Ingredients

 2 cups white sugar

 2 cups all-purpose flour
 1/2 cup butter
 1/2 cup vegetable oil
 1 cup water
 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 cup buttermilk
 2 eggs
 1 teaspoon salt
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1/2 cup butter
 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
 1/4 cup milk
 4 cups confectioners' sugar
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. Sift 2 cups white sugar and 2 cups flour together; set aside.
3. In a sauce pan; combine 1/2 cup butter or margarine, oil, water, and 1/4 cup cocoa. Bring
mixture to a boil, remove from heat and add to dry ingredients.
4. Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk; add with eggs, salt, cinnamon and 1 teaspoon vanilla
to cocoa, flour mixture and stir well.
5. Pour batter into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20 minutes.
6. To Make Frosting: Five minutes before cake is done combine 1/2 cup butter,1/4 cup
cocoa and 1/4 cup milk in saucepan and bring to a boil.
7. Remove from heat and stir in confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and chopped
pecans. Pour frosting over hot cake. Cake remains moist and may be frozen. Serves 20.

German Chocolate Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

 1 1/4 cups water

 1/4 cup butter
 1 cup packed brown sugar
 1 cup flaked coconut
 2 cups miniature marshmallows
 1 cup chopped walnuts
  4 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate
 1/2 cup water
 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 1/2 cups white sugar
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1 cup sour cream
 1/2 cup butter, softened
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 3 eggs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Not necessary to grease pan.
2. In a sauce pan, combine 1 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Heat until
butter melts, then stir in brown sugar and coconut. Pour into ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
Sprinkle marshmallows and nuts over top. set aside.
3. For the cake: in a saucepan over low heat, combine chocolate with 1/2 cup water. Heat,
stirring, until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat.
4. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, soda and salt. Add sour cream, 1/2 cup butter or
margarine, vanilla and eggs. Add chocolate mixture and beat 3 minutes. Carefully spoon
batter over coconut marshmallow mixture in pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted
into center comes out clean. Place pan on foil or cookie sheet to guard against spillage.

Molten Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

 8 ounces plus 6 tablespoons butter

 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
 6 yolks
 6 eggs
 3 cups powdered sugar
 1 cup flour

Optional Garnitures:

 White Chocolate Ganache:

 2 cups heavy cream
 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped

Satin Chocolate-Mint Sauce:

 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate

 4 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate
  1/4 cup light corn syrup
 1/3 cup hot water
 1 teaspoon mint extract

Directions

1. Melt the chocolate and butter together. Cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl,
whisk together the yolks and eggs then mix in the powdered sugar. Whisk this into the
chocolate mixture then whisk in the flour. Fill 12 greased 4-ounce foil tins with the batter
and refrigerate until ready to bake, or bake immediately. Bake in a preheated 450 degree
F oven for 5 to 6 minutes from cold, or 4 to 5 minutes from room temperature. Turn out
of tins immediately onto the plate.
2. Optional Garnitures:  Heat the cream in a saucepan until boiling. Place the chopped
chocolate in a bowl. Whisking well, pour the hot cream over the chocolate to melt it.
Cover and chill overnight. The next day, whip it up like whipped cream until soft peaks.
Place a dollop of it on the cake before serving.
3. Satin Chocolate-mint sauce:  In the top half of a double boiler, combine the 2 chocolates
over simmering water. Stir constantly until melted, then whisk in the syrup, water, and
mint extract without removing the double boiler from the heat. Whisk until smooth and
shiny. (The sauce can be made up to 48 hours in advance and refrigerated. To rewarm,
stir over low heat or heat in a microwave.) Drizzle this over the cake and plate just before
serving.

Double Chocolate Lava Cakes Recipe

Ingredients

 3/4 cup butter

 6 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces (1 cup)
 1 recipe Praline Sauce (see below)
 3 eggs
 3 egg yolks
 1/3 cup sugar
 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
 1/3 cup pecan halves, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour six 1- to 1 1/4-cup souffl dishes
or six 10-ounce custard cups. Place souffle dishes or custard cups in a shallow baking pan
and set pan aside. In a heavy small saucepan melt butter and semisweet chocolate over
low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Meanwhile, prepare Praline Sauce, cover and keep warm until needed.
3. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on
high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Beat in cooled chocolate
mixture on medium speed. Sift flour and cocoa over chocolate mixture; beat on low
speed just until combined. Divide batter evenly into prepared dishes or cups.
4. Bake 10 minutes. Pull cakes out of oven. Using a small spatula or table knife, puncture
top of each partially-baked cake and gently enlarge to make a dime-sized hole. Slowly
spoon about 1 tablespoon Praline Sauce into center of each cake. Return cakes to oven.
Bake 5 minutes more or until cakes feel firm at the edges.
5. Cool in dishes on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Using a small spatula or knife, loosen cake
edges from sides of dish or cup and slip cake out upright onto individual dessert plates.
Stir 1/3 cup toasted pecan halves into the remaining Praline Sauce. If necessary, stir 1 to
2 tablespoons hot water into remaining sauce to thin. Spoon warm Praline Sauce on top
of cakes. Top with pecan halves and sweetened whipped cream. Serve immediately.
Makes 6 servings.
6. Praline Sauce: In a heavy medium saucepan combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup packed
brown sugar and 2 tablespoons dark colored corn syrup. Stir in 1/2 cup whipping cream.
Cook over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Reduce
heat. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Makes 1 cup
sauce