Delish Thursday: Yum! Happy International Chocolate Day

Hi Friends!

Milton S. Hershey (whose birthday was Wednesday) once said, “Caramels are only a fad. Chocolate is a permanent thing."

I wholeheartedly agree. Can you imagine life without chocolate? I don’t even want to!

My brother and his wife once went to Hershey, Pa,, the hometown of Milton Hershey’s chocolate factory. He said the lamp post lights were shaped like Hershey Kisses and the air smelled like chocolate 24/7. Now that is a place I could live forever!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE chocolate and think that almost everything is better with chocolate.

Now, Sept. 13, is International Chocolate Day and I encourage all of you to celebrate by indulging in the most wonderful, delicious food ever created...chocolate!

I’m going to make it easy for you by sharing my recipe for Dark Chocolate Cake, the moistest, chocolatiest cake you will ever eat.

I close with these wise words from Charles M. Schulz: "All you need is love, but a little chocolate from time to time doesn't hurt!"

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL CHOCOLATE DAY!!!

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:
For the cake:

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup boiling water

For the frosting:

• 1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9”x13” baking pan.
3. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, flour, 3/4 cup cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Stir well to combine.
5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, 1 cup milk, vegetable oil and vanilla into the well.
6. Beat with a mixer on slow speed until the ingredients are combined and then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
7. Turn the mixer down to low and very slowly add the boiling water until fully incorporated.
8. Pour the dough into the baking pan.
9. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the cake tests done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Let cool completely before frosting.
11. For the frosting, mix together the softened butter, powdered sugar and cocoa.
12. Mix in the vanilla.
13. Mix in enough milk to make a creamy, spreadable frosting.

Enjoy his maximum choco-cake on International Chocolate Day!

Delish Thursday is a KDXU weekly feature written by local St. George culinary expert Laura Squires. Laura doesn't have a restaurant or bakery, but if you've ever tasted her food, you know that she is one of the best food artists in the world! Laura has been a resident of Southern Utah for  more than 30 years.