Night 4: Results

Monday night: time for chocolate!!!


Having found my gold and white cake recipes, it was time to move onto my favorite type of cake: chocolate. Growing up, my Mymama (my name for my grandmother) made the most delicious chocolate fudge cake. Of course, that's the one I wanted to start with and it was an easy decision to make!


Mymama had given me her recipe (from memory) years ago but I was curious to see how it matched up with the versions my mom and aunt had. Fortunately by piecing all three together, the correct recipe was found. I have copied it here for you below. The cake was truly moist and flavorful and the icing was to die for. We shared it with a group of friends last night and seconds were passed to everyone. 


Now, before we get too deep into the details of the recipe, I have to share a funny on myself. Like any good baker, I thoroughly read the ingredient list before I started making the recipe. On the ingredient list it said PET milk. While at the grocery store, I looked on the shelf and grabbed the can of milk that had a pet's face on it (a cow) and bought it. The first round I tried to make the icing, I couldn't get the sugar to dissolve! I can be impatient in the kitchen, so I then thought, maybe I didn't let it cook long enough over the heat. For round two of icing, I copied the exact same method but gave it even longer to melt and yet, the same result happened, completely grainy base! After two attempts, I have learned that the issue is usually caused by human error (me). I re-read the recipe and then promptly Googled PET milk, which OF COURSE is evaporated milk, NOT sweetened condensed milk! For the third round, I made the icing with the right milk and it turned out beautifully. What a gaffe!


Back to the cake baking and making! Mymama recommended icing the cake pretty quickly after the icing is made and I now understand why, as it cools, it really becomes like fudge and is thick and not easy to work with. I would let the icing sit for a max of 2 minutes after it is made and then start applying it to the cake.


This cake baking session was also the first time I had utilized the tips from Bakerella: 1) to wrap the cakes immediately after they have been cooled from the oven about 5 minutes and 2) use a sugar water spray to keep the cake moist. Of course, they worked!


Mymama's Chocolate Fudge Cake

16 oz. can Hershey Syrup

1 stick butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 cup self-rising flour (I also learned self-rising flour has baking powder & salt in it; if you only have all-purpose flour, not to fear as you can mix your own, see link here: Homemade Self-Rising Flour

4 eggs

Cream margarine and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.  Add syrup and then flour.  Bake in 2 layers at 350. Mymama did not give a time for baking. I started watching mine after 20 minutes and it came out at about 24 minutes. As always, test the middle for zero crumbs, with a toothpick. 

1 ½ cup sugar

6 T. butter

1/3 cup PET (evaporated milk)

7 oz. jar Marshmallow cream, but use 1/2

Pinch salt

6oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix sugar, butter and evaporated milk in a medium size pan and stir over low heat. After everything begins to melt/mix, boil 1 minute until no grains of sugar are showing. Remove the pan from heat and add ½ t. vanilla, 6 oz. choc. chips and ½ of a 7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream.  Stir and then spread onto your cake.