Lisa Silmser, first place winner of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship, stopped by the KARE Barn and shared her blue ribbon winning recipe. She beat almost 70 other entries.
Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate Splash Cake
2 cups white sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Ghirardelli cocoa powder
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 steaming Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa, prepared with water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two eight inch round pans. Sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. With an electric mixer, beat in eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Carefully pour in the hot cocoa at the last moment - batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes. When completed cooled, frost with Ghirardelli Cocoa Frosting.
Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa Frosting
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature
1/2 cup Ghirardelli cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup Ghirardelli Hot Cocoa mix
Cream together butter, cocoa powder and salt. Add powdered sugar, then milk and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together heavy cream and hot cocoa mix. Slowly add to frosting until you've reached the desired consistency. Drink whatever is leftover while you stack and frost your layer cake.
Ghirardelli Chocolate Splash Decorations
1 cup Ghirardelli White Chocolate chips
1 cup Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate chips
1 cup Ghirardelli Bittersweet Chocolate chips
Melt chips in separate containers in the microwave on medium heat for 30 second increments, stirring often. Repeat until fully melted and smooth. On kitchen parchment covered tray, pour approx. sixteen quarter-sized dollops of bittersweet chocolate 4 inches apart. Then pour a circle of milk chocolate around each dollop. Repeat with a circle of white chocolate. The dollops will have a target-like pattern. Using a skewer or thin paring knife, drag across the three types of chocolate into irregular, 3-4 inch splash-like patterns. Avoid over swirling. Place tray in refrigerator to set for approx. 15 minutes. When chocolate has set, gently peel "splashes" from parchment and use to decorate the frosted layered cake. To make a tiered effect, cut a ½ inch deep groove into the top of the cake, 1 inch from the edge. Slide the chocolate splashes into the groove to create the faux top tier of the cake. Completed cake serves 8-10 people.
This recipe is courtesy of Lisa Silmser of Champlin, 2012 Minnesota State Fair, Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship
(Copyright 2012 by KARE. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)