Moist Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
About this Recipe
Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Fresh spring yellow forsythia and pink blossoms from a wild current bush.....A beautiful handmade Ukrainian Easter Egg...This beautiful presentation was made with so much joy by my sister Donna. This recipe was passed down from our mother Natalia, our very own Gramma B. Our mother had extraordinary patience and taught many skills to my brother Terry and we three sisters, Donna, Audrey and Nancy. She passed on important sentiments like, "Just try", "Never go to bed angry", "If you can't say something nice then don't say anything at all", "Everything in moderation, even moderation", "Turn that frown upside down". She taught us so many nice things including, "Patience is a Virtue" and she had it in spades. When we were growing up we were not entertained by TV which was just starting to make its way into people's homes. Instead entertainment included being in the kitchen, all the siblings lined up by the counter, some of us standing on stools, stirring batter, baking a cake or some other goodie. Even doing dishes was fun with a big brother who flicked us with tea towels, making our skin sting and making us squeal. This beautiful photo brings rushing in all the memories of growing up.
Eating food, making food and participating as a family in the kitchen does leave a big imprint. This Grandmother's Kitchen website stems from our mother's love of simple food preparation and the joy it brings.
Grandmother's Kitchen Tips for Moist Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1. You can make the cake a day ahead of frosting and decorating as long as you keep it in a sealed container. It will stay moist 2-3 days.
2. Use your own homemade jam if you have. Choose a jam with no seeds for the center filling. The jam adds lovely flavor to the cake, but you can also put the frosting in the middle if you prefer.
3. This is a wonderful recipe for special events like birthdays.
Don't you just love the Edible Butterflies on this cake!
To find out more and purchase edible cake decorations go to Go Frost Yourself Edible Images
Ingredients
CAKE:
Makes 2 (8 or 9 inch) cake (We used heart shaped pans)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups milk
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 2 cake pans with parchment paper, or lightly grease
3. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa.
4. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer cream the butter.
5. Beat in the sugar.
6. Blend, beating in the eggs and vanilla until it is light and fluffy.
7. Add the dry ingredients and milk to the wet. Alternate dry and the milk , make 3 dry and 2 liquid additions, combining each on slow speed.
8. Turn into prepared cake pans, place into preheated oven and bake 30-35 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:
12 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup whole milk
OPTIONAL: walnut halves for garnish
Directions
1. Using an electric mixer beat the butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the vanilla and beat in.
2. In another bowl, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir the confectioners' sugar and the cocoa together until evenly combined.
3. Add the dry mixture and the milk to the butter, alternating dry with milk until all are combined and smooth. If the frosting is too runny add a little confectioners' sugar. If the frosting is too thick add little more milk. If adding more, do just a tiny bit at a time until you have the perfect consistency.
FILLING BETWEEN CAKE:
1/2 to 1 cup jam (strawberry is a good choice)
Directions
ASSEMBLY
1. Transfer the bottom layer of the cake onto a serving plate.
2. Spread a layer of jam in the middle and put the second cake on top.
3. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Garnish if desired. We used walnut halves and edible butterflies.
This cake had "Edible Butterflies" as the garnish.
To find out more and purchase edible cake decorations go to Go Frost Yourself Edible Images
ENJOY!
Ukrainian Eggs also called Pysanka are traditionally made for Easter.
This art form is popular not only with Ukrainians, they are also common in other Eastern and Central European countries. The word 'pysanka' means to write. The designs that were placed on eggs had symbolism. The shape of the egg itself symbolizes eternal life with its unending surface.
The pysanka is made using beeswax that is melted in a special pen called a 'kista'. This heated wax is drawn onto the egg. The egg is immersed in a dye bath. Any area that has wax on it will not absorb the colored dye. This drawing and coloring is repeated making the design more intricate and at the end, the egg is blown out and the wax is removed to reveal the beautiful design beneath. It is akin to batique.
It takes hours of practice and patience to create one beautiful egg. My sister Audrey has produced exquisite eggs since a young adult, and sister Donna in the past 2 years has become very proficient in the art of making Ukrainian eggs as well. They have both produced dozens of these art pieces and continue to encourage and teach family and friends to keep this tradition alive.
