9.11.2020

Martha's One-Bowl Chocolate Layer Cake

 In the September issue of Martha Stewart Living there is a great compilation of some of the most-searched and highly-rated baking recipes from the archives at MarthaStewart.com. Among them is a classic chocolate layer cake with chocolate frosting; it was calling my name! I've been on quite a baking kick since the pandemic started (don't worry, I've been on an exercise kick too!) and I think my skills are greatly improving. I realized, however, that I had not endeavored to make a chocolate cake, which is astounding to me, since it's one of my favourite kinds of cakes. This recipe uses only one bowl (so helpful for cleanup!) and a smattering of basic but good-quality ingredients that are easy to find at the grocery store. I was sold. 

You can find the recipe on page 87 of the magazine, but it's online as well. Click here to view it. The frosting, too, is a recipe I'll be using for other recipes, including cupcakes and maybe even on a lemon cake or plain white cake. Click here for the recipe and for an excellent demonstration by Thomas Joseph on how to get those lustrous swoops and swirls out of your frosting technique. I found it really helpful. The frosting is luscious and smooth with the addition of cream cheese, melted chocolate and cocoa powder, making it a dream to ice with. Decadence on a plate!

 

Speaking of plates, I used my "Sky Map Collection" plates from Anthropologie, circa 2009, to serve the pieces. The blue really complements the dark brown of the chocolate. And that's my grandmother's 1950s cake stand - an original from a local diner that sold its wares when it went out of business in the 1950s. It has a glorious glass dome top, too: a treasure. (Oh, and I wanted to add sprinkles to the cake. It just needed some fairy dust.)

In any case, I urge you to try this recipe if you're at all the baking type. If you're a chocolate lover, it's a must-have addition to your recipe repertoire!

3 comments:

Roseana Auten said...

Looks really great!

Anonymous said...

Years ago MS's daughter mentioned ( on her blog ) Maeda Heater a cook book author. and when I stumbled upon a copy of one of Header's works well I had to have it. It was a book with nothing but chocolate recipes. I have since gifted it to my chocaholic aunt in hopes she will enjoy this collectible edition. AR I baked MS's devils food cake with Mrs Millman's chocolate frosting, not a one bowl enterprise. wow what a cake and wow what frosting.

Anonymous said...

Saw your instagram post. Yeah Fall, however, as a Florida resident autumn is meh. I do enjoy photos of the leaves and the golden hues and the decor of gourds. When the pumpkin carved jack-o-lantern yielded a huge palmetto bug causing me to scream. dropping the match on the front porch and swearing never again to carve a fresh jack o lantern--- I owned a plug in version and a few pottery shapes over the years I will live vicariously through the actions of others enjoying All Hallows Eve. Indeed some of MSL previous issues certainly showcased a New England autumn certainly Canada can knock the socks off the mid atlantic states in Fall and the breadth of autumnal color I would think.