Aster and I Bake a Cake (Moist Chocolate Cake!)

By Kevin Williams

Yummmm.. the recipe in Gloria's  column this week is "Daniel-ized moist chocolate cake with double mocha frosting."   How did that factor into my weekend? So, Rachel was at work all day Saturday, which meant Aster and I got to hang out all day long.   What to do?  Well, we ran some errands, we played, we went to the park, we took a nap and with time to spare before her mommy got home,   I thought she and I would bake a cake, specifically the one from The Amish Cook column this week.  Granted at just shy of 16 months old she can't really help, but she likes to watch me crack eggs open and take a whiff of the vanilla as I add a splash.  The countertops are too high for her to see (and I can actually do most of the cake prep one-handed, her in my left arm, me doing the rest with my right) so when everything was in the bowl I thought we'd get down on the floor and I'd stir down there so she could see.  She seemed quite mesmerized so I got bold and handed her a wooden spoon, which she promptly whacked down into the batter, splashing it it up all over the kitchen cabinets.  Bad idea.  I also didn't want her to stick the spoon in her mouth (since there were raw eggs in the batter) which was probably her next move.  So  I cleaned up the mess and moved the stirring back up to the countertop.

Moist Chocolate Cake with Double Mocha Frosting is a delicious dessert with a nice coffee flavor. Very moist cake!

Rachel and I don't drink coffee, my caffeine delivery vehicle of choice is Coke.  And the recipe called for a cup of hot coffee.  Well, where can you get hot coffee?  McDonald's of course.  So Aster and I swung by McDonald's to get a hot cup and that would be a key ingredient in the batter.   The frosting also calls for "granules" of instant coffee.  Of course Rachel and I have none of that in the house either. So we picked up some cheap instant coffee which found its way into the frosting.  

Gloria's husband really likes mocha.  So she had called me and told me to bump up the amount of instant coffee in the frosting from 1 1 /2 teaspoons to 2 ½ teaspoons.  But  I did one better.  I realized this morning in reviewing the recipe that I added 2 ½ tablespoons of instant coffee!  So, the end result is a cake that really packed some punch.  Rachel said she had trouble sleeping Saturday night, the caffeine-packed punch of the frosting might have done it!  So my advice on the frosting is: be flexible.  If you like your frosting packed with coffee taste, you can go as high as 2 1 /2 tablespoons or choose the Gloria sanctioned 2 1 /2 teaspoons.

Oh, and if you're wondering:  I briefly did think about substituting coffee for Coke.  It did cross my mind.  That's not a totally crazy idea, there are some good cake recipes out there that call for soda as an ingredient, maybe I'll try that next time!:)  I think the mocha taste in the cake part is not really not overpowering,  but it is very moist. So if you want just a good chocolate cake recipe, this is it!

And while I didn't get a picture of Aster and I baking the cake, this is her taking her first bike "ride" this weekend.  Okay, she's not really pedaling, Rachel is pushing her along, but she still had fun! Where is time going?

5.0 from 1 reviews

Gloria's Moist Chocolate Cake With Double Mocha Frosting

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Serves: 20 pieces

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons soda
• 3 /4 cups cocoa
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup hot coffee
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• DOUBLE MOCHA FROSTING
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• 1 /3 cups cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 /3 cup milk
• 1 1 /2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 ½ teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 3 1 /2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

1. CAKE:
2. Mix dry ingredients.
3. Add remaining ingredients.
4. Beat well.
5. Pour into a greased 9 X13 cake pan.
6. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes.
7. When cooled spread frosting on top.
8. Yield: 20 pieces
9. FROSTING:
10. Combine melted butter, cocoa, salt and coffee.
11. Then add milk, vanilla and powdered sugar.
12. Beat well.

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