OVER-the–MOON CAKE - a TEN Layer Cake w/ CHOCOLATE ICING

OVER-the–MOON CAKE  - a TEN Layer Cake w/ CHOCOLATE ICING

Table of Contents: CAKES

It is NOT a hard cake to make, but it does require time to make it.   The following notes will help you make a spectacular cake easily.  It’s a super recipe for special occasions and anytime that you want to “WOW” someone!

Notes: You must use spray-oil with flour in it, like Bakers Joy, and you must have self-rising flour.  Do not mix cake pan sizes.  If you have only 1 cake pan, make it work!  Bake a layer, turn it out, wash the pan, completely dry it, and be sure to re-spray the cake pan to use

again. (Guess who forgot to do this on one of the layers!).  Use the icing on each layer sparingly.  If too much icing is used, the layers will begin to slide as you stack them up, and you will be “catching” layers, believe me!

Make the icing first, to be able to ice each layer while it is still hot.  When you begin assembling the cake, the icing may still be hot; but it begins to cool as you progress and the appearance of the icing becomes less smooth and more “dimply”, for lack of a proper word.

Allow this to happen; do not keep the icing warm or hot.

Icing Ingredients:

3 cups boiling water

3 cups granulated sugar

6 T. cornstarch

8 T. dry cocoa powder

Dash of salt (do not omit)

1 stick + 1 T. butter or margarine (9 T.), softened and cut into chunks

1 T. vanilla extract

2 oz. toasted almond slivers, for garnish

1 small package washed & dried fresh raspberries, for garnish (optional)

Cake Layer Ingredients:

3- 1/2 cups self-rising flour

¾ cup vegetable shortening

3 cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs

Dash of salt (do not omit)

1-½ cups milk

1 T. vanilla extract

To Make the Icing:

In a medium-sized saucepan, begin boiling the water.  Meanwhile, in a large bowl, sift together or mix with a fork, the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, & salt.  Make sure to mix completely and break-up any lumps.  When the water if fully boiling, remove the pot from the heat; then

carefully use a whisk or long handled spoon to stir the sugar mixture into the hot water until smooth and blended.  Add the butter and vanilla; then mix again to blend.

Return the chocolate mixture to high heat, while stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or until it has thickened enough to spread like an icing.

Select a cake plate to use and put the saucepan of icing and the cake plate, side-by-side, on a counter to be handy to assemble the cake later as the cake layers come out of the oven.

To Make the Cake Layers:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray as many 8” or 9” cake pans that you have in your kitchen with Bakers Joy.

Measure the flour, and sift; then re-measure the flour by spooning lightly into a cup.

Using an electric mixer with the large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar until well mixed and fluffy; then, one at time, beat the eggs into the sugar mixture.  Add the salt and beat to mix.

Place the mixer speed on the lowest setting and alternate adding the flour and milk, then add the vanilla.  Raise the mixer speed to the usual speed for mixing a cake and continue to beat until all ingredients are well mixed.  The batter should be thin to spread evenly in the

cake pans.  If the batter seems too thick to spread easily in the bottom of the cake pans, then add extra milk by the tablespoon to thin the batter.

To Cook the Cake Layers:

Use a large cooking spoon to put 2 spoonsful of the batter into each cake pan (the batter should just cover the bottom of the pan) and bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until done.

To Begin Cake Assembly:

Place the first cake layer on the bottom of the cake plate as soon as it is cool enough to handle.  Spread the top of the cake layer with a thin coating of the icing.  Do not ice the sides.

Ice and stack the hot cake layers as they come out of the oven.  Top the final layer with all of the remaining icing and watch it elegantly “drool” down the sides.  Decorate the top of the cake with the toasted almond slivers and fresh raspberries.

Before cutting, allow the cake to cool and set completely, or it can be refrigerated.

A lovely friend of mine, Eugenia Wetherbee, gave me this recipe quite a number of years ago.  It is an outstanding recipe in both appearance and taste combining the thin yellow cake layers with the thin rich chocolate icing.  I have taken the liberty of adding the toasted, slivered almonds and the fresh raspberries as decoration.  My special thanks to Eugenia’s family.