Another attempt at chocolate cake...

"O, chocolate cake! Why art thou such an elusive prize? Where, oh, where shall I find thy perfect recipe?"

Yes, I am still on this journey to find the perfect chocolate cake recipe. My previous chocolate cake fiasco will not deter me. I am resolute in this quest.

This time I tried a version of the Texas Sheet Cake, combined it with a butterscotch filling recipe from Joy of Baking, and used a loose version of the Texas cake icing to frost it. It was good, at least better than the aforementioned attempt, but it was still not what I was looking for. At least it looks good, right? Plus, I didn't set anything on fire :-)


Chocolate Cake with Butterscotch Filling


CAKE
PART A: In a mixing bowl, sift together
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

PART B: In a saucepan
1. Melt 2 sticks of butter.
2. Add 5 heaping tbsp. cocoa and 1 tsp. instant coffee granules. Mix well.
3. Add 1 cup boiling water. Turn off heat and mix together until smooth.
4. Pour Part B mixture into Part A mixture.

PART C: Mix together
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Add Part C Mixture into Part A/B mixture. Pour into 2 9-inch cake pans and bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool the cakes before frosting them.


BUTTERSCOTCH FILLING
1. Melt 1/2 stick unsalted butter, 1/8 cup water and 1 tbsp. corn syrup in a saucepan.
2. Add 1/2 cup sugar and mix gently until sugar is dissolved.
3. Cook over low-medium heat until caramel in color.
4. Turn off heat and add 1/4 cup heavy cream.
5. Whisk together until smooth.
6. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla and a pinch of salt.
7. Cool in fridge until thick and spreadable.


FROSTING
1. Melt 1 1/2 sticks butter in a saucepan.
2. Add 4 heaping tbsp. cocoa and mix until smooth.
3. Turn off heat.
4. Add 6 tbsp. milk and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix.
5. Add about 400g powdered sugar until you get the right consistency.

TO ASSEMBLE
1. Slice off the top of one of the cakes to make it flat.
2. Spread about 3/4 of the butterscotch filling and place second cake on top.
3. Frost with chocolate frosting (you will have left-overs here).
4. Put the rest of the butterscotch sauce in a pastry bag with a round tip, or in my case, a small ziplock bag with a corner snipped off. Drizzle the cake with the butterscotch.