Rosie Screws Up A Cake And Mr. Hawthorne Saves The Day!

I am such a FRAUD!

Daughter Hawthorne is home for a few days
and it's her friend's birthday.

I'm making him a birthday cake today - a Devil's Food cake.

Devil's Food Cake

Recipe from King Arthur Flour Cookbook.

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 cup cocoa

2/3 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

Heat oven to 350°.

In a small bowl, pour boiling water over the cocoa, blend, and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, then add the sugar.  Beat until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.

Blend the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

Alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the shortening/sugar mixture, stirring jus enough to combine them.  Gently blend in the cooled cocoa mixture.

Bake in a greased, 9 x 11-inch pan for 40 - 50 minutes.

First, I mixed boiling water with cocoa.

Then I took a break and shot pictures of the sleepy puppies.

Everything is mixed

and I'm making pretty swirlies with the cocoa mixture.

Spread evenly.

Bake 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake is baking,

go hug a puppy.

Ta daa!

Frosting

1/2 stick butter

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate

pinch Kosher salt

2 cups powdered sugar

1/8 cup heavy cream

1/8 cup coffee

Melt butter and chocolate.

Add in powdered sugar, coffee, cream, and a pinch of salt.

Whisking constantly, bring to a boil.

Remove from heat, add vanilla, and continue beating until cool

and of spreading consistency.

Go shoot pictures of a cute kitty.

Hi, Dogwood!

OK.

Sometimes Rosie doesn't have the best of ideas.

I should have simply poured the icing over the sheet cake

and be done with it, but NOOOOOOOOO.

I decided to cut the cake in half and make a layer cake.

Bad idea.

Very bad idea.

Is this not the ugliest cake you've ever seen?

I'm turning it around so you get the full effect

and see all four sides.

This cake is freakin' hideous.
 

The problem with the icing is that it seized up very quickly

and went from spreadable to thick blob in a matter of seconds.

I tried wetting my offset spatula and spreading,

but that didn't work either.

Then I started thinking and worrying about

actually giving someone a birthday cake that looks so horrid.

I really like this young man

and this cake just doesn't say that.

If someone gave me that cake,

I would think they truly hated me.

 Mr. Hawthorne came to the rescue!

He suggested I fill in the bare spots with whipped cream.

And so I did.

Why, it looks like a wrapped up present!

Mr. Hawthorne saved the day!

It's a freakin' beautemous cake to be proud of!
Well, OK, not really.
But it looks better than it did.
 

And it was delicious!
Next time, keep it a sheet cake.