Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Happiness

Here's something you may not know: I LOVE chocolate and chocolate makes me happy. Not exactly breaking news, is it?

I don't need an excuse to make chocolate cupcakes, but yesterday the perfect scenario presented itself. Every new mom deserves chocolate cupcakes :). Chocolate cupcakes make the perfect gift. You can eat many, many cupcakes when you are breastfeeding. Don't children love chocolate milk?

I've been making the following recipe since, well forever. It's no secret, it's on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box.


Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk (for the love of all things good, please use WHOLE MILK)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9-in rounds OR a 13X9 baking pan. If you want cupcakes, this will make about 3 dozen 2 1/2 in diameter cupcakes.

In a large mixer bowl combine all the dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed two minutes. Remove from mixer; stir in boiling water. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30-35 min for round pans, 35-40 min for rectangular pan, 18-22 min for cupcakes. Bake until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 min and remove from pan(s) to wire rack. Cool completely and frost.

Wasn't that easy? It is just as easy as a cake mix from a box and does not have any ingredients you cannot pronounce. It also tastes waaaaay better than any boxed cake mix I've ever tried!!!!!

Frosting
(also from Hershey's)

6 tbsp butter (never, EVER margarine)
1/3 cup cocoa
2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream butter. Blend powdered sugar and cocoa alternately with milk. Blend in vanilla. Easy Peasy :). Makes 2 cups frosting. You will need to double the recipe to frost layers.

... and with that I'm going to have another cupcake. The baby really likes her chocolate milk.


1 comment:

  1. This cake sounds divine! I might try it out ;) I don't like taking other people's word for it when it comes to chocolate -- I need to taste test myself!

    ReplyDelete