Ingredients
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- 4 eggs
- 1 cup butter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 4 ounce package of sweet baking chocolate, chopped
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (see note)
- Fudge Frosting (recipe follows)
- Ganache (recipe follows)
- Chocolate Curls (recipe follows), optional
Directions
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Step 1
- Separate eggs. Let egg yolks, whites, and butter stand at room temperature for 30 min. Grease and flour three 8×1-1-1/2-inch, 9×1-1-1/2-inch round cake pans and two 6×1-1-1/2-inch pans. Set aside.
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Step 2
- Mix flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Heat the chocolate and water in a saucepan on medium heat until it is melted. Stir frequently. Allow to cool.
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Step 3
- Use an electric mixer to beat butter on medium-high speed for 30 seconds in a large bowl. Mix in the granulated sugar and beat until combined. Beat in the egg yolks one at a while, beating well between each addition. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate to the batter. Alternately, add buttermilk and flour mixture to the butter mixture. Beat on low speed until well combined.
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Step 4
- Wash the beaters thoroughly. Beat egg whites in a large bowl until they form stiff peaks (tips should stand straight). To lighten, fold in about one-third of the egg whites. Add the remaining egg whites to the batter. Divide the batter equally between the two 8- or 9-inch cake pans. Spread the remaining batter equally between the two 6-inch pans.
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Step 5
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake layers to cool on wire racks for 10 min. Take out cake layers from the pans. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.
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Step 6
- Make Fudge Frosting. Place one layer of 8- to 9-inch cake on a plate. Top with 3/4 cup Fudge Frosting. Add another layer of 8- to 9-inch cake. Top with 3/4 cup frosting. Finish by topping with the remaining 8- to 9-inch cake layer. Spread the frosting on top and sides of the cake using about 1-1/2 cups.
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Step 7
- Place one 6-inch cake layer at the center of the stacked cakes. Top with 1/2 cup frosting. Finish by topping with the remaining 6-inch layer of cake. Frost the top and sides with any remaining frosting
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Step 8
- Make the Ganache. Spread the Ganache on top of the cake and let it drip down the sides. If you wish, garnish with chocolate curls. This recipe makes 20 servings.
Tips
Sour milk: Place one tablespoon of vinegar or lemon Juice in a 1-cup glass measuring cup. You will need to add enough milk to make 1 cup of total liquid. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before you use it. Chocolate Curls: Combine 2 ounces of white baking chocolate with 2 ounces of semisweet and bittersweet chocolate. In a small, flexible container, gently stir the chocolates together. Allow the chocolate to set completely. Take out the chocolate from its container. To remove the chocolate curls, use a vegetable peeler. Cool the pan after removing one of your 8- or 9 inch cakes. The pan should be washed and dried. As per step 1, prepare the pan. Bake the chilled batter in the pan as instructed in step 1. Bake as directed. Divide the batter equally among the cake pans. Stack cakes as directed.
Nutrition Facts (Anniversary Chocolate cake)
Serving Size: 594 Calories; Total Fat 27g, Saturated Fat 16g; Cholesterol 100mg.Sodium 283mg. Carbohydrates 89g. Fiber 3g. Sugar 73g. Protein 5g. Vitamin A 680IU. Vitamin c 0mg. Calcium 40mg. Iron 2mg.
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
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- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- 6 1 ounces squares of bittersweet chocolate
- 6 1 ounces squares of semisweet chocolate
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Directions
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- Bring heavy cream to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Stir in bittersweet and semisweet chocolates until well combined. Add vanilla. Cover and let cool for 30 minutes.
Note:
- Reduce cream to 1/2 cup if you are only making drizzling cakes. Also, chocolate should be reduced to 2 ounces of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. This will allow for 2 tablespoons per cake.
Fudge Frosting
Ingredients
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- 2 pounds powdered sugar (about 8 cups)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup softened butter
- ⅔ cup boiling water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions
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- Combine powdered sugar with unsweetened cocoa. Add the softened butter, boiling water, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix for 1 minute at medium speed. Allow mixture to cool for 10-20 minutes or until it reaches a spreadable consistency. If the frosting is too thick, you can add boiling water 1 tablespoon at a. until the frosting becomes spreadable. This makes approximately 4-1/2 cups.