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August 24, 2011 7 Comments

Chocolate Birthday Cake

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You know yesterday was a strange day.  I had several things happen for the first time ever.  One event you may have heard of was the earthquake.  The epicenter is about 15 miles from my office in Spotsylvania County Virginia, a few miles from Fredericksburg.  I was standing in the front office talking to a co-worker when the building started to shake.  When it didn’t stop shaking, and started to shake harder, we knew it wasn’t the air conditioner or someone moving furniture.  It takes a few seconds to realize what is really happening.  It was very dramatic and intense and for a brief moment I wondered if someone had bombed our little town.  My boss ran into the front office telling everyone to evacuate the building that we were having an earthquake.  We knew it must have been an earthquake, but it’s almost like it wasn’t real.  It was shocking in a way.

We all got out of the building and once outside I could still feel the ground shaking.  We stayed outside for a while until they told us it was safe to go back in.  They decided to evacuate a second time due to some problems that our General Services department had to fix.  At this point they sent us home for the day to check on our own homes, children and animals.  My dogs and cat were fine and only had a few things fall and hit the floor.

If you’ve ever wondered how long 30 seconds can seem, a violent shaking earthquake will give you some idea.  The Lake Anna Nuclear Power Plant is very close to our home and we are in the evacuation area.  Lake Anna had problems when it was hit with the earthquake and immediately shut down.  The backup power did not come on and the second back up was started.  This could have been very bad.  That seems scarier than the earthquake itself.  Anyway that was a first.

Yesterday was also my birthday so it was the first day I was 52 years old.  I will always remember this birthday as the one day the earth shook.  The third thing that happened was I made a homemade chocolate birthday cake with homemade chocolate buttercream icing, and it was good.  If you’ve known me for any length of time you probably know that I don’t make good cakes.  I make pies.  Big difference!  There was that incident with the Red Velvet Cake that I’ve never lived down.  Since everything was ‘different’ yesterday I somehow found my baking mojo and whipped up my own birthday cake.  Maybe it was because the pressure was off.  Who’ll care if it doesn’t turn out good?  I won’t ruin someone’s birthday.  If my cake is dry and not edible, I won’t fret!  But wouldn’t you know it’s yummy!

I talked to many of my siblings, children and traveling husband yesterday too.  One of my brothers asked if it was Armageddon up here with Hurricane Irene heading this way for the weekend?  I said it does seem like a strange week so if this is the end, I think I’ll have more chocolate cake now.  What the heck!!  If this is the end, I’m going out with an upset stomach by golly!

Enough with the blah blah blah today!  Let’s make a cake.  For the layer cake you will need butter, eggs, flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sugar, vanilla and milk.
Lightly grease three 8-inch cake pans with Crisco shortening.  Line the bottom of the pans with waxed paper and lightly grease it too.
Lightly flour the bottom and sides of the pans.
Shake off excess flour and set pans aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder, and salt.
Whisk until blended and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer (or a new birthday present) on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add the sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating for about 3 minutes or until well mixed.  Scrape sides of bowl and beat for 2 more minutes on medium.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in vanilla.
Blend until well mixed and creamy.
Alternately add flour mixture beating on low speed just until combined.
Alternate adding the flour and milk just until blended.
Spread in prepared pans.
It will be about 2 cups of cake batter in each of the three pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  Check with a wooden toothpick inserted in the center.  The toothpick should come out clean.  Do not over bake (this is where I always mess up.)
Cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans and peel off waxed paper.
Cool completely on wire racks.
Now for the icing!  Chocolate buttercream made with butter (of course), confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla and milk or heavy cream.
Cream the butter for a few minutes with an electric mixer.
Sift 3 cups of powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl with the butter.  Beat on low until blended.  Increase the mixer speed and add the vanilla, salt and cream.  Beat for about 3 minutes and ice cake.
I’m not real experienced with icing cakes but I heard once you can slide waxed paper under the edges of the bottom layer to keep the plate neat.  Seems to work for me!
Ice between the layers first, then the sides, then the top!
Then slice and eat and sing the Happy Birthday song!
I was very happy with the way this turned out.  That’s also a first for me!
Best-Ever Chocolate Cake
(I would be happy to give proper credit for this recipe but it has no names or identifying marks – thanks whoever you are!)
3/4 cup butter
3 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cup milk
Allow butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Lightly grease bottoms of three 8 inch round cake pans.  Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper.  Grease and lightly flour waxed paper and sides of pan.  Set pans aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes or until well mixed.  Scrape side of bowl, continue beating on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition (about 1 minute total).  Beat in vanilla.
Alternately add flour mixture and milk to beaten mixture, beating on low speed just until combined after each addition.  Beat on medium to high speed for 20 seconds more.  Spread evenly into prepared pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean.  Cool cake layers in pans for 10 minutes.  Remove from pans.  Peel off waxed paper.  Cool completely on wire racks.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
(adapted from a recipe by Alice at A Savory Sweet Life)
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer on medium speed.
Sift 3 cups of powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl with the butter. Beat on low until blended. Increase the mixer speed and add the vanilla, salt and cream. Beat for about 3 minutes and ice cake.
~~~~~
Thanks so much for stopping by!  I hope you have a great week free from serve weather events or earth movements!
Tricia
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7 Comments

  1. McMGrad89 says

    August 30, 2011 at 11:41 pm

    Looks like a tasty birthday. I will have to remember this cake.

    reply to this comment >
  2. Angie's Recipes says

    August 26, 2011 at 4:36 am

    Happy belated Birthday, Tricia! Now you wouldn't forget what had happened on your birthday this year….<br />The cake looks gorgeous!<br />Angie

    reply to this comment >
  3. Barefeet In The Kitchen says

    August 25, 2011 at 9:45 pm

    Happy Birthday, Tricia! Your cake turned out absolutely beautiful. Glad to hear that you are okay. Have a wonderful rest of the birthday week!

    reply to this comment >
  4. The Slow Roasted Italian says

    August 25, 2011 at 2:26 pm

    Happy Birthday Tricia! So glad you are okay. We are about 50 miles from a nuclear power plant and I can only imagine the added fear.<br /><br />The cake looks and sounds delicious! Great job!

    reply to this comment >
  5. A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says

    August 25, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    Will you PLEASE make me one for my birthday? Pretty please???

    reply to this comment >
  6. thecompletecookbook says

    August 25, 2011 at 7:04 am

    Wishing you a very Happy 52nd Birthday but talk about a way of celebrating with an earthquake! Glad all is okay and that you were able to make this wonderful cake to celebrate.<br />Have a happy day.<br />:-) Mandy

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  7. Tanna at The Brick Street Bungalow says

    August 24, 2011 at 12:13 pm

    Happy, Happy Birthday (one day late) Tricia!! I'm so glad everything ended up okay with the earthquake!! My daughter and grandsons are in VA. She was so busy trying to buy groceries with her 2 month and 2 year old who were 'done' for the day, that she didn't even notice in Wal-Mart. All of us, including her husband, whose office definitely felt the tremors, were trying to call

    reply to this comment >

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