Hershey’s Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Frosting

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Birthdays are a big deal around here. Our motto is simple: Everyone should feel special on their birthday. The birthday boy gets to pick out every meal and every activity, and for that one day a year, we all go along with a smile.

My youngest son Andrew is a traditionalist. He expects the same thing every year, more or less. He expects to wake up with a mylar birthday balloon greeting him in his room. He expects to come downstairs to his favorite breakfast of all time, cinnamon buns and bacon. And he expects a chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting, made by his mother’s loving hands.

We have tried store bought cakes in years past, and while they blow me away in the razzle dazzle department, the boys quickly figured out that they don’t taste all that great (exception: Wegman’s Ultimate Chocolate Cake). Mom’s cakes taste good, but they aren’t fancy looking. Despite having pretty nice handwriting on paper, it somehow doesn’t translate to birthday cake writing. Delicious but folksy, that’s how we roll.

This is my standard chocolate birthday cake recipe. I’m not gonna lie — it isn’t theeeee best chocolate cake you’ll ever taste. It is a decent cake which holds up well to frosting, and it is Andrew’s first choice, which makes it good enough for Mom Mom’s Apron.

Hershey’s Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
  2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
  3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely before frosting.
Editorial rant follows:
There is no excuse whatsoever to not make your own buttercream frosting. Few things in life are easier or more satisfying.  And unlike baking, it is not an exact science, so there is plenty of room to adjust for personal preferences of thickness, sweetness, etc.
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
2 sticks of unsalted butter (1 cup), softened
2 to 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon real vanilla
1 to 2 Tablespoons of whole milk, half and half, or cream
On low speed, mix together  2 cups sugar and butter. Stop to check for sweetness, and add more sugar if desired. In my opinion, 2 cups is plenty sweet without being diabetic-coma-overbearing, but many people like it sweeter. Gradually increase speed to medium and continue mixing until smooth. Stop mixer, add vanilla and one T. of milk, then beat for another minute or so. Add more milk if too thick. Let your birthday boy lick the beater.

Blue Cup, Green Cup

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When my oldest son Logan was two, we would occasionally get into something I liked to call “The Blue Cup, Green Cup Meltdown.” It went something like this:

Logan: Can I have some milk?

Me (pouring milk into a blue sippy cup): Here ya go, Sweetie!

Logan: No, NOT THE BLUE CUP! I want the green cup!

Me: That is not how we ask for something.

Logan: Please GIVE ME GREEEEEN CUUUUUP!!!

Me (Sigh. So glad I went to college.): Here is the green cup.

Logan: THIS IS NOT THE BLUUUUUE CUP!!!

Repeat, repeat, repeat.

I quickly attributed this psychosis to something called Cognitive Dissonance, which is a fancy way of saying “buyer’s remorse.” Basically, if you are choosing one thing, then by default, you are rejecting something else. And that something else suddenly is way more appealing. Considering it took me about four months to commit to what color diaper bag I wanted, I sort of got his point. Sometimes too many choices make you cry.

After about the tenth one of these meltdowns, I made a public declaration that if I were to ever have another child, that child would be given all the cup choices of Soviet Russia: one color, one choice, end of story. And to give myself credit, this plan worked pretty well for us. For a while.

A couple years ago I discovered these wonderful monogrammed melamine plates from La Plates, just the perfect thing for outdoor dining. Choosing which combination to go with harkened me back to the Blue Cup, Green Cup years, except with an infinite number of combinations this time around. I decided (against my better judgement and control freak nature) that I would allow each family member to choose their own design. As much as this pained me, I knew if I had this burden of choice entirely on my shoulders, we’d still be eating off of paper plates.

Mexicasserole

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As much as I like to fancy myself a highfalutin foodie, the sad reality is cooking for kids has knocked me down off my high horse many years ago. A nice example of how my children have humbled me: decent casseroles and crockpot dishes excite me as much as truffle oil. More so, in fact.

Years ago my friend Bonnie shared a recipe which won a contest in the Sunday Parade Magazine (that’s a division of Food & Wine, no?), and its many incarnations have been a hit with the family ever since. I rarely make this the same way twice, but this is a very forgiving recipe which allows much room for improvisation and substitutions. Leftovers are always rare.

