I think the reason this cake turned out so delightful is that it’s made from scratch, instead of using a cake mix.
Don’t get me wrong; I’ve made awesome cakes out of cake mix but this one is definitely in a league of its own. The fudgy frosting is so delicious, I could just eat it straight from the bowl with a spoon! It comes out thick and hardens pretty quickly so it’s not a good idea to make it ahead. Wait until your cake is ready before you get started with the frosting. Trust me – it’s well worth a few extra minutes!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
1 stick Land O Lakes butter
1 cup water
4 Tbsp Valrhona cocoa
½ cup shortening or coconut oil
1 cup Domino sugar
2 cups flour, unbleached white or gluten free
½ cup Borden buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp Vietnamese cassia
1 tsp vanilla
2 Eggland’s eggs, lightly beaten
For the Frosting:
1 stick Land O Lakes butter
6 Tbsp McArthur milk
4 Tbsp Valrhona cocoa
1 box (1 lb) Domino powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ cup chopped walnuts, toasted and divided
2 Tbsp chopped ginger (optional)
2 Tbsp pomegranate seeds (optional)
Instructions:
For the Cake:
Preheat oven to 400 and grease a 9×13-inch baking pan. You could also make this in a bundt pan; adjust the baking time accordingly.
Melt butter in water then add cocoa and Crisco. Bring to boil, stirring well to incorporate the cocoa. Remove from heat.
Mix the sugar and flour together in large bowl, and add the cocoa mixture. Stir well.
Add the buttermilk, soda and cinnamon, stir to combine.
Add the vanilla and eggs, stir to combine.
Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
For the Frosting:
Begin making the frosting about five minutes before the cake is done.
In a small saucepan, combine the butter, milk and cocoa, and bring to a boil. Whisk constantly until combined.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar, vanilla and ½ cup of the nuts.
Stir briskly, mixing well, and spread on cake while both are still hot.
Sprinkle the remaining nuts, chopped ginger and pomegranate seeds on top.
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Quick tip: Instead of garnishing the cake with chopped ginger and pomegranate seeds, you could serve it with fresh berries.