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| Black Velvet Cake |
| This cake gets it’s astonishing ebony color from the same black cocoa used to make Oreo cookies Ingredients butter black cocoa 2 cups flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/3 cup black cocoa [available from specialty retailers] 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 3 eggs 1 2/3 cups sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup mayonnaise 1 1/3 cups water Method Preheat oven to 350` Butter bottom of 2 [9 x 1-1/2 inch] round cake pans, "flour" with black cocoa. In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; beat in mayonnaise until blended. Add flour mixture in 4 additions, alternately with water [begin and end with flour]. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove; cool completely on racks before frosting. A good buttercream frosting should have the best quality butter and cream for the best results. This buttercream frosting is not too sweet. Pay close attention the techniques involved. You will be much happier with the results if you follow this recipe to the letter. Black Cocoa Buttercream Frosting Ingredients 2 cups butter, softened 1 cup heavy whipping cream 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2/3 cup black cocoa Method In a large bowl, Whip the butter on high speed, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl. Whip until double in volume. This takes a very long time, approximately 10 minutes. While still whipping, drizzle in the heavy cream. Continue whipping until the mixture is stiff, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. In a medium bowl, carefully combine, with a whisk, the confectioners’ sugar, the black cocoa, and the dutch process cocoa. Add 1/2 of the confectioners’ sugar mixture to the butter and cream mixture and whip until smooth. At this point, you can taste the frosting and determine if you would like to add more of the sugar mixture to sweeten to taste, but the focus should be on the dark dark black cocoa. |