it is raining again. Correction, it hasn't stopped, but sporadically, for a few days. October began, reports of falling snow occurred, and all I want to do is snuggle up with a book whilst cake bakes in the oven. Classic things never fail to inspire me when the weather starts to chill off. Once it's properly cold & winter has fully set in, I'll be all about innovative layering and my new studded mittens, but for now, bring me some professor clothes and a good book and chocolate cake.
My little basement apartment has two temperature settings, really. Cool to cold or warm to boiling are my options. Since it's always a bit easier to regulate temperature by putting on or taking off clothes when it is colder, I set the thermostat to quite chilled this time of year. That leaves plenty of temperature to add a sweater here, put on some tights there, and throw a cake in the oven for some extra heat. Also, who doesn't love chocolate cake.
In my family, my grandfather did a lot of the baking and cooking, leaving my grandma to clean up or allow him to take over if she weren't performing quickly enough. However, there was on recipe that was entirely her purview and not my grandfathers: Miracle Whip Chocolate Cake. It is a tried and true recipe that substitutes all eggs, oil, and liquid with Miracle Whip and water. I have hear much more of its use in the South, but it probably dates to some sort of Miracle Whip recipe promotion in the sixties. In any case, the basic cake is a simple, dense, moist, and delicious chocolate cake.
Over the years, I've substituted and added and tweaked the recipe for my own taste, but my grandfather still prefers the unadorned recipe. He claims he can taste the "foreign" flavors if I change anything. Once I even removed the Miracle Whip altogether and replaced it with vanilla yogurt (you try running out of Miracle Whip when you've promised the girls chocolate cupcakes & they are due at your house in twenty minutes!). That change has been accepted wholesale by my family and friends as making a somewhat more moist and equally deliciious version of our family favorite. Grandpa doesn't even notice.
At this point, whenever I throw a party and ask friends if they've any menu requests their response follows a formula, "I'll eat anything. Everything you make is delicious. Whatever you feel like...wait, you are making those cupcakes right?" As you can see, this cake recipe works wonderfully in cupcake form as well. I've even added chocolate chips to the batter and had an entire law school class clamoring for more. This cake is good iced, with powdered sugar, or just plain. Go get your cake on.
Miracle Whip Chocolate Cake (original recipe)
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 cup cold water
vanilla
Mix the dry ingredients in one smaller bowl, then the Miracle Whip and water in a larger one. Slowly add the dry mix to the wet in three or four portions. Mix well, then pour into a greased & floured 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven. Let cool and ice.
Miracle Whip Chocolate Cake 2.0
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
1 cup cold water
vanilla
1 oz. baking chocolate, melted
2/3 cup of chocolate chips (optional)
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Measure the yogurt and water in a glass measuring cup, mixing together with the vanilla. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mix in two or three portions, mixing between additions. Add the melted baking chocolate. Once mixed, add the chips, if desired.
Pour batter into a 9x13 glass baking dish (greased & cocoa powdered) and bake for 40 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven. Let cool and ice.
If making cupcakes, pour batter into lined cupcake tins, a small ladleful at a time. Do not fill more than 2/3-3/4 of the way. Bake for 20-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
All versions of the cake will be done when a knife or toothpick comes out clean, though be watchful for melted chocolate chips. I often use cream cheese icing (as pictured) on the cupcakes, though a simple chocolate powdered sugar icing is preferred by Grandpa.
Also delicious is a cream cheese/Nutella icing, made by combining a can of cream cheese icing with a jar of Nutella. That works wonderfully for a more decadent presentation, like the one directly above, if the cake is baked in a springform pan and removed before icing.
"Be well. Do good work. Keep in touch." - Garrison Keillor
In my family, my grandfather did a lot of the baking and cooking, leaving my grandma to clean up or allow him to take over if she weren't performing quickly enough. However, there was on recipe that was entirely her purview and not my grandfathers: Miracle Whip Chocolate Cake. It is a tried and true recipe that substitutes all eggs, oil, and liquid with Miracle Whip and water. I have hear much more of its use in the South, but it probably dates to some sort of Miracle Whip recipe promotion in the sixties. In any case, the basic cake is a simple, dense, moist, and delicious chocolate cake.
Over the years, I've substituted and added and tweaked the recipe for my own taste, but my grandfather still prefers the unadorned recipe. He claims he can taste the "foreign" flavors if I change anything. Once I even removed the Miracle Whip altogether and replaced it with vanilla yogurt (you try running out of Miracle Whip when you've promised the girls chocolate cupcakes & they are due at your house in twenty minutes!). That change has been accepted wholesale by my family and friends as making a somewhat more moist and equally deliciious version of our family favorite. Grandpa doesn't even notice.
At this point, whenever I throw a party and ask friends if they've any menu requests their response follows a formula, "I'll eat anything. Everything you make is delicious. Whatever you feel like...wait, you are making those cupcakes right?" As you can see, this cake recipe works wonderfully in cupcake form as well. I've even added chocolate chips to the batter and had an entire law school class clamoring for more. This cake is good iced, with powdered sugar, or just plain. Go get your cake on.
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup Miracle Whip
1 cup cold water
vanilla
Mix the dry ingredients in one smaller bowl, then the Miracle Whip and water in a larger one. Slowly add the dry mix to the wet in three or four portions. Mix well, then pour into a greased & floured 9x13 glass baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven. Let cool and ice.
Miracle Whip Chocolate Cake 2.0
2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup vanilla or plain yogurt
1 cup cold water
vanilla
1 oz. baking chocolate, melted
2/3 cup of chocolate chips (optional)
Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Measure the yogurt and water in a glass measuring cup, mixing together with the vanilla. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mix in two or three portions, mixing between additions. Add the melted baking chocolate. Once mixed, add the chips, if desired.
Pour batter into a 9x13 glass baking dish (greased & cocoa powdered) and bake for 40 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven. Let cool and ice.
If making cupcakes, pour batter into lined cupcake tins, a small ladleful at a time. Do not fill more than 2/3-3/4 of the way. Bake for 20-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
Also delicious is a cream cheese/Nutella icing, made by combining a can of cream cheese icing with a jar of Nutella. That works wonderfully for a more decadent presentation, like the one directly above, if the cake is baked in a springform pan and removed before icing.
So when is everything gettin Kindled or Tableted?
ReplyDelete-W4E
Cute blog! It is nice to see what you have been up to and what delicious things you are cooking up :) I will have to try some of your recipes.
ReplyDelete@W4E - never! I don't travel so much that I can't just throw a book or two in my bag...and you can't make notes in the margin of a Kindle
ReplyDelete@Gnat - that's dear! I loved seeing your wedding pics & wished I could have been there. Glad you're liking the site.