Mom’s Triple-Threat {Black Bottom} Slap Somebody Chocolate Cake and Chocolate-Pecan Frosting

TRIPLE-Threat?

Yes! Because the three components of this specific cake (made for a birthday celebration) are all scrumptious, lip-smackin’, platter-lickin’ good and can be used on their own or combined. I’m not sure where my mother found this cake recipe, but it is THE chocolate cake she’s prepared for decades of birthdays in our family. It’s that, “I don’t know who you are, but you just took the last piece and deserve to be slapped” cake.

The cream-cheese and chocolate chip mixture is also functional in cupcakes (the famous black-bottom cupcakes).

And the frosting. Ohhhhhh, the frosting! Mmmmmmmm…I could eat that stuff with a spoon. And have. And will. 

Now, this cake is very rich and moist, and we’ve consumed it (quickly) many times over without the cream cheese filling. Likewise, black-bottom cake (or cupcakes) stand very well on their own without any frosting at all (every Christmas, just like clock-work). If you’ve never tried black-bottom cupcakes, it’s time. They are, well, sinful. To adapt this recipe for cupcakes, do the following:
1. Make your cream cheese filling (recipe to follow)
2. Make your cake batter
3. Scoop cake batter into 2 regular size, prepared muffin pans (for 24 cupcakes), divide evenly among 24 cupcakes
4. Divide the filling evenly between cupcakes. 

Now, for the recipes!

Cream Cheese Filling
1, 8oz. package cream cheese
1/3 c. sugar
1 egg
6-12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips (the original recipe calls for 6 oz, but my mother has been known to dump a whole bag)  
Mix egg, sugar and cream cheese thoroughly with a mixer. Stir in chocolate chips.

Take a look at the messy, moist goodness of that cake:

Slap Somebody Chocolate Cake
Dry ingredients:
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
6 T. cocoa powder
2 t. soda
2 t. salt

Mix together:
3/4 c. oil 
2 c. cold water
2 T. vinegar
2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°

Whisk dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside. After wet ingredients are well combined, pour into dry ingredients and mix well together (can use hand-mixer). This makes a large amount of cake batter so use:
1, 13×9 pan (buttered and floured) or
3, 9-inch pans for a layer cake (buttered and floured)

If using cream cheese mixture, drop it by tablespoon into cake batter (no need to swirl or stir). 

Bake at 350° for 30-40 minutes or until knife inserted into center comes out clean.

Now, for the frosting! 

Chocolate-Pecan Frosting 
6 T. milk
1 stick butter
4 T. cocoa 
4 c. powdered sugar 
1/2 – 1 c. chopped pecans 

First of all, measure powdered sugar into a large bowl. Set aside. In a small saucepan, on low heat, melt butter with cocoa and milk. Stir and cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and pour into pre-measured powdered sugar. Stir together until smooth. Stir in pecans. Spread or pour on cooled cake. Frosting will thicken and ‘set’ as it cools. 

My mom used 3, 9-inch pans for the cake, but only used two layers, freezing one for later. This cake is so rich and moist. It’s addictive, but a little goes a long way (unless you’re a photographer who swipes and shoots at the same time). Enjoy!

© Amy Carpenter @ Afternoon Popcorn Snack, 2013

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