I saw this yesterday on a friend’s blog and am still laughing whenever I think of it.

Now here is something YOU need to remember.

This is the best Chocolate Cake EVAH. Even without all of the cream cake madness crawling all over its sides.

This is my go to recipe whenever someone requests a chocolate cake. I suppose one should call it Mocha, but I think that Coffee Chocolate sounds so much better.

The addition of coffee in the cake batter, and in the icing, perfectly complements the chocolate. It adds a rich flavor that is unbelievable. You can’t tell that there is coffee in there though, in case coffee isn’t your thing.

For his birthday, my son requested a Chocolate HoHo Cake.

What are HoHos?

Per that bastion of knowledge, Wikipedia:

“Ho Hos are semi-cylindrical, frosted, cream-filled cakes that are made by the Hostess company and are distributed in the United States. These cream filled chocolate cakes have a pinwheel design based on the Swiss Roll. They are similar to Yodels which are made by Drake’s.”

Be sure to refrigerate the HoHos/Swiss Rolls/ Yodels before decorating the cake. I neglected to do this. My hot July kitchen made getting the cream cakes sliced and arranged around the chocolate cake a bit of a challenge…you know chocolate melting and fingerprints, etc.

Another note, the cake also is very delicious chilled right out of the fridge. The icing hardens and is a wonderful contrast to the meltingly moist cake.

So don’t forget…make this cake. It’s as stunning to look at as it is to eat.

Ho Ho Cream Dream Coffee Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream (recipe follows)
2 boxes (13 oz each) Swiss Rolls
4 pkg (3.3 oz each) Yodels or HoHos

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350℉.

2. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

3. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.

4. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

7. Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a cake plate. With a spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

8. Arrange Swiss Rolls around outside of cake. Slice Yodels into thirds and arrange over the top of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate such as Scharffen Berger, chopped
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water or in the microwave. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes.

3. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.

4. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Spread immediately on the cooled cake.

Chocolate Cake recipe from Ina Garten’s Barefoot Contessa At Home Cookbook

The cake would be perfect without the Swiss Roll/HoHo/Yodel decoration.

This is one mighty fine Birthday Cake.

I was wondering what to play to accompany such a fabulous cake.

So, I looked at my “Recently Added” list in my music library and staring back at me was Copy Haho.

HoHo! HaHo!

Perfect! Ridiculous, but perfect.

Bonus…they are from Scotland.

Desert Belle is from Copy Haho’s debut release back in 2006. Very sweet, indeed. Plus, if I didn’t know how to spell properly, it could be Dessert Belle. Beautifully sweet.
Copy Haho-Desert Belle

Check out Copy Haho on the band’s Website, where you can link to buy the music.

Cheers!