Gigis Black Spice Cake And Chocolate Frosting Recipes

GIGI'S CARROT CAKE BY EMERIL LAGASSE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.
• Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.
• For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.
• When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.

SPICE CAKE AND CHOCOLATE FROSTING -GLADYS' RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven,usually a cake is baked at 350 degrees, she didn't write it down! Grease and flour a 9"X 13" pan.
• 2. Sift the dry ingredients. Combine HALF the milk and half the dry ingredients, add eggs, beat, add remainingmilk and dry ingredients. Stir in raisins. Pour into prepared baking pan.
• 3. THIS IS THE BEST PART: "BAKE UNTIL JUST ABOUT DONE", her very words! For a beginning baker this is tough to know, so I'm stating,bake for 35 or 40 minutes and test with a cake tester or tooth pick; and if it comes out clean it's done. Also if you press on it gently and it springs back, it is fine. If it leaves an indent bake a few minutes more and test it again. :) NOTE: 36 mins. worked for me on 2/20/12.
• 4. TO MAKE FROSTING: MELT CHOCOLATE ADD SOFT BUTTER, STIR IN 1/3 OF PACKAGE OF THE SUGAR AND ADD A TABLESPOON OF MILK, ADD ANOTHER BIT OF SUGAR AND MORE MILK IF NEEDED. You want it to be "spreading consistency" not dripping, so don't add too much milk at a time, just a spoonful each time. Cool cake completely and then frost. NOTE: 3 Tbs. butter, and 2 Tbs.milk, with 3 cups confectioners' sugar, and the 2 squares of melted chocolate.

NANA'S CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Combine chocolate and butter in large saucepan.
• Cook over low heat until melted; stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat; cool.
• Sift sugar; add to chocolate alternately with milk and vanilla.
• Beat at high speed until of spreading consistency.