Baking the Easy Way Out - One Bowl Butter Cakes

One of the great things about the next recipe is that you mix it all in one bowl and blend it all together at the same time.  The ingredients are added in an order that ensures mixing without over beating. What could be easier? The recipe can be made with an electric mixer and bowl or in a stand mixer. Again, we're using the book Reader's Digest Kitchen Secrets. In addition to the One-Bowl Devil's Food Cake, the recipe can be modified to make a Chocolate Praline or Spice Cake.

                                         
Hints:  The recipe calls for cake flour. You can use all purpose flour, but the cake won't be as delicate. If you use AP flour, reduce the amount of flour in the recipe by 2 tablespoons per cup (1/4 c total).  
The recipe also calls for buttermilk. If you don't have any on hand, you can substitute 1 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar in 1 cup of milk. Allow the mixture to stand for about 15 minutes to thicken.

Devil's Food Cake

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (for dusting the pan)
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 c sugar
1 c buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 c (1 stick) margarine or butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs, at room temperature
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 - 9" cake round cake pans, dust with cocoa, and tap out excess.
2. With an electric (or stand mixer) at low speed, beat all the remaining ingredients for 1 minute, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Increase speed to medium high and beat 2 minutes longer, scraping sides of bowl twice.
3.  Pour batter into prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean - about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes, then turn out of pans and cool to room temp. Fill and frost with Butter Cream or Chocolate Butter Cream  Frosting. Makes 12 servings.

                                                                                                                   

Butter Cream Frosting:


1/2 c butter or margarine, softened
1 box (1 lb) confectionery sugar
1/4 c light cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 drops food coloring, if desired.


1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter at medium high speed till light and fluffy. 
2. Reduce mixer speed to medium and alternately beat in sugar and cream, a little at a time. Add vanilla and beat till creamy. makes enough to fill and frost 1- 9" layer cake, or to frost 1- 10" tube cake, one 13"x9"x2" sheet cake or 24 cupcakes.

To make Chocolate Butter Cream: Prepare frosting as directed, except add 3 oz melted semi-sweet chocolate or 1/2 c sifted unsweetened cocoa.

Since the frosting contains cream and butter I recommend keeping it in the refrigerator if not consumed immediately.

                                                     
Variations: 


To make the Chocolate Praline Cake - Prepare above cake recipe as directed except dust cake pans with flour instead of cocoa, substitute firmly packed light brown sugar for the granulated sugar and fold 1/2 c toasted chopped pecans into the batter.


To make the Spice Cake - prepare above cake recipe as directed except dust pans with flour instead of cocoa, substitute firmly packed light brown sugar for the granulated sugar, omit chocolate, and add 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp each ground nutmeg and ginger and 1/4 tsp each ground allspice and cloves.


Orange Butter Cream Frosting - prepare Butter Cream Frosting substituting 1/4 c orange juice for the cream and adding 1 tbsp grated orange zest.