Easiest Chocolate Cake and Frosting

When it comes to baking a cake, a boxed mix is usually what I turn to. I have tried over and over to make  homemade cakes, and the never seem to want to turn out how they should. This recipe on the other hand is foolproof; it doesn't get easier than this. I compare this cake to the dense rich layered cake served at Magleby's. This all depends on the richness of the cocoa that you use. We have found that this cake is a little too much if too dark of cocoa is used. We prefer to use the cocoa sold in bulk at Winco.

Over the years, we have made several dozen cakes for friends and family. We have learned the importance of baking with the correct equipment. For our pans, we use aluminum Nordicware (from Walmart). They are thick just like the common aluminum cookie sheet. These pans cause the cake to rise very evenly so when doing layers, there is no annoying dome that needs to be cut off the top.

Our next big secret is parchment paper. We cut a piece of parchment paper the size of the bottom of the pan, spray the pan, and then stick the parchment to the bottom before filling with cake batter. This method gives us a no-fail, non-stick bottom every time. Since we use this method, we do not have to make a mess in coating the pan with flour. As good as this cake is on its own, there's no better chocolate frosting recipe than the one below.

Don't feel like you are restricted to use only a 9 x 13 pan. We usually make this recipe in two 9-inch rounds. On the flip-side it is important that you use the appropriate method whether you are at sea level, or at high altitude.

Once again, give this recipe a try. Take pictures, and let us know how it went. Enjoy!

Sea Level Ingredients:	High Altitude Ingredients:
1 Cup (2 Sticks) of Butter or Margarine 1 Cup of Water 1/4 Cup of Cocoa 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour 2 Cups of Sugar 1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt 2 Eggs 1/2 Cup of Dairy Sour Cream	1 Cup (2 Sticks) of Butter or Margarine 1 1/4 Cup of Water 1/4 Cup of Cocoa 2 Cups of All-Purpose Flour 1 7/8 Cups of Sugar (Subtract 2 Tablespoons) 3/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt 2 Eggs 3/4 Cup of Dairy Sour Cream

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 F. Grease and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Combine butter, water and cocoa in small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils. Remove from heat. Stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Stir in hot cocoa mixture. Add eggs and sour cream. Beat on medium speed with mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow for cake to cool before frosting.

Frosting Ingredients:

3 1/2 Cups of Powdered Sugar
1/2 Cup of Cocoa
1/2 Cup (1 Stick) of Butter or Margarine (Softened)
2 Tablespoons of Light Corn Syrup
2 Teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Milk

Frosting Directions:

Combine sugar and cocoa. Beat butter, two cups of cocoa mixture, corn syrup, and vanilla in medium bowl until smooth. Add remaining cocoa mixture alternately with milk, beating until smooth and able to be spread.

Doubled Recipe

Granola Bars

We have been trying to eat a little healthier lately. I've been dying for a snack that is cheap, tasty, and of course, good for me. I've seen cereal bars be made before, so I knew the basic ingredients and I decided to just whip this up with a few ingredients in the kitchen. There are a ton of different variations that can be made with this recipe, so don't stick to mine.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Butter
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Honey
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla

1 Cup of Rice Chex
1 Cup of Frosted Flakes
1 Cup of Oats
1/4 Cup of Wheat Germ
1/2 Cup of Chopped Almonds

4 Ounces of Melting Chocolate

Directions:

In a large bowl, add all dry ingredients together and mix evenly. Melt butter with salt in a large saucepan on medium to medium high heat. Add honey and brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in corn syrup and simmer stirring consistently for one minute. Stir in vanilla and remove pan from heat. Fold evenly all dry ingredients into liquid mixture. Spoon mixture into greased 9 x 13 pan and cool completely. Drizzle melted chocolate onto cooled bars. Cut into even pieces and store in zip top bag.

This recipe makes around 16 bars at about 126 calories per bar. Enjoy!

Homemade Hamburger Buns and Fries

I never thought that I would ever make homemade hamburger buns.  It's something that's really easy to pick up at the store.  But boy, was I missing out!  These homemade buns are to die for.  You'll never go back to store bought after making these.  

We adapted this recipe from a recipe in the book called 200 Fast & Easy Artisan Breads.  We found that the original was too sweet, so we cut the sugar. The original also makes a dozen rolls, we like it better cut in half. One other modification that we like to make is doing half whole wheat, half white flour. 

Beside flour, salt, yeast, and water, the key ingredient to artisan bread is patience. Like most artisan breads, the gluten is not formed by kneading, it's formed by resting. For this and several other reasons, I find this recipe to be the easiest. 

While patience is important, it is not always necessary, but there are trade-offs to be made. You have temperature control. The warmer the liquid going into the dough, the faster it will rise. Room temperature also plays a part in this process. The downside: when a rise happens fast, the flavor is reduced. I recommend a liquid temperature between 90 and 100 degrees (F); it will allow the dough to rise relatively quickly and help the flavor to improve. If you are in no hurry, lower the temperature down to 80 degrees. If you find that the dough is rising too fast, punch it down, and if you would like, put it in the refrigerator.

So there you have it. Please try it out; you won't be disappointed. Don't forget to send us pictures, and post comments. 

Ingredients: 

(Serves 12)

• 6 1/2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/4 Tablespoons of Instant Yeast
• 1 Tablespoon of Kosher Salt
• 1/2 Cup of Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cups of Milk
• 1 1/2 Cups of Water
• 1 Mixing Bowl with Wooden Spoon (Or Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment)
• 2 Sheets of Parchment Paper

Directions:

Mix thoroughly together all dry ingredients, including the yeast. Microwave the milk for a couple of minutes. Keeping temperature in mind (no more than 130 degrees F), add the water to the milk, and mix into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or stand mixer just until everything is absorbed by the liquid. You don't want to mix this too long. Continue by scraping down the sides  of the bowl and covering with plastic wrap for a few hours or until it has doubled in size. 

After it has risen, it will be very sticky. Don't hesitate to knead in a little more flour if necessary. Clean latex gloves work great to protect your hands from the very sticky dough. Press down the dough into an inch thick slap and cut much like you would biscuits; I use a large tumbler cup. Stretch the cut pieces of dough to be about a half-inch in diameter smaller than your hamburgers. Space evenly on a parchment papered cookie sheet. Cover again and let rise for 15-30 min. Bake in preheated oven at 400 for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Variations: Mini Hamburgers (AKA: Big Mouth Bites)

Baked French Fries

The great thing about these is that because they are baked or pan fried, they are so much better for you.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 Potatoes per Serving
• 1 Teaspoon of Olive/Vegetable Oil per Serving
• Salt and Pepper to Taste
• Paprika or Chili Pepper as Desired
• 1-2 Quarts of Boiling Water

Directions:

First, peel potatoes if you would like, otherwise wash them very very well. Cut each potato into strips or wedges. Try to make them uniform so they cook evenly. Put sliced potatoes in a large bowl and pour the boiling water on top. Soak potatoes for 3-5 minutes. Drain water and add oil and salt and pepper and other spices as desired. I usually just eyeball this step. I like my fries really salty so I add a lot. Mix until they are coated evenly. Spread evenly on cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes.  

I will warn you that these will take a while to crisp up. I usually let them cook for about 25 minutes.  After that if they are still not crispy enough I'll broil them for a few minutes. Enjoy!