HAPPY BIRTHDAY EE CHEENG!!
I’ll sure get you a present as soon as possible..
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I wanted to bake a chocolate cake for my special someone, just to make him happy. I love baking cakes, but I’m not very good at it. Anyone wanna teach me how to bake some lovely cakes?
I’ve found some chocolate cake’s recipes on line.

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PREPARATION TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 30 Min
READY IN 40 Min

There are more cake recipes here

Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 cups white sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking soda
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 pinch salt
* 2/3 cup shortening
* 2 cups boiling water
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and salt. Set aside.
2. Melt the shortening in the boiling water, then stir into the flour mixture until blended. Beat in the eggs, then stir in the vanilla.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

One of the member’s review which I think might make the cake taste better.
”I originally gave this 4 stars but after making it again with another modification I am adding another star. Here’s the trick: instead of water, heat up 2 c milk, add 2 heaping teaspoons of instant coffee and use that to dissolve the shortening. It makes a big difference by bringing out the chocolate flavor, rather than diluting it. Frosted with Caroline’s Fudge Frosting from this site. Yum! Thanks!”

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Another chocolate cake recipe from Simply Recipes

Cake ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp salt
¾ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup + 2 Tbsp cocoa

1 cup + 2 Tbsp water
1 cup + 2 Tbsp canola oil

5 large or 4 extra large/jumbo eggs
¾ cup water
1 ½ tsp vanilla

Frosting ingredients:
1 box powdered sugar (1 pound or 454 grams)
3/4 cup cocoa (use Van Houten, Droste, or other dark, high quality alkalized unsweetened cocoa.)
a flavoring liquid (water, vanilla, rum, cognac, kirsch, or amaretto)
1 1/2 cup butter – firm, not cold, not too soft

Cake instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.

1 In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and cocoa.

2 Add 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of water and 1 cup and 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Mix for 1 minute.

3 Add eggs, 3/4 cup of water, vanilla. Mix 5-6 minutes with a whisk, 3-4 minutes with a hand mixer, or 2 minutes with a KitchenAid mixer.

4 Pour into three 10″ cake pans, bake at 350°F for 25-35 minutes (adjust for convection); test by placing and removing a toothpick through the center at 25 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean, loosen from pans and then put back in the pans. Let cakes cool for 15 minutes. Keep in the pans, wrap in foil, and put in the freezer for at least 2 hours.

Frosting instructions:

This part is a little harder as it is really done to taste.

1 Put powdered sugar and 3/4 cup cocoa into a food processor. Pulse until blended.

2 Drizzle in, until about the consistency of firm butter, several tablespoons of flavoring liquid (water if you aren’t looking for flavor beyond the cocoa and butter). To not put in too much liquid, but if you do, add cocoa or sugar. Taste. When the flavor and consistency is right,

3 add 1 1/2 cup of butter (firm, not cold and not too soft). A good rule of thumb is that both the butter and the sugar mixture should be slightly firmer than you would want it to be to spread it, since the mixing action of the food processor will warm it slightly. Pulse until blended.

Assembling the cake:

Remove the cakes from the freezer and from their pans. Stack, frosting each layer as you go. Let sit for an hour before serving.

If you have any cake recipes which is easy to bake and taste good, please do share with me.
I’ll appreciate it a lot. :)