Chocolate Cake For A Friend

The other day my dad asked me to go to a family friend’s house because he needed help heating up his dinner. My dad also said make sure you pick up a piece of cake for him; you know how he has a sweet tooth! My first thought was why I would buy cake, when I could just as easily make one; so that’s what I did.

I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe, and then I started thinking about garnishes as well as toppings. I made cranberry lime compote, a lime sauce, and a candied lime chip for some added color.

Chocolate cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY’S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa or regular 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 or coffee for extra flavor

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or line 28 to 30 muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.
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 or fill cups about 2/3 full with batter.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans or 22 to 25 minutes for cupcakes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Cranberry compote

1 cup Crasins

Zest form one lime

Juice from one lime

¼ cup of sugar

4 Tbps cornstarch

½ cup of COLD water

Method:

In a sauce pot add dried cranberries, sugar, zest and juice. Bring to a boil, and then let simmer until cranberries look rehydrated.  Using a measuring cup stir together cornstarch and water making a slurry ( use cold water if not mixture will become chunky). bring cranberry mixture back up to a boil and add in slurry. let boil to cook out all of the cornstarch, set aside and let cool.

Candied lime chip

Thinly sliced lime slices

Simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil)

Method:

After the sugar and water solution has come to a boil, add in the lime slices let boil for a minute or two. Preheat oven to a low temperature about 250 place lime slices on a sheet pan lined with a  silicone mat or on a sheet pan lined with parchment let bake until dry, and there is no more moisture. This could take hours depending on the humidity levels.

Lime sauce

Simple syrup ( equal parts sugar and water brought to a boil)

Lime juice to taste

Lime zest

Green food coloring (use sparingly)

Method

Combine all ingredients and let cool