Shelly's Recipe

HOLIDAY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Category: Cakes

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1 cup strong black coffee or 2 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 1 cup hot water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
Ricotta Cheese Filling (recipe follows)
Chocolate Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
Vanilla Whipped Cream (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat at medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Slice cake layers in half horizontally. Place bottom slice on serving plate; top with 1/2 Ricotta Cheese Filling. Alternate cake layers and filling, ending with cake on top. Frost cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream. Decorate with Vanilla Whipped Cream and cherries, if desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cake.

*To sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

Ricotta cheese filling:
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp Grand Marnier (orange-flavored liqueur) or orange juice concentrate, undiluted
1/4 cup candied red or green cherries, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Beat ricotta cheese, sugar and liqueur in large bowl until smooth. Fold in candied cherries and small chocolate chips.

*1 cup (1/2 pt.) whipping cream may be substituted for ricotta cheese. Beat with sugar and liqueur until stiff. Fold in candied cherries and small chocolate chips.

Chocolate Whipped Cream: Stir together 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons Cocoa in small bowl. Add 1 cup (1/2 pt.) cold whipping cream and 1 tsp vanilla extract; beat until stiff.

Vanilla Whipped Cream: Beat 1/2 cup cold whipping cream, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract in small bowl until stiff.