Homemade Chocolate Cake with English Caramel and Buttercream Frosting



My lovely birthday buddy MaryPat enjoying the cupcake

 This cake recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law Judy who was an amazing cook.  She made this recipe as cupcakes for special occasions. My father-in-law Jerry used to hang around and wait for the ones that she did not think were presentable for company.  He was only to eager to eat them.  I also believe once you see how simple and delicious this is you will not need to purchase another chocolate cake mix.


3/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 salt
1 1/3 cups water


Heat oven to 350 degrees.


Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat for one minute on medium speed.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Add alternately with the water to the cream mixture while beating at low speed.  Pour batter into 2-8 inch cake pans that have been greased and floured.  Or pour into cupcake holder that have been placed in a muffin pan.


Bake 35 - 40 minutes for the cake and 20 - 25 minutes for cupcakes.  The cake is finished when it is poked with a toothpick and the toothpick comes out clean.


For the frosting try the below English Caramel which is absolutely delicious, or if you want something simpler, just make the Buttercream that follows.


English Caramel Frosting


2/3 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk


1 pound confectioner sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla


Melt butter in saucepan.  Add brown sugar and milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil gently for 5  minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes. Blend in confectioner sugar, stirring until smooth.  Add vanilla and stir until spreading consistency.


Buttercream Frosting


1/2 cup butter - softened
16 ounces confectioner sugar
4 - 6 tablespoons milk or half & half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla


In large bowl, with mixer at medium low speed beat butter, confectioner's sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla until smooth and blended.  Beat in additional milk, if needed to make frosting spreading consistency.  Increase mixture speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

4 ½ teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel

2 large eggs

1 ¼ cups self rising flour

¼ cup buttermilk

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

12 teaspoons plus one tablespoon seeded raspberry jam

Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Using electric mixture, beat butter, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, and 3 teaspoons lemon peel in large bowl until blended, and then beat until fluffy and pale yellow.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition.  Beat in half the flour.  Add buttermilk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, beat to blend.  Beat in remaining flour.

Drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of batter into each liner.  Spoon 1 teaspoon raspberry jam over.  Cover with remaining batter, dividing equally.

Bake cupcakes until tester comes out clean, about 23 minutes.  Cool cupcakes in pan on rack.  Meanwhile whisk remaining 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon peel in small bowl.  Spoon half the frosting over six cupcakes.  Whisk 1 tablespoon raspberry jam into remaining icing.  Spoon over remaining cupcakes.  Top with raspberries.

Chocolate Raspberry Tart

"Most 6-year-old girls like funfetti cake or other Betty Crocker delites...but not Margaret" - MaryPat Flanagan. 

This is the dessert we made for Maggie's 6th birthday. 

1 ¼ cups of flour

1/3 cup sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons butter, softened and cut into 8 pieces

1 large egg yolk

6 ounces of german chocolate, broken into small pieces

2 cups fresh raspberries

3/4 cup low sugar raspberry jam

1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur such as Chambord

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease or butter a 9 inch pie pan or 9 ½ to 10 inch two piece tart pan  Whisk flour, sugar and salt together in a bowl.  Add butter and mash with back of fork or cut with two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add egg yolk.  Mix with spoon or spatula until the dough comes together into a ball.  You can also do this in a food processor. Pat dough in the bottom of the prepared pan.  Thoroughly prick the bottom with a fork.  Bake until golden brown, 18 -22 minutes.

While crust is warm place german chocolate on top and let it melt.  Once it is melted spread evenly across the crust.  Let cool.

Place raspberry jam and liqueur into small saucepan and melt over low heat.  Once the chocolate is cool place raspberries neatly on top of the chocolate and pour jam and liqueur mixture over it evenly.