Okay, so the cake crumbs taste awsome! I just finished the IMBC with vanilla extract and the Navan....YUMMMY!! I can't wait to taste my finished product!
Jacqui

How do you make the chocolate raspberry creamcheese, it sounds so yummy with the Double Chocolate Cake?? Thanks

Awesome recipes - thank you!

TxKat, thank you so much for these recipes! I made the vanilla cognac as I said earlier and filled it with strawberry filling, vanilla cognac IMBC and it was to die for! My friends, my husband and I were all raving over it! I'm going to add this to my menu of cakes on my website. This is a WINNER! It was very moist, frangrant, and yummy. I ended up using the Navan as the moistening syurp and at first I though it might be too over powering but it was awsome! I can't wait to try the white chocolate cake! Thanks again!
Jacqui

YEAH!!!! I am so glad you like it. It is my number one seller, but definitely not a kiddie cake.

What do you charge for it? I was going to add an additional .50 per serving for the cake and another .50 per serving for the frosting due to the high cost factor of the liquor. That would put my sheet cakes at $2.50 per slice and my tiered or stacked cakes at $3.50 per slice. My husband says it should be $5.00 per slice.
Jacqui

My prices start at $4.75 a serving. Vanilla Cognac is a premium for me, which is $5.50.

Yummy! Can't wait to try these out! Thanks!

I can't wait to try these

I was excited to find this thread, because I'm looking for an excellent chocolate cake to make for my grandmother's 89th birthday. She is a big chocolate lover and I want to give her something extra special!

I'm really a cake decorating newbie (haven't done much of anything for more than 10 years), and I am thinking about doing a floral fbct...but I'm not stuck on that idea. So, I was originally thinking of using a frosting that I could decorate easily.

So, on the double chocolate cake recipe, if I fill it with ganache, what would you recommend I frost it with? (My grandmother would say, "the richer, the better!")

Someday, I'm going to stop asking so many questions and have something to share with all of you!

Ok, I'm sold!! I've got to go out and get some Navan. What kind of vanilla is everyone using pure or artificial? I'll be trying this recipe by Sun. I'm curious to know, has anyone tried to add other flavors with the Navan? After trying the vanilla cognac cake, I want to try using a 1/4 tsp of one of Lorann's oils in it. Should I add it in addition to the extract and navan or replace 1/4 tsp extract for the oil?

I never use artificial flavor in anything. No exceptions. I have made a Grand Marnier version of the Vanilla cognac cake with Grand Marnier and 2T if grated orange peel. It is amazing as well.

I usually frost the chocolate cake with whipped ganache for a rich dark chocolate and chocolate buttercream for something less absurdly chocolate.

Txkat, that sounds delicious! Are you saying that instead of the navan and vanilla extract, you used grand marnier and orange peel (same measurements as the navan recipe)? I want to try using the navan and vanilla with another flavor. I'm supposed to use 1/4 tsp of Lorann's oil in the batter. Do you think that all that original flavor will overpower the 1/4 tsp of oil; or should I cut the extract to 1 tbsp and 3/4 tsp of vanilla and 1/4 tsp of oil?

I can't really advise you on the use of the Lorann oils, since most of them are artificial flavors, I avoid them. The Navan is so expensive and so delicious that I wouldn't do anything to it.

I just did the grand marnier version for a birthday cake for the food writer of the Raleigh paper. Her friend throwing the parrty sent me his email -

While I always encourage people to make recipes their own, try this one as written first. It really doesn't need anything.

Thanks txkat! Like I said earlier I will be trying your original first. Was just curious about what else could be done with it. So, this cake isn't really for kids, huh?

For a yellow butter cake for kids, I use a modified version of Toba's yellow butter cake.

txkat, what filling and icing did you use for the grand marnier cake?

I filled it with a mixture of fresh raspberries and vanilla bean pastry cream, and iced it with a grand marnier enriched white chocolate ganache.

Any reason why I couldn't make the double chocolate cake a few days ahead of time and freeze it?

I freeze this recipe all the time.

That chocolate cake (as I make it, and I have adapted the recipe for commercial use) is one of the few cakes that I make that has no ill effects from being frozen.

txkat,

What types of ill effects befall your other cakes?

The texture is different after they come out of the freezer. Some would say they are "moister), but to me they denser and more pudding-y. ( I only bake from scratch so it's not pudding) and doesn't have the fine textured crumb that I like.

Most people don't notice. My husband says I am a neurotic perfectionist.

Thanks so much for sharing those with us. I look forward to trying them soon.

Theresa

Ladyonzlake, did you add the navan to simple syrup to moisten the cake or just the navan alone; how much would you say you moistened it? How are you adding the navan and vanilla to the icing; how much ? TIA!

I am going to try this chocolate cake. Looking for an over the top cake for a client and this sounds like it might be it