#broccoli monster

I-Pin’s avatar state is activated by the Broccoli Monster alone. 

I could not find a project to do this week, because I am broke and I owe taxes and everything I found needed me to go out and buy something.  So, here we are.

Back when my brother and I made broccoli monsters, I linked to a recipe for cake that has since disappeared from the web.  So I thought I'd put it up here--and also the frosting, because I love you fuckers.

Super-Rich Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar 

1 cup softened butter 

2 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 and 1/2 cups unbleached white flour 

1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk 

2/3 cup cocoa 

2/3 cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 350º F.

Grease and flour 2 round or square  cake pans (Or use one big rectangular pan). [Hint: use cocoa instead of flour.]

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add this to the egg mixture slowly, alternating with the sour milk. In a separate, smaller bowl, make a heavy smooth paste of cocoa and boiling water, adding more cocoa if needed. Cool slightly, add to batter and blend well.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for about 35 minutes, or until inserted pick comes out clean.

Notes:

Using a mixer is easier, but my dad says he's done both this recipe and the frosting by hand.

You can make sour milk by pouring a little vinegar into a cup of good milk and letting it sit a little while.

Fluffy Cocoa Frosting

3/4 cup cocoa

4 cups (1 box) confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup evaporated (NOT CONDENSED) milk

Cream some of the sugar into the softened butter, them mix in a little of the milk.  Keep adding those alternately, making sure the frosting doesn't get too thick or too runny.  Add the cocoa and vanilla when you feel like it.  If you don't add the cocoa, you have vanilla frosting!

Note:

Always wait until the cake is entirely cool to frost it.  In fact, wait until the cake is entirely cool to make the frosting.  If the cake still has residual heat, it will melt the frosting and you will have cake in a frosting puddle.

I don't have any pictures of this cake in action because I haven't been able to make it since my dad discovered his gluten allergy.  It's a shame, this was our go-to birthday cake.

Here's a photo of a broccoli monster: