I loooove German chocolate cake, and I couldn’t pass up this picture for this week’s Chocolate Zen!

What’s your favorite kind of chocolate cake? Plain? Molten? Zucchini?

[image: flickr]

Today’s a chocolate cake kind of day!

[image: flickr]

This week’s Chocolate Zen is a simple chocolate birthday cake I found on flickr. It was made with a ganache frosting and looks delicious!

[image: flickr]

This week’s chocolate zen is a chocolate cake from flickr user david nikonvscanon. It looks amazing!

I found an awesome link over the weekend with instructions on how to make a single-serve chocolate cake in only five minutes using your microwave!

Five Minute Chocolate Cake

You’ll need:

4 Tablespoons cake flour
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons cocoa
1 Egg
3 Tablespoons milk
3 Tablespoons oil
1 Mug

Instructions:

Mix flour, sugar and cocoa. Spoon in 1 egg and pour in milk and oil, and mix well. Put in microwave for 3 minutes on maximum power (1000watt) and wait until it stops rising and sets in the mug. Tip contents out of mug onto saucer and enjoy!

Make sure you use cake flour - all purpose tends to make it way too dense and thick. A few drops of real vanilla extract also gives it an authentic “cake taste!” Serve with chocolate syrup, whipped cream, fresh fruit, and/or ice cream.

[image: sxc]

It’s National German Chocolate Cake Day (really!) so I dug out one of my favorite ways to play with German Chocolate Cake.

It’s called Better Than Sex Cake, and the first time I heard the name I did a double-take - did they really just say what I thought they said? Yep! And I’ll admit, this is some really darn good cake, and the first time I tried it I understood how it got its name. But you’ll have to decide for yourself how much you like it!

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Better Than Sex Cake

1 (18.25 oz) package devil’s food or German chocolate cake mix
1/2 (of a 14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
6 oz caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 oz each) bars chocolate covered toffee (Heath, Skor), roughly chopped chopped
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9×13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake or use the non-spoon end of a wooden spoon to make holes, making sure not to go through to the bottom.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits or holes, then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm.

Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

[image: allrecipes]

Today is National Devil’s Food Cake Day! Yeah, I don’t know who comes up with these but I’m not going to complain!

Devil’s Food Cake is traditionally a rich chocolate layer cake paired with chocolate frosting and is thought of as the counterpart to Angel Food Cake. Makes sense, right?

The first known recipe for Devil’s Food Cake in the U.S. dates back to 1905, and it’s called Devil’s Food Cake not only because of the inclusion of real chocolate in the recipe, but because the baking soda causes the cocoa to redden when baked!

Devil’s Food Cake
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend. Sift in flour, cocoa and baking soda. Stir to combine. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap cakes separately in plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. (Can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.)

Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup (about) sour cream

Melt unsalted butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Whisk in cocoa powder and vanilla. Whisk in 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup sour cream. Whisk in remaining 1 cup sugar. Gradually whisk in enough of remaining sour cream to form spreadable frosting.

[image: flickr]

Chocolate makes a lot of things better, especially a really trying weekend, and especially if it’s chocolate cake.

The above weekend zen is from flickr user tracyhunter.

I don’t usually like to do so many recipe posts in a row, but I can’t help myself this time of year, especially with Thanksgiving just a few days away! I’m contemplating making this for my older daughter’s birthday on Wednesday. She requested a raspberry cake with chocolate frosting and I think I could pull this off and surprise her. That is, if I can still find candy corn somewhere!

Chocolate Gobbler Cake

- 1 box devil’s food cake mix
- water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
- 1 container milk chocolate frosting
- 1 marshmallow
- Red colored sugar
- 35 pieces candy corn

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cake mix as directed on box for two 9-inch round pans.

2. Cut 1 layer as shown in diagram. Freeze cut pieces uncovered 1 hour for easier frosting.

3. Place uncut layer on cake plate; frost top and side. Place cutout circle on larger layer; frost. Arrange head and feet on circle; frost.

4. Cut marshmallow in half. Moisten 1 half and dip in red sugar; join to head with frosting for turkey’s wattle. Use other half of marshmallow for turkey’s eye. Use candy corn for beak, claws and feathers. Store loosely covered.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions on cake mix box.

I’m about ready to start firing up the oven on a regular basis and the first thing I’m going to make is a cake:

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 (3.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup hot water
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, eggs, water, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool.

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