Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope that you will be spending your day surrounded by love, the love of family, friends, your animals and your significant other. 

There is still time to whip up a sweet treat for your loved one, or even to celebrate yourself! This moist chocolate cake, with fudge filling and white buttercream frosting is easy and delicious. 

As for decorating the tops of your cakes or cupcakes, it doesn't get any easier than some cookie cutters and colored sugar.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy something sweet to celebrate.

If you would like to make this cake the recipe is HERE.

Note: This post contains affiliate links.

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Stone Gable

Chocolate Cherry Filled Cake with Chocolate Covered Cherries

In my family we love chocolate cake with lots of creamy chocolate frosting. Once in a blue moon we with get crazy and use white buttercream and sometimes we even add a little raspberry filling. This year since I have a plethora of cherries I decided to make my version of black forest cake. Don't worry it is not complicated at all, the hardest part is making the cherry filling.

Depending upon the tartness of your cherries I would adjust the amount of sugar added. I really did not need much sugar as my cherries were sweet. I like to use either chocolate buttercream frosting or my favorite Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Frosting when I make this cake but you can use whatever kind of frosting that you like. 

Cake
Recipe from Rumbly in my Tumble

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups  Unsweetened Cocoa

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk 

1/2 cup melted butter,

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup of hot coffee

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour 2  9" cake pans, or grease and line with parchment paper circles. 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the flour, sugar,  cocoa baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.  Add the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk, and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and and then stir the hot coffee into the batter by hand.  The batter will be runny.  It’s supposed to be.

Pour into your cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few bits of cake stuck to it. For 9 inch pans, that should be anywhere from 20-30 minutes.  Start checking around 15 minutes. If you make in a different size than you will have a different baking time. 

When you remove each cake from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan, and carefully tip the pan over on a cooling rack. If you used parchment paper on the bottom remove it. Let cakes cool completely before frosting. 

 Cherry Filling

1/8 cup granulated sugar

2/12 tablespoons of cornstarch

3 cups of cherries, frozen (pitted)

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon almond extract

In a small saucepan stir the sugar and the cornstarch together, then add the cherries and mix. Place over low-medium heat to melt the cherries. If using fresh cherries I add a couple tablespoons of water to make a little syrup. Continue to cook for about 4 minutes until there is a thick syrup and the mixture comes to a boil. Do not leave unattended or the mixture will burn. Remove from heat and add the butter and the almond extract and mix well. Set aside to cool.



HERSHEY'S Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, melted
2/3 cup of Hershey's cocoa powder
1/3 cup of milk
2 1/2  cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp of vanilla

Melt butter in large bowl, whisk or use electric hand held mixer to blend in 
cocoa Add one cup of powdered sugar, and a little milk, alternating between the two until both are used up and the frosting is creamy. Add vanilla and blend. Then use to frost the top and sides of the cake.

To assemble cake, cut one layer in half horizontally then place one layer on a plate and add 1/3 of the cherry filling to the center.  spread around. Then top with the next layer of cake add 1/3 filling to the top, add the next layer, top with filling and then add the final layer. 
Do not top with the filling( you should not have any left). Frost the entire cake with the Hershey's chocolate frosting. 

Note: You can add frosting to the layers and then add the cherry filling if you would like.  You may have some frosting left depending upon how much frosting you like on your cake. I personally like it thick. 

For Garnish:

Fresh Cherries
Ghirardelli Chocolate Melting Wafers 

Follow the directions on the melting wafers and dip in the cherries. Let cool/set and then garnish cake.

Enjoy!


Notes:

1. For this post I made two cakes, unfortunately we ate the 3 layer cake before I could take photos. So this photo is of a two layer cake.

2. This post contains affiliate links.



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Savvy Southern Style

Chocolate Cake with Fudge Filling and Hershey's Chocolate Frosting for Valentines Day

Valentine's day and chocolate go hand in hand and I cannot think of a more special treat than one that you bake or make yourself. This scrumptious, moist, fudgy cake is perfect filled with fudge or a berry filling, and then frosted in my all time favorite Hershey's frosting. Of course you can frost with it buttercream as well, or any of your favorites frosting's. 

Cake
Recipe from Rumbly in my Tumble

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk 

1/2 cup melted butter,

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 cup of hot coffee

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour your 2 9" cake pans, or grease and line with parchment paper circles. 

In your mixer, add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.  Add the eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk, and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir the hot coffee into the batter by hand.  The batter will be runny.  It’s supposed to be.

