Chocolate Trail Drive Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
• Place the cranberries in a medium saucepan and add the orange juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat on the stove top. Cover and remove from the heat. Refrigerate until completely cooled.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda into a medium bowl. Add the salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the almond extract. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk, beginning with the dry ingredients and ending with the buttermilk. Mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Fold in the chocolate chips, coconut flakes, almonds and sunflower seeds. Drain the cranberries well and gently fold into the cake batter.
• Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Remove from the pans and cool the cake layers completely.
• Top one of the layers with some Trail Mix Buttercream, then place the second layer on top and decorate the outside of the cake with more of the buttercream and serve.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the confectioner's sugar and mix thoroughly. Fold in the almonds, cranberries, pineapple and sunflower seeds.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring. Set aside, and let cool. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla, and then the melted chocolate. Reduce speed to low; mix in flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the milk. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Divide each piece into 16 (1-inch) balls. Roll in granulated sugar to coat, then in confectioners' sugar to coat. Space 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
• Bake until surfaces crack, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers up to 3 days.

Steps:

• In 13x9 metal pan mix sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and cocoa to break up cocoa lumps then add flour.
• Then add vanilla, coffee, oil, and vinegar and mix with fork but do not beat.
• Sprinkle sugar, about 1/2 cup or enough to create a layer just barely white on the top. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes. Do not cover while warm or sugar topping will melt. I have tried glass pans but it does not do as well.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
• Use the first set of ingredients to make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 3 minutes with an electric mixer. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.
• To make the frosting, use the second set of ingredients. Cream butter until light and fluffy. Stir in the cocoa and confectioners' sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Beat to a spreading consistency.
• Split the layers of cooled cake horizontally, cover the top of each layer with frosting, then stack them onto a serving plate. Frost the outside of the cake.