Nutella Chocolate Cake "AKA The Best Chocolate Cake Ever"

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Nutella Chocolate Cake

Yield: 8 inch cake

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa powder

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup boiling water

 

Nutella Icing

1 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup Nutella hazelnut spread

4-5 cups powdered sugar

3-4 tbsp milk or water

 

Chocolate Ganache

6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

 

 

Instructions

1. Prepare four 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides.

2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.

3. Add eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture. Mix well.

5. Pour into four 8 inch cakes pans and bake at 300 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. I baked the cakes in two batches, two at a time, with about 1 1/2 cups of batter per pan.

6. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.

7. Make icing while cakes cool. Beat together butter and shortening until smooth.

8. Add Nutella and mix until smooth.

9. Slowly add 4 cups of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

10. Add 2-3 tbsp of milk or water and mix until smooth.

11. Add fifth cup of powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

12. Add more water or milk until the right consistency.

13. Once cakes are cool, remove cake domes from top with a large serrated knife.

14. Place first layer of cake on cake plate. Pipe an even layer of icing onto cake.

15. Add second layer of cake and pipe another even layer of icing on top.

16. Add third layer of cake on top and pipe another even layer of icing on top.

17. Top icing with fourth layer of cake.

18. Place chocolate chips in a metal bowl.

19. Microwave heavy cream until it starts to boil. Remove from microwave and pour over chocolate chips.

20. Cover bowl with saran wrap for 5-7 minutes.

21. Whisk chocolate and cream until smooth.

22. Allow to sit for a few minutes until it just starts to thicken, then pour over the top of the cake.

23. Once chocolate ganache has firmed up, top with remaining icing and sprinkles, if desired.

Tomato Soup - Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup heavy cream
Croutons, for garnish

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/cream-of-fresh-tomato-soup-recipe