Champion Chocolate Cake

After the longest torch relay in Winter Olympic history, one that spent more than 100 days on the road, covered 28,000 miles, and passed through some 12,000 hands, it’s finally arrived in Vancouver.

Ceremony starts at 6 pm PT (9 pm ET)

Tune in tonight to NBC at 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time (7:30 p.m. Eastern Time) for starting coverage of the XXI Winter Olympic Opening Ceremonies. The actual Opening Ceremony kicks off at 6 p.m. in Vancouver (9pm in New York). Canada has invested billions of dollars over the past seven years to host 5,000 athletes and 2 million visitors in Vancouver and Whistler.

Make this Champion Chocolate Cake from scratch or use your favorite box mix. Then frost and decorate with M & Ms to form the Olympic Logo.

Champion Chocolate Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
2-1/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
1-1/2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla Extract
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon Watkins Vanilla Extract
4 to 6 tablespoons milk
14 to 16 each each plain blue, yellow, black or brown, green and red M&M’s

In a bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition. Beat in the chocolate and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Whisk in water until smooth. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F  for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

For frosting, combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost sides and top of cake. With a glass (about 2-1/4-in. diameter), outline five interlocking circles on frosting. Use M&M’s in order listed to cover each circle with a single color. Yield: 16-20 servings.

Eleisia
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