Humble Pie and Chocolate Cake

Yesterday I got served a heaping helping of Humble Pie! Did I like that? NO! Did I deserve it? Yes I did! So not only do I cook when I am board, but I also cook when I am upset.

I am actually not a big fan of chocolate as a snack food. Honestly-as a Pastry Chef of many years-I've worked with so much chocolate that I'm quite tired of it. However, I do like a nice slice of chocolate cake now and then. This is what I like to baked when I am stressed-out.

This recipe came about out of an idea my Sous Chef, Mikey and I came up with together to shut up our General Manager about the lack of a cake on my dessert menu. We named it "The Big-Ass Chocolate Cake"! You bake it three layers, and then cut each layer in half horizontally to make 6 layers. I Iced mine at the restaurant with Chocolate mousse, but you can use chocolate butter cream or fudge icing from the store to make it easier on your nerves!

Needless to say, in the buckle of the Bible Belt of South Carolina the name didn't fly on the written menu! But we never stopped referring to it that way in the back of the kitchen. I think Anson Street Cafe in Charleston still uses this recipe today! Here it is!



Kick-Ass Guinness Chocolate Cake

Oven at 350F
4 ½ cups Cake flour
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 ½ cups  Cocoa powder
3 cups Sugar

2 cups Oil 4 cups
2 cups Guinness (or coffee works too)
2 cups Buttermilk or milk

5 eggs
1 cup Brown sugar

            Whisk the Guinness (or coffee), buttermilk, and oil together in a measuring cup. Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside. Place the eggs and the brown sugar into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer onto speed 5 or 6. Allow this to mix until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture looks very light tan in color.  Meanwhile spray and line 3, 10 inch spring-form or round cake pans.  Turn the mixer off and add the dry mixture, and ½ the wet ingredients. Turn the mixer on low and allow the batter to homogenize. Add the remaining liquid and mix on medium until the batter is smooth and creamy-it will look a little too wet, that’s normal. Pour into the three spring-form pans and bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool completely before un-molding for use. Ice as  desired and serve withing 48 hours of completion.

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