Layered Chocolate Pound Cake with Caramel Frosting

 Chocolate and caramel... is there a better combination in the cooking world? A festive option from the pumpkin pies and pecan pies, this cake satisfies my inner craving for dense, old-fashioned southern cake. The presentation is so pretty. A cookfriend shared this recipe and idea with me along with the recommendation to use the easy icing from The Cake Mix Doctor. The cake is baked in 2-half bundt pans with the one recipe of cake batter. The half bundt pans are nice to have when baking a full cake for a smaller family is too much cake. Have a cake at home and a cake to give away. In this case, however, both small bundts will be used. The bottom layer is placed on the platter with curved side down. Slice across cake a bit to level surface for layering. (Enjoy this cake remnant with coffee). Pour frosting on this flat part, place other bundt on top with the curved side up. Frost all with caramel icing. Garnish with a crumbled & twisted piece of brown paper for the stem. Hope I can wait another day to slice a piece.

Chocolate Pound Cake

Cream thoroughly: 3 sticks butter, 3 cups sugar

Add: 6 eggs, 1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together: 3 cups flour, ½ tsp. baking powder, ½ cup cocoa, ½ tsp. salt

Add sifted ingredients alternately with 1 ¼ cups milk to creamed mixture.

Bake 350 for an hour. Try not to overbake… if anything, slightly underbake, if possible!

Frost with Quick Caramel Frosting from The Cake Mix Doctor (tinted with orange food color, opt.). Garnish with pecan halves.            


Quick Caramel Icing
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place butter and brown sugar in medium-size heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stori and cook until the mixture comes to a boil, about 2 minutes. Add the milk, stir, and bring mixture back to boil, then remove pan from heat. Add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Beat with wooden spoon or electric mixer to make it especially smooth. Use immediately (while still warm) to frost cake, or else it will harden. If it does harden while you are frosting cake, simply place the pan back over low heat and stir until the frosting softens up.