The BEST Chocolate Cake.... Ever!

This recipe is from Six Sister's Stuff who got it from Taste of Home. It is by far one of the best chocolate cake recipes and it is my go-to recipe for chocolate cake or cupcakes. It is easy and always delicious! It is even super yummy right out of the oven with a scoop of ice cream. No frosting, just warm cake and ice cream!

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa (I prefer dutch cocoa)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp good vanilla (I like mexican or Kirkland brand)
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water

Chocolate Ganache or desired frosting to go on top
(Ice Cream is also delicious if you put a scoop on top of a hot chocolate cupcake in a bowl right out of the oven. It is amazing!) So many options! There's a reason it's our FAVORITE cake! Don't overcook and it will be your favorite too.

Ganache instructions:
Heat 1 cup of heavy cream just to boiling. Pour over chopped chocolate in a bowl and allow to sit for about 5 minutes then stir until smooth with a whisk. I like to use a 4oz semi sweet and a 4oz milk chocolate Ghiradelli baking bar for ganache. Mix and match to your liking. I haven't used chocolate chips. I'm more a baking bar girl, but you can experiment if you'd like. I use 1 Tbsp on the top of each cupcake and allow to setup. Or eat right away with a fork and spoon for ooey gooey goodness. ;)

*Frosting*: (I use my cream cheese frosting recipe here) *A note: For cupcakes, you may want to do a double batch of frosting depending on if you pipe it or just spread it on. I found a regular batch only pipes about 18 cupcakes. One batch works great for a 9x13 cake. Follow recipe directions for chocolate frosting.

Cake Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Put a small pot of water on the stove to boil (or if you have REALLY hot tap water, you can use that as well. You'll only need one cup but I always boil a little extra. ;)

I usually make this recipe in my Bosch, but a large bowl and a hand mixer works great as well. Just remember, you don't want to over mix. 

Combine all dry ingredients. Add in the butter, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs. Don't mix this too high. You want to just get it fully incorporated. I stay on low speed. Pour in 1 cup of hot water. Mix. At this point, your batter will seem runny, but it's going to be okay... I promise!. At this point, either grease muffin liners or a  9×13″ pan. Fill cupcakes 2/3 full (which is about 1/4 cup for a larger muffin pan). You don't want them fuller than that! Bake for 12-15 minutes. If not quite done, do 2 more minutes. Mine are almost always done right at 15 minutes. I usually set the timer for 10 minutes and peek on them and add 2 more minutes and take them out. For a cake, bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean). Just don't overcook so that it isn't dry. This cake is perfection when cooked just the right length. When everything is cooled (cupcakes cool quick!), frost as desired, and decorate if you'd like.

This recipe makes about 32 cupcakes (depending on the size of your pan) or ONE 9x13" pan of cake. I use an IKEA muffin tin which is about a 1 1/2 sized cup. I use the jumbo liners for these found in the cake decorating isle at Walmart. I only fill the cups with a 1/4 cup measuring cup and it makes 27 cupcakes exactly every time. Or you can make a bundt cake (heavily buttered and floured inside in all those creases!) and then pour ganache over top and enjoy!

Aunt Lettie's Lemon Cake

I FINALLY got a picture of this yummy cake. So this is a re-post of an older post. The picture doesn't do it justice. I have take this cake to MANY a community/school/family function and have yet to not be asked for the recipe. It's that good. It is so simple. Totally my style!

from Aunt Lettie

-this was a family staple at family reunions and many family gatherings... so yummy

3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
1 small pkg (3 oz) lemon jell-o

Blend in blender. Add yellow cake mix. (Lemon can be used if desired). Blend until mixed well. Pour into greased/floured 9x13 pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Poke cake all over with fork while cake is still hot.

Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice (I just use the ReaLemon concentrated stuff) and 2 cups powdered sugar. If you want your cake less juicy, half the lemon juice and powdered sugar. Pour over cake. And let cake cool completely.

It was near impossible to get a good picture of this cake. It is good the first day, but the second day, it is AWESOME!

Pop Cake

I realize this isn't a new concept. It is used all the time in dutch oven cooking. But this cake has made an appearance so many times over the last few weeks so I decided to post it.

1 can 7up (12 oz)
1 box white or yellow Betty Crocker Cake Mix

Mix together with electric mixer for 2 minutes. Pour into floured cake pan and cook for 25-27 minutes at 350. Allow to cool.

Eat plain, with frosting, or with favorite fruit topping (i.e. strawberry shortcake).

Variations:

1 can Diet Dr. Pepper
1 box chocolate cake mix

1 can Diet Cherry Coke
1 box chocolate cake mix

Skor Cake

from Myrna

1 white or yellow cake mix
1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding
2 cups water
2 eggs

Mix together and bake at temperature and time listed on cake mix box. Let cake cool.

Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
8 oz Cool Whip
3 to 4 Skor bars chopped up

Cream together powdered sugar and butter. Fold in the cool whip until blended -not with mixer. Pour over cooled cake. Sprinkle chopped Skor bar on top. Refrigerate.

Hawaiian Dessert

from Renee

Note: It makes 2- 13x9 pans so you can cut the ingredients in half if you only want to make one pan. Or use half of everything else and just use the extra cake mix for cupcakes!!!

