No Fail Chocolate Cake

Cakes have always scared me.  I normally over bake them and they are always lopsided and not the most beautiful looking things.  I have spent hours watching cake boss and ace of cakes with my kids, especially my son.  Crew always asks for elaborate cakes and I either buy the cake, have someone else make it (thank you mom!) or suggest something else.  

Last weekend my friend was looking for someone to make a fondant cake and I finally decided to get over my fear.  I found this awesome chocolate cake recipe and went to work.  After we put the kids to bed I went to the store and spent almost 2 hours in the cake decorating isle.  To say I was like a kid in a candy shop would be an understatement!  People probably thought I was crazy.  I decided to make my own fondant instead of buying the prepackaged kind and I am glad I did.  It was really easy to make and work with.  The hardest part was adding the coloring...I will post that recipe later with tips and tricks!  I want to work with it a little more before I claim to be an expert.  :)

For the fondant cake I used a mascapone frosting under the fondant and between layers which was to

die for!  That recipe is coming soon, I promise!  The second time around I adjusted the cloud frosting by adding chocolate and malt and it is oh so scrumptious! 

This cake can drip a little in the oven out of the cake pans so cover the bottom of your spring form pans in foil if you don't want any dripping down into your oven.  

The cake has pero or postum in it but is totally optional.  The original recipe called for espresso powder but I opted for pero since I am a non coffee drinker.  The cake doesn't have a pero or coffee taste to it but it adds a depth to the cake that I love!  I also added pero to the frosting which you could taste a little more the second day along with malt and cocoa.  Sooo good.  

Both the cake and the frosting are versatile.  Like I mentioned earlier the cake was great with the mascopone frosting and I bet a salted caramel frosting would be divine!  The frosting would be great with a malt cake or even vanilla.  mmmm....go make this already!  Please ignore my paper plate....I am still working on the picture department over here.  :)

No Fail Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pero or postum (optional, but highly suggested)

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Prepare two 9-inch cake pans by spraying with baking spray (it is the spray with flour in it)
2. Add flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and postum to a large bowl. Whisk ingredients together.
3. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla to flour mixture and mix together on medium speed until well combined. Carefully add boiling water to the cake batter and beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter.
4. Distribute cake batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 28-32 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
5. Remove from the oven and stick straight into the freezer.  Let cake stay in the freezer for about an hour until all the way cool and then pull out to frost.  

Malt Cloud Frosting 

8 oz cream cheese

1 1/4 C powdered sugar

1/2 C malt

4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t. pero or postum (optional)

2 C whipping cream

2 t. vanilla extract

Whip cream cheese, powdered sugar, malt, cocoa and pero until smooth.  Add cream and vanilla and beat on high until stiff peaks form.  Once cake is cool add frosting to middle layer of cake and spread generously around cake.  Enjoy!