Spiced “Depression” Chocolate Cake with Orange Vanilla Butter Cream and Toasted Coconut

By KimberlyB

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 1 cup soured milk or buttermilk
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 t. garam masala (my addition to the recipe)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
• 1 t. salt
• Frosting:
• 3 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1/2 t. vanilla
• Grated rind of one orange
• Juice of one orange
• 1/2 t. coconut extract (optional)
• 1 cup toasted shredded coconut

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat over to 350 degrees, and grease a 8 inch round cake pan, set aside. (This would be a good time to put the coconut on a shallow pan and let it toast for a few minutes, if you think you won’t forget it while making the cake.)

Melt butter with cocoa and garam masala, stirring till smooth. Once butter is completely melted, remove from heat and let cool while you mix the other ingredients.

Combine Buttermilk and vanilla in mixing bowl, gently whisk in baking soda. Combine sugar, flour and salt in a sifter and sift into the buttermilk mixture, stirring to mix. Finally, stir in the cocoa mixture, blending completely, and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, till toothpick inserted in middle of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake to a serving dish or board.

While the cake cools, prepare the butter cream:

Cream together 1 c. confectioner’s sugar with the butter, till light. Add flavorings and orange rind, and about 2 T. of the orange juice. Add enough of the remaining confectioners sugar to make a thick, spreadable frosting, adding more orange juice as needed.