Mom's Picnic Perfect Chocolate Cake.....Mondays with Mom



This is one of my favorite memories...Mom baking her chocolate cake for my Birthday!

I have been thinking about her cake for a long time, and finally gave in and made one. Even though it's not my Birthday!

It was just as good as I remembered! A basic chocolate cake, moist and delicious. It actually tastes even better the day after it is made, not sure why. I think the coffee gives it a deeper chocolate flavor, and the 3 cups of liquid in it make it very moist. It is just as it's name implies...a perfect cake to take to a picnic..."Picnic Perfect Chocolate Cake." Mom made it as a layer cake, and used chocolate butter cream frosting. I made it in a 9 x 13 and used a thin fudge frosting that I just poured over it.

Mom ALWAYS made angel food cake with 7 minute frosting for family Birthday's. But I would ask for chocolate, my favorite, and this is the recipe she always used. 

She would put sprinkles or those funny hard candies on top of our Birthday cakes. 

The candy were different colors and usually said, "Happy Birthday." They also had several pieces that you could stick candles inside.....just like the photo below:



.Vintage Happy Birthday cake decoration

They came in different colors, mostly blue, red,  pink or yellow that I remember. We always fought over the biggest  candy piece, which was usually the Happy Birthday letters. I don't know why we did, as it didn't really taste that great. To decorate, you had to put a hot cloth on the back of the paper, so the candy would come off easily. But you had to be careful, if you left it on too long, the candy pieces would melt!

Then the candles went inside the candies. After they were lit, and Happy Birthday was sung, the cake was cut. You pulled out the candles and left the candy part on top of the cake to eat. Usually it still had melted wax in it, but that never seemed to matter....we ate it anyway!

I can just see my mom now, her checkered apron on, carrying in the round 2 layer chocolate cake, complete with lit candles held in the candy holders, singing "Happy Birthday" with a big smile on her face!



Mom's Picnic Perfect Chocolate Cake

2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. cocoa
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1 c. hot coffee
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix the sugar and eggs. Sift the dry ingredients and add. Slowly add the liquids. Mix well, mixture will be thin. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 325 for 25-30 minutes. Use toothpick to check.( Mom baked hers in 2 round pans, and used a chocolate butter cream frosting.)


My Easy Fudge Frosting:
2/3 c. sugar
3 Tbsp. milk
3 Tbsp. butter
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Bring the sugar, milk, and butter to a boil. Boil 30 seconds. remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Stir until melted and pour over cooled cake. Mixture is thin.




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3 comments:

Jill said...

This looks so good and sounds so good too - pinning it!!

I remember those cake decorations too, I can still see that paper on the back of them!

Cranberry Morning said...

Mmmm. Like that frosting recipe! I'll have to use that next time. And I remember those candy things for the top of the cake. I loved them when I was little!!! lol

Thanks for stopping in today. Stay warm and safe!

Jean | DelightfulRepast.com said...

That does sound good! Funny, when I read about the kids fighting over the candy pieces, I was thinking "Eeew, those were awful!" then you said "I don't know why ... didn't taste that great." Too funny!