This beautiful Chocolate Storm Cake is easy (made from a box mix) and will fit almost any occasion.
Chocolate Storm Cake is impressive with three layers, but the frosting is what really sends this cake over the top. It is creamy deliciousness made from cream cheese, sugar, Cool Whip topping, and lots of Hershey chocolate bars cut up!
You don't even need to go to the trouble to make a 3-layer cake if you don't want to. The cake is just as delicious with 2-layers. You can even make a sheet cake or cupcakes with this recipe. Again, the frosting is what really makes the cake. *See below for pictures of the different options.
Just add some broken candy canes and chopped up chocolate for a festive Christmas topping.
*See the bottom of the post for pictures of a one-layer New Year's Eve cake and Valentine Cupcakes!
A lady from our Newly Married Community group gave me this recipe over 20 years ago. I am not sure where it originally comes from, but it has been one of my g0-to cakes. It is beautiful, versatile, and delicious. And you can easily trim the cake to fit different occasions.
The cake above is decorated for Christmas. I just added a few broken candy canes to the top of the cake. This will be our "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake this year, and most years.
A Happy Birthday Jesus cake is one of our Christmas Eve traditions. We sing Happy Birthday to Jesus to help us remember why we are celebrating Christmas. After all, it IS Jesus' birthday!
To get more details regarding our Christmas Eve traditions click here.
Use similar silver candles as above for New Year's Eve. Add some gold and silver candy or sprinkles and you have a very pretty New Year's Eve cake.
Add some heart candy and pink and red sprinkles, and it's a lovely Valentine's cake or even make Valentine's cupcakes...you get the point. The white frosting makes a versatile base for many occasions. My kids love this cake and I have made it for many of their birthday celebrations.
Tips and comments before you get started.
1. The original recipe called for half of the frosting ingredients. I have found over the years there is never enough frosting, especially when making a three-layer cake! ....so I doubled the ingredients. If you are making a two-layer cake, 13 x 9-inch cake, or cupcakes, etc. I would reduce the frosting accordingly. Half the frosting is usually sufficient.
2. Feel free to make a two-layer cake, just follow the directions on the cake mix. When making a layer cake either 9-inch cake pans or 8-inch cake pans will work. I made the cake in the picture with three 9-inch round cake pans. The batter will seem slight when decided into 3 pans, but do not worry. The cakes will double when baked, and with three layers and frosting, the cake will look beautiful.
I have used three 8-inch cake pans as well, and the result is a taller cake. Many times I prefer a higher, taller cake, and this is what the recipe originally called for. However, it is difficult to find 8-inch cake pans.
3. I recommend putting parchment paper in the bottom of the 3 cake pans to ensure the cakes will not stick. Directions and pictures in the recipe below.
4. Cool the cakes completely before frosting. I usually wrap the cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours, preferably overnight before frosting. This helps with the stability of the cakes, so they are less likely to crack. Do not stack the cakes on top of each other in the refrigerator. Cake layers freeze well for up to 2 months, just double the plastic wrap. Once the individual cakes are frozen, you may stack them on top of each other. Be sure to defrost in the refrigerator (side by side) overnight before frosting.
The Ingredients:
Cake
1 good quality Chocolate Cake Mix including ingredients recommended in the directions of the cake mix i.e. eggs, oil
Frosting Ingredients For a 3-Layer Cake. (This is alot of frosting. Half the Ingredients
for a 9 x 13-inch pan or cupcakes.)
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup of granulated sugar
18-20 (1.5 ounces) Hershey Chocolate Bars or 30 ounces of chocolate
2 12-ounce containers of Cool Whip, thawed
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare pans. For 8 or 9-inch cake pans line with parchment paper. Trace the bottom of the pan on parchment paper, then cut out and line the bottom of the pan. Spray with cooking spray or Baker's Joy. Baker's Joy is a spray that contains both cooking spray and flour. I use this often when I bake. To order Baker's Joy press here.
3. Prepare cake batter according to the package directions. Pour evenly into 3 prepared cake pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 2o-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. If using 2 cake pans, 13 x 9-inch pan, cupcakes, etc. see cake directions for cooking times. Cool completely. If refrigerating, wrap in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator for 2 hours up to overnight.
Frosting
4. Beat softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and granulated sugar at medium speed until creamy. Fold in whipped topping.
5. Chop or grate 18 candy bars finely. (keep 2 for decorating) Fold chopped candy bars into cream cheese/whipped topping mixture.
6. Put down the first cake layer on the cake platter, Put several small pieces of parchment paper underneath the cake, about inch into the center. Note: Do not put one large piece of parchment paper down, or you won't be able to remove it. Trim parchment paper.
7. Spread the icing between the layers, on top, and the sides of the cake.
Tip: Once the frosting is between the layers, it is best to put a large amount of frosting on the top of the cake. Then, slowly push the icing across the cake and down the sides.
It is helpful if the icing is slightly chilled. Use an offset spatula for spreading the icing for the best results.
Chop the remaining candy bars and sprinkle over the cake.
8. Decorate with more chocolate or holiday candies and/or sprinkles. Carefully remove parchment paper from the bottom of the cake. Refrigerate the cake and cover loosely.
One-square layer New Year's Eve cake. I used a 8 x 8 pan lined with parchment paper. Let cool, then flip it over onto a pretty platter and frost. Be sure to put strips of parchment paper around the cake while frosting. Then carefully remove when done.
*Thank you for the beautiful cake plate, Linda Vaughan Gilliland! I love it!❤️
For Valentine's cupcakes, I used about a third of the chopped up chocolate in the frosting and added sprinkles to the frosting. Then carefully frost, and add more sprinkles!
Here's to a new year, and many celebrations to come! Welcome 2022!....We are so ready for you!! xoxo p & c
Comments