Southwestern Recipes
Mexican Chocolate Cake
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 large eggs, beaten to blend
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 (1 pound) box confectioners' sugar
- 2 cups chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
Cake
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.
- Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
- Whisk buttermilk, butter and cocoa powder in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat until butter melts.
- Pour over flour mixture and whisk to combine.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Pour into pan.
- Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
- Transfer to rack and cool completely.
- Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto platter.
- Spread frosting over top and sides of cake.
- Press enough pecans onto sides of cake to cover.
- Sprinkle cake with remaining pecans. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.)
Frosting
- Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa, buttermilk, espresso powder, vanilla extract and cinnamon; whisk until smooth. Remove from heat.
- Place confectioners' sugar in bowl.
- Pour hot cocoa mixture over. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Use immediately.
Attribution
Bon Appetit, February 1995