Mexicasserole

1 pound of chicken, poached and shredded

2 cups restaurant style tortilla chips, crushed

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed well and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed well and drained

1 can of corn, drained

8 oz. can of tomato sauce

1 cup salsa

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

1 red or green pepper cut into 1/4 inch dice

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1 clove of garlic, minced

12 – 16 oz. grated cheddar

Diced tomatoes to garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom of 13 x 9 inch baking dish and line with crushed tortilla chips. Combine everything but the cheese in a large bowl and mix well. Place half the mixture atop the tortilla chips, and sprinkle half the cheese over the mixture. Cover with the remaining half of the chicken-bean mixture, and then top with remainder of cheese. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes, and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Coconut Pork

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Today is one of those days where cooking anything beyond grilled cheese feels like a major accomplishment. But the pork is defrosted, and the show must go on!

This dish is inspired by an old recipe posted by the hilarious writer Ayun Halliday. I have made some major modifications, but the spirit remains the same. I can’t remember if the kids actually ate this or not, but at this point, there is no turning back.

Coconut Pork

1 to 2 pounds of boneless pork tenderloin, sliced in thin medallions

2 – 3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 red pepper, sliced in lengthwise strips

1 to 4 hot peppers, depending on your tolerance, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped (not minced)

2 inch piece of ginger, cut into matchsticks (careful, this is tricky!)

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 can of coconut milk, and none of that low fat nonsense

1 can of Mandarin oranges, drained

Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Heat oil and saute peppers, garlic and ginger for two to three minutes. Add pork and cook until no longer pink, but do not overcook! Add salt, sugar, soy sauce and coconut milk, and simmer on low for 20 to 30 minutes. Before serving, stir in a small can of Mandarin oranges. This may or may not entice your children to try it. Garnish with cilantro, and serve over rice or rice noodles.

Dawn’s Awesome Sauce

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By now I assume most of you are familiar with my ultimate secret ingredient, Sriracha Hot Sauce. I have been adding this to my recipes for many years, and a little goes a long way. It is very popular now, and there are many websites devoted to recipes using Sriracha. It should be available in the ethnic section of most supermarkets throughout the US. Back in the day, we could only get through super-hard-to-find special grocery stores. I am happy to see the world finally caught on to the awesomeness that is Sriracha.

This is my standard sauce I use to spice up everything from sweet potato fries to burgers to seafood.

Dawn’s Awesome Sauce

1/2 cup ketchup

1 Tablespoon real mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon sour cream

A few squirts of Sriracha sauce according to taste, see below

In a medium bowl, combine ketchup, mayo and sour cream until smooth. Add one heart shaped squirt, mix well, and taste. If it’s good, you are done. If not, add just a little more at a time and keep checking. I prefer about two and a half heart shaped portions, but I like things on the hotter side. Say goodbye to boring old ketchup!

Citrus Tapenade

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This is my sixth recipe posted, the fifth of which contains garlic (the only exception being the chocolate chip cookies…and I’m pretty sure garlic will never find its way into the Dessert section). I’m not sure what that says about me, my cooking, or my breath. My immune system, however, is usually quite hearty.

This is possibly the easiest thing I make, yet it always elicits rave reviews from my olive loving friends.  Serve with a thinly sliced baguette and voila! Simple little addition to your appetizer offerings.

Citrus Tapenade

2 cups pitted Kalamata olives

Zest of 1 orange and/or 1 lemon

1 clove garlic

Handful of fresh rosemary and/or thyme

One hot pepper or a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper

1 cup Italian parsley

1 to 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Pulse all ingredients except olive oil in food processor until well combined but still a bit chunky. With food processor running, slowly drizzle olive oil until desired consistency is achieved.

Chez Bob’s Caesar Salad

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I met my husband Ed when I was 23, and once things got serious, I had a strong desire to cook for him. Even back then, it was how I expressed my love. I never let lack of skill get in my way. But what to make? I bought my first cookbook when I was 22. It was The New York Times Cookbook, and it made about as much sense as buying Harry Potter for a Kindergartener who just learned how to read: way beyond my novice level, very intimidating and frustrating.

On my lunch break one afternoon, I wandered into the original Urban Outfitters on Walnut Street in Philadelphia where I stumbled upon this book, The Surreal Gourmet: Real Food for Pretend Chefs by Bob Blumer. Pretend chefs? Sign me up! It was the early 90s, Caesar salad was all the rage, and there looked like a decent enough Caesar salad recipe on page 19. I was sold, and my cookbook collection was born. My apron collection was still about ten years away.

This recipe will always hold a special place in my heart, as it was the first decent thing I ever made for my husband, as well as the first recipe anyone ever asked me for. I have made this hundreds of times through the years, and it is always a hit. I don’t usually include anchovies, mainly because I rarely have them on hand, and I use olive oil instead of safflower oil. I never coddle the egg, since I live on the edge. Aside from that, I stick to the recipe, and I’m always happy with the results. As far as my family is concerned, this is the only Caesar salad worth eating.

