This is my running gear.
I may not be the most gung-ho runner, but I've got some pretty dedicated running friends. Rain, snow, or shine they're out pounding the pavement like it's the last mile they'll ever run. They can get past the mental road block that prevents me from putting one foot in front of other for more than a handful of miles and have managed to run 10ks, half-marathons, and marathons. M. Frank ran the Marine Corps Marathon, Dee is signed up for NYC, and Richie ran yesterday's Paris Marathon, phew! They are awesome--I clealy run so I can eat.
This is my friends' running gear.
After Richie trudged through 26 grueling miles on Sunday (all for charity too!), he deserved a celebratory 1st marathon cake. On Saturday night I made the chocolate cake recipe from my favorite cookbook to deliver to Richie post marathon. Sans my decorating kaboodle (yes, it really is like a middle school friendship bracelet caddy), the cake design lacks Martha Stewart inspiration, but it's a real deal chocolate cake piled high with Emily's One Bowl Chocolate frosting.
Get yourself a slice!
Get yourself a slice!
Brown cake looks blah, but tastes good!
Chocolate Cake with Emily's One Bowl Chocolate Frosting adapted from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
Ingredients
FOR CAKE:
2 cups all-purpose flour (256 grams Type 65 farine)
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (96 grams Van Houten L'Original 100% Pur Cacao Non Sucre)
2 teaspoons instant espresso or instant coffee (9.5 grams Nescafe Selection decafeine)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (7 grams baking soda--click here for advice on finding American goods in France)
1/2 teaspoon salt (2.4 grams sel)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (171 grams beurre doux)
1 3/4 cup sugar (351 grams sucre cristal)
4 large eggs, at room temperature (4 oeufs frais)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (30 ml vanille arome naturel or 2 cuillère à soupe)
1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature (355 ml lait pasteurise entier)
FOR FROSTING:
6 tablespoons butter (85 grams beurre doux)
2 2/3 cup confectioners sugar (342 grams sucre glace)
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (96 grams Van Houten L'Original 100% Pur Cacao Non Sucre)
1/3 cup whole milk (79 ml lait pasteurise entier)
1 teaspoon vanilla (15 ml vanille arome naturel or 1 cuillère à soupe)
Instructions
FOR CAKE:
1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly coat 2 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pans or 1 9x13 inch pan (or French equivalent) with butter, then line the bottom(s) with parchment paper. Set pan(s) aside. (I used one 9 inch spring form pan and used the rest of the batter to make a dozen cupcakes.)
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, instant espresso, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes (I found it took less time since my butter was very soft). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Reduce the speed to low and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Beat in half of the milk. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture.
5. Give the batter a final stir to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and smooth the top. Bake until a knife inserted into the center of the cake(s) comes out with a few crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes for the round cakes or 25 to 30 minutes for the sheet cake, rotating the pan(s) halfway through the baking.
6. Let the cake(s) cool in the pan on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run the smooth side of a knife around the edge of the cake(s) to loosen, then flip out onto the wire racks. Flip the cake(s) upright, discard the parchment, and let cool completely before frosting, 1 to 2 hours.
FOR FROSTING:
1. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, sugar, and cocoa alternately with milk. Beat in the vanilla. (Depending on the consistency you like, you may want to add additional sugar or milk).
Helpful Links
Measurement Equivalents #1
Measurement Equivalents #2
Finding American Baking Ingredients
Ingredients
FOR CAKE:
2 cups all-purpose flour (256 grams Type 65 farine)
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (96 grams Van Houten L'Original 100% Pur Cacao Non Sucre)
2 teaspoons instant espresso or instant coffee (9.5 grams Nescafe Selection decafeine)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (7 grams baking soda--click here for advice on finding American goods in France)
1/2 teaspoon salt (2.4 grams sel)
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (171 grams beurre doux)
1 3/4 cup sugar (351 grams sucre cristal)
4 large eggs, at room temperature (4 oeufs frais)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (30 ml vanille arome naturel or 2 cuillère à soupe)
1 1/2 cups whole milk, at room temperature (355 ml lait pasteurise entier)
FOR FROSTING:
6 tablespoons butter (85 grams beurre doux)
2 2/3 cup confectioners sugar (342 grams sucre glace)
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa (96 grams Van Houten L'Original 100% Pur Cacao Non Sucre)
1/3 cup whole milk (79 ml lait pasteurise entier)
1 teaspoon vanilla (15 ml vanille arome naturel or 1 cuillère à soupe)
Instructions
FOR CAKE:
1. Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly coat 2 8 inch or 9 inch round cake pans or 1 9x13 inch pan (or French equivalent) with butter, then line the bottom(s) with parchment paper. Set pan(s) aside. (I used one 9 inch spring form pan and used the rest of the batter to make a dozen cupcakes.)
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa, instant espresso, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 6 minutes (I found it took less time since my butter was very soft). Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the vanilla.
4. Reduce the speed to low and beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Beat in half of the milk. Repeat with half of the remaining flour mixture, then the remaining milk, and finally the remaining flour mixture.
5. Give the batter a final stir to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and smooth the top. Bake until a knife inserted into the center of the cake(s) comes out with a few crumbs attached, 20 to 25 minutes for the round cakes or 25 to 30 minutes for the sheet cake, rotating the pan(s) halfway through the baking.
6. Let the cake(s) cool in the pan on wire racks for 10 minutes. Run the smooth side of a knife around the edge of the cake(s) to loosen, then flip out onto the wire racks. Flip the cake(s) upright, discard the parchment, and let cool completely before frosting, 1 to 2 hours.
FOR FROSTING:
1. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream butter, sugar, and cocoa alternately with milk. Beat in the vanilla. (Depending on the consistency you like, you may want to add additional sugar or milk).
Helpful Links
Measurement Equivalents #1
Measurement Equivalents #2
Finding American Baking Ingredients
Cake, cake, I love cake.
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