Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

For MDS's 39th (again) Birthday, I made this delicious cake and frosting. I was glad MDS chose this combo. I usually pick chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting. The chocolate cake with chocolate frosting combo is excellent. Both recipes came from Mom's recipe box. Making cake and frosting from scratch is easy enough that there really is no need to rely on the boxed mixes. The cake is called Hershey's Prize Chocolate Cake, so she must have gotten it from the back of Hershey's cocoa powder box back in the day. The recipe calls for making a round layer cake, but I made a pan cake instead. It took a little longer to bake, but like most cake recipes, you can use whatever pan works for you by adjusting the baking time.

The frosting recipe seems to be a basic chocolate buttercream recipe. I often struggle with making frosting, but I have found that if I use my electric mixer, I get better results with smoother and fluffier frosting. As for the "39" candles that you see in the photo. we plan to stay 39 forever, so we will keep using those candles until nothing is left.

Hershey's Prize Chocolate Cake 

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 cup milk

Generously grease the pans. Cream butter, shortening, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs. Combine soda, cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add alternately with milk to butter. Blend well. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Frost and enjoy!

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting 

• 2 2/3 cup confectioner sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 6 Tbsp. butter
• 4-5 Tbsp. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Combine confectioner sugar and cocoa. Cream butter with one half of the cocoa mixture in a bowl. Add remaining cocoa alternating with milk. Beat to spreading consistency. Blend in vanilla. Use to frost cake. Enjoy!

Rum Chocolate Pie

This pie is a terrific summer dessert. First, it is served chilled. Second, depending on the crust you use, there is no need to use the oven. Third, the pie contains rum, which also seems to be a summertime drink. And, finally, it is outrageously delicious. So give this pie a try, you won't regret it.

When I made this pie, I used a graham cracker crust instead of a baked pastry crust because I did not want to turn on the oven. I think it could also be good with a chocolate cookie crust. There are three layers in the pie. The first layer is a custard layer. Although it takes some effort to make the custard layer, it is worth it. The second layer is a basic whipped cream layer. And the top layer is a chocolate whipped cream layer. Each layer is delicious, but it is the blend of all three layers that make this pie great.

Rum Chocolate Pie 

• 1 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. unflavored gelatine, softened in 2 Tbsp. water
• 4 Tbsp. rum
• 1 9" pie crust, baked and cooled
• 1/2 pound milk chocolate
• 3 Tbsp. water
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Heat milk and nutmeg on low. Beat the egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar and salt until light. Pour the hot milk over the egg yolks, stirring well. Return to stovetop, heat on low and stir until thick. Remove from heat and stir in gelatin. Place the pan on ice and cool the mixture. Add 3 tablespoons of room. When mixture thickens, fold in the beaten egg whites. Pour into the pie shell.

Place the chocolate and water on low heat. Stir until the chocolate melts. Cool slightly. Add half the whipped cream and the remaining rum. To the remaining whipped cream add the vanilla and tablespoon of sugar. Spread the whipped cream over the pie. Cover the cream layer with the chocolate mixture. Chill for several hours. Enjoy!

Curry Barley Salad

This recipe is one of my own. I came across a dish like this salad in the basement cafeteria at Macy's on State Street in Chicago (formerly known as Marshall Fields). This cafeteria has been serving lunch for years to many downtown workers and tourists alike. It is a bit of a hidden gem in the Loop. One day, I was getting lunch with some co-workers and I came across this salad from the many options at the salad bar. I loved it and decided that I had to recreate it. I first made it for an Easter celebration a few years back, and I have made it several times since then.

The nice thing about this recipe is that the amount of the various ingredients you use is very flexible. MDS does not like cheese, so I always set aside some with the feta for him. When I made this batch, I had forgotten to add the raisins. I was able to add them into the leftovers, but I love the raisins, so don't make the same mistake that I did. I highly recommend making this dish a day in advance and allowing it to chill in the refrigerator so the flavors can blend. I get the barley and the curry sauce  from Trader Joe's and they come in the approximate sizes noted below. You could also make your own curry sauce, using plain greek yogurt and curry powder or some other variation. Because it is a salad, there is no need to worry about precise measurements, just add to taste.

Curry Barley Salad 

• 1 cup barley, uncooked 
• 11 ounces curry sauce
• 15 ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 red onion, finely chopped
• 1 pound broccoli, chopped
• 6 ounces feta cheese
• 1 cup raisins
• Ground black pepper, to taste

Cook the barley based on the package directions. After draining excess water from the barley, add in the curry sauce, garbanzo beans, red onion, broccoli, feta cheese, raisins and pepper. Stir until the ingredients are mixed well. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. Enjoy!