3000 miles 'til dinner.

(photo: garnished with meringue crumbs and drizzled with warmed ganache)

The BEST old-fashioned chocolate you’ll ever taste and I can say this because every single person who eats it says OMG. Also the easiest to make, literally a “one bowl batter” cake. 

Prep time:   20 minutes - cake

                   10 minutes - chocolate ganache

Bake time:   35 minutes

Oven temp: 350 degrees

Pan options:  2-8” round or square pans, 1- 9x13” rectangle pan, cupcake tins 

Servings:  12 -16 slices or 24 standard cupcakes

♥PANTRY, FRIDGE, MARKET♥♥

3/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cubes unsalted butter (3/4 C.), room temp.

1 C. boiling water

2 C. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1/2 C. buttermilk, sour cream, yogurt or sour milk 

1 t. pure vanilla extract

2 C. minus 2 T. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. sea salt

♥Prep - large bowl

Cut butter into 1” pieces and put in bowl. Add cocoa and boiling water; whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs and mix thoroughly. Whisk in sugar, stirring until dark and glossy. Add buttermilk and vanilla. 

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Whisk into chocolate, adding 1/3 portions at a time. Whisk until there are no lumps.

Pour into oiled pans (line bottom with parchment or dust with flour after oiling if you are going to remove cake from the pan), filling a little over half full. Run a dinner knife through the batter a few times to make sure the batter is evenly distributed and level. 

♥ Bake - 350 degrees

Test after 25 minutes; cake should look slightly rounded & be firm to the touch. For best measure, stick a toothpick in the center. The pick should come out clean, no sticky crumbs adhering to it.

♥ Cool for ten minutes then turn out on wire wrack  (or leave in pan if you are serving from it). When completely cool, ice with ♥Chocolate Ganache (recipe below)

♥♥WAYS TO “just wing it”.♥♥               consider or substitute

*sub:  use 4 oz.unsweetened baking chocolate and reduce the the amount of butter by 1/4 C (1/2 cube)

*consider: any size pans, just make sure to fill the pan a little more than half full of batter; bread pans are great if you want a loaf-style cake.

*consider: cupcakes by filling cupcake tins 2/3 full with batter, yielding approx. 24 standard size cupcakes.

♥ Helpful Hints♥

*baked cake freezes very well for up to 1 month

*delicious without Ganache, served “naked” or consider whipped cream, your favorite ice cream and chocolate sauce 

*chocolate sauce:  warm the Ganache until it thins

___________________________________________________________________________

Chocolate Ganache

16 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate

1 1/2 C. half ‘n half

1 t. pure vanilla extract

♥Prep - large bowl

Break chocolate into heat proof bowl, add cream and set over simmering water. When cream gets hot and chocolate starts to melt, stir every now and then.When chocolate is completely melted, whisk until thick and glossy. Whisk in vanilla. Cool to the consistency of mayonnaise ( speed up by putting in the fridge). 

♥ Spreading with Chocolate Ganache - For a two layer stacked 9” cake, put the lst layer on plate, top side down and spread top with Ganache; place other layer on top, top side down, and spread Ganache over sides and top. 

♥♥WAYS TO “just wing it”.♥♥               consider or substitute

*sub: evaporated milk or heavy cream
*sub: 1/2 cream of any type, 1/2 strong coffee
*for a lighter, fluffy chocolate icing, simply put the ganache in your food processor or mixer — incorporating air will lighten the color of the chocolate and change the texture

♥ Helpful Hints♥

*spread a very thin layer on the top and sides of the cake, then go back over with a more generous spreading of ganache. The first step “catches the crumbs, pressing them into the cake” making your next application of ganache crumb-free

*a flexible “icing knife” works the best,  but not necessary

*if your ganache gets too stiff, simply warm a little. 

*left over ganache can be frozen for up to 2 months

(MIL post)