Hello All,

Got 2 new recipes to post but as you can guess it's been a busy time right now with Mother's Day right around the corner.  I promise to be back soon.

Black Magic Muffins with Cooked Vanilla Icing

I promised something for this week and so I keep my promise.  I also warned you that not everything I touch comes out perfect, even after all these years!

Today's dessert is Black Magic Muffins and Cooked Vanilla Icing.

A little history of my Black Magic Cake recipe; I actually found this in a Lady's Home Journal back in 1976. I liked it because it did not require a beater of any kind.  As a new wife my kitchen was pretty sparse.  I could mix it all by hand and the reason for this was because the batter was so thin.  Hence, Black Magic!  This batter will actually rise to twice it's size.  You will need to be careful if you are using it for Muffins or Cupcakes and not fill the cups more than half full.  You will see why I say this further down.  

This is a wonderful, coffee flavored, chocolate cake with a small crumb, very moist.  The only way you can go wrong with this cake is to bake it too long.  I am using the recipe for muffins today.  Any cake recipe can be used for either muffins or cupcakes.  I would not suggest using this recipe for say a half sheet or larger cake if you intended to fill the product.  It's soft moist crumb makes it very difficult to separate larger layers than a 9 in round or if your experienced maybe a 10 in round.

So, let's get started.  I will post both recipes as written and then will follow them with pictures and instructions on methods to use.  If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.


Black Magic Cake

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup cold brewed espresso

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp Vanilla

1.   Heat oven to 350 F. Spray 10-inch Bunt pan or two 9-inch rounds (you can use a 9 x 13 with no problems) with baking spray; set aside.  If you are using muffin tins add wrappers to make 15 muffins.

2.   In bowl, combine eggs, coffee, milk and oil. Mix till combined.  Add sugar and continue to mix until well combined.  

3.  In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Sift ingredients into the bowl with the liquid.

4   Mix until smooth, batter will be thin. Pour into pan or tins.

 Best Every, Cooked Vanilla Frosting!

5 Tbs.  AP Flour
1 C     Milk
1 tsp   Vanilla (I use 1 Tbs. Clear Vanilla)
1 C    Unsalted Butter (2 sticks)
1 C     Sugar

1.  Begin by pouring 5 tablespoons of flour into 1 cup of milk. I used whole milk because I can if I want.

2.  After adding the flour, whisk it together until combined, then place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk it as it heats up and thickens, and stop when the mixture is very thick.

Cool the mixture completely. The mixture will be very, very thick.

3.  Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the cooled flour/milk mixture. Stir it around to combine.

4.  Pour one cup of sugar into a bowl with one cup of butter.

5.  Whip it around until it’s light and fluffy, scraping the bowl once or twice to make sure it’s all mixed well.

6.  Add the cooled flour/milk/vanilla mixture. Make sure it’s not the least bit warm!

7.  Next, just whip it on medium-high until the mixture resembled whipped cream.

Now for the pictures!

Let's first start with the icing.

Begin by pouring 5 tablespoons of flour into 1 cup of milk. I used whole milk because I can if I want.

After adding the flour, whisk it together until combined, then place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk it as it heats up and thickens, and stop when the mixture is very thick.

Cool the mixture completely. 

The mixture will be very, very thick.

Set aside at this time to allow to cool.

Next we'll start the cake!

Above is a picture of the necessary ingredients.

Heat oven to 350 F. Spray 10-inch Bunt pan or two 9-inch rounds (you can use a 9 x 13 with no problems) with baking spray; set aside.  If you are using muffin tins add wrappers to make 15 muffins.

In bowl, combine eggs, coffee, milk and oil. Mix till combined.  Add sugar and continue to mix until well combined.  

In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Sift ingredients into the bowl with the liquid.

Mix until smooth, batter will be thin. Pour into pan or tins.

Notice that I filled these more than half way?  Bake at 350 F. for 23 to 25 mins.  Try not to over bake, that would be the only serious mistake you can make with this recipe.  When you place a tester in the center you want it to come out with moist crumbs attached, not clean.

This is what happens when you over fill the muffin or cupcake tins with this recipe.

Do not panic, all is not lost.  Simple remove the cakes from the tin and use a pair of kitchen scissors to clean up around the edges.  You can then use the extra cake to fill in the centers.

Ok, back to the icing!  Now that the flour and milk mixture has cooled completely it's time to finish up the icing.

Pour one cup of sugar into a bowl with one cup of butter.

   

Whip it around until it’s light and fluffy, scraping the bowl once or twice to make sure it’s all mixed well.

Add the cooled flour/milk/vanilla mixture.

Next, just whip it on medium-high until the mixture resembled whipped cream.  (This is not a picture of my product, I forgot to take one, so I snagged one from the net.)

Now it is time to put the icing on your product and enjoy!

Because part of my cocoa mixture is "dark" chocolate, my cake is very dark in color.  If you notice the bottom picture there is an un-iced muffin.  It is the same ones that you saw above just cleaned up and filled with the extra cake.  

Now, get in the kitchen and bang some pans!!

Getting ready to blog....Oh My!

Hello all!!  Stay tuned to this channel for recipes and belly laughs as I attempt to present some of my favorite recipes.

I'm new to blogging so this will be a true adventure.  I'm not trying to out cook anyone and I'm not trying to cook all the recipes from a well known cookbook.  I'm just a Granny who loves to be in her kitchen and spends a lot of time decorating cakes and making homemade pastries (along with DIYing my kitchen to look the way I want it to...lol.)  I promise lots of pictures and easy to follow instructions.

If there is a dessert that you would like instructions on how to prepare, please feel free to ask.  I'm not afraid to dive right into a brand new recipe that I have never tried before.

My type of cuisine is not restricted to one culture.  I love French Creme Brulee as much as I love to make Native American Cold Strawberry Soup.  I might bake Homemade White Sandwich Bread (yeast) on the same day as a quick German Bread.  Just like when you walked into your Grandmother's kitchen as a child,  you will never know what might show up here.

I also love to just plain cook and that will supply you with many laughs as even at my age and with my years of experience I can still make a mess.

I will return tomorrow, hopefully with a recipe and some pictures.

Just to say HELLO!

Welcome to my newest adventure.  My name is Chef T, aka Granny, and I am going to attempt to create a blog that will not only have you drooling, but will make you want to get in the kitchen and bang some pans.  So what do you say to a little sugar talk?  Tomorrow I will attempt my first honest to goodness post and we'll see where we go from there.