Black Magic Cake

April 20, 2023

This is an exceptionally delicious and easy to make chocolate cake. You can make it in a fluted tube pan, two 9-inch round cake pans as I did, or a 13x9x2-inch baking pan. The cake is very tender and moist and has just the right amount of sweetness. When you serve this cake, everyone will secretly be hoping you’ll send them home with a slice for the road. It’s not at all surprising this cake recipe from hersheyland.com gets rave reviews and a 5* rating.

No fancy ingredients are required for this recipe. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, an acceptable substitution is to make your own by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and filling with milk to reach the 1-cup marker. Stir to combine, and let milk sit for 5-10 minutes before using in your recipe.

The cakes baked in round pans are done in 30-35 minutes (up to 50 minutes for fluted tube pan). Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Once again, no fancy ingredients required for the chocolate frosting. I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for my lactose free version, however, go ahead and use regular butter when making your frosting.

Frosting the cake adds the final touch to what has become my favorite chocolate cake. I used Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Frosting (recipe on the back of Hershey’s Cocoa box). If you choose to use a tube pan or make one layer in a 13x9x2-inch pan, frosting the cake is not required. You can simply choose to dust powdered sugar over the top before serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

A slice of Magic Cake.

Black Magic Cake

Recipe by Kiyo

Servings

12-14

servings

The best chocolate cake! Adapted from hersheyland.com.

Ingredients

Cake: 2 layers, 9-inch cakes
2 cups (396g) granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (63g) Hershey’s cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup (227g) buttermilk or sour milk (sour milk: add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a liquid measuring cup and add lactose free or regular milk to reach 1-cup marker. Stir and let sit for 5-10 minutes before using in recipe.)
1 cup (227g) strong black coffee or 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup (99g) vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Frosting
1/2 cup (113g, 1 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or regular butter)
2/3 cup (56g) Hershey’s cocoa
3 cups (340g) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (76g) lactose free or regular milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place parchment rounds in pan then grease and flour pans including the sides.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk or sour milk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed with a hand mixer for 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pan and transfer to 2 wire racks that comfortably hold each cake. I found it easiest to place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the cake pan followed by a flat cutting board and turn the cake out then place a wire rack over the bottom of each cake and flip right side up. Cool completely.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, melt Buttery Stick or regular butter in microwave just until most of the butter has melted. Stir to melt the remaining bits of butter. Whisk in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add a small amount of additional milk if needed. Stir in vanilla.
To assemble, place one of the cakes flat side up on a serving platter or cake board. Using an offset spatula, frost the top of the cake with 1/3 of the frosting. Place second cake rounded side up on top of the first layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.

Notes

You may chill the cake in the refrigerator if made earlier in the day using a cake cover or by tenting foil over the cake being sure to secure the foil to the edge of the platter so that the cake does not dry out. Remove cake an hour before serving. Leftover cake can be frozen for a few months.

Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Maple Squares with Walnuts

April 20, 2015

I still have lots of pure maple syrup in my cupboard (gifts from “snowbirds”) so I thought I’d give this recipe a try. If you have a sweet tooth, you’ll love the chewy, gooey, texture and the rich sweetness of pure maple syrup. Copious amounts of walnuts add to the scrumptiousness. You’ll only need a little slice (with a mini scoop of vanilla ice cream) to satisfy that sweet tooth.

I bought the maple sugar at Mana Foods market not knowing what I would use it for. It sat in the cupboard for a while, until I saw this recipe. Maple syrup plus maple sugar? What’s not to like?!

Saveur magazine mentions that these dessert squares are known as Carré Érable et Noix in Quebec, where they pour fresh cream over the top before serving. Simply decadent!

Maple Squares with Walnuts

Saveur Magazine

Serves 8 – 10

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or unsalted butter), cubed and chilled, plus more for the pan

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, plus more for the pan

1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup maple sugar

1 cup pure maple syrup

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt (1/4 teaspoon if using unsalted butter)

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°. Butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan; set aside.

In a food processor, process butter, 1 cup flour, and 1/4 cup maple sugar until combined; transfer to pan and press evenly into bottom. Bake until lightly browned, about 18 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes while you prepare the filling.

Whisk remaining flour and maple sugar with maple syrup, walnuts, salt, and eggs in a bowl. Pour over baked crust. Bake until filling is golden brown and set, about 30 – 35 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Maple Apple Upside-Down Cake

April 6, 2015

I recently received three jugs of pure maple syrup as gift from a several friends who visit from the mainland and Canada. I love pure maple syrup on blueberry pancakes or waffles, but I don’t eat them often enough to make a dent in all of the syrup stashed in my cupboard. I thought this Maple Apple Upside-Down Cake would be a good way to start. I first noticed the recipe in Food & Wine magazine. It was developed by Joanne Chang, a well-known pastry chef and owner of Flour, a bakery in Boston. I noticed that the recipe called for baking the cake for 1 1/2 hours! This didn’t seem right so I searched around and found a couple of other versions of this recipe, one of them by Wendy of bookcooker blog. Wendy says to bake the cake for 45 – 60 minutes. That made sense!

Granny Smith apples hold up well when baked. Their tart flavor balances the sweetness of the maple syrup.

I long ago discovered the value of using a melon ball corer to remove the seeds and core of apples. One single swoop and you’re done.

Arrange the sliced apples in two concentric circles over the thickened syrup.

Smooth the cake batter over the apples and bake until golden brown.

The maple syrup infuses the apples and the cake. Yummy.

