Super Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting

 Dry Ingredients

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Cups Sugar

3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Salt

Wet Ingredients

2 Eggs

1 Cup of Buttermilk

1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup Hot Water

Method

Preheat oven to 350

Grease you sheet pan

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients.

Add eggs, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and sour cream.  Mix until smooth.

Slowly stir in the hot water (batter will be thin)

Pour into pan and tap gently to release bubbles.

Bake in a half sheet pan (12x18) for 18-23 minutes

Fudge Frosting

1/2 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup of Milk

1/4 Cup of Cocoa Powder

3-4 Cups of Powdered Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

Pinch of Salt

Method

Melt butter, milk, and cocoa in a saucepan

Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and powdered sugar until smooth.

Pour and spread over warm cake for a classic glossy finish

Marshmallow Fondant

Marshmallow Fondant

Ingredients:
8 oz. mini marshmallows
2 Tbs. water
4 cups powdered sugar
Food coloring (optional)

Method:
Place marshmallows and the water in a large microwave-safe bow.  Microwave on high for 1 minute, until marshmallows are puffy and expanded.

Stir marshmallows with a rubber spatula until they are melted and smooth.  If some unmelted marshmallows remain, return to microwave for 30-45 more seconds, until the marshmallow mixture is free from lumps.

If you want colored or flavored fondant, you can add several drops of food coloring at this point and stir until incorporated.

Add powdered sugar and begin to stir with the spatula.  Stir until sugar begins to incorporate and it becomes impossible to stir anymore.

Scrape the marshmallow sugar mixture out on to powdered sugar sprinkled surface.  It will be sticky at first, totally ok.

Dust hands with powdered sugar and begin to knead the fondant mixture like bread dough, working the sugar in the marshmallow with your hands.  Continue to knead until fondant smooths out and loses its stickiness.  Add more sugar if necessary.  Make into a ball, wrap in Saran Wrap and let rest for a 1/2 hour on counter.

Mouse's Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 Cup Crisco

1 Cup real Butter (not cold but also not at room temperature)

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 lbs. Powdered Sugar

1/2 - 3/4 cup COLD heavy whipping cream

Method:

In large mixing bowl beat butter and crisco until creamy and smooth (about 10 minutes).  Add 1 lb. powdered sugar on low speed and blend, increase speed to medium and beat until light.  Add vanilla.  Add 1/2 cup cold cream and beat to blend.  Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until smooth.  Add remaining cream.  Beat 5 minutes and switch to whisk attachment and beat until light (10-15 minutes)

Mouse is an amazing baker and actually owned her own bakery.  I am grateful she was willing to share some of her secrets with me.

Karen's Coffee Cake

Well we don't drink coffee but we love Karen's coffee cake!

Batter
1.5 sticks butter
1.5 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour
1.5 tsp. soda
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pt. sour cream

Topping
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients and add the the wet ingredients and mix. Add sour cream. Pour 1/3 of batter into a greased angel food cake pan. Spread 1/3 of topping. Repeat two times ending with the topping. Bake 1 hour at 350. Also can be cooked in 9x13 pan for 40-45 minutes.

Icing
1 cup plus 1 Tbs. powdered sugar
2 Tbs. milk

cook slightly and drizzle over the top of cake.