DARN GOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE with BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

For when you have unexpected company, or you just gotta have that chocolate fix......

DARN GOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE with

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1 pkg devil’s food cake mix
1 box instant pudding mix ( vanilla or chocolate)
1 cup sour cream
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

Beat all together, Batter will be very thick.
pour into two round greased cake pans. Bake at 350 about 29 minutes.Frost with Buttercream

BUTTERCREAM (Creamy and not overly sweet)
1 cup butter
2 and 2/3 cups icing sugar
1/3  cup whipping cream
½ tsp vanilla
Add Cocoa powder to suit your taste:
1/3 cocoa for light
               or

½ cup for medium

                or

¾ cup for dark

Beat all together. Comes together nicely, is creamy and lovely to spread on cake. Cut cake layers in half to make four layers.

 Serve with fresh berries to some special company.......

 Going.......................................

 Going..................................

Gone..........

Three Fruitcakes---Dark, Chocolate, Light...........

 Finished product....Dark ( left) Whte ( middle) and Chocolate ( right) Fruitcakes, full of boozy fruit, which has baked out, chocolate, nuts, real fruit, butter and eggs.

Sunday afternoon baking. Fruitcakes ready to plop into little bags on their way to the freezer to await homes in far off distant places.....................

Devilish Cupcakes

The best cupcake....sinful....sonorously sly...

I'm not always a big fan of Martha Stewart recipes. But this this one takes the cake ( I know, bad pun...can't help it) . The cake is tender, the buttercream frosting is creamy, not sugary and holds its shape, exactly what the recipe promised.   Such a treat. You will want to lick the bowl.......trust me.....

 Cupcakes: 3/4 cocoa mixed into 1/4 hot water. Combine all dry ingredients: 3 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, pinch coarse salt. Combine all wet ingredients: 1 1/2 cups butter, 2 1/4 cups sugar, 4 large eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1 cup sour cream. Alternate wet and dry ingredients till beaten well. Plop into paper lined cupcake tins. Fill 3/4. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Let cool. Then frost with Devilsh Buttercream.

Buttercream: 1/4 cup plus t tablespoons cocoa powder mixed into 1/ cup hot water. Softened 1 12 cups margarine or butter. Add 1/2 cp icing sugar, pinch of salt. Beat till glossy and smooth. Wonderful stuf.....be suure to save enough to pile onto the cupcakes.