I’m in three book clubs…
My quarterly work book club just had our potluck/meeting. We meet during lunch and this book pick was:
I LOVED this book. I didn’t want it to end and it is a BIG book. This is Kathryn Stockett’s first book and I hope she writes another soon! Based in Mississippi in the 1960’s it tells the tales of the white women and families and the black women that work as maids for them. I love how the author writes from several different key women in the story, weaves in historical events and I also have always enjoyed reading stories about the 1950’s to 1970’s as well as the South.
Our book club decided for a Southern food potluck theme and I wanted to make a chocolate pie like the one in the book-minus the terrible awful part! But I don’t really like chocolate pie and I have this great chocolate cake recipe that is a go to for me that everyone loved and I wanted to share!
Okay, don’t judge. It is not as pretty as the last time I made it. But let me tell you I was pressed for time and this was a quick recipe and it was GONE. VANISHED.
Not a lot of fancy ingredients needed…although I did use Fluer De Sel Salt for fun and the vanilla I bought while in Mexico. Look at how cute it is too!
Old-fashioned Chocolate Cake from Cuisine at Home Magazine
I recommend making the icing first so it can cool in time to assemble the cake. This is super easy and so much better and more impressive than a box. And I love box cake!
Chocolate Cake
- 3 c flour
- 2 c sugar
- .5 c unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 c hot water
- .75 c vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
- 1 tbsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 8″ round cake pans with nonstick spray.
Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.
Combine water, oil, vinegar, instant coffee, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Divide batter between pans, 35-40 minutes (my oven took only 30 min. At 15 min I switched the pans around for even baking).
Cool cakes on a rack for 15 min, then invert them onto a rack. Leave cakes to cool completely.
Glossy Chocolate Icing
- 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tbsp)
- 1.5 c sugar
- 1.25 c unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1.25 c heavy cream
- .25 c sour cream
- 1 tsp instant coffee granules
- 2 tsp vanilla
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Stir in sugar, cocoa, and salt. Mixture will be thick and grainy.
Combine heavy cream, sour cream, and coffee and add cream mixture to chocolate until smooth. Cook until sugar is dissolved and hot to the touch. Do not boil. (Adjust the heat as necessary as at medium I almost boiled it).
Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool at room temperature until spreadable.
And there it is folks! I’m thinking about trying this chocolate cream cheese frosting next time…
smorgbord 