How do you know if I am fond of you? If I bake you a cake on your birthday, you’re pretty special in my book. But if I show up with a frosted layer cake and flickering candles? You better brace yourself for a huge hug as well! I don’t meticulously layer and frost a cake for just anyone.
One person who always deserves this special treatment is my Little Brother. I already wrote about the special ribs dinner but there was more to the celebration. The weekend began with the infinitely comforting and always fashionable Hershey’s Chocolate Cake. You know the one. The recipe that came from the back of the box, except with a slight decadent twist. No fancy schmancy dark chocolate or ganache or glaze. Just a simple combination of tender chocolate cake and buttery cocoa icing.
The essay that accompanies David Leite’s recipe is really moving. I do not claim the cake holds such power in my life but it is special nonetheless. Making something with my hands for those I care about never fails to give me that warm fuzzy feeling. The recipe yields a standard 9 inch cake. As special as it is, I cannot imagine how two of us can finish the cake before it gets mouldy. I did the sensible thing and scaled down the recipe to a cute 6 inch version.
I made half recipe of the cake and 3/4 of the frosting. The cake batter was alarmingly thin as promised. I sent the cake pans to the oven reassured but was rather dismay when the cakes were done. The centre visibly caved in. Luckily, both layers were tall and there were still plenty of cake after I levelled the tops.
The fluffy frosting was dreamy to work with. It was hard to be in a bad mood when I plopped a huge dollop of chocolaty frosting on chocolaty cake. I went with a rustic finish by creating random spikes but you can certainly make it sleek or swirly depending on your artistic endeavour. Regardless of how your cake looks, it will be a hit. I guarantee.
I made some extra frosting on purpose. With the excess trimming of the layers, it was the perfect opportunity to remind myself not to be wasteful. Do you ever wonder why bakeries sell cake balls? It’s just a delicious way to make the most of every last crumb.
I did not follow any recipes or measure the proportions. In a large container, simply tear apart large chunks of cake with two forks until crumbly. Stir in frosting and chill until the mixture hardens. Take a bowl of cocoa powder and toss scooped cake balls until evenly coated. Fish it out with a chocolate dipping fork and place gently inside paper liner. Keep the cake truffles chilled until ready to eat. Everybody loves bite size chocolate cake made rich with frosting.
Little Brother and I devoured the chocolate cake over the long weekend. Family and traditions, these are what we’ll remember long after the crumbs are gone.
