Scrap It

For Kitchen Tip Tuesday over at Tammy's Recipes this week I have to share the recipe for the delicious and stunning Tuxedo Cake that I made for my cousin's graduation party this weekend.

But before I do, here is my tip.

Magazines are full of great recipes...and most come with the nutritional information listed too. They have been submitted by good cooks and reviewed by the food editors at the magazine so you know they are tasty.

The problem? They are in a magazine. Nobody wants to keep piles and piles of magazines around and nobody wants to have a bunch of clipped out recipes floating around either.

The solution? Scrap it. Make a sort of recipe scrapbook.

I use a binder that is just filled with blank white paper (or even scrap paper with stuff printed on it). Whenever I cut out a recipe from a magazine I tape or glue it to the papers in the binder. I divide them in to categories and number the pages. Basically I am just creating my own cookbook.

Every time I try a recipe for the first time I write notes about it in the margins and note the date. That way I can keep track of which ones I have tried and what I liked and didn't like.

Now. On to the cake!!

I found this recipe in a magazine a long time ago. Every time I flip past it in my binder I start to drool and think, "I've got to try that sometime!" Unfortunately I cannot make a three layer chocolate cake with whipped cream frosting and chocolate ganache for my family because....well, frankly I would eat it all myself in one solitary naptime. So I had to wait for the right opportunity to make the elegant cocoa masterpiece to take somewhere else...somewhere where I would be invited to eat a piece but not responsible for taking home the leftovers.

A college graduation party for my cousin. Yes!

I give you.......The Tuxedo Cake

Cake:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter

2 cups water

1 cup canola oil

4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup unsweetened cocoa

4 cups all purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 Tbsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1. Position racks to divide oven into thirds*. Heat to 350 degrees. Coat three 9 x 2 round pans with nonstick spray. Line bottoms with wax paper, spray paper.

2. Heat butter, water, and oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat until butter melts. Stir sugar, cocoa and flour in a large bowl to blend. Add butter mixture; whisk until smooth. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then the buttermilk. Add baking soda, salt and vanilla all at once; whisk to blend. Divide batter between prepared pans (approx. 2 2/3 cups per pan).

3. Stagger pans on oven racks so no layer is directly over another. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in middle of eachlayer comes out clean. Monitor layers carefully for doneness--each may be done at a different time.

4. Cool cakes on wire racks about 15 minutes before inverting on racks. Cool at least 2 hours before frosting.

* I did not have three racks for my oven or 3 identical round pans. I cooked two layers at once on the same rack in the oven and then cooked a third layer later after I had emptied one of the pans.

Whipped Cream Frosting:

4 cups heavy cream, chilled

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1. Beat cream and sugar in a large bowl with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.

2. Place one cake layer ona platter and spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over top. Repeat with two more layers. Then spread frosting around sides of cake. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until frosting has firmed.

Chocolate Glaze:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Put chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream until very hot and just beginning to steam. Pour over chocolate; stir until melted. Stir in syrup and vanilla.

2. Pour into a pitcher or measuring cup; let cool 10 minutes (no longer). Slowly pour over chilled cake, covering top entirely and letting some drizzle down sides. (If glaze doesn't flow easily add an extre 2 T. of light corn syrup).

3. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until glaze sets and frosting is firm.