Cakes
Chocolate Better Than Cake Serves 16 18¼-ounce package devil’s food cake mix 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips ¾ cup chopped pecans 3.9-ounce package chocolate instant pudding mix 1 cup sour cream ½ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup water 4 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Frosting: 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1 3 ⁄ cup whole milk 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
Place a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Lightly mist 10-inch tube pan with oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour and set aside. Place 2 tablespoons each of cake mix, the chocolate chips, and pecans in a small bowl. Stir and set aside. Place the remaining cake mix, along with pudding mix, sour cream, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla, in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop and scrape side of bowl. Add remainder of chocolate chips and pecans. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 to 3 minutes more, scraping sides down if needed. Batter should be thick and well blended. Fold in chocolate chip-pecan mixture. Spoon the batter into the prepared tube pan, smoothing top, and bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a cooling rack, then invert it again onto a serving platter to cool for 20 more minutes. Prepare frosting by melting butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in cocoa and milk. Let the mixture come just to a boil, stirring often, then remove from heat. Stir in sugar until thick and smooth. Pour warm frosting over the top of cooled cake. Work quickly because this frosting goes on best while still warm. Adapted from Cora Crosby’s Cake Book Edith Shepherd 328