Yumminess

I guess since I am currently on a diet, I'm feeling the need to talk about chocolate since I can't eat it.  Wanted to share two excellent recipes for all you chocolate lovers.  We got some Andes baking chips recently in a package and I went online and found this wonderful recipe for a mint chocolate cheesecake- SO GOOD!  Here's the link to this recipe and several others if you're interested:  http://www.tootsie.com/rec_cheesecake.php




 This next recipe is an oldie but goodie in our house as it's been Jason's birthday cake every year for about 10 years now.  It's a recipe from "Heart and Soul" a Memphis cookbook put out by the Junior League- it has a ton of great recipes.    I must say that this year was one of the best chocolate cakes yet.  I changed it a little in that instead of two 9 inch layers, I did three 8 inch layers and instead of just putting the rasberry jelly between the layers, I mixed about 2/3 cup rasberry jelly with some of the chocolate icing and used that to go between the layers.  Then I put the rest of the icing on the cake.  Also, I used every bit of the icing that the recipe made.  It's a lot but so worth it on this cake.   The recipe for this one follows the picture below.

Jason's Chocolate Raspberry Cake

2 cups sifted cake flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup kahlua

1/2 cup red raspberry preserves

 Chocolate Butter Frosting (see below)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease and lightly flour two 9 inch round baking pans.  In a small bowl, stir together cake flour, baking soda, and salt.  Set flour mixture aside.  In a large bowl, beat butter or margarine and melted chocolate with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time beating until combined.  Beat in sour cream.  Alternately add flour mixture with strong coffe and kahlua, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined.  Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake about 35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool cake pans on wire racks 10 minutes.  Remove from pans, cool thoroughly.  Spread rasberry preserves between layers (will need more if more than two layers).  Spread sides and top with chocolate butter frosting. 

Chocolate Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled

4 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/3 cup evaporated milk

2 tsp vanilla

In large bowl, beat together butter or margarine with chocolate on medium speed until smooth.   Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating on low to medium speed.  Slowly beat in evaporated milk and vanilla.    Gradually beat in remaining 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar.  If necessary beat in additional evaporated milk ( I beat in a good bit more) to make frosting of spreading consistency.