Thursday, September 30, 2010

A Slice of Texas> DR. PEPPER CAKE



One of the greatest gifts to the world from Texas is DR.PEPPER the Coke-a-Cola  of The Lone Star state. Often imitated but never equaled. It has some very complex flavors that are a highly guarded secret. I feel sorry for all those non Texans who may never taste the real deal "Top Shelf" that comes from Dublin Tx. brewed from the original recipe using Imperial Cane Sugar, instead of high fructose corn syrup. You really don't know what you are missing. If you come to Tx. and you are a "Pepper" it is mandatory to have a Pony of Dublin's Finest.
Cooking with soda pop is a southern thing, and used in any number of recipes.for all kinds of foods. You give a Texas cook some Dr. Pepper and you had  better pull you hat down tight it can tend to be a wild ride down the flavor trail. This recipe is strait out of the Texas Hill Country an produces a luscious, deep, dark, super moist, velvety chocolate cake, with a complex depth of flavor from a hint of Dr.Pepper. To say that I love this cake is an understatement. It is on my list of last meals food. Just in case. One bite and you will completely understand, it is that good. Enjoy!

Prep time: 20min                                              Cook Time: 30-35 min


Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups All Purpose Flour + 2 tbl cornstarch
1cup White Sugar
1cup Brown Sugar
1 cup Cocoa
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup Dr. Pepper
2 lrg Eggs
1cup Buttermilk
1 cup Oil
11/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 c Semi Sweet Chocolate chips or 2 /12 pieces Bakes Chocolate

Frosting:

1/2 cup Shortening +3/4 cup(1 1/2 sticks) Unsalted Butter softened
4 cups Powered Sugar
1/4 cup Cocoa
1/4cup Dr. Pepper
1 /12 tsp Vanilla Extract


Tools: Mixer, Bowls, Measuring cups and Spoons, Rubber Spatula, Flower sifter or a  Hand strainer. 2 9" Cake pans, Sauce pan


Directions: Cake

Preheat oven to 350 º F and prepare cake pans with a light coat of Butter and a dusting of sugar and set aside.
Double sift together flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and cocoa.
In the bowl of your mixer combine the oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, Beat on med 2 min.
In a sauce pan over med heat warm the Dr. Pepper and add the Chocolate chips, stirring constantly to melt and combine chocolate and prevent scorching. The Dr. Pepper only needs to be warm enough to melt the chocolate keep the temp as low as possible.
With the mixer on low speed slowly stream in the DR. Pepper & chocolate mixture to the oil, egg and buttermilk beat 1 min.
With the mixer running on the slowest speed add the dry ingredients about 1/3 at a time allow time between additions to eliminate dry spots. after the last addition stop the mixer scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on med 2 min.
Transfer the Batter to the prepared pans and bake on the center rack of the oven 30- 35 min until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a rack in the pans 1 hr.


Directions: Frosting

Place the softened( room temp) butter and shortening in the bowl of the mixer, beat on med 3 min .Stop mixer add Dr.Pepper and vanilla, beat 1 min on med. Stop mixer and add 1 cup of the powdered sugar restart the mixer on the lowest setting to combine repeat with the remainder of the powdered sugar and cocoa, increase the mixer speed to high and beat 5 min




 Assembly:
Turn out 1 of the cakes onto a plate or a cake stand by inverting the plate over the cake pan then turn the whole thing over. You want the top of the cake on the plate. Apply 1 cup of frosting the center of the cake. and with your spatula work it to the outer edge.

Turn out the second cake onto a plate and transfer it to the top of the frosted section, this time you want the top facing up. This will give you strait sides making the remainder of the frosting application much easier.
Place the remainder of the frosting on the top in the center of your cake.Working from the center to the outside and over the sides, apply an even coat of the frosting.










* This cake is too good not to be enjoyed by everyone So here is away to reduce the calories remove the raw sugars and cut the Fat.

In the cake recipe: Substitute Splenda for the sugar and use diet Dr. Pepper. Use 3 Large Egg whites in place of the 2 lrg eggs. and 1cup of applesauce for the oil.

In the Frosting: Substitute 1 cup white Splenda for  the 4 cups of powdered sugar and diet  Dr. Pepper.

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