Vanilla Rocks

Chocolate Brownie Cake


Ingredients:

Cake Batter
• 1 1/2 cups butter at room temp
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Mexican Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 teaspoon Almond Flavoring Extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted semi sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder

Buttercream Ingredients
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 7 teaspoons milk
• 1 teaspoon deluxe white vanilla extract

Filling
• Strawberry puree

Grease
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup flour

Directions:

Cake
 Preheat oven to 350
 Combine all the greasing ingredients and mix until fully incorporated
 Grease 2 cake pans
 Set aside
 In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt for cake batter and mix thoroughly
 In medium sized mixer with a paddle attachment add the butter and sugar and mix on medium speed (Creaming method)
 Add the melted chocolate and mix
 Once blended add 1 egg at a time and blend on a low setting until incorporated then add the next
 Repeat until all the eggs are mixed in
 Add the extract flavors then and mix
 Grab the bowl with the dry ingredients and also the milk
 While on a low setting add about a third of the dry ingredients in and then a third of the milk and continue until everything is in the mixer
 Turn off and scrape the sides
 Once all is in mix for another 10 seconds and turn off
 Pour the batter into the 2 cake pans evenly and set in oven to cook for 40-45 minutes or until you can put a toothpick into the center and it comes out clean
 Grab a piece of greased plastic wrap and set on the counter
 Turn the cake pans upside down onto the plastic wrap and gently tap the pans and slowly remove the cakes
 Set off to the side and let cool

Buttercream
 Add the powdered sugar and shortening into a mixer and mix on a low speed until they are incorporated (should look clumpy)
 Add the milk 1 teaspoon at a time until it has blended
 Add the extract and blend
 Turn off and set aside

Cake Filling
 Take one of the cakes and a cake leveler and determine the middle of the cake
 Use the cake leveler and use a sawing motion from one end to the other to cut your cake in half so there are 2 identical circular pieces
 Fill a piping bag with your plain white buttercream
 Pipe around the top of your bottom cake about 1/4 inches away from the edge
 Add the filling of your choice into the middle of the buttercream barrier you have made
 Make sure not to pour too much where it overflows over the buttercream*
 Gently and slowly add the top cake onto it and press gently the 2 cut pieces together so that the buttercream in a way glues them together
 Use your piping bag to pipe more buttercream around the edges where you can see the gap between the two cakes so that they are sealed

Cake Frosting
 Grab your buttercream and an angled spatula and gently and carefully spread it all over the top of your cake
 Using the buttercream spread it on the sides of the cake and smooth away any lumps and also on the top.
 Let it sit for about 15-30 minutes so that the buttercream can harden a little
 When you can gently touch the cake and it is hardened then you can finish it with your own designs
 Design ideas are also at: http://www.wilton.com/decorating/cake-decorating/
 To have colored frosting you would use buttercream and icing coloring and with a toothpick dip into the coloring and put it into your buttercream.
 A little goes a long way*