I just love when an idea turns into a cake, don’t you? Just a few hours ago, after being sick most of the day, my husband said he was in the mood for a really moist chocolate cake. After pondering the idea of going to the store for cake mix, or the two of us going out for dessert, I remembered my favorite cake of my childhood. Lucky for my husband (and me, too I guess) I had retrieved the recipe from my mom’s recipe box last time I visited my parents.
I looked at the recipe, knew I had everything I needed to make this cake, and I set to work. As I set to work, I realized the reason we ate this cake so often when I was a kid was because of how easy it comes together with such a high payoff in deliciousness. I know I requested it as my birthday cake at least twice.
This is a cake for any occasion, whether your spouse or partner is sick, it’s somebody’s birthday, you’re having company, or you just want some chocolate cake. The best part is that you go from thinking about the cake to eating cake in just about an hour, start to finish. If that does not reason alone to get baking, I don’t know what is.
Chocolate Dream Cake
-From my mom’s recipe box
Ingredients:
For the cake:
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups of sugar
- 1 cup of water
- 1 stick butter
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used my fancy Penzeys Dutch process, but I assure you Hershey’s or Tollhouse will work fine)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
For the icing:
- 1 stick butter
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, mix the flour and sugar together well (I find it’s easiest to do this with a whisk). In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the water, vegetable oil, butter and cocoa powder to a boil, making sure everything is well combined. Once it starts to boil, remove from heat and pour over the flour and sugar mixture, and mix until smooth and glossy. Then, add the buttermilk, baking soda, salt, vanilla extract, and eggs, mixing until well combined. Pour into a 9″ x 13″ pan, and bake for 30-35 minutes until a cake tester/fork/toothpick comes out clean.
For the icing:
When the cake has about 10 minutes left to finish, in a small saucepan heat the butter, milk, and cocoa powder over medium heat until butter is completely melted and cocoa powder is blended well into the butter and milk. Take off the heat, and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract until combined.
When the cake is finished, with a fork, poke the cake 10-20 times, then pour the hot icing over the cake evenly. Let the cake sit for at least 30 minutes so the icing can fully soak into the top and sides of the cake. I like to eat a piece while it’s still a bit warm.
