GLORIOUS CHOCOLATE CAKE + bonus recipe!

 You might recall this cake that I made on Christmas Eve.

 

My sister-in-law Sheila made it for Thanksyodermas, and I begged her for the recipe. Turns out it was in our family cookbook, but I had always passed it by because it looked too involved.

 But then she told me that you didn't have to make the cake from scratch as in the original recipe--she just used a chocolate cake mix. So all you had to do was make the frosting and glaze. I could do that!

A repeating comment I kept hearing from my family was, "I don't normally like chocolate upon chocolate, but THIS! Wow."

This is the type of cake that, if you were dying tomorrow, you'd make for your last meal. Because you would no longer care about the calories. And because you would die happy, ensconced in chocolate.

This is the cake mix I used. It's new from Duncan Hines (my favorite brand) and it not only has chocolate chunks in it--it has a fudge pouch!! :D.... I also used Ghirardelli cocoa and baking bars, because you want high quality chocolate for this. 

Okay, on with the recipe.

 Triple Chocolate Cake

Sheila Brown

1 pkg Duncan Hines Decadent Triple Chocolate cake mix

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 2/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted

2 tsp. vanilla

pinch of salt

4-5 Tbsp. milk

Chocolate Glaze

3 squares (3 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

5 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces

1 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

pinch of salt

1 tsp. vanilla

4-5 Tbsp. hot water

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Bake in two 8-inch cake pans that are greased and floured or sprayed with Baker's Joy. Let cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate frosting: In large bowl, combine softened butter and salt. Beat with mixer until well blended. Gradually add about half of powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. milk (reserve remainder). Beat until fluffy. Beat in cocoa. Add remaining sugar and enough milk to make a good spreading consistency, then add vanilla. Increase speed to high; beat until fluffy and well blended. Spread frosting in between the two cake layers, then frost the rest of the cake. Chill frosted cake, uncovered, at least 30 minutes before applying the glaze.

Glaze: In microwave safe bowl, combine chopped chocolate, butter and salt. Microwave for 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Add powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp. hot water (reserve remainder); whisk well to combine. Gradually add enough of the remaining hot water to achieve a thick glaze consistency. Whisk in vanilla. Let stand at room temp. for 10-15 minutes, whisking occasionally, to cool and thicken slightly. Slowly pour glaze onto top center of chilled cake. If possible, chill once more and let set.

...

If I can make this frosting on a super hectic Christmas Eve morning and assemble/frost the cake just minutes before it was to be eaten, then surely you can pull this off. And the best part??

There was extra glaze!

I had the rest of it in my fridge for a couple of weeks when I finally remembered it and decided to make a milkshake with it.

 I just heated up the glaze (I had around 1/2 cup) and added it to a few scoops of vanilla ice cream, poured in a splash of milk, and blended.

 I was nice and decided to share some with my children. It was rich and creamy and almost as glorious as the cake.

The verdict?

 Madelyn: "Mom, this is the best thing I've ever eaten in my whole life."

Oh yum. I wish I had another excuse to make this right now.