Hanukkah Gelt Double Fudge Chocolate Layer Cake

Mirj's Note:

This is a Dorn family tradition! Each year the kids try to outdo each other decorating the cake.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

CAKE

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 ¼ cups oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup cocoa , measured then sifted
• 1 ½ cups warm flat cola drink

CHOCOLATE ICING

• ½ cup chocolate chips , melted and cooled
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• ¾ cup unsalted butter or ¾ cup unsalted margarine
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup cocoa , measured then sifted
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar , measured then sifted, up to 4
• ½ cup water or ½ cup cola or ½ cup half-and-half

GARNISH

• 20 -30 gold chocolate coins
• colored sprinkles or candy sprinkles

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Lightly grease (2) 9-inch layer pans and line with parchment paper circles.
3. In a large mixing bowl, blend sugar and oil.
4. Add eggs and mix until well blended and mixture is thick and lightened in texture.
5. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cocoa.
6. Fold dry ingredients into wet- and mix- drizzling in cola as mixture blends.
7. If using an electric mixer, use slow speed and mix about 3 minutes, scraping sides and bottom once to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
8. This is a thin batter.
9. Bake, on middle oven rack, 35-40 minutes, until cakes spring back when lightly touched.
10. ICING: Cream melted chocolate, shortening, butter and vanilla with cocoa and 1 cup of the confectioner's sugar.
11. Add remaining confectioner's sugar and whip on high speed, adding in a bit of water, cola or half-and-half to get a light, fluffy consistency.
12. If not using right away, re-whip before using.
13. Add additional warm water to get correct consistency (a tablespoon at a time).
14. DECORATING: Place one layer on a cardboard circle.
15. Ice this with about 1/2- inch of frosting.
16. Place top layer and ice cake- sides first.
17. Coat sides with colored sprinkles.
18. Garnish bottom edge with coins.
19. Garnish top with coins- placing them either flat on top of cake or standing up (You may cut some of the coins in half to garnish border of top layer).
20. Place a couple of miniature dreidels in centre if desired or Chanukah candles (can be lit when menorah is lit).

Reviews

[Juenessa]

I made this for my hubby's birthday and he loved it! I usually don't make layer cakes, so this was a real treat for him and my children as well. We are chocolate addicts, so the only thing I did different was, for the cake batter, to use 1/2 a cup regular cocoa and 1/2 a cup of special dark cocoa. For the icing, I used 1/2 a cup of regular cocoa and 1/4 cup of special dark cocoa. Wow, the cake is rich and we love it that way! The icing was perfect and covered the cake just right. With any cake recipe, I have to make it a few times to get it just right. I cooked it for 35 minutes and think next time I will cook it for 30 minutes, as it was a tad dry. This of course, is not the recipe's fault~it is mine :-). The cake is beautiful and the taste is incredible! Thanks so much for a delightful treat today, Mirj.