Pour into your cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean with just a few bits of cake stuck to it.  For my 3 layers in 7 inch pans, that was about 15 minutes.  For 9 inch pans, that should be anywhere from 20-30 minutes.  Start checking around 15 minutes.

When you remove each cake from the oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan, and carefully tip the pan over on a cooling rack. If you used parchment on the bottom you can remove it. Let cakes cool completely before frosting. 

Assemble with fudge frosting in between layers and then frost with Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Frosting. 

Fudge Filling/Frosting

1 cup of sugar

1/3 cup milk

5 tablespoons butter

1 cup Ghirardelli chocolate baking chips

Put first three ingredients in a saucepan on low, let the sugar dissolve and then bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. With a wire whick mix until creamy and cooled. 

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, melted
2/3 cup of Hershey's cocoa powder
1/3 cup of milk
3 cups of powdered sugar
1 tsp of vanilla

Melt butter in large bowl, whisk or use electric hand held mixer to blend in cocoa. Add one cup of powdered sugar, and a little milk, alternating between the two until both are used up and the frosting is creamy. Add vanilla and blend. Then use to frost the top and sides of the cake.  Garnish with Brach's cherry Hearts or your choice of candy if desired. 



I hope you try this cake or one of my 25 Favorite Chocolate Desserts for your Valentine or just for yourself!

Have a great day!


Between Naps on The Porch
Wow Us Wednesday
A Stroll Thru Life
Stone Gable The Scoup

Magleby's "Copycat" Chocolate Cake aka The Best Chocolate Cake Ever

Chocolate cake is one of my favorite desserts, especially if it has lots of creamy frosting and the cake is fudgy and moist. For the most part I go back again and again to this cake which is the Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Frosting, the cake of my childhood, but occasionally I venture off to try something new. 

Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Frosting

When I saw this Magleby's Cake, aka, THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER, I thought I would try it out to see if it measured up to that label and boy did it ever. 

This cake is thick, fudge, and moist, like a cross between and brownie and cake and frosting is creamy and rich. I think you will enjoy this cake as a change from your favorite.  

Magleby's Copycat Chocolate Cake aka The Best Cake Ever

Recipe from 

The Food Charlatan and Baked in Arizona

Ingredients

1 cup salted butter

1 cup water 

1/2 cup cocoa powder 

 1 cup white sugar 

2 cups flour, sifted 

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 1 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325. Prepare 2 8"inch round pans or 3 6" pans with cooking spray and parchment lined in the bottom. 

In a medium saucepan combine melt the butter, then add the cocoa and water and mix whack until combined. Bring to a boil over medium heat, once boiling heat for 30 seconds more and then turn off heat and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl combine the flour, white sugar and 3/4 tsp. of salt. Then add the cooled chocolate mixture. Stir until combined and smooth.

In a small bowl combine eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and mix until smooth. The mixture will foam, that is OK. Stir in the brown sugar and the vanilla and mix until smooth. 

Pour the egg mixture into the chocolate batter mixture and gently stir until combined. Fold in the sour cream, do not over mix the batter. 

Pour the batter into prepared pans, gently drop onto the counter to release any air bubbled. Bake for 34-40 minutes, rotating the pans half-way through the baking time. 

Check to see if done with a toothpick, when it comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it, the cake is done. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes then invert onto rack and cool completely. Do not frost a warm cake. 

Frosting


1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
5 1/4 cups powder sugar 
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup heavy cream

In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter until soft and creamy, then ad the cocoa and powdered sugar in increments adding a little cream in-between each addition. Beat until fluffy then add salt and vanilla. Frost cakes and enjoy. 

I hope that you try it because it is delicious and dare I say it might be my new favorite cake!

Famous Brick Street Cake

A few months ago I started seeing Famous Brick Street Cake all over Pinterest and although it looked fabulous the recipes stated that it could only be made in a convection oven, which I do not have. So I pinned it away for a later day when I did. Then I noticed that there were new pins stating that you could indeed make in in a regular oven. Boy am I glad that someone figured that out!

Similar White Cake Stand and Cake Server

This cake is so good that I can see why it is famous. It is a thick, dense, moist cake with a deep rich chocolate flavor and the fudge-like frosting that just adds another dimension to the goodness. I apologize for the photos, it has been ugly and raining so I cannot take good photos. You will have to trust me that this cake is delicious and good looking.

