Not the buttons!  Not my Gumdrop Buttons!

Not the buttons! Not my Gumdrop Buttons!

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I couldn’t resist a Shrek quote to go along with Diane’s birthday cake this year.  My SIL has a December birthday and we usually celebrate when we gather at Christmas.  This year I made a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, a vanilla buttercream filling and a chocolate ganache drizzle.  I added some Wilton gingerbread boys for decoration.

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Diane is one of the funniest people I know and we always have a good time when we are together.  She is a great sport and loves to play games and have fun.

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Two of the little gingerbread boys were broken in the package so we put them in Shrek’s swamp in the center of the cake.  Heeelp me!!!!

 

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Chocolate Cake

 

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 egg yolks

1 1/3 cup cold water

3 egg whites

¾ cup sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour two 9 ½ inch round baking pans.  Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  In a bowl, beat together the shortening and 1 cup sugar.  Add the vanilla and egg yolks; mix well.  Alternate adding the flour mixture with the cold water. Beat until just combined, do not overmix.

Wash the beaters.  In a small bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Add the ¾ cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  Fold egg whites into the cake batter with a spatula.  Place batter into prepared pans.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes on wire racks.  Remove from pans and cool thoroughly on wire racks.  Frost with butter cream frosting and garnish with chocolate ganache.

 

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

1 ½ sticks butter

5-6 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup cocoa

½ cup half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together sugar and cocoa.  Using a mixer, beat  butter and sugar mixture together alternating with the half and half.  (This is an approximation because I usually throw frosting together adjusting amounts of ingredients as I go!)

 

Quick Chocolate Ganache

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

In a glass dish, microwave chocolate chips and cream.  Stir after 3 seconds.  Depending upon your microwave, it should take about a minute to melt.  Stir after every thirty seconds if additional time is needed.

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