Chocolate Celebration Cake

We are just hours away from the new year and I'm rushing to get one last recipe onto this blog before the clock strikes 12. Why? Because I'll be doing my top 12 recipes of 2011 soon and this cake will be on the list! I bake several cakes a year and I've made and tasted several recipes for chocolate cake in my lifetime and this is one of the best I've ever eaten. The recipe was given to me by my cyber friend, China, (hi China!) and I'm so grateful for it. Her husband made this cake for her birthday this summer and she raved about it. I read the reviews online and so did everyone else.

Happy Birthday M!

I baked this chocolate cake for a very special lady, my mother-in-laws' ex sister-in-law. Let's call her M. M was married to Mr. H's uncle many years ago. Got that? He (the uncle not Mr. H) is kind of a loser (haha!) so we ditched him and kept her after their divorce. She really does feel like part of the family. Scratch that, she is part of the family and this year for her birthday she decided to spend it with us, which gave me the opportunity to bake a birthday cake. Together with my mother-in-law we prepared dinner and dessert. She requested "anything chocolate" so I turned to this recipe by Gale Gand.

This cake makes a lot of batter and produces a large cake. The one thing that makes this cake unique is that it is made with all brown sugar- 3 cups to be exact. Yes, that's a lot of sugar but it makes a lot of cake too. It was mighty tasty and moist thanks to the addition of sour cream. It also has hot coffee in the batter, but you could substitute hot water if you like. The coffee just brings out the intensity of the chocolate without actually tasting it. I happen to like coffee and chocolate together so I paired it with a mocha cream cheese frosting. The combination was killer good. And as I mentioned it's making my top 12 list of 2011 so you know it's a good recipe. If you're needing a new chocolate cake recipe, I sincerely hope you'll give this one a try. You don't even need to use my frosting recipe, any frosting will do or heck, just eat it plain. But please put it on your list of things to make this upcoming year, hopefully sooner than later.

Chocolate Layer Cake from Gale Gand via Food Network

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• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 3 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 1/3 cups sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 3 circles of waxed paper or parchment paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and eggs and mix until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix. Add 1/2 of the flour, then 1/2 of the sour cream and mix. Repeat with the remaining flour and sour cream. Drizzle in the hot coffee and mix until smooth. The batter will be thin.

Pour into the prepared pans and bake until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), about 35 minutes. Halfway through the baking, quickly rotate the pans in the oven to ensure even baking, but otherwise try not to open the oven.

Let cool in the pan 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely before frosting.

Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting by Monica h

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 1/2 cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream

In a large bowl, cream butter and cream cheese and mix until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl if necessary.

Add the cocoa and espresso powder and beat on low until just combined then add the vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Gradually add powdered sugar one cup at a time, scraping down the bowl if necessary. Start with 3 cups adding more if necessary. Once frosting is sweetened, thick and creamy add the heavy cream and mix on medium speed- the frosting will thicken slightly. Don't overwhip once you've added the cream.

Frost cooled cake layers. Refrigerate any leftover frosting. Refrigerate any frosted cake, but eat at room temperature for best flavor and texture.

Thank you for making 2011 such a memorable year for Lick The Bowl Good. I'm looking forward to another year of baking and licking bowls with you all. Happy New Year!

Oh, and the winner of the Shabby Apple apron is Julie of Fruitcake In The Kitchen. Congrats Julie!