Super Chocolate Fudge Birthday Cake

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For my first born’s 14th birthday, a super fudge chocolate cake was requested.  I decided to try a cake made with vinegar.  Vinegar is one of the secret ingredients in Red Velvet cake. It is also used in vegan baking because vinegar reacts with baking soda creating carbon dioxide which causes cakes and cookies to rise.

I can’t say this cake was super tall, but it delivered on super fudge as I layered the cake with milk chocolate ganache and then topped the whole cake off with a fudge frosting. The result was a very rich, moist cake. Since the chocolate, sugar and butter are all melted together, the batter is very loose and pours like a liquid.

For the cake:

2 cups sugar

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate

1 stick of butter (1/4 lb)
2 cups cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
(At high altitude you need to decrease leavening by 1/3 otherwise the cake gets dry and tough)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees( 350 degrees at high altitude). In a sauce pan melt together the chocolate, sugar and butter and stir well. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients. Pour the milk into a measuring cup and add vinegar and eggs and beat together so the eggs break up.

Once the chocolate is cool to the touch whisk it  in the milk mixture.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth.  Now slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry stir well and slowly until the batter is smooth.

Add the vanilla and stir again.  Pour into 2 prepared 9-inch round cake pans. Bake until firm and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center – about 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool entirely before removing from the pan and frosting.

Milk Chocolate Ganache

1 cup heavy cream, heat to almost boiling
9 ounces milk chocolate chips

Pour the heated heavy cream over the chips and stir until all smooth.

 

Super Easy, Very Kid Friendly, Fudge Frosting

1 lb. powdered sugar, about  3 3/4 cups
1/4 tsp. salt
4 ounces butter, softtened
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

Place the powdered sugar and butter into the bowl of a food processor and process until combined. With the machine running, pour in the milk and vanilla and blend until smooth then add the melted chocolate. Use immediately.

 

To Assemble: Using a serrated knife, slice each cooled cake in half.  You will have a total of four layers.

Place the first layer on a platter and pour some of the ganache on top. With a flat spatula or knife spread it to about 1/8 inch from the edges. Now add next 2 layers and repeat. Add the top, and it should be a smooth top piece from one of the 2 original cakes so that there are no crumbs present.

Spread the fudge frosting across the top and down and around the sides. For best results, allow this cake to sit together from a couple of hours so that the ganache permeates the cake.

Off to have a piece with vanilla ice cream right now!

One Response to Super Chocolate Fudge Birthday Cake

  1. Frank Foodie May 11, 2011 at 8:14 pm #

    I am not a fan of cake unless it is super rich and creamy and this looks great. I can't wait to try it this weekend and celebrate chocolate cake being delicious.

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