Chocolate Snack Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour*
1 cup sugar

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon white or cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
1 cup cold water
Ice cream or whipped cream, if desired

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease bottom and side of 9-inch round pan or 8-inch square pan with shortening; lightly flour.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir oil, vinegar and vanilla until well mixed. Vigorously stir oil mixture and oil into flour mixture about 1 minute or until well blended. Immediately pour into pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Serve warm or cool with ice cream.

*Do not use self-rising flour.

Hershey Cream De Cacoa

I made this for the 4th of July. My first attempt at making a 4 layer cake. It didn't turn bad a little lopsided but it tasted wonderful.

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1-1/3 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons creme de cacao (chocolate-flavored liqueur)(optional)
• CREME DE CACAO FILLING (recipe follows)
• CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE (recipe follows)

Directions

1. 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
   
   
2. 2 Beat butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in large bowl until blended. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; add to butter mixture alternately with milk, blending just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
   
   
3. 3 Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Sprinkle each layer with 1 tablespoon creme de cacao; cool completely.
   
   
4. 4 Meanwhile, prepare CREME DE CACAO FILLING. Split each cake layer horizontally into 2 layers. Place one layer on serving plate; spread with one-third of FILLING. Repeat layering with remaining cake and FILLING, ending with cake layer. Cover tightly; refrigerate at least 8 hours.
   
   
5. 5 Prepare CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE; spoon on top of chilled cake, allowing glaze to drizzle down side of cake. Refrigerate. 10 to 12 servings.
   
   CREME DE CACAO FILLING: Beat 1 cup (1/2 pt.) cold whipping cream, 2 tablespoons creme de cacao (optional) and 1 tablespoon HERSHEY'S Cocoa in small bowl until stiff. Cover; refrigerate. About 2 cups.
   
   CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE
   1 HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Bar (7 oz.), broken
   into pieces
   1/4 cup whipping cream
   1 tablespoon butter
   1-1/2 teaspoons creme de cacao (chocolate-flavored liqueur) or
   water
   
   Combine chocolate bar pieces, whipping cream and butter in medium saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in creme de cacao. Cool to lukewarm (glaze will be slightly thickened). About 1 cup.

Thunder Cake

Thunder Cake!
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream together one at a time:
1 cup shortening
1 3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs, separated
( blend yolks in. Beat whites until they are stiff, then fold in.)

1 cup cold water
1/3 cup pureed tomatoes
Sift together:
21/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup dry cocoa
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Mix dry mixture into creamy mixture. Bake in two greased and floured 8
1/2 inch pans at 350 degree for 35 to 40 minutes. I do recommend checking at the 15 mark, if over cook it does become dry.

Quick Chocolate ButterCream Frosting From William Sonoma

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 6 cups confectioners' sugar
• 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 6 Tbs. milk, plus more, if needed
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Put the chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler set over but not touching simmering water in the bottom pan. Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, the 6 Tbs. milk, the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, then reduce the speed to low. Add the chocolate and beat until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 1 minute more.

If the frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 tsp. at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks. Makes about 4 1/2 cups.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen

ENJOY!!! It is a Russia cake recipe.