Saturday, June 9, 2012

Chocolate Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

This is my favorite chocolate cake.  I quit buying cake mixes years ago when I discovered it really is pretty much just as easy to bake cakes from scratch.  This chocolate cake is based on the same chemistry as what we call a "Wacky Cake".  It doesn't require eggs, and instead uses baking soda and white vinegar to help the raising process.  I've never had a failure with this cake, except when I once forgot to grease and flour the pan ... that was sad ... but it tasted great!  This recipe I found in a Cuisine at Home magazine several years back.

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Dutch-processed cocoa whenever available)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot water
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons white vinegar
1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a 10-12 cup Bundt pan, then coat with cocoa powder (instead of flour).
  3. Whisk together all dry ingredients, except coffee granules.
  4. Combine wet ingredients, dissolving coffee granules, then add to dry ingredients.
  5. Wisk carefully, or stir, just until combined.
  6. Pour batter into Bundt pan.  Bake 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
  7. Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting onto a rack to cool completely.
  8. Glaze with peanut butter, or chocolate, or any kind of glaze you like.
Peanut Butter Glaze

2 1/2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tablespoons of milk, as needed to get desired consistancy.

Whisk all together and squeeze onto cake from a sandwich bag with one corner cut off.

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