CHOCOLATE HEDGEHOG CAKE TUTORIAL - LEXIS ROSE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then, butter and flour your cake pan(s) and set aside.
• Pour your lemon juice into your milk, give it a small stir, and set aside. (This should sit and curdle for about ten minutes before being added to the steps below.) You could substitute this for one cup of buttermilk if you have it on hand.
• Combine all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
• Next, add the milk/lemon juice mixture, oil, eggs, and vanilla to the flour mixture and combine on medium until everything is mixed thoroughly.
• Finally, reduce the mixer speed (to avoid splashing), and add your hot coffee. The liquid must be hot in order to bloom the cocoa powder and add a richer, intense chocolate flavor to the cake.
• Pour your batter into the prepared pan(s), filling between half- and two-thirds of the way full. If you only have one pan, you will have to keep your batter in the refrigerator and re-use your cake pan until each of your cakes is baked.
• Set your timer for 28 minutes and, when it sounds, check the cake with a toothpick to see if the batter is still wet. If it needs further baking, don't fear: add a few minutes to the timer, check again, and repeat until cake is done. For reference, mine took about 32 minutes each.
• Let the cake rest in the pan on a wire rack for ten minutes, and then carefully flip the cake onto the rack to finish cooling. (Don't begin to carve or frost the cakes until they are fully cooled.) If necessary, repeat the baking and cooling process until all of your batter is baked.