Brick Street Cake

Recipe from Through Her Looking Glass

Cake

2 cups of sugar

1 cup of butter softened,

11/2 teaspoons Nielsen Massey pure vanilla extract

3 large eggs

21/2 cups cake flour

1 cup  unsweetened cocoa, sifted

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup instant chocolate pudding mix(small box)

1 cup Ghirardelli 60% Chocolate Baking Chips

2/12 cups buttermilk

Frosting

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon Nielsen Massey pure vanilla extract

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat sugar, butter and vanilla in a large bowl, then beat in eggs one at a time.
Then mix in cake flour, pudding, baking soda, salt, buttermilk. Add the chocolate chips and stir. Pour into greased tube pan and bake for 30 minutes. Then LOWER the oven temperature to 300 and bake for another 30-40 minutes. It is best to check at the 1 hour mark so you do not over bake the cake. Check for doneness with a toothpick or cake tester. Remove from oven, let cool completely then frost.

Frosting Directions:

In a saucepan heat  butter, water and vanilla extract until melted. Add the cocoa and stir until smooth, then add sifted powdered sugar and stir. Add heavy cream until you get the consistency that you like. Pour over cooled cake. Icing hardens as it cools.


I LOVE this cake, and the icing. It is so delicious and the icing is like melted fudge. I seriously could just scoop up the frosting and eat it!

Enjoy!



Linking to:

The Scoop
Talk of the Town
Ducks in a Row Wonderful Wednesday
The Essence of Home

Mom's Chocolate Cake

Is there anything better than cake? How about the cake you remember your mom making when you were little? My mom made the best cakes, layers of moist, chocolaty cake and tons of creamy chocolate frosting. This cake although not my moms recipe tastes exactly the way I remember hers. 

Mom's Chocolate Cake

Recipe from Food and Wine

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

4 ounces un-sweeted chocolate

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare 2 8" round pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar with 2 cups of water, bring to a boil over high heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour into a large bowl and then add the chocolate, butter. Let sit for a few minutes then stir until melted and slightly cooled. Stir in the vanilla. 

Beat the eggs into the chocolate mixture at medium speed, then add all at once the flour mixture and continue beating on medium until smooth. Pour the batter into the two pans and bake for 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cook in pans for 25 minutes and then remove from pan and cool completely. 

Frost cake and enjoy!

Frosting Recipe 

HERE

NOTES: I made a smaller cake and a few cupcakes, that is why I have 3 layers. I refrigerated my cake for transportation and so the frosting does not look super creamy here but it is when room temperature. 

Enjoy!

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Today is my birthday and what better way could there be to celebrate than with a chocolate cake? 

This isn't just any cake, it is a moist, chocolaty, buttermilk chocolate cake with whipped chocolate buttercream frosting. 

Buttermilk Cake

Recipe from Taste of Home

1 cup of butter, cubed

1 cup of water

2 tablespoons baking cocoa

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare either a 13 x 9" pan or 2 8" round pans with cooking spray. In a small saucepan bring butter, water and cocoa to a boil. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add cocoa mixture. Combine the buttermilk and the vanilla, then add to the batter and mix well, beat in the eggs and then pour into prepared pans. Bake for 23-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Frosting

3/4 cup of cocoa

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 stick softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup whipping cream, plus extra

In a bowl which together the cocoa and the sugar and set aside. Then in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment cream the butter until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture, alternating with the whipping cream until mixture is creamy and blended well, then add the vanilla. Gradually add cream until you have the desired spreading consistency. Do not add a lot at once or your frosting will get soupy. 

Note: For this cake I garnished with berries and I used about 1/4 cup of frosting which I heated in the microwave and drizzled over the top of the berries. 

Linking to:
Stone Gable The Scoop
Coastal Charm
The Dedicated House
Dixie Delights

Savvy Southern Style

Wellesley Chocolate Fudge Cake

I bake a lot of cakes and chocolate happens to be a particular favorite, go figure. Although I have quite a few in my repertoire there are several that I go back to again and again and again and this cake is one of them. 

What I love about it is that it is:

A. It's chocolate

B. It has a  fabulous chocolate fudge icing. 

C. Is moist and stays that way for days.

D. And it mails well, yes I have mailed this cake to several friends and it always arrives in one piece and is still fresh!

This recipe is one that I found while perusing Pinterest. What did we ever do without Pinterest by the way? The recipe is from Sifting Focus, it is a little long but worth it.

Wellesley Fudge Cake 

Cake

21/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup hot water

1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder

2 sticks of butter cut into 16 pieces, softened

2 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting:

31/2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup of cocoa powder

1/2 stick of butter cut in half and softened

11/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup half and half

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake: Place oven rack in the middle position and preheat oven to 350. Prepare two 8" square pans with cooking spray and line with parchment paper. 

Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the cocoa powder and the hot water until smooth. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs 1 at a time and mix until incorporated. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Mix until combined. Reduce speed and slowly add the cocoa/water mixture and the vanilla, until incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 pans. Bake about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out to cool on a rack. 

Frosting:

Sift together the powdered sugar and the cocoa. Set aside. Heat 4 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup of half and half in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until bubbles occur around the edges. About 4-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently until the mixture thickens and turns golden brown about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add 4 pieces of butter, stir well then add the remaining half and half with the other ingredients. Add the chopped chocolate and vanilla, then stir until smooth. Slowly whisk in the cocoa/powder sugar until incorporated. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Then refrigerate for 30-40 minutes until frosting reaches desired consistency.

Assembly:

Place 1 layer of cake on a platter, spread a cup of frosting over the surface. Add second layer and the frost the rest of the cake. Can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Serve and enjoy. 

What do you think? Doesn't this cake look fabulous? I hope you enjoy it!

Linking to:
Refresh Restyle
Savvy Southern Style
Dixie Delights

Beatty's Chocolate Cake by Ina Garten

I am a huge fan of the Barefoot Contessa otherwise known as Ina Garten and in fact bake from her books a lot.  I have scrolled through the pages often and have seen a fabulous chocolate cake with shiny chocolate that looks delectable but for whatever reason have never made it, until today! And I am so happy that I did because this cake is light, moist, sweet, and has a rich chocolate flavor.

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

13/4 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup butter milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare two 8 inch round baking pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then spray with baking spray or butter and flour.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until combined.

In a separate bowl add eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla, mix to combine. With the mixer on low speed slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With the mixer still on low, add the coffee until just combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a spatula.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, the. Turn out onto wore rack, remove parchment and cool completely.

Chocolate Frosting

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, Not chocolate chips

2 sticks of unsalted  butter, softened

1 large egg yolk at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

11/4 sifted powdered sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water

Chop the chocolate and place in a bowl over simmering water. Stir until just melted the set aside to cool to rom temperature.

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment beat the butter until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eg yolk and the vanilla and beat an additional 3 minutes. Turntable he mixer on low and add the powdered sugar then beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Turn mixer to low speed and add the coffee and the melted chocolate, mix until just blended. Don't whip. Spared the frosting on the cooled cake.

Note: The egg yolk makes the frosting shiny, you can omit it and just whip the frosting a bit more. Also, I used 2 9" square pans although the recipe calls for round. I cut one in half and made this cake.

I hope that you try this fabulous cake! Have a great day.

Linking to:
Rooted in Thyme
Coastal Charm
Inspiration Monday
Savvy Souther Style
Katherine's Corner-Thursday
Cedar Hill Farmhouse

Decadent Dark Chocolate Torte

To say that I make a lot of desserts would be an understatement. On this blog, as well as, on my other blog Pine Cones and Acorns I only post the ones I really like. This dessert is in a category all by itself because it is SPECTACULAR! It is the richest, most decadent chocolate dessert I have ever made. In fact it is the only dessert I have ever made that I stop after two or three bites, that is how rich and delicious it is.

If you like truffles or flour less chocolate cakes then I think you will like this torte. I think the only thing that would make this better is a few berries and a glass of champagne. 

Decadent Dark Chocolate Torte

15 oz. dark chocolate 60% or higher, chopped

11/2 cups butter softened

1 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of coffee, espresso, or flavored liquor

5 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1/2 teaspoon finely ground sea salt

Garnish 

Whipped cream

Fresh berries

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan, wrap the bottom in aluminum foil and set into a large roasting pan. 

In a medium sauce pan, over medium-low heat combine the chopped chocolate, butter and sugar. Stir constantly until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Watch carefully of this or it will burn. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add the coffee or liqueur and stir.

Add the egg yolk and the whole eggs to the bowl of an electric mixer and beat for 2 minutes on medium. Stir the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and mix until well combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

Fill roasting pan with hot water about 1/4 of the way up the spring form pan. Carefully place into a preheated 350 oven. Bake until the edges are set and the center is slightly soft, about 25-30 minutes. 

Carefully remove the spring form pan from the water bath and place on a cooling rack, cool completely then remove foil and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. 

Garnish with berries and cream. 

Enjoy!


Linking to:
Coastal Charm
Rattlebridge Farm
The Charm of the Home