Chocolate Mountain Cake

 Cake: This same cake recipe also used Here

Cake

1 c unsalted butter, softened

2 c sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 c flour

3/4 c cocoa powder

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 c buttermilk

3/4 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 350, spray 2 - 9 inch pans and line bottom 

with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

In another bowl, mix flour, b powder, b soda, salt and cocoa. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk and sour cream until smooth consistency.

Pour into pans and bake 35-40 min.

Cool in pan.

 When cool slice each layer in half so you will have a total of 4 layers

 For mountain rocks- I saw this in the arch 2012 issue of Food Network magazine, I have always loved working with chocolate but had never seen it placed on a sheet protector for drying!

 I used Wilton melts in orange, white chocolate chips and chocolate almond bark. I ALWAYS recommend almond bark if you have it, and only because I was out of it in white and needed very little did I mess with chocolate chips. If you can avoid using them for melt do so, they do not contain the necessary amount of cocoa butter for a good consistency to work with.
First melt the smaller amounts in a double boiler, then drizzle over sheet protectors, I made two sheets.

 Melt one entire block of chocolate almond bark and spread over the drizzles, allow to set up. Then break into chunks.  I also used the Wilton chocolate bowl mold to make some various size and color half circles.

 Make a chocolate fudge frosting

Icing

1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled

3/4 c unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 c cocoa powder

3-4 c powdered sugar, measured then sifted

1/2 c half and half or water

Blend chocolate, butter, vanilla, cocoa powder and half of powdered sugar. 

Add remaining powdered sugar and half and half whipping with mixer until desired consistency is reached.

Spread in between all layers and on top and sides, adhere broken chocolate to sides and place bowls on top, fill with assorted chocolate candies.

  

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