How to make "Mikey's Mocha Chocolate Cake"

Reference post:

Birthdays, Fairytales, and Family

<-------------I took that picture with my iphone4. The cake is sitting on a manly pedestal hewn from rugged pine. No, I didn't chop down the tree myself but I coulda or at least i woulda tried if needs be. Once you get out of a narcissistic relationship, you find out that you can always do more than you 'think' you can. 

I thought a wooden cakeplate would give a Paul Bunyan feel to an otherwise dainty dessert. ha! This was such a delicious chocolate cake that I’m breaking tradition and posting a recipe on my blog. You can frost this cake a day in advance, store it in the refrigerator, and wow your guests for dinner the following evening. If you like entertaining, you know how rough it can be preparing the appetizers, main course, and dessert all in single day. So here’s an awesome recipe to keep in your cookbook---in the event you feel like entertaining again. If you are dragging your behind to the computer to figure out what just happened to your life, you may consider baking this cake on grief nights when Kleenex and Xanax are the only guests at your table.

I used an extra-heavy cream for the frosting and whipped it into a frenzy (frenzy is how you feel when the narcissist rips through your life) until the cream has nearly turned into butter. A firm consistency will prevent the frosting from weeping in the refrigerator. The only thing that should be weeping in your kitchen right now is yourself and if you are sobbing uncontrollably, please remember: this too shall pass. 

That's a promise from this veteran retiring from the Dept. of LoveUnrequited, Inc.

I call this recipe Mikey’s Mocha Chocolate Cake in honor of my nephew...the child who changed my life for the better.

Cake Layer Ingrediants

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

½ cup hot water

½ cup granulated sugar

2 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup butter or margarine, softened

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 eggs

2/3 cup milk

Frosting and Filling Ingredients

3 cups heavy cream, chilled and un-whipped

1-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar

½ cup unsweetened cocoa

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons of Starbucks' Via (or any brand of instant coffee)

Fresh strawberries dipped in melted chocolate bark (or melted semisweet chocolate chips)

The Steps

1) In double boiler, combine 4 squares of chocolate and ½ cup hot water. Stir constantly over hot, not boiling water, to melt chocolate. Add ½ cup granulated sugar and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from hot water and cool mixture to lukewarm.

2) Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9” inch round cake pans. Sift flour with soda and salt and set aside.

3) In mixing bowl, beat butter at medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in 1-¼ cups granulated sugar beating until light and fluffy (about five minutes) and then add the vanilla extract.

4) Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. At low speed, add flour mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat JUST long enough to blend! With a spatula, fold in chocolate.

5) Pour batter into pans and bake 25 minutes until center springs back when pressed with finger. Do Not Overbake. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pans and turn onto cooling racks.

6) In medium bowl, mix heavy cream, sugar, cocoa, salt and Starbucks Via (instant coffee). Refrigerate frosting mixture for half an hour. Whip until stiff, the consistency of frosting.

7) Use a long, thin serrated blade and slice cooled cake layers in half creating four separate layers. Place one layer, cut side up on a plate and spread with mocha filling. Repeat twice. Top with last layer cut side down. With a metal spatula, frost top and sides of cake leaving vertical ridges on side of cake. If you have a pastry bag, you can pipe the edges of the cake to create ‘ruching’.

8) Dip washed and ‘dried’ strawberries in melted chocolate and cool on waxed paper. Once the chocolate has set, place fruit on the top of the cake. You can also dip almonds in chocolate and arrange those on the cake instead of fresh fruit. My nephew requested strawberries for his cake and even though I was hesitant, they were delicious! And beautiful!

If anyone actually makes this cake, please leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you! (even if you didn't like the cake but I'll wager a bet that you did!)

Hugs,

CZ