So, car troubles. A quick visit to Dad’s this weekend rendered them a memory.
Fortunate for me – not to mention my wallet – the damage was limited to crusty battery posts. Which, you know, was “amazing.” Though I felt like a total dumbass, it was nothing less than a cause for celebration.
But really, what isn’t this time of year? Sunshine. Mothers. Birthdays. Goat babies. Cinco de Mayo. Asparagus. Boxing Matches. Graduations. Open windows. Horse Races.
I used to shy away from parties and extravagance, but now I love it all. The combination of food and sun and friends (family included) puts me at my happiest, and there’s no shortage of any of it this time of year.
This past week has been a busy one spent catching up, relaxing, working hard, recovering, and staying up far later than I should. My priorities have been elsewhere – far from the blog – and though I’d hoped to get this cake up sooner, I was too busy indulging in the most beautiful weekend we’ve had in what feels like a decade.
So I’ll sign off like this, with a “you’re welcome.” Once you’ve skimmed this, get to baking this tasty cake… Or perhaps just start sipping a margarita. I know I’d be about that.
- 1⅓ c (166 g) flour
- ⅜ c (33 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ c (118 g) butter, room temp
- 1½ c (213 g) brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 eggs, room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ⅔ c (157 ml) sour cream, room temp
- ⅔ c (157 ml) boiling water
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Oil and line two 6-inch pans. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda, cinnamon, cayenne and salt in a large bowl and set aside.
- Cream the butter and sugar, until very light and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Be sure to scrape the bowl every now and again.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until very well incorporated. Add the vanilla.
- Pour in a third of the dry ingredients, mix until just combined.
- Add half of the sour cream and mix until just combined.
- Continue in this fashion, ending with the dry ingredients, mixing until everything is just combined,
- With the mixer on it's lowest setting, very slowly pour in the boiling water so it does not puddle and splash.
- Divide the batter between the two pans and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
- Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes. Remove them and wrap completely in plastic wrap, placing in the refrigerator to cool completely before splitting and frosting.
). Even if you don't make the chocolate cake listed, please make this frosting for the next cake you bake. It's lovely! I ended up making homemade horchata for this, but realized in doing so that you can probably find this stuff at the grocery store. It was a fun project, but it's probably a little less than necessary to make it homemade. However, if you would like to try it out, I very highly recommend this recipe from the lovely Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil!- 1½ c (300 g) sugar
- ⅓ c (47 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ c (155 ml) horchata
- ⅓ c (78 ml) heavy cream
- 1½ c (355 g) butter, room temp and cubed
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Combine the sugar and flour in a cool saucepan. Very slowly stir in the horchata and cream, stirring well so that the flour does not clump. Set the pan over medium heat, and stirring frequently, cook the mixture until quite thick and pastey, 10-15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from heat and pour the mixture into the bowl of your mixer. Fit with the paddle attachment and whip on high speed until the outside of the bowl is cool to the touch, about fifteen minutes.
- When the bowl is cool, add the butter all at once and whip on high speed until very light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and whip to combine.
Now, put it together: How to Assemble a Layer Cake | How to Frost a Cake.
Beautiful cake! I love the icing on top, and sounds delicious too.
Thank you so much, Cat!
What a pretty cake. yummy!
But,….. What is HORCHATA? I don’t think I can get that in Japan…. Can I make it?
😉
Hi Pamela! Thank you so much!!
Horchata is a delicious drink made with almonds, rice, water and cinnamon. You can certainly make it – it’s really easy, just takes awhile. Check this out: http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2014/09/homemade-horchata.html
So beautiful, your cake decorating skills are amazing! I bet that horchata frosting tastes divine, it looks fantastic here – it’s on my list now of things to try out in my own kitchen! Thanks for the inspiration Kaitlin! 🙂
Thank you so much, Erica!! I really appreciate that 😀 The frosting is SO FLUFFY. I definitely recommend making it – I know you’ll love it!
OMG! I have only just finished the cake for a party at work; however after sampling a bit I might keep it and eat the ENTIRE cake myself!!! It is that delicious. I cannot wait to make the frosting. This is officially now my favorite cake recipe. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.