Maple Apple Upside-Down Cake

Serves 10 – 12

Adapted from Food & Wine and bookcooker blog

Ingredients

1 cup pure maple syrup

3 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and quartered, each quarter cut into 3 equal slices (the Granny Smith apples I bought were large but if you have smaller apples you can cut the apple into eighths)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk (I used lactose free milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice since there is no lactose free buttermilk available here on Maui)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 sticks Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened (or unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1 teaspoon)

1 1/3 cups sugar

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 10-inch round cake pan with 3-inch high sides. (You may use a 9-inch cake pan with 2 1/2-inch sides. You will not need all of the batter).

In a small saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil over high heat, then simmer over medium-low heat until very thick and reduced to 3/4 cup, about 20 minutes. Pour the thickened syrup into the cake pan. Arrange the apples in the pan in 2 concentric circles. If your apples are on the large side and you are using a 9-inch pan, you may not need all of the apple slices.

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a glass measuring cup, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk and vanilla. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 – 5 minutes. Beat in the dry and wet ingredients in 3 alternating batches until the batter is smooth; scrape down the side of the bowl. Mix until just combined.

Pour the batter over the apples and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 50 minutes.

Place a plate on top of the cake and invert the cake onto the plate. Let the cake cool slightly, then cut into wedges and serve.

Cookies, Dessert, Lactose Free, Recipes

Crispy Oatmeal Corn Flake Cookies

February 28, 2015

Back in the 70’s I had a recipe for corn flake cookies. They were light, crispy, and so delicious. I don’t have the recipe anymore, but I haven’t forgotten about how good they were. I’m always looking out for cookies that include corn flakes because I know they will have the nice crunchy texture I love. I was skimming through a local magazine (I don’t recall the name of the magazine) that had a recipe for Grandma’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. Corn flakes were listed as an ingredient so I quickly jotted down the recipe. I thought it was interesting that lard was listed as an ingredient as well. I don’t cook with lard and used Earth Balance Buttery sticks instead. You could try the original recipe that uses half lard and half butter, or use butter only.

The original recipe left out the amount of salt to use and didn’t specify how long to bake the cookies. No matter, the cookies turned out so well. Though they are considered oatmeal cookies, the corn flakes are present and add such a nice crunch along with peanuts. They are my new favorite cookie.

Crispy Oatmeal Corn Flake Cookies

Updated 11/08/15

Adapted from the original recipe: Grandma’s Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Makes about 40 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or 1 cup unsalted butter), room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (1 teaspoon kosher salt if using unsalted butter)

1 cup corn flakes

2 cups oatmeal (regular, not quick cooking)

1 cup peanut halves (unsalted, do not chop)

1 cup raisins

Preparation

Preheat oven to 325°

Cream butter and sugars together. Add eggs and stir to combine well. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt. Fold in corn flakes, oatmeal, peanuts and raisins into the batter.

Drop rounded mounds of dough (about 1 heaping tablespoon, or more for larger cookies) on un-greased non-stick cookie sheets flattening the dough slightly before baking.

Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating pan once during baking period, until cookies are golden brown.

Let cookies cool on the pan for several minutes after baking before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve right away or freeze in an airtight container between layers of waxed paper.

Dinner, Lactose Free, Recipes, Soups

Maui Sweet Corn Chowder

December 7, 2014

The climate in Hawaii couldn’t be better these days. “Best weather on the planet” as Hawaiian weatherman Guy Hagi puts it! The blazing summer heat is gone, at least for several more months. Everyone I know, looks forward to this time of year. Believe it or not, you may even have to dig out that sweater tucked away in the closet. So, what better time of the year than now to make a big pot of corn chowder?

Hawaiian Moons grocery store has the best fresh, sweet corn. I bought some the other day and noticed the label on the package: Maui Grown – Legendary Sylvester’s Sweet Corn. I don’t know who Sylvester is, but I can tell you that his corn is fabulous.

Yukon Golds are my favorite potatoes to use in corn chowder. Their firm but creamy texture holds up well in this recipe. If I have leftover baked ham from a special occasion dinner, I freeze thick slices and use it in corn chowder. Most of the time, I ask the deli to cut a 1/2 inch thick slice of ham (Safeway’s Ham Off The Bone or Black Forest Ham). You can use bacon instead of ham if you prefer.

Maui Sweet Corn Chowder

Makes 8 cups

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

1 cup diced onion

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth

2 cups (about 1 pound) peeled, cubed potatoes 1/2 inch thick (Yukon Gold)

2 cups whole milk (I use lactose free milk)

1 14.75 ounce can creamed corn

4 ears fresh corn (about 3 cups corn kernels removed from cobs with sharp knife)

1 3/4 cups diced ham (about 10 ounces)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

fresh chives (optional)

Preparation

Heat butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, and sauté until soft, about 8 minutes. Add flour and stir continuously for 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth, stirring well. Add diced potatoes making sure they are submerged beneath the broth mixture. Adjust heat to medium low, cover pot and simmer potatoes in broth for about 12 – 15 minutes. Give them a stir now and then. Check for doneness at 12 minutes. Cooking time will vary depending on the size of your potato cubes. If your cubes are on the small side, check for doneness after 10 minutes. Potatoes should be barely tender. They will continue to cook further once other ingredients are added to the pot.

Once the potatoes are just tender, add the milk, creamed corn, fresh corn kernels and ham.Turn the heat up to medium, and simmer until potatoes are fully cooked and the chowder has thickened and reduced a bit, about 15 minutes. Add salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a few pinches of cayenne. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Sprinkle minced chives over chowder before serving.

*The chowder freezes well. Gently reheating on the stove is suggested, rather than using the microwave (stove top heating produces a rich, creamy texture where as the microwave will give you watery chowder).

Earth Balance Buttery Sticks Recipe

Black Magic Cake