Chocolate Cake

This is a take off Portillo's chocolate cake recipe. If you are ever in the Chicago area you must go to Portillo's. They're famous for Chicago style hotdogs, but their chocolate cake is absolutely divine. Yes, divine. This recipe, while not quite an exact replica, it comes darn close. And the only difference is maybe that I had to do the dishes myself. I swear that changes flavors for me.

This being a baking recipe, if you're in a high altitude area, you'll want to take note of the ingredients and directions in orange. If you're at sea level, skip those parts.

What you need
1 chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker, it's the only brand I can use at this high altitude)
1/4 cup flour
3 lg eggs
1 cup water (+2 Tbs. water)
1 cup Hellman's Mayo (This is a weird one, I am completely aware of that. Please just think of this substituting for the oil in other cakes. Don't get weirded out, ok? I also usually use generic brands for almost everything, but I stuck with Hellman's here. The website specifically called for it. I didn't want to take the chance of messing up my cake. )

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (375 degrees). Grease 2 round cake pans. Beat all the ingredients together for 4 minutes. Pour into pans. Bake for 30 minutes (40 minutes) until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes then pop out of pan. Cool completely. Frost with your choice of either canned frosting, or use a chocolate butter cream frosting. (I found mine in my Betty Crocker cookbook. It's the best.)

Mom's Coffee Cake

This is a moist streusel coffee cake, but with a twist. The sreusel is baked inbetween two layers of cake, then a simple, thin icing is poured over top. You can do this in a bundt pan or a 9X13 (I don't have a bundt pan). I made this with just a couple of changes for the altitude and it turned out great. As usually, the high-altitude adjustments are in orange. (A personal note on cakes and high altitude, I have only had success with Betty Crocker cake mixes.) Oh, and thanks to my mom for this recipe.

What you need
Streusel filling:
2 Tbs golden butter cake mix
2 Tbs brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Cake:
the rest of the cake mix + 1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water + 1-2 Tbs water
1/4 cup sugar

Mix the streusel ingredients in a medium bowl, set aside. Mix the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Grease and flour you pan (if you're going to keep it in the 9X13 pan, only grease). Pour 2/3 batter into the pan (if you're using 9X13 pan, pour 1/2 batter into pan), spread it out, it will be thick. Sprinkle streusel filling ontop, leave about 1/2 inch around the edge to prevent it sticking to the sides. Spoon the remaining batter into the pan and spread it around gently.



Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes for a 9X13 pan (if you're using the bundt, consult the back of the cake mix box for times and temps.) or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely in pan before removing it.



Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbs milk

After cake is completely cooled and removed from pan (if that's what you're doing), stir sugar and milk together with a whisk, getting all lumps out. Pour over cake. (I, unfortunately, do not have a picture with the glaze. I completely forgot, like usual, the final shot!)

Serve with coffee, tea or a big glass of cold milk!

Thank you, Mom!