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla
pudding mix
4 cups cold milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, well
drained
2 cups heavy cream, whipped and
sweetened
2 cups flaked coconut, toasted

Directions:
Mix cake batter according to package directions. Pour into two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pans. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until the cakes test done. Cool completely. In a large mixing bowl, combine pudding mixes and milk; beat for 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese and beat well. Stir in pineapple. Spread over the cooled cakes. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with coconut. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Frosty the Cupcake

From Family Fun's website
RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
Cooled cupcakes
White frosting
Large marshmallows
Waxed paper
Pretzel sticks
Black decorators' gel or mini chocolate chips
Orange slice candy
Junior Mints
Thin Mints or Mint Grasshopper Cookies
Fruit by the Foot cut into long strips

1. Frost a cooled cupcakes with white icing.
2. Flatten a large marshmallow on waxed paper with the palm of your hand.
3. Put a second marshmallow on top to form a torso and head.
4. Push a thin pretzel stick down through the snowman (this will help him stand up), then set him on the cupcake.
5. Use decorators' gel or mini chocolate chips to create a mouth, eyes, and buttons, then add pretzel stick arms and a wedge cut from an orange slice candy for a nose.
6. Accessorize with a candy hat (a Junior Mint secured to a Thin Mint with icing) and a piece of fruit by foot for the scarf.

Note: The decorators' gel didn't work well for me. It ran and looked like mascara running when a woman is crying. The mini chocolate chips with a bit of frosting on the back of them worked better for me.

Lemon Chiffon Cake

from Kristy

Ingredients:
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon peel
1 tsp lemon extract

2 cups cake flour (must be cake flour)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup egg whites (about 7 eggs)
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Glaze:
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Directions:
Combine first 7 ingredients. In separate bowl, sift dry ingredients. Gradually beat into lemon mixture until smooth. In another bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites into lemon mixture. Pour into ungreased 10" tube pan with removable bottom. bake at 325 for 45-55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Let cool and serve with glaze over each piece.

Caramel Cake

(Just a note.. the picture above doesn't do these cake bars justice)

from mom

1 Milk Chocolate or German Chocolate Cake mix
40 (14 oz bag) Kraft caramels (no off brands, but Brachs brand works well, too, they just take longer to melt down)
1 cup chopped pecans, optional
1 can evaporated milk
3/4 cup melted butter
6 oz mini chocolate chips

Mix cake mix, 3/4 cup melted butter, and 3/4 cup of the evaporated milk. Mix by hand. Spread 1/2 of the batter into a greased pan.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
Unwrap caramels.Melt caramels and 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk in the microwave. Cook in 1 minute increments until smooth. Pour over cake. Let cool completely. Then, sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel. Add rest of the evaporated milk and chopped pecans to the remaining cake batter. Spoon over caramel and very carefully smooth out over entire pan.Bake 20 minutes at 350. Let cool completely and serve.It does not need frosting. This cake is more like bars than cake. It is great served under a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Note: If you don't let the layers cool completely before adding the next layer, it will be a big mess. Take it from me. Once, I poured the caramel over the bottom chocolate layer and the bottom bubbled up into the caramel and then I put the top layer on and it sunk into the caramel and was super hard to spread. It turned out kind of okay but it was a mess and wasn't exactly as it should have been. Also, I omit the pecans when I make it for people that I know are allergic to nuts. It is great with nuts, but it also tastes great without. I just serve them on the side when I serve the ice cream so that those that want nuts, can add it to the top.

Cream Cheese Frosting

from Heidi and allrecipes.com

1/2 cup softened butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar

Mix butter, cream cheese, and vanilla. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, slowly. For chocolate frosting, add 1/2 cup cocoa with last cup of powdered sugar and mix well. I often make the whole batch of frosting, and take half out and only add 1/4 cup cocoa so I have plain cream cheese frosting for another recipe.

This is a great recipe and always turns out perfect. It makes quite a bit and is perfect for cookie decorating, cakes, cupcakes, or just for the middle of graham crackers!

Cherry Chocolate Cake

from my husband's Grandma (and the back of a Pillsbury cake mix box)

1 pkg Pillsbury Devil's Food Cake Mix
21 oz can cherry fruit filling
1 tsp almond extract
2 eggs, beaten

Frosting:1 cup sugar1/3 cup milk5 Tbsp margarine1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chipsWith mixer, combine cake mix, fruit filling, almond extract and eggs. Pour into greased/floured 9x13 inch pan. Cook for 25-30 min at 350.

On stove, in small sauce pan, combine sugar, milk, and margarine. Boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Remove and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Pour over warm cake.

Eclair Cake

from Shelly

1 cup water
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Boil water and butter. Remove from heat and beat (with a whisk) in the flour, then eggs one at a time. Spread into a greased jelly roll pan. Bake at 400 degrees until brown, about 20 minutes. (It puffs up, just smash it down with your hands.

1 large package instant vanilla pudding (as directed on box)
Whip in 1 8oz package of softened cream cheese. Spread over pastry. Top with whipped cream or cool whip. Drizzle it with chocolate syrup or hot fudge.

Refrigerate to let set up and then serve.