Moist Chocolate Cake

For all of you chocolate fans, here is a recipe for a moist cake that holds well  weeks (if somebody can resist it for that long).

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 cup brewed coffee
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing:
1 cup milk
5 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease two 9'' round pans and keep them aside.

Stiff all dry ingredients together - flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa.

In a bowl beat both eggs and sugar for about 5-6 mins. Add oil, milk, coffee and vanilla extract. Give this a quick stir and add the dry ingredients a cup at a time. The batter will be thin!

Pour into the baking pans and bake for 30 mins.

Coll down for 10-15 mins before taking the cakes out of the pan. 

To make the icing:

Combine warm milk and flour and cook until thickens. make sure you beat the milk often to avoid burning and lumps.

Cool it down and refrigerate for 30 mins.

Ina bowl beat together butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy.

Add the cold milk and flour mixture and beat for 7-8 more minutes or until all ingredients are well combined.

To assemble the cake:

If you want to avoid the curvy cake top, cut out the top portion of the cake to make it flat. 

Spread the icing on top of the first layer. Place the second cake on the top of the first frosted cake.

Spread more icing to cover the top and the sides. The cake can be refrigerated. 

Enjoy!

Quick Croissant with chocolate filling

I love making everything from scratch, but I need to confess I have store bought dough  hidden in the fridge for those days I'm out of time and kids are starving.... Not that it happens often, but I have days like this and when it happens I am so  thankful for Pillsbury crescent roll packages I have!

They are so good for a quick fix snack.

I use them the most in this way:

1 pkg Pillsbury crescent roll

1/2 cup chocolate chips 

oil for the baking shit

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Open the package and unroll the dough.

Pull apart the pre cut triangles and place some of the chocolate chips on the wider side.

Roll the dough towards the smaller part of the triangle while pressing the sides to avoid the melted chocolate to come out during baking.

Fold the ready roll from both side slightly to form a crescent shape. 

Arrange in the oiled baking sheet or dish and bake for 12 to 15 mins ( kids and I like them well baked and light brown on top, so I bake them for 15 mins :) )

Cool them down for about 5 mins and Enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge

Plain or with nuts this fudge is so way too easy to make and hold well for weeks, if remains for that long....
Make sure you check the size of the evaporated milk can ;), if you get bigger size can the fudge wont thicken!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups white sugar
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
10 large marshmallows
1 cup chopped walnuts, almonds or any other nuts you like

Directions:

Butter a pan (I used one 8x8). You can use bigger for a thinner layer of fudge or smaller for thicker.
Place the butter, chocolate chips and vanilla in a mixing bowl and set aside.
Combine sugar, milk and marshmallow in a pan. Bring to boil on a medium heat while stirring from time to time. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5-6 mins more stirring continuously.

Remove from heat. Pour it over the chocolate chips and butter mixture. Mix well until thickens.

Fold in the nuts if using any and pour into buttered pan.

Refrigerate for several hours until firm.

Cut into squares and ENJOY!