Special Occasion Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, combine cocoa and water; set aside to cool completely. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with cocoa mixture, beating well after each addition. , Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For ganache, place chocolate in a bowl. In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, bring cream and sugar to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk gently until smooth. Allow to cool until it reaches a spreadable consistency, stirring occasionally., For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla; beat until smooth., Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate; spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with second layer and 1 cup ganache; sprinkle with 1/2 cup almonds. Top with third layer; frost top and sides of cake. Warm ganache until pourable; pour over cake, allowing some to drape down the sides. Sprinkle with remaining almonds. Refrigerate until serving.

Steps:

• Grease and lightly flour a large Bundt pan or alternatively use a vegetable release spray.
• Place the rack at the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F.
• Melt, do not boil, butter, sugar, chocolate, and coffee in a medium-sized saucepan with the hot water, until the sugar is dissolved. Cool completely and pour into a large mixing bowl.
• Set the mixer on slow to medium speed.
• Sift together the combined flours and cocoa. In a separate bowl, combine the beaten eggs, vanilla, and coffee-flavored liqueur.
• Add the flour mixture alternately with egg mixture to the basic chocolate mixture. This is a thin mixture do not over beat. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and place into the preset oven.
• Bake for 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees F.
• Check with a skewer to be sure the cake is cooked through.
• Cool the cake for 20 minutes before removing it from the pan.
• Barely melt the chocolate in a double boiler over gentle heat. Remove from the heat source and pour into a large mixing bowl then cool for five minutes. Add the butter, cream, vanilla, coffee-flavored liqueur, and mix on medium speed until the mixture thickens. Finally add the confectioners' sugar in small batches until the mixture holds a medium peak. If the kitchen temperature is warm, and the icing is not of spreading consistency place the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes, then recommence mixing. Slather the icing over the cake with an offset palette knife.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Butter and flour an 8 inch round cake pan, then the bottom with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs one at a time.
• Mix in the syrup and vanilla.
• Add the flour and mix until JUST combined (overbeating with make the cake too tough).
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until just set in the middle.
• Let cool thoroughly in the pan.
• For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
• Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides.
• You can tilt the rack to smooth the glaze.
• Do not refrigerate.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt.
• Add oil, milk, vanilla, coffee, and eggs; beat well. Batter will be thin. Pour into two 9 inch greased and floured round pans.
• Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes, or when top springs back when done. Cool layers on wire racks.