How to Make a Chocolate Cake in Kazakhstan - Sunday, 15 November 2009

I had wanted Sophia to celebrate her birthday at school, and so on Sunday I attempted another cake. I had found cocoa powder in the grocery store, and this excited me, and so I scoured the Internet for chocolate cake recipes. I finally found one that seemed feasible, and I set to making it. I doubled the recipe, as it appeared to be small, and I knew if I had extra batter, I could also find something to do with it--but if I had too little, then that wouldn't be good.

I used up the milk and vanilla on the cake, and so I had to figure out a frosting without milk (I figured I could just omit the vanilla). Again I scoured the Internet, again I doubled the recipe I found. The frosting tasted delicious, and the cake appeared to look great, and so I quickly wrote down how I had made it--considering I hadn't completely followed the directions. I also wrote down the flour and margarine I had used, so I could replicate the recipe if it turned out to be good.

As it turns out, it was very good, and quite a success in her class. Sophia said that the assistant kept eating more and more. It was very moist, and luckily her teacher left one slice for me to try! The frosting is very fudge-y and works well as a dessert all by itself (if you're desperate for something sweet and easy, as we were one day later that week!)

So here's a recipe for chocolate cake in Kazakhstan! (You need a pan from Canada and a measuring cup from the States, however).

CAKE--I doubled the original recipe.

I. Ingredients

2 cups flour (мука в/сорт ак кайнар вес)

4 tablespoons (= 8 teaspoons) cocoa powder

4 teaspoons baking powder (разрыхлитель)

4 pinches salt

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons (or about 2 packets) vanilla (or just 1 packet if that's all you have)

Mix together with fork.

II. Ingredients

1 cup milk and/or water (I used 5 ounces of 1.5% Moe milk and 3 ounces water.)

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

Mix into flour mixture. Stir until smooth.

III. Pour into Christie's cake pan (pre-greased with margarine & flour).

IV. Cook at about 180 degrees Celsius or maybe a bit less for 35 minutes or less. Until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

ICING--will make enough for cake plus leftovers. I doubled the original recipe, which would have been too little.

I. Ingredients

16 ounces (450 g) powdered sugar -- or 4 packets 100 grams powdered sugar

3 tablespoons (6 teaspoons) cocoa powder

3 teaspoons (or 1 packet) vanilla (or forget it if you don't have it, oops!)

Stir with fork. Try not to splash powdered sugar all over the kettle.

II. Ingredients

2 cups (220 g) butter -- or 1 stick of 200 grams of margarine (жар печка маргарин для выпечки)

3 tablespoons (= 6 teaspoons) water or tad less

Cook in microwave until butter is extremely soft. Stir.

III. Pour butter mixture into powdered sugar mixture. Stir until creamy. Watch out for tiny clusters of cocoa powder.

IV. Pour onto cake. Put cake in fridge so the glaze can harden. Take out of fridge several hours before serving.

Yummy!