Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

This has always been my most popular recipe posted- by a long shot.  The salted caramel alone is divine- perfect not only for this recipe but for dipping apples, coating popcorn, or over ice cream. But I digress...

This recipe has been adapted from an Ina Garten recipe.  If you don't have time for the cake I highly recommend the frosting for any chocolate cake.  Sometimes you just need tasty but convenient... 

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature

• 2 tablespoons brewed coffee

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup good cocoa powder

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cake pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2 sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Lower the speed to medium, add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, and coffee. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. On low speed, add the buttermilk mixture and the flour mixture alternately in thirds to the mixer bowl, beginning with the buttermilk mixture and ending with the flour mixture. Mix only until blended. Fold the batter with a rubber spatula to be sure it’s completely blended. Divide your batter between your cake pans – use any extra to make some cupcakes. I like to fill my 6″ rounds 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool for 10-15 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Salted Caramel
~wonderful for endless desserts!

Salted Caramel

1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea

1. Combine the sugar, water, and the corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
3. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.
4. Do not stir from this point on, but instead swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn.
5. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
6. *** Be careful here *** Pour the heavy cream into the mixture. The mixture will bubble up significantly and is very hot.
7. Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.
8. Measure 1 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to cool until thick like molasses and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes. Save any extra in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It is delicious on ice cream, not to mention your finger… 

Salted Caramel Frosting

2 sticks butter at room temperature
8 ounces of cream cheese
3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 cup salted caramel (recipe above)

1. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
2. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar into the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
3. Add 1 cup of the salted caramel and beat to combine.
4. Add additional powdered sugar until the frosting is the sweetness and consistency you desire.

Enjoy!

Ginger Molasses Cookies

With Autumn on its way, I always find reasons to make savory sweets.  One of my favorites are these spicy ginger molasses cookies from one of my favorites- Ina Garten.  They are chewy and sweet with a hint of savory and perfect for the coming cooler weather.  

Ina Garten's Ginger Cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses

• 1 extra-large egg, at room temperature

• 1 1/4 cups chopped crystallized ginger (6 ounces)

• Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Preheat oven to 350° F and line cookie sheets with parchment or Silpat mats.  

In a medium bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for five minutes.  Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for another minute.  Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for one more minute.  With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for two minutes.  Add the crystallized ginger and mix until combined.

This is where a small dough/ice cream scoop comes in very handy.  Scoop a ball out of the dough, roll with your hands into a ball, flatten lightly with your fingers, and lightly coat both sides with granulated sugar.  Place them on the baking sheet and bake for exactly 13 minutes.  The cookies will be cracked on the outside and soft on the inside.  Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for a minute or two and then transfer to wire cooling racks.  Cool completely before putting into your cooking jar (if they make it there…).

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

If ever you wanted a versatile marginally healthy delicious cookie, this is your winner, hands down.  These cookies have been a favorite since I adapted a recipe years ago, adding flax and oats and just recently chopped almonds.  Really if you make the dough you can add anything from chocolate to raisins to dried cranberries to anything you can dream up.  This past week I used a bar of chocolate that I had chopped up as I didn't have any chips and almonds which I had also chopped up.  They were divine- truly.  And don't even get me started about putting coconut milk ice cream between two of them...  

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Combine in a medium bowl:

2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal

1/4 cup ground flax seed

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, blend until smooth:

1 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

when smooth add: 

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

mix well.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients 1/3 at a time.  Blend until mixed and add:

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (adjust to your family's liking)

I use a batter scoop (which is like a small ice cream scoop) to scoop dough onto cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes - depending on your oven.  I like to take them out while they still look slightly undercooked - but only a bit.  They tend to be softer that way.