Chez Bob’s Caesar Salad

Ingredients

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp coarsely ground fresh black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 anchovies or 1 tsp anchovy paste
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk, coddled (see below)
1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup safflower (or mild olive) oil
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 1/2 medium/large heads romaine lettuce
2 cups croutons
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Method

Coddle the egg yolk by placing the whole unshelled egg in boiling water for 40 seconds, then running under cold water for 15 seconds.

In order and one at a time, add salt, pepper, garlic, anchovies, mustard, egg yolk, lemon juice and Worcestershire to a large wooden salad bowl. After adding each ingredient, beginning with the garlic, use the back of a soup spoon to grind it against the wall of the bowl and blend it with the previous ingredients into a smooth paste. (It should take about 15 seconds of muscle power to blend in each new ingredient.) Add oil and vinegar. Blend well.

Just before serving, tear lettuce leaves into bite-size pieces. Add to salad bowl. Toss thoroughly. Add croutons and Parmesan and toss again. Serve on chilled plates.

Cucumber Salad

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When life gives you cucumbers…

Cucumber salad is a big summer favorite around here. Fortunately, we have cucumbers coming out of our ears. Unfortunately, the cucumber crop always seems to explode the week we’re away on vacation, so we have more than a few baseball bat sized cucumbers that are not so wonderful to eat. This is a recipe that I’ve tweaked frequently over the years, but I am of the school that says it’s hard to screw up cucumber salad, so improvise away! Today I garnished with some scallions from my garden, but sometimes I will throw in a thinly sliced red onion if I’m feeling sassy.

Cucumber Salad

3 Tablespoons white vinegar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon sugar

3 cucumbers, sliced thin

Whisk together first six ingredients until well combined and smooth. Add cucumbers and chill.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Like many of you, I am devoted fan of the traditional back-of-the-bag Nestle Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe. It is universally loved and consistently satisfying. I had no interest whatsoever in cheating on this recipe, and I was faithful to it for all of my life.

But then this Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe caught my eye. Cook’s Illustrated (which I affectionately call Cooking for Geeks) is my favorite source of recipes and inspiration. Even though they test every recipe to the nth degree, I often find myself modifying things with my own special touch. But not this recipe, no, never! I follow every instruction to the letter, with serial killer precision, and the results are perfect every single time. Yes, it is a bit fussier and a wee bit more work, but the results are well worth it. Please try it and let me know what you think.

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 16 cookies.   Published May 1, 2009.   From Cook’s Illustrated.

Why this recipe works:

Our perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe had to produce a cookie that would be moist and chewy on the inside and crisp at the edges, with deep notes of toffee and butterscotch to balance its sweetness. Melting the butter gave us the chewiness …(more)

Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting.

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
  • 3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (see note)
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (see note)
  • 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

Instructions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
  2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.
  3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.
  4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)
  5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash for the Crockpot

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This dish represents The Great Marriage Compromise. Ed always had an affinity for heavy ethnic dishes that I would pooh pooh, such as Beef Stroganoff and Turkey Tetrazzini and (shudder) Tuna Casserole. All of those dishes represented bad cafeteria memories from school, and I could not imagine eating them willingly as an adult unless forced to at gunpoint.

But one day he suggested Chicken Paprikash, and somehow that made it on to my acceptable list. More amazingly, the kids loved it, and it is a much requested family favorite. Despite the fact that there is a major heat wave in the Northeast at the moment, they asked for it again this week. Since it’s a Crockpot meal, the heat isn’t too much of a factor in preparation. Warning: This is NOT a pretty dish, as evidenced below, but it is good old fashioned comfort food. I am serving it tonight with brown rice and green beans from our garden.

Hungarian Chicken Paprikash for the Crockpot

2 Onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 Tablespoons Hungarian paprika

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1 garlic clove

3 pounds chicken (breasts or legs, bone in)

½ teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

½ cup chicken stock

½ cup sour cream

Stir together onions, ½ teaspoon salt, paprika, cinnamon, sugar and cayenne. Spread in the bottom of Crockpot.  Rub garlic over chicken, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. In frying pan over high heat, heat butter and oil. Add chicken and brown, approximately 3 minutes per side. Transfer to Crockpot atop onions.

In same unwashed frying pan over high heat, bring stock to simmer, scraping up brown bits. Pour over chicken and cover. Cook on low five to six hours. About 30 minutes before serving, remove chicken from bone in large pieces and return to pot. Stir in sour cream right before serving. Serve over rice.