Precious Art By Precious People

June Bride? Or just a wonderful chocolate cake for all to enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 

  ¾ cup (6 ounces, 1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter

• 1 ¾ cups (12 ounces) superfine or granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (8 ½ ounces) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (2 ¼ ounces) natural cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 ½ cups (12 ounces) milk, buttermilk or water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, baking soda and vanilla at medium speed till fluffy and light, at least 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa. If lumps remain, sift the mixture. Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating after each addition until the egg disappears, and scraping the side and bottom of the bowl. Slowly blend 1/3 of the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, then ½ the milk, another third of the flour, the remaining milk and the remaining flour.

Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally throughout this process.

Grease and flour three 8 inch round cake pans. Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Wrap the pans with moistened cake strips (to prevent doming), if desired. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, and the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the pan. Remove from the oven, place on a rack to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove them from the pan. Fill and frost with the icing.

*For a two tier cake, double the recipe and use three 6 inch round baking pans for the top tier.*

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.
THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
www.thasc.com