Sunday BBQ Lunch.3

Dessert time!
from BBQ lunch .1 & .2I have wanted to make orange buttercream frosting ever since I watched Because I said So
They talk about it 3 times and I've hung onto it for 3 years and finally went for it.
The orange and chocolate flavor together make me think of fall so it felt perfect!

It turned out so good Joshua kept putting his fingers in the bowl and stealing it. I doubled the frosting recipe but then didn't want to waste the extras so I whipped up some vanilla cupcakes to put the frosting on and sent them to work with the hubs.
This is seriously a to die for frosting! And the chocolate cake was super moist!

This was the night after I made it, he was unhappy about having to wait 2 days to eat it

After this I was told to go on a baking sabbatical, which I will only do if I can still make muffins for breakfast. Hubs agreed :)

Chocolate Cake Recipe:

1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

3/4 cup olive oil

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3/4 tsp vanilla

3 oz. good yummy dark chocolate

preheat oven 300 degrees F

1   grease cake pans and line with parchement paper (will make 1 9x13 cake or 2 9" rounds)
2   finely chop the dark chocolate and mix in with the hot coffee (we used espresso grade- yummy)
3   let stand 5 minutes and stir occasionally, you want all the chocolate to melt
4   in another bowl sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, soda, powder and salt
5   in yet another bowl mix eggs about 3-4 minutes
6   add olive oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and chocolate/coffee mixture and mix in slowly- don't overmix!
7    pour batter into pans and bake 1 hour- 1 hour 15 minutes

Orange Buttercream Frosting Recipe:

5-8 tbs. fresh squeezed orange juice (do it to taste)
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tbs. orange zest
1/4 cup butter; room temperature
2- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1   cream butter
2   while still mixing add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at at time
3   then add in vanilla and orange juice
4   lastly stir in orange zest

can store it for 3-4 days in fridge

Chocolate Ganache Recipe:

9 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

1   put cream in a pan and just bring to a boil

2   once boiling turn down heat a little and add chocolate chips

3   whisk them into the cream until they have all melted

4   ALLOW IT TO COOL FOR ABOUT 5-10 minutes before you pour it over the cake

     I was impatient and tried it when it was still too hot and it ran down the cake, over the plate, and behind

     the stove! Messy!!! Wait and it will coat it really nicely

5   use a spoon or spatula to make sure the top of the cake is covered and you can strategically put drops of

     the ganache at the eges to help achieve the look you want

How to make chocolate swirls and shapes:

1   melt chocolate chips in a double broiler ( I just fill a pan with a little water and stick a pot inside it and put
     the chocolate in the pot) Make sure not to get any water in the pot or it will seize not melt enough
2   then lay out a sheet of wax paper, you can draw on the opposite side to help guide your shapes
3   once chocolate is melted place it in a plastic baggie- let cool slightly before you do this
4   then cut off a very small portion of the corner of the baggie and start drawing
5   if you want thick shapes just add on a second layer.
6   wait until it dries (you can speed this up by putting it in the fridge) and then peel them off
 If you want to put them in icing on the top like I did dont' make the icing pom poms on top until you want to put the chocolate into it or it may get too hard