08-05-14-modica-chocolate

Okay… It’s 10:50am and I just did something I never do at this time of day. I went into the kitchen and cut myself a piece of cake.

I had to. Really.

Last night I made a simple yellow cake and then made a chocolate frosting. The cake is my go-to yellow from Better Homes and Gardens. Been making it for years. The icing?!? Chocolate-with-a-twist.

I opened the cupboard to get down the cocoa powder when I saw the little chocolate discs we brought back from Sicily.  An icing was born.

An O.M.G. Icing!

Yeah… this one may just be the best one I’ve ever made. Ridiculously good.

08-05-14-yellow-cake-2

Rich and creamy and just screaming with intense chocolate flavor. It’s flippin’ awesome.

I creamed 1 stick of butter with about 5 cups of powdered sugar. I added 2 tbsp vanilla and 125 grams – a tad less than 4 1/2 ounces – melted 100% Modica chocolate. I then drizzled in maybe a quarter-cup of heavy cream to thin.

Total awesomeness.

The cake itself is no-fail and holds up to layer-splitting and any number of fillings or frostings. Today, it’s the perfect vehicle for getting that frosting into my mouth.

Yellow Cake

  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter, room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour two 8″ pans.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Place butter in mixer bowl. Beat for 3 minutes until the butter is light and creamy.

Add the sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, beating 1 minute after each addition, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well before adding the next.

Add vanilla. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk. Mix just until blended.

Spoon the batter into pans. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

I know I rant and rave about the quality of foods here in the USofA all the time. We have a few really good things, but damn – the small manufacturers in Europe do such a better job of making quality foods. While we’re so focused on market share and mass-production and how to make something even cheaper, they’re slugging along making food that sings quality and perfection. Modica chocolate is a perfect example. Made in small batches by small companies and unsurpassed in excellence.

Search out some Chocolate of Modica, if you can. It’s worth it.