Chocolate Cake

One of the basic and versatile desserts today is chocolate cake. Chocolate cake is the standard birthday cake, typically two or three layers, and iced and filled with a chocolate or buttercream frosting. Cake decorating is a up-and-coming hobby, so chocolate cake is now an experimental dessert as well as continuing to be a classic. Cake's history goes back hundreds, or perhaps thousands, of years. Its simplest form and definition is flour mixed with eggs and fat, sweetened with honey or sugar, and baked. As new flavors were discovered and created, different variations of cake, like chocolate, vanilla, and coconut, arose. Chocolate cake is said to have originated around the same tame chocolate itself was invented (opposed to just cacao beans). Chocolate cake has been the inspiration and base for many other desserts, like a chocolate trifle, fudge brownies, and a chocolate molten cakes. Asking around for the best chocolate cake can provide numerous answers and heated discussions. Many people judge the goodness of chocolate cake differently, such as on moistness, grandeur, quality of ingredients, and other flavorings within the dessert. Chocolate cake can be made from a box or from scratch, which always seems to taste a little bit better. Try the delicious chocolate cake at Bacchanalia, or the Very Good Chocolate Cake at Watershed Inc., both located in the metro Atlanta area. There are so many add-ins and variations on chocolate cake like:

-Add bananas or peanut butter

-Elaborate layer cakes with different icings or ganache

-Adding chopped nuts or coconut

-topping the cake with pieces of hard chocolate or fondant creations

-Adding unique flavors, such as pumpkin, mint, or marshmallow

A basic recipe for chocolate cake is as follows:

Ingredients

U.S.

Metric

Conversion chart

• 1 1/2 cup(s) sifted cake flour
• 1/3 cup(s) Dutch-process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1 cup(s) strong brewed coffee, warm
• 1/3 cup(s) light olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon(s) aged balsamic vinegar

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Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly coat an 8-inch round cake pan with softened butter and dust with all-purpose flour. Set aside. Whisk the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside. Stir the coffee, oil, vanilla, and vinegar together and whisk into the flour mixture just until smooth.
2. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the center rack of the oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean — 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Serve the cake, iced with about 1 cup Deep Chocolate Glaze. Cake can also be served plain alongside whipped cream or coffee ice cream.

Beignets

Planning a trip is always filled with cries of "Can we do this?" and "Can we go there?" Planning a trip to New Orleans is no different, but one of the unanimous decisions is to visit Cafe du Monde, the beignet center of the country. Beignets are a Cajun/French breakfast item now popular throughout the South. A beignet is essentially a deep-fried pastry or square of dough that is served with a thick layer of powdered sugar. They are always served piping-hot with extra powdered sugar. Beignets may have a light texture with a air pocket in the center, or it may have a cake like consistency. Beignets go back hundreds of years, being traced back to Spanish cuisine that led diffused to France and later the Cajun population of Louisiana. They are a simple dessert, and have not evolved much from their advent because of their few, but delicious elements that appeal to all of the senses. The smell of the sweet sugar melting a hot square of dough. The feel of warmth and steam emanating from the freshly broken pastry. The sizzling of the dough squares being dropped into the fryer. The golden brown color speckled with pure white drops of powdered sugar. And last but not least, the taste of the components all coming together into one classic brunch indulgence. Beignets are most often the center of a meal, only being served with coffee and orange juice. Beignets can often be found a brunch menu, but are difficult to master. However, Serpas restaurant and Henry's Louisiana Grill, both located in the metro Atlanta area, seem to have gotten it right. Beignets really do not have any notable variations, and the following is a classic recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup water 1 tablespoon yeast 1/4 cup shortening 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup boiling water

1 cup evaporated milk 2 eggs, beaten 7 1/2 cups flour 1 quart vegetable oil for frying 1 cup confectioners' sugar for dusting

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Pour 1/2 cup room temperature water into a small bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the water and let stand for about 5 minutes to dissolve.
2.	Combine the shortening, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the shortening mixture and then stir in the evaporated milk. Wait for the mixture to cool down until it is lukewarm. Then, add the yeast and water mixture and beaten eggs.
3.	Slowly mix in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
4.	Working with a small portion (a little larger than a baseball) at a time, roll out the dough 1/8-inch thick. Cut the rolled out dough into strips 2 to 3-inches wide, then cut again in the opposite direction and at an angle, making diamond shapes.
5.	Heat your oil for frying in a deep and wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat to 360 degree F (180 degrees C).
6.	Slide dough slowly into the oil to avoid splattering and deep fry until they puff up and are golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully remove onto a rack with paper towels underneath and allow to cool until you can handle them. Place in a clean paper bag with confectioners' sugar and shake gently until covered generously or, use a sifter to dust the beignets with powdered sugar. The following video provides a tutorial on how to properly fry beignets: