Baking has always held a special place in my heart since I made my first chocolate cake with my mother. After my first successful baking experience, I became a passionate baker so talented my mother assigned the baking of our family cakes to me. I continued after I had my own family my love of baking encouraged by my love ones. I love to make all different kinds of cakes pairing with a ray of different frostings. My personal favorite for chocolate cake is buttercream which goes well with the rich cake. You can finish this cake as I did or add your own personal touches depending on the season or the holiday. 

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups of sugar

3/4 cups Dutch-process cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs

2  3/4 cups  Unbleached Self-Rising Flour

1 1/2 cups water

Instructions

. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 8″ round cake pans.

. Beat together the butter, oil, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla extract until they form a smooth paste. The sugar will stay granular.

. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bottom of the bowl after each addition.

. Add the flour alternately with the water, mixing at medium-low speed and beginning and ending with the flour. Once the last of the flour is added, mix briefly, just until smooth.

. Divide the batter between the pans. Cakes will self-level in the oven, so there’s no need to smooth the top with a spatula. However, it does help to remove any large bubbles by tapping the cake pans firmly on the counter 7 or 8 times.

. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, until their tops spring back and a cake tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean.

. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, run a spatula around the edges to loosen and turn out onto a rack to cool completely. Frost and fill with Buttercream Frosting. Drizzle with chocolate glaze, then caramel sauce, topping with Hershey’s Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits.

Buttercream Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

4 Cup (4 sticks) of softened butter

1  tablespoon vanilla

4  tablespoons milk

In a large mixing bowl add 4 cups of sifted confectioner sugar and butter.  I do not always do this.  Instead, I will mix the powdered sugar Add 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter.  Cream on low to combine until creamy. Add vanilla and milk beating to a smooth consistency.

Chocolate Glaze: Melt 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon shortening in a small saucepan over heat. 

Caramel Sauce: Combine 10 Kraft Caramels with 1 tablespoon cream in a saucepan; cook over medium-low heat until caramels are melted and smooth, stirring often.