Mom is Great, She Bakes Us Chocolate Cake

My mom's chocolate cake is the stuff of legends. I remember as a kid she would make it from scratch and we'd have to keep the noise down so the cake wouldn't fall. In hindsight, I think that was a tactic to keep me quiet.

Later she worked smarter, not harder, and found a box recipe that did the trick. Mom made some modifications to the boxed cake, as always, to make it her own. You wouldn't know it was from a box, and we were none the wiser.

Mom's cake was in demand for birthdays, graduations, and just about every holiday. It wasn't until her last year that I even attempted to make it on my own. It still pales in comparison to hers. The memories of childhood and my mom flood back with every bite, so I hope this cake is something that you can use as you make your own memories this Mother's Day.

I've decided to pair Mom's Chocolate Cake with Booker's Kathleen's Batch. I've long believed that great women…raise great women…who raise great women. So with this celebration of Great Women...mostly moms…I'm also celebrating a beautiful tribute to another great woman, Kathleen DiBenedetto of Beam Suntory. This Batch of Booker's is, by far, my favorite. A well-loved bottle. I have another one to spare when this is long gone (don't tell my husband).

Mom is great…she bakes us chocolate cake!

The pairing: the rich chocolate cake on the pallet rinsed with the caramels of the bourbon makes this a creamy, decadent dessert. The coffee in the cake and the leather on the nose makes every bite worth every calorie.

Once my mom became a grandmother, she added Cherry Jell-o with Apples on the side. A great addition to the cake and if you do the same, it also opens up the cherries some speak of in the Bookers. I personally have always loved this cake as a stand-alone.

I hope you give this one a try. It’s truly amazing. Don’t let it intimidate you, it’s super easy.

The Recipe

You will need the following:

1 Box Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1 Tub Pilsbury Chocolate Fudge Frosting
3 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 Cup + 3 Tablespoons Brewed Coffee, Chilled
2 9” Round Cake Pans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease pans and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and 1 cup of the chilled coffee.
Mix on low speed for less than a minute. Using a rubber spatula, scrape edges of the mixing bowl down to ensure all ingredients are incorporated. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes more.
Pour batter equally between both round cake pans.
Bake according to the cake box instructions. (Should be 24-29 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted in the center and comes out clean.)
Cool completely on a rack.
Once cooled, remove from the pan and allow to cool a bit longer.
Because you are making a tiered cake, you will need to ensure your cake sides are flat. If using a plate, place the bottom layer upside down with the round side against the plate. The top should then be placed round side up. Choose the best looking one for the top. Before frosting, you can set the cake to see how this lines up. Professional cake decorators will actually shave the slabs down to look even. That's wasteful and not going to happen here.
Once you have figured out the best layout, remove the top layer, and set aside and prepare your frosting. I asked that you set aside 3 tablespoons of coffee. You will not use all of this. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
Scoop out the frosting from the tub into a bowl and add a little coffee. Careful not to add too much. It will water this down and be hard to spread and will look like your cake is melting. You merely want the coffee flavor. When you have a nice consistency, you are ready to frost.
Start by frosting the top of the bottom layer, this will be the center of the cake and will hold the two layers together. Next, place the top layer on top. Now get to work, spackle the side, and work your way around the entire cake. Using a metal frosting spatula or just a good ol’ butter knife, create peaks and curls - this is what made mom's cake not only delicious but beautiful.

Enjoy! And remember to always take time to Dance!