ingredients and mix 1 minute.
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake 30-35 minutes (8-inch pans) or 40-50 minutes (9-inch springform) or until done. (Toothpick comes out clean when inserted into middle of cake.)
• Cool in pans.
• Gently run knife around edge of cake.
• Place flat parchment-lined pan/plate on top and invert to remove each cake layer.
• Frost with 7-Minute Frosting.
• If you want to make it very decorative, melt 1-ounce unsweetened chocolate and drizzle it over the frosting, letting some of it run down the sides.
• IMPORTANT TIP: I always wrap little insulating strips, soaked in water and squeezed, around the outside of each cake pan.
• The brand I use is MagiCake by J P Products, and these work well.
• OMIT THIS LINE
• OMIT THIS LINE
• The purpose of these strips is to keep the cake from forming a hump in the middle of the cake layers by preventing the outside edges from cooking before the centers cook.
• I couldn't make flat cake layers without the MagiCake strips.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch round pan.
• Place flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter or margarine, eggs, vanilla, and milk into mixing bowl. Beat slowly to moisten, then beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for about 2 minutes until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup batter; pour the remainder into pan.
• Stir cocoa into the 3/4 cup reserved batter. Drop by spoonfuls over top of white batter. Using a knife, swirl the cocoa batter into the white batter to incorporate it in a marble effect.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the top of a double boiler, heat 6 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: In the top of a double boiler, heat 6 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, whip the butter for about 10 minutes until it is super fluffy, beat in egg yolk. Gradually blend in the confectioners' sugar, alternating with 2 tablespoons vanilla and 2 tablespoons cream, then blend in the melted chocolate. Beat in the softened cream cheese.
• Make the Ganache: In a large saucepan, combine chocolate chips and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Assemble the cake: When cake is completely cooled, cover the bottom cake layer with as much ganache as desired. Refrigerate for 5 minutes, or until ganache has set. Spread frosting over the ganache. Cover with top layer of cake. Frost top and sides with buttercream, and garnish with more ganache.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper.
• If you want to make life easy, simply put 225g butter, 225g caster sugar, 4 eggs, 225g self-raising flour, 3 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract into a food processor and whizz for 1-2 mins until smooth.
• If you prefer to mix by hand, beat 225g butter and 225g caster sugar together, then add 4 eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Fold through 225g self-raising flour, 3 tbsp milk and 1 tsp vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.
• Divide the mixture between 2 bowls. Stir 2 tbsp cocoa powder into the mixture in one of the bowls. Take 2 spoons and use them to dollop the chocolate and vanilla cake mixes into the tin alternately.
• When all the mixture has been used up (and if young kids are doing this, you'll need to ensure the base of the tin is fairly evenly covered), tap the bottom on your work surface to ensure that there aren't any air bubbles.
• Take a skewer and swirl it around the mixture in the tin a few times to create a marbled effect.
• Bake the cake for 45-55 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.