Saturday, January 21, 2012

Chocolate Cake with Cocoa Whipped Cream Frosting

Chocolate Cake with Cocoa Whipped Cream Frosting

Believe it or not, I don't get invited to very many friends' houses to have dinner.  Really.  It's true.  I don't know if it's Iowa culture not to have people over for dinner, or if my kids are more offensive that I perceive them to be, but in the last year, I can count on one hand how many times we've been asked over for dinner.  That might be obnoxious to put in writing on my blog, and I know if any of my friends read this, I'm either going to get grief, or some invitations to dinner, but it's the truth.  Yeah, go ahead and tell me that I "intimidate you" with my cooking.  Whatever.  If you had invited me over, I would have brought this.  As a matter of fact, Elaine has invited us over, and I made this fantabulous chocolate cake for the occasion.  So there.  I also made some outstanding banana cream puffs for Karen because she had us over for dinner too.  Come to think of it, Karen is from New York, and I need to have the Kennedys over because they've had us over twice...and we went.  And Karen's food was delicious.


At any rate, this is just chocolate cake with a simple cocoa whipped cream.  It's a deceptively light chocolatey creamy way to enjoy some yummy chocolate cake.   

I'm still working on my food photography here, so I expect this pic to change.  Maybe even several times today.  I just can't seem to get it right.  Actually, the day I made this cake, I also got a message from a Facebook friend who inadvertently got me started food blogging.  Anyway, she needed me to make some cupcakes for her photographer friend to shoot.  I ended up meeting this guy who gave me some great tips on food photography.  Sorry, though, Richard, I'm a slow learner.  At least this pic is an improvement upon the pic I took of the piece that fell in the snow last night when I was trying to make use of what little light was left at 5:00.  I will be going out to get a tripod and sheer fabric later this week.  My "part-time" job and family duties are constantly getting in the way of my food blogging.  
*Update on the photo: the top photo here actually made it onto foodgawker.com.  Go figure.

Chocolate Cake with Cocoa Whipped Cream Frosting
  • 1 cup Ghirardelli Sweet Ground Chocolate and Cocoa (or use 1/2 cup ground unsweetened cocoa powder and increase the total amount of sugar below to 1 1/4 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons King Arthur Flour Cake Enhancer (optional)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup butter, softened (that's 10 2/3 tablespoons)
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Cocoa Whipped Cream (recipe below)
Cake Instructions
: 
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  
Prepare two 8" x 1 1/2" round cake pans by spraying with non-stick cooking spray and then lining with parchment or wax paper circles.  
Into a mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment (or in a large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer), sift flour with ground chocolate, cake enhancer, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. 
Add butter and 3/4 cup buttermilk. Beat on low speed to combine ingredients. Scrape sides of bowl and then beat on low-medium speed for 2 minutes. 
Add 1/4 cup buttermilk, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat additional 2 minutes.  
Spread batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350ºF for 30 to 35 minutes. 
Cool on racks for 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pans.

When cakes are cool, cut each one in half so you have four cake layers.  Place one layer on a serving plate and spread with about 3/4 cup cocoa whipped cream.  Repeat with other layers, and then frost the top and sides.  Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles or shaved chocolate, if desired.
Cocoa Whipped Cream Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot tap water
  • 3 cups cold heavy whipping cream
Cocoa Whipped Cream Instructions: In mixer bowl with a wire whisk attachment (or in a tall mixing bowl, if you're using a hand mixer), mix cocoa, sugar & hot water, mixing to form a paste.  Allow to cool before adding cream.  Add cream and start mixing on low to incorporate cream into cocoa paste.  Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl.  Mix on high until stiff peaks form.

Whole Chocolate Cake with Cocoa Whipped Cream Frosting

18 comments:

  1. Your picture is great, shoot, it has me desperately wanting chocolate cake! Will you come over for dinner, and can I request that you bring me this cake?

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  2. Thanks, Julia! I think we're free this Friday evening. :)

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  3. You are a really great piper! I am looking at all the delicious things you've made and each of them has such a beautiful piping job. Did you take classes or go to culinary school? Gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks, Michelle! I think I took a piping class when I was like 11. Other than that, I just sort of do whatever. I don't take and post pics of the things that turn out ugly, so what you see here probably isn't an accurate depiction of my skills. :)

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  4. I can't seem to get mine to become whipped enou :( still liquidy. Using a hand mixer

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    Replies
    1. Hmmm... Maybe your whipped cream needs to be colder. Did you allow the cocoa & sugar mixture to cool completely before adding the cream? Maybe try the chilled bowl & chilled beaters trick. Bummer. Let me know if you try it again.

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  5. Thanks for this post!! Lovely! i want to try this recipe but want to use coloured icing, will this be okay with the cream.

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    Replies
    1. Cathy,
      If you want colored whipped cream icing, you might want to try the stabilized whipped cream frosting recipe here on this blog. It's one of the top recipes pictured at the right.

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  6. I noticed hr you have powered cocoa and on your cupcakes you have unsweetened coca powder. Is there a difference? TY

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    Replies
    1. There is no difference between cocoa powder, powdered cocoa,and unsweetened cocoa powder. I guess I change my language here and there. Sorry for the confusion.

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  7. Have you tried the stabilizer in this cocoa whipped cream yet? I would like to make this for Thanksgiving and I have about a 20 min drive. Oh and thank you for the cocoa response. Happy Holidays!! :)

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  8. Oh and if I can use the gelatin in this frosting, how much should I use? I love to cook but a baker, not so much.But this looks amazing and I must try it!! I am going to and raspberry preserve in the middle and fresh raspberries on top! Wish me luck!!! LOL..

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    Replies
    1. I've always wanted to try the gelatin in this cocoa whipped cream, but never have. My first instinct was to say triple the gelatin & water (and tablespoons of cream that you heat) amounts and do it with the cocoa whipped cream, but the cocoa does have a stabilizing effect already, at least somewhat, so I might just double the gelatin & water (& tablespoons of cream), and I think that would do the trick. I really need to try it for Thanksgiving when I make cocoa whipped cream cupcakes.

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    2. Oh, and if you try it, please let me know how it goes! Thanks!

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    3. Hello Food Pusher, just wanted to let you know my whipped cream came out perfect. This is what I did.. I added 3 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin and 12 teaspoons of water. I did not use as much cocoa or sugar as your recipe called for only because I was not sure if the cocoa would stabilize it to much and I didn't want it to sweet. I think next time I will add a little more sugar. Oh and I also add raspberry jam in the middle. Thank You for your great recipe!!!!

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    4. Thanks for letting me know. I think I might try that next time with my cocoa whipped cream because last time I made it, it sort of drooped on me, kind of like my mood that day. :/

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  9. Food pusher you are welcome to my house for dinner any day, I'm in Sydney so it might be brekky as well lol!! I have just come across your blog and recipes after searching for stabilized whipped cream and LOVE it.... Thank you for recording and sharing xx Nicole

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    Replies
    1. Well, next time I'm in Sydney, I'll bring a cake and look you up, Anonymous. :) And you are welcome for the recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

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