I thought I'd start a thread dedicated to your favourite cake recipes. PLEASE: it makes it really hard to go through the threads to find just the right recipe when there are lots of comments - just post your recipes. If you want to make a comment, maybe pm the author.....

Well, my favouite cake is as sinful as satan himself because it can be whipped up in around 6 minutes flat...

MICROWAVE CHOCOLATE CAKE-IN-A-CUP
In a small jug or bowl mix together the following items: 4tbs Self-Raising flour, 2tbs sugar, 1tbs cocoa, 1 egg, 3tbs melted butter, 3tbs milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1tbs choc chips (opt) - mix till combined

Divide mix between 2 coffee cups and microwave for 3.5mins on 600watts. Let stand one minute before topping with a scoop of ice-cream and indulging.

Alternatively, I also like to put a big squirt of choc-mint Ice Magic on top of the cake before I cook it [insert drooling noises]

Home made Cake Icing:

This is the recipe used by my husband on all the homemade cakes that people spend a great amount of money on for him to make and he has kindly let me share it with you:

Recipe for Buttercream:

.5 (1/2) cup of shortening

.5 (1/2) cup of softened unsalted butter. (He prefers the salted butter for increased flavor).

Cream together (mix on slow).

Add 1-2 tablespoons of Vanilla Extract

Slowly incorporate 2 lbs of sifted powered sugar 1 cup at a time.

Thin out by adding 1 tablespoon of milk or water at a time. This should take between 2-4 tablespoons depending on desired consistency. (He prefers milk)

Formula:

Equal amounts of butter and shortening by twice the amount of powered sugar by weight. Add vanilla to taste and add milk or water to consistency.

(1 lb of fat to 2 lbs of sugar; add vanilla to taste, milk/water to consistency).

NOTE: If thinned out too much, add more powered sugar to thicken it back up.
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For Decorating Icing:

Same formula as butter-cream except you Substitute butter for more shortening. No milk, add water:

1 cup of shortening

Cream together (mix on slow).

Add 1-2 tablespoons of Vanilla Extract

Slowly incorporate 2 lbs of sifted powered sugar 1 cup at a time.

Thin out by adding 1 tablespoon of water at a time. This should take between 2-4 tablespoons depending on desired consistency.

NOTE: If thinned out too much, add more powered sugar to thicken it back up.

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Added Notes, Tips, & Tricks:

If you want to make NON-REFRIGERATED icing use water, not milk. He said that you can still use butter for non-refrigerated, but if you worry about it to simply use the decorating icing which is the same as the buttermilk recipe except for the two mentioned changes: the milk for water and butter for shortening!

If you want PURE WHITE ICING, use decorated icing recipe but make sure to use only CLEAR VANILLA!!!!

For Best results use a stand mixer but if that is not possible, use a hand mixer. My husband would not advise trying to make this by hand and a mixer is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Vanilla can be substituted for any other flavored extract! (For example, my favorite is when my husband adds mint extract and chocolate shavings to the icing for mint chocolate icing.)

If adding extra ingredients (like chocolate shavings, nuts, etc...) then do so by slowly folding them in only after icing has reached desired consistency.

Another tip for flavor: Depending on the desired flavor of icing one can mix a pack of pudding with milk, such as French Vanilla for vanilla icing, banana for banana icing and so on and so forth.

If one wants to make roses and other decorations then add 1-2 tablespoons of meringue power to the icing. This causes the icing to form a strong outer crust to preserve decorations.

This is his own formula (so he tells me), and again he has kindly let me share it here. This is what he uses on PROFESSIONAL WEDDING CAKES and it is a recipe he doesn't share with people because then we wouldn't get paid for making it for everyone anymore! But since this is gnet and none you pay him for his services, he agreed to let me share it on the forums.

He asks only that you appreciate it and gives his fondest wishes and hopes that you enjoy the icing!

This post has been edited until it gained 100% approval from my husband!

Here is the recipe for a truly opulent mud cake. My mum will not visit me unless I promise to make it. It's not my recipe so I do not take any credit for it. All measurements are metric.

