Chocolate Cake Emergency

I had a chocolate cake emergency.

My go-to dessert after a stressful day is chocolate cake with chocolate butter cream frosting. 

 Bekah and I went to La'Madeleine for Sacher Torte on the day of the emergency.

It was good in a pinch, but I decided I needed an easy chocolate cake recipe in the event of another crisis. 

I didn't need a big cake because we won't eat it all.

I just needed a wee bit of chocolate cake.
I like a cocoa cake rather than an unsweetened baking chocolate cake.  

I decided to try cutting the recipe on the back of the Hershey's cocoa box in half.
I made a few changes to make it mine. 

A Wee Bit of Cake
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease one 9 inch cake pan.

1 cup sugar

7/8 cup flour
3/8 cup cocoa

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/4 cup half and half

3/4 cup boiling water

1/4 cup melted salted sweet cream butter

1tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together and pour into a greased and cocoa dusted cake pan. I like this pan with the thing that swings around under the cake so the cake will come out of the pan.  

I dusted it with cocoa because it doesn't leave white flour all over the bottom of the baked cake.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

2 tbsp. salted sweet cream butter
 (never, ever, ever use margarine)

1/3 cup Hersey's cocoa

2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup half and half and water mixed.

Beat together in a mixing bowl.

If the frosting is too runny, add more powdered sugar.

If the mixture is too dry, add more half and half.

Making your own butter cream frosting is easy and it's much better than the stuff that comes in a tub. 
Even if you use a box cake mix, it's easy to make a homemade frosting. 

This cake is easy, delicious and the perfect stress reliever.

It is dense and has a deep, rich chocolate flavor.
Quite a few chocolate cakes are buttermilk cakes and this one is not. 
You can't make a spur of the moment cake if you have to run out for buttermilk!  
I rarely have milk in the house so that's why I use half and half for almost everything. 

I ate the piece after I photographed it and I was in  chocolate heaven.

I cut the rest of the pieces and put them on a cookie sheet and set them in the deep freeze.

Once they were frozen, I wrapped them in wax paper and put them in a Ziplock baggie. 

Next time I have a chocolate cake emergency, I can pull out a piece, let it thaw and find restoration.

You are probably wondering what could cause such an emergency?

Edinburg, Tx. and a heart attack.
Bill has been whisked away by an investor to work on a project near the border of Texas and Mexico. 
He has never had a job involving travel, which is exciting for him, but a change for me. It's just my adult son and I at home. We are blessed that his travel is paid for and he will be home every weekend and sometimes during the week for meetings.
This happened quickly so it was a bit of an abrupt change.
During his first few days away, my sister in law had a heart attack. 
We are grateful that she is fine, but it was a little more stress than I could deal with.
Chocolate cake was needed! 

Let me know if you give this cake a try!
What do you like to eat when you are stressed?
Katie  
Linking with,
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia  
Coastal Charm   
Savvy Southern Style   
French Country Cottage

Salad Dressing in a Cake

This weekend we are celebrating my sister-in- law’s birthday out at her lake house.

I am charged with bringing her favorite cake.

Slightly off topic but bear with me, 

 I will confess every once in a while I eat Spaghetti -o's. It is one of those foods that brings me back to my childhood. It makes no sense and I am ashamed to admit it, but every once in a while I just need a spoonful of my childhood. 

I say this because when I got the recipe for this cake I thought that a little of this might be in play here.

The cake is called Salad Dressing Cake and 

it has Miracle Whip in it. I have had this cake at family gatherings before, but I had no idea it had a secret ingredient.

I received the recipe this morning and immediately started doing research. 

Miracle Whip came into production in 1933 and was introduced at the Chicago World's Fair. In a short 22 weeks of advertising it overtook sales of other mayonnaise brands and dressings. The whipping process was a major innovation.

It's success could be due to the economic times of the thirties. It was cheaper than mayonnaise but had the same texture. 

Mayonnaise was a popular substitution in baking during WWII because of egg rationing. I guess if your family was a Miracle Whip family, your grandma used that instead.

I read a blog this morning about Salad Dressing cakes.

The blogger reasoned that eggs, oil and vinegar are present in both Miracle Whip and in a cake. I agree. An oil and egg substitute is a great idea, until I read the label on my jar of salad dressing. I usually don't put dry mustard, paprika and garlic in my cakes! But Miracle Whip does have that tangy zip and a tang is evident in many buttermilk cakes.

 I am skeptical and think that the love for this cake is partially food memory driven.  

We will see.

It is not about me, so I am 

baking the cake for my dear Sis-in-law.

Here is the recipe.

Salad Dressing Cake

2 C. flour
1 C. sugar
1 1/2 teas. baking soda
1 1/2 teas. baking powder
4 Tab. cocoa

Mix above dry ingredients, then add:

1 C. cold water,
1 C. miracle whip (not light)
2 teas. vanilla

Mix well. Bake 20-25 min. at 350.


Fudge Icing

2 C. sugar
1/2 C. milk
1 stick butter
1 Tab. Karo
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted

This cake was easy to put together. 

The ingredients are also readily on hand. The 25 minute baking time is a bonus.
The cake came out perfectly.

The fudge icing needs to be poured on the cake immediately. 
Other wise it will harden and look a little imperfect. (Just like mine)

 Here are a couple of tips.

I found out after the cake came out successfully that the frosting can be somewhat of a bear. I'm sure it has something to do with melting the sugar. 
Don't turn on the burner until you have all the ingredients in the sauce pan. Stir the mixture constantly until it reaches that soft boil stage. I kept the cold water next to me and checked the fudge frequently.

To me this cake was best after sitting for a day. 
It was moist and rich. 
So, food memory driven or not it was a yummy cake!
It made a perfect breakfast the next morning.
 ;)
If you can't get past the idea that your cake has the tangy zip of Miracle Whip, try this icing on your favorite cake. It is amazing!

Katie 
P.S. This is a preview of the kitchen at the lake I always talk about.
Amy my Sis-in-Law has been collecting the cutest stuff for it.
Happy Birthday, Amy!!
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 
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