Mexican Chocolate Cake

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!

I love any excuse to eat Mexican food! It is all so wonderful I wish I could just wrap myself up in a big homemade tortilla with beans and cheese and eat myself. Just kiddin'! We used this wonderful holiday to gorge on tacos, tostadas and burritos. I wish I could have added taquitos, enchiladas, chips and salsa, and fried ice cream too but I think that would have been overdoing it just a little bit. I couldn't resist whipping up a Mexican dessert though. I based this cake on a recipe from Betty Crocker although I had to change it to make it healthier and eggless. Chocolate is always the perfect ending to any celebration...


For the Cake:

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

water, oil, and eggs called for on cake mix
-or-
I used:
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup flour
4 1/2 teaspoons egg replacement powder

For the Caramelized-Sugar Frosting:

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter
4 to 5 tablespoons milk
3 cups powdered sugar




Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325ºF for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. Make cake mix as directed on box using water, oil and eggs--except add cinnamon to cake mix.

2. Bake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

3. In 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat granulated sugar over medium-low heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon and watching carefully, until sugar begins to melt. As sugar begins to melt, stir with wooden spoon until sugar is melted and golden brown. (Sugar becomes very hot and could melt a plastic spoon.) Remove from heat; carefully stir in butter and 1 tablespoon of the milk (mixture will become lumpy). Return to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Cool 5 minutes.

4. Add powdered sugar to caramel mixture; beat with electric mixer on low speed until well combined. Add 3 tablespoons milk, mixing until frosting is glossy and spreadable. If necessary, add up to 1 tablespoon more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Spread frosting over cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude cake mix directions on box for 13x9-inch pan.