- Preheat oven to SLOW 160*C. Grease 10" cake pan very well and line with paper (I use my roasting dish to make thinner slab cakes as it goes further then).

- In a large saucepan, add the following and then melt on low heat until all combined:
* 250g butter
* 125g dark cooking chocolate (make sure it's good quality or you'll be disappointed)
* 2C caster sugar
* 1/3C port
* 1 1/4C tepid water
* 1 tsp instant coffee
1/4C baking cocoa

- Cool for 10 mins and alternately WHISK in:
* 2 eggs
* 1 3/4C self raising flour (or use plain flour with 3.5 teaspoons of baking powder)

- Batter will be liquid - pour into prepared cake pan and bake 50-60mins until skewer comes out clean. Run knife around edges and allow to cool in pan. Turn out, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate 2-3 days. (note, it does tend to stick to the pan, so make sure you have run the knife around very well)

- Experience has shown that this cake really does taste better and has a better texture if it has a little time to 'mature' before it is eaten. I often "ice" it with chocolate mousse for truly wicked opulence.

Actually, one of my favorite cake recipes has to be this one my sister found online, and made for me for my birthday. Since I'm Vegan, you can't buy pre-made Vegan cakes in store (at least, nowhere near here), so my sister looked up a Vegan Mango Cake* recipe, and a Vegan Cream Cheese Icing recipe.

*Note: The icing recipe with the cake calls for Cool Whip, which is in fact NOT Vegan at all! It has Sodium Caseinate in it, which is derived from Milk. Just pointing this out for anybody new to being Vegan, or looking into it.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE MICROWAVE CAKE

You can make the sauce and cake batter in the afternoon so that it can be served hot and fresh. This is not particularly chocolately but it's really nice.

Sauce: Intermediate level
* Cook 2tbs butter and 1/2Cup brown sugar in a microwave bowl on HIGH for approx 2.5mins untill bubbling. KEEP AN EYE ON IT WHILE COOKING!!!
* Cool slightly and stir in 1/2Cup milk very gradually.
* Pour into microwave ring tin and set aside.

Cake: Easy level
* Melt 2tbs butter and 100g dark cooking chocolate on MEDIUM for about 3mins. KEEP AN EYE ON THIS AS IT'S COOKING TO AVOID BURNING.
* Add following ingredients and beat well till blended:
1 1/4 Cups EACH of sugar and plain cake flour
2 eggs
3/4C Natural Yoghurt (about 200ml)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
* Carefully spoon batter over sauce in cake tin and cook on HIGH for about 7-9mins. My microwave was 1200watts last time I made this and 7mins was just right. Check if cooked and allow to stand 5 mins before turning out onto a plate to serve. The sauce will ooze down the edge.
* This is great served with home-made vanilla or coconut ice-cream!

NOTE: If you want to prepare this in advance, keep batter and sauce separate until time to cook or the sauce will absorb into the cake.

Not a cake recipe per se, but something you can do once you make a cake and icing.

Candy covered Cake lollies:

Ingredients:
One box cake mix (whatever you like)
One container icing (see above)
I-2 bags Candy melts (each bag will cover about 20 balls)
Lollipop sticks

Directions:
Bake cake according to directions. Let cool.
Once cake is cooled, crumble into a large mixing bowl. Add icing in small increments just until the cake is moist and easily molded into balls.
Roll out as many 1 inch balls as you can out of the cake/icing mix then pop into the freezer for 1 hour.

Melt candies in a deep, narrow container suitable for dipping. Take cake balls out of the freezer, insert a lollipop sick into each ball then dip into the melted candy. Set cake balls on a well greased cookie sheet then put them in the refrigerator until the chocolate is totally cool and hardened.

From here you can either wrap them in simple saran wrap with twist ties, or drop them into fancy bags or even shove the sticks into a foam form to make a centerpiece.

I made these with Red Velvet Cake and Cream Cheese Icing then covered them in Dark chocolate melts for my mum for Mother's Day and they were a HUGE hit.

~spidey