mariadnoca
Moderator
I'm semi stuck at home with a flat tire and ended up watching some Foodtv, which is rare these days, but I saw this cake and it looked like a simple to make winner. This was from Trisha Yearwood's show and she said it was her favorite cake hands down - the one she requested from mom (who sold cakes on the side when she was little) every year for her birthday. Well, I'm always intrigued by any cake that makes it to the beloved requested birthday cake status, so thought I'd share. Besides, caramel and chocolate, now what could be bad with that combo?!
Lizzie's Old Fashioned Cocoa Cake with Caramel Icing
Recipe adapted from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood © Clarkson Potter 2008
Prep Time:10 min Inactive Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to grease pans
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 sticks (2/3 cup) butter, plus more to grease pans
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups water
Cooking spray
Caramel Icing:
4 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Special equipment: candy thermometer
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans
For the cake: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in stages with 1 1/3 cups water, beginning and ending with the flour.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the layers out onto racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
For the caramel icing: Mix 3 cups of the sugar and the milk in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil and keep it hot. Caramelize the remaining cup of sugar in an iron skillet. Do this by cooking over medium-high heat and stirring and scraping the pan with a flat-edged spatula as the sugar melts. Continue to cook until the syrup turns to medium or dark brown in color. This occurs at about 320 degrees F to 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Do not scorch the syrup. Stream the syrup into the boiling sugar and milk mixture and cook to the soft ball stage, about 238 degrees F. Add the butter, vanilla extract and baking soda.
Pour the hot mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat as it cools until the icing is creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Watch the icing because it will go from runny to too thick very quickly. Spread on the cake layers while the icing is still warm. If it becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water.
Note: when she made this the icing looked runny and said it was one of those you never know things, so don't expect a visual showstopper.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/lizzies-old-fashioned-cocoa-cake-with-caramel-icing-recipe/index.html
Lizzie's Old Fashioned Cocoa Cake with Caramel Icing
Recipe adapted from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood © Clarkson Potter 2008
Prep Time:10 min Inactive Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 50 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 12 servings
Ingredients
Cake:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more to grease pans
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 sticks (2/3 cup) butter, plus more to grease pans
1 2/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups water
Cooking spray
Caramel Icing:
4 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Special equipment: candy thermometer
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch cake pans
For the cake: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Add the flour mixture in stages with 1 1/3 cups water, beginning and ending with the flour.
Divide the batter evenly between the pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Turn the layers out onto racks that have been sprayed with cooking spray.
For the caramel icing: Mix 3 cups of the sugar and the milk in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Bring slowly to a boil and keep it hot. Caramelize the remaining cup of sugar in an iron skillet. Do this by cooking over medium-high heat and stirring and scraping the pan with a flat-edged spatula as the sugar melts. Continue to cook until the syrup turns to medium or dark brown in color. This occurs at about 320 degrees F to 350 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Do not scorch the syrup. Stream the syrup into the boiling sugar and milk mixture and cook to the soft ball stage, about 238 degrees F. Add the butter, vanilla extract and baking soda.
Pour the hot mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat as it cools until the icing is creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Watch the icing because it will go from runny to too thick very quickly. Spread on the cake layers while the icing is still warm. If it becomes too stiff, add a few drops of hot water.
Note: when she made this the icing looked runny and said it was one of those you never know things, so don't expect a visual showstopper.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/lizzies-old-fashioned-cocoa-cake-with-caramel-icing-recipe/index.html