The cake that baked!

As you most of you know I fancy baking like none other. Last year in Tanzania was so hard because I did not successfully bake one thing. Either I could not find a particular ingredient and the recipe did not work with my substitutes but I think the biggest problem was my oven. My oven burned every cake, cookie and muffin. The bottoms would be burnt and the middles undone. But finally this August I figured out my oven and how to make cakes work and this is my first cake in Tanzania that baked. I made a milk chocolate cake with milk chocolate icing for a friend's birthday. It was good, moist, sweet and a big hit. Recipe is below! I think next time instead of making icing I may just use Nutella. Karibu!

          You will need:

                  Cake bits

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

                Icing bits

• 1 cup boiling water
  
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 1/3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 The bump and grind of the cake

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F...in Tanzania I think it was around 210 or 180. I had to keep alternating between the temps. Light both your top and bottom grill. Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.
• Use the first set of ingredients to make the cake. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla AND MIX. Stir in the boiling water by hand. Pour evenly into the two prepared pans.
• Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes in the oven.
• Check the cake with a knife and if it is done your cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 10 minutes.
• To make the frosting, use the second set of ingredients. Cream butter until light and fluffy. If your are in Tanzania blue band works fine! Stir in the cocoa and confectioners' sugar alternately with the milk and vanilla. Mix mix mix.
•  Ice the cake and serve...I imagine it is very yummy with vanilla ice cream! 

   Celebrating Cleve and Shorty's birthdays at a local bar in Arusha. The boys blowing out the candles on the choco cake!