Stencil Your Cake

Rich Chocolate Brownie Cake

{Williams Sonoma Holiday Entertaining}

I stenciled a Christmas tree on top of my cake (see directions at end). It's cute, festive, and oh my so buttery good. Make sure you line a cake pan with foil as instructed- do not skip that step! Garnish the serving platter of this with fresh red currants, white chocolate shavings, or crushed peppermint candies.

1/2 cup butter, rt

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, rt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

3/4 cup all purpose flour

4 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate, with at least 61% cacao, chopped

Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 inch round cake pan with alum. foil and grease.

In a large bowl, beat the butter until light and fluffy, about a minute. Add sugar, and beat until well blended. Add eggs, vanilla, and beat again. Add salt, and 1/4 cup flour, beat well. Add remaining flour in two batches, beating well until just incorporated.

Melt the chocolate in the top of a double broiler set over simmering water. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add to the cake batter, mix well.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake until cake is puffed and an inserted toothpick comes out clean, anywhere from 20-40 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Using the edges of the foil, remove the cake from pan, and invert the cake onto serving platter.

Using a stencil of your choice, place on top of cake in desired spot and dust confectioners' sugar over it. Whala!!!