Chocolate Fudge Cake with Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

I made this cake yesterday to bring to a party being thrown by one of my daughter's classmates in celebration of their "graduation" from elementary school to junior high. (Sigh, where did those seven years go?) It was great fun watching a bunch of 12 year olds dig into the chocolate dipped strawberries which were devoured before the cake was even cut.

I've used my standard chocolate scratch cake here and added an easy recipe for the 'frosting challenged'. This frosting is quite easy to make, starting with a base of silky melted chocolate. When you're off to a start like that, how bad can the finish be? ;)

I like to dip my strawberries in chocolate ganache instead of plain melted chocolate because the cream in the ganache softens the chocolate, making it melt in your mouth faster and meld with the flavour of the juicy ripe strawberries even better. I also find this makes them less messy to eat because the chocolate doesn't shatter when you bite into the strawberry and fall into your lap! :)

Chocolate Cake

2 cups sugar

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup soured milk
1 cup black coffee
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla flavouring

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

12 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
pinch salt
4 1/2 cups icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter completely, then add the cream and salt and heat just to the boiling point. Remove form heat and pour in the chocolate chips. Make sure all of the chips are covered in the cream and butter mixture. Let stand for 5 minutes before stirring together until smooth. Add the vanilla and slowly beat in the icing sugar with an electric mixer  until the frosting comes together to a spreadable consistency. If your chocolate is too hot you may have to cool the frosting and beat it with an electric mixer again when it's cooler.

Chocolate Ganache for Dipping

2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup whipping cream

In a small saucepan over low flame, heat the cream to almost boiling. Add the chocolate chips a half cup at a time, stirring until completely melted after each addition. If after the final addition of the chocolate chips, you feel the consistency of the chocolate is too thick, simply add a little heated cream to thin it out.

Wash and pat dry the strawberries in paper towels before dipping them into the chocolate mixture. Place the dipped strawberries on a wax paper, parchment paper or silicone lined baking sheet and refrigerate for a half hour before using them to garnish the fudge cake.