Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 1 hrs
Servings: 16
About This Recipe
“This is a Dorn family tradition! Each year the kids try to outdo each other decorating the cake.”
Ingredients
CAKE
2cupssugar
1 1/4 cupsoil
3eggs
2teaspoonsvanilla
2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoonsalt
1 1/2 teaspoonsbaking soda
1 1/2 teaspoonsbaking powder
1/4 teaspooncinnamon
1cupcocoa, measured then sifted
1 1/2 cupswarm flat cola drink
CHOCOLATE ICING
1/2 cupchocolate chips, melted and cooled
2tablespoonsshortening
3/4 cup unsalted butter or 3/4 cupunsalted margarine
1teaspoonvanilla
3/4 cupcocoa, measured then sifted
3cupsconfectioners’ sugar, measured then sifted, up to 4
1/2 cup water or 1/2 cup cola or 1/2 cuphalf-and-half
GARNISH
20 -30gold chocolate coins
colored sprinkles orcandy sprinkles
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly grease (2) 9-inch layer pans and line with parchment paper circles.
In a large mixing bowl, blend sugar and oil.
Add eggs and mix until well blended and mixture is thick and lightened in texture.
In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and cocoa.
Fold dry ingredients into wet- and mix- drizzling in cola as mixture blends.
If using an electric mixer, use slow speed and mix about 3 minutes, scraping sides and bottom once to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
This is a thin batter.
Bake, on middle oven rack, 35-40 minutes, until cakes spring back when lightly touched.
ICING: Cream melted chocolate, shortening, butter and vanilla with cocoa and 1 cup of the confectioner’s sugar.
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.
If not using right away, re-whip before using.
Add additional warm water to get correct consistency (a tablespoon at a time).
DECORATING: Place one layer on a cardboard circle.
Ice this with about 1/2- inch of frosting.
Place top layer and ice cake- sides first.
Coat sides with colored sprinkles.
Garnish bottom edge with coins.
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).
Place a couple of miniature dreidels in centre if desired or Chanukah candles (can be lit when menorah is lit).
Reviews
“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.”