Amy and Laura's Chocolate Cake

Ok, I’ve never met neither Amy or Laurie, but I want to!  So glad I stumbled across this recipe. Do I have any dark rich chocolate lovers out there?  Well then, this is YOUR recipe! Don’t give me those light airy moist chocolate cakes.  You know, the ones you can easily get out of a box, with some minor alterations.   I want it dense!  And I want it rich!  Add in Indonesian/rum  VanillaPura extract to accentuate that deep rich vanilla flavor. It’s the perfect companion to this dark chocolate confection.

 This is the black tie dessert you need to keep in your back pocket for those special events, like Valentine’s Day! Or for that chocolate lover’s special birthday.  It can be made ahead. So, if your super busy with that special event, just make it ahead and frost the day of.  I must say that serving it with vanilla bean ice cream is a match made in heaven!  If you want to make it from scratch, check out another great recipe in the blog ( No churn vanilla ice cream).

INGREDIENTS

FOR CAKE:

• 1 3/4 cups boiling water
• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate coarsely chopped, OR chocolate chips (for a double recipe, use 15 oz. chocolate chips, which equals 2 1/2 cups.)
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder*
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 10 oz 2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp. Indonesian\rum Vanillapura extract

FOR FROSTING:

• 1 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (For really dark frosting use part Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa, about 4 tablespoons
• 2 teaspoons Indonesian\rum Vanillapura extract
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two 9-inch round cake pans with circles of wax paper or baking parchment.
3. Pour the boiling water over the chocolate chips.
4. Add cocoa and stir until mixture is smooth.
5. Set aside to cool.
6. Cream the butter and brown sugar.
7. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
8. Beat in vanilla.
9. Add the dry ingredients and half of the chocolate mixture.
10. Beat on low to combine, then on high for 1 1/2 minutes.
11. Add the remaining chocolate mixture and beat on low until mixed.
12. Pour batter into pans and bake 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out completely clean.
13. Cool for 10-15 minutes; remove from pans.
14. Wrap in double layers of plastic wrap while still warm and freeze.
15. Double recipe makes two 10" layers plus two 8" layers or four 9" layers.
16. Never fill pans more than 2/3 full.

FROSTING DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream butter with electric mixer.
2. Whisk together sugar and cocoa.
3. Beat one-third of the sugar/cocoa mixture into the butter. Mix in vanilla.
4. Add the rest of the sugar/cocoa mixture alternately with milk and beat until frosting is smooth.
5. When cake is frozen solid, frost between the two layers and spread a thin layer over the whole cake.
6. Freeze again for about 20 minutes.
7. Frost again.
8. Repeat if desired. (Frost the last time on the day you plan to serve the cake and let it stand at room temperature to thaw.)

Thanks to A Bountiful Kitchen for sharing Laura and Amy’s yummy chocolate cake recipe.