Pardon the Creativity: Anytime { Chocolate Cake }

There's nothing quite like a layer chocolate cake.
Especially one with truffle like frosting and cream cheese layers.

This is one of those recipes that the cookbook flops open to and the recipe page is splattered with tantalizing chocolate batter.

This cake is a sure thing. It's our never fail three layer company cake; it's our last minute birthday cake; our blue day cake, even our mourning cake. It dresses up nice for something fancy and dresses down for family potluck.

When the Resident Photographer whipped up one the other day for some friend who had lost a wonderful mother and grandmother, she took these marvelous pictures and we decided it's time to share the recipe.

Truffle Cake

Adapted from Southern Living Homestyle Cooking Cookbook

Cake

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cups cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
vanilla extract
1 (8oz pkg.)cream cheese
2 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (14oz can) sweetened condensed milk
1 egg

Frosting

2/3 cups butter

5 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream

For the Cake:
Grease 2(9-inch) or 3 (8-inch)round baking pans; line the bottom with wax or parchment paper. Set aside.

Beat shortening with mixer until fluffy; gradually add 1 1/2 cup sugar. Beat well. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Combine flour, cocoa, soda and salt. Mix with shortening mixture alternating between flour mixture and buttermilk; beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition. Beat 3 more minutes at high speed, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Divide batter into prepared pans.

Beat cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, and cornstarch at medium speed until creamy; gradually add sweetened condensed milk, beat well. Add egg, beat well. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Spoon mixture evenly over batter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 9-inch pans 40 minutes. For 8-inch pans check cakes after 25 minutes (25-35 minutes). Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.

For the Frosting:
Beat 2/3 cup butter at medium speed until creamy. Combine powdered sugar and cocoa; add to butter alternately with whipping cream (you can substitute 3/4 milk for cream if you like), beginning and ending with powdered sugar mixture. Beat until spreadable. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

This make a generous portion of frosting and we usually don't use it all on the cake but enjoy it by the spoonful out of the fridge.

It's well decided now. You need to make yourself this chocolate cake. Whether it's a good day, a blue day, or a windy Wednesday as it is here, it's definitely a chocolate cake day.