Chocolate Fudge Cake

Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to "For the Love of Dessert"- Happy Birthday to you! :) Happy Birthday to my blog! This month marks For the Love of Dessert's first birthday. I cannot believe a year has flown by! And to be honest, when I started this blog, I had no idea that I would stick to it the way I have :) I thought I would have realized that I am not a blogger nor a person that should be posting about food! But instead, I have expanded beyond baking to sharing non-dessert recipes-- something I never thought I would be good at and most of all, grown as a "chef."

I have to say that I am proud of myself and this blog. I am truly blessed to have a little space on the internet- to share a piece of me :) A place that provides me solace and comfort, joy and excitement!  Thank you for being a part of it! I am so grateful for my sister for supporting me and pushing me to start this blog, when I thought I was the biggest dork ever for wanting to. And of course to my wonderful hubby--or as my blog should call him-- the dishwasher--patiently cleaning up after me :) That is one good blog husband and just one pretty awesome husband in general.

Well- here is to many, many more years of blogging-- I hope, ::fingers crossed::! And to celebrate the occasion, let us enjoy one of my favorites--Chocolate Fudge Cake! Mmmmmmm.....::drool::.....is pretty much all I can say! Was there really any other way I could celebrate For the Love of Dessert's First Birthday?!? This is an incredibly moist, super duper chocolatey cake! Decorated, as the hubby says, diner style!

CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

Chocolate Cake adapted from Paper Seed

Fudge Frosting adapted from Amanda and Kevin

INGREDIENTS

Preheat Oven to 350F Degrees

FOR THE CAKE
3 c. cake flour
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. + 2 tbsp. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 1/3 c. vegetable oil or canola oil
1 c. buttermilk (substitute with milk or heavy cream)
1 c. boiling water
1 c. sour cream
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla

FOR THE FROSTING
2 c. milk chocolate chips + 1 tbsp. shortening
2 1/2 stick of butter
3 c. of powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. of Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
1 c. of light corn syrup
2 tsp. of vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

For the cake: In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment-- combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and cocoa powder and stir on low speed until well blended. Then add vegetable oil and buttermilk- mixing for 1-2 minutes. Slowly add in boiling water and mix until batter becomes thin. Add in sour cream followed by eggs, one at a time--whisking until just incorporated. Finally add in vanilla. Divide among pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to completely cool before frosting- other the heat will melt the frosting.

For the frosting: Melt chocolate chips along with shortening, in the microwave-- stirring every 30 seconds until completely melted (you can also use chocolate melts if you do not have chocolate chips). Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter, powdered sugar and cocoa and process until smooth- do not over-mix the butter as, the frosting will become too runny. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add corn syrup and vanilla until creamy. Once the corn syrup is added, the frosting should become glossy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again, and add melted chocolate chips-- stirring, very briefly, until smooth.

Add heaping amount of frosting to the top and sides of the cake. Using a spatula, completely cover the cake with frosting. The using a small spoon, create whipping-up like motions to create swirls.

Enjoy,
Chika