Gerry's Chocolate Cake

By WheretheMagicHappens

This recipe is from the famous Oregon chef, Gerry Frank of Gerry Frank's Konditorei in Salem, Oregon. He has traveled extensively and collected chocolate and chocolate recipes from around the world. This recipe was printed in the Oregon Foodday in March of 1993.

Ingredients

• Cake:
• 2-1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1-1/2 tsps Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2/3 cup Butter(1-1/3 sticks)
• 1-3/4 cups Granulated Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1/2 cup Water
• 3 tsp Vanilla
• 1 cup Buttermilk
• Frosting:
• 1 6-ounce bag Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup Half and Half
• 1 cup Butter (2 sticks)
• 2-1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 2 9-inch cake pans. Line the bottom of each with wax paper or parchment paper; butter and flour the paper.

Make the cake:
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat at medium speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating 1 miinute after each egg. Gradually add the water and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Do not overbeat.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the sifted flour mixture and buttermilk. (Add the flour mixture in four parts, buttermilk in three, beginning and ending with the flour.) Blend only until the flour no longer shows. Do not overbeat.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and tap once to settle the batter. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes for 10 minutes before inverting on wire racks. Cool Completely before frosting.

Make the frosting:

Combine the chocolate chips, half and half and butter in saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the miture is smooth. Whisk in the powdered sugar. In a bowl, set over ice, beat the icing with a wire whisk until the frosting holds it's shape, about 10 minutes.