And I'm exhausted!
I started baking the 3 rather large (10" x 3", 8" x 3", 6" x 3") cakes at 9:30 yesterday morning, and went pretty much nonstop until midnight last night. I can honestly say that I now understand why wedding cakes are like $3000!
In the end though, I think it was all worth it. We've got a kick ass cake!
After the cakes cooked and cooled, I trimmed the "tops" off (and ate them!) so that the cakes were completely flat, and I turned them out onto cardboard supports that I'd cut to fit.
Once completely cool, I put a rough crumb coat on them using my vanilla buttercream, and put them in the fridge. They chilled for close to 4 hours before we did any decorating.
Tune in tomorrow for the cake reveal! And hopefully photos of our OUTDOOR Birthday Extravaganza in the sun shine.
Love and Hugs
Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake
6 squares Unsweetened Chocolate
1-1/2 cups Miracle Whip Dressing (no substitute)
2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup boiling water
1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2) Melt chocolate squares in small saucepan over low heat, cool.
3) Beat dressing, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until blended.
4) Beat in eggs and melted chocolate.
5) Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to chocolate mixture alternately with water, mixing well after each addition.
6) Pour into 2 parchment greased 9-inch round pans.
7) Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 min and remove from pans. Cool cakes completely on wire racks.
Chocolate Icing (Didn't use it this time, but it's GREAT with this cake)
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1/4 cup butter
3 1/2 cups icing sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
melt chocolate and butter. Cool. Add sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix on low speed for 1 min, until smooth. Chill until frosting consistency. Spread generously on cooled cake.
***Note***I usually make 1.5 times the icing recipe, becasue it's SO delish, you want to be able to spread a lot on the cake