Recipes

Recipes
"Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." Marthe Troly-Curtin

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Chocolate Yeast Cake

A moist light chocolate cake topped with rich brown butter frosting.


Even though this is a yeast batter, it does not look or act like a bread dough.  It pours into the pan just like a regular batter cake.  I let mine "rise" for about 40 minutes before I started the baking.  Again, it does not rise like a bread dough.  The result is a very light, tender cake.


The cake came out of the pan very nicely.  I let it cool for 30 minutes.  The cake was still really warm.  I let it release on its own, did not try and force it out, so there wasn't any "breaking" of the cake.


With the 1 cup of shortening, the cake is very moist.



I cut the cake while it was still warm and very soft.  I didn't have any whipped cream for this recipe, but I think a lightly flavored espresso whipped cream would be a perfect compliment for this cake.


I did not have unsweetened chocolate, I used semi sweet and it was fine.


THIS RECIPE MAKES ONE 13X9-INCH CAKE or One Bundt Cake
INGREDIENTS
3 cups             Flour                                          
2+1/4 tsp        Active Dry Yeast                        
1 cup              Brown sugar, firmly packed      
1 cup              Sugar                                        
1 tsp               Baking soda                                
1/2 tsp            Salt                                              
1+1/4 cups     Milk                                            
1/4 cup           Water                                        
1 cup              Shortening                                  
2 squares        Unsweetened chocolate, melted  
1 tsp               Vanilla                                        
3                     Eggs                                            
BROWN BUTTER FROSTING
 1/4 cup          Butter or margarine                      
2 cups             Powdered sugar                            
3 to 4 TBSP    Milk                                              
1/2 tsp            Vanilla                                          

DIRECTIONS
Recipe featured at Cake Duchess.
Preheat oven to 350°F
In large mixer bowl, combine flour, yeast, brown sugar, sugar, soda and salt; mix well. In saucepan, heat milk and water to 120-130°F; add to flour mixture. Add shortening, chocolate, vanilla and eggs. Blend at low speed until moistened; beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Pour into Bundt pan or 13 x 9-inch pan which has been greased on the bottom only. Cover; let rise in warm place 30 minutes. Bake at 350°F for 45 to 50 minutes until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely. If baked in Bundt pan, remove cake from pan. Frost with Brown Butter Frosting.

Brown Butter Frosting: Melt butter or margarine until golden brown. Add to powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix until of spreading consistency.