Repost: Molten Chocolate Cakes

I feel bad. I promised things that didn't happen. So here is a repost of one of the best things I've ever done. It doesn't matter that the girlfriend I'm referring to is no longer someone whose tastes are relevant, nor does it matter that Valentines Day was some time ago. The cake speaks for itself. Chocolate usually does. Enjoy.

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So I got an email a while ago from Kate of Serendipity. She wanted to know if I wanted to take part in a Valentines Day roundup where she would send me some chocolate, I would do something with it and post about it.

At first I was kind of dubious, seeing as how I'm really not a big V-Day person. I get my girlfriend flowers (which I do periodically anyway), a card, I cook her a dinner she enjoys (which I do all the time regardless), probably some champagne in there and yeah, that's it really. I didn't even do a post about it last year.

But then I remembered where Kate lives.

She lives in Belgium.

So, to recap, she offered to send me Belgian chocolate and all I had to do was make something with it? Yeah, I'm down. Completely. Always happy to take part in activities with my fellow bloggers. Heh.When the package came it was like Christmas. I opened up the envelope and let out a most undignified (not to mention unmanly) squeal of delight. Four bars of chocolate, two in foil and two in plastic with a sticker declaring they were artisan. Or that's what I'm guessing "artisanale" means. Because I'm clever like that. I don't have pictures of all of them, some of it mysteriously (and rapidly) disappeared. Mostly the big bar from that artisan place. Yeah, no idea what happened that. Heh. The question was, what to do with it? What to do with it, indeed.

But the answer, really, was simple. When you have awesome chocolate you have to make an awesome chocolate cake. That's it. So, molten chocolate cakes it was. Because really, is there a more awesome chocolate cake? I'm not convinced that there is. Plus it's so ridiculously easy. I didn't use the same recipe from last time I posted about them, I used this one from Tasty Kitchen. It used all bar chocolate, instead of some cocoa powder, so the cakes weren't so dark. Which means my girlfriend likes them more, too. Which is good, for Valentines Day.

So thanks Kate! This was a lot of fun. Now, have you kids all been to her blog? If not you should, she takes wicked good pictures. And I'm not just saying that because she sends me chocolate. Heh.

Oh and since it is Sunday, here's Noodles. Wanting what she can't have.
Check out what the other folks did with their chocolate, here is a link to the roundup.

Chocolate Chip Dulce de Leche Banana Bread Bundt Cake

Or something like that. It's banana bread, but I baked it in a bundt pan since I have no idea where my bread pan is. I know, once again I know I've promised beans and am posting something else. But when I mentioned I made this to my sister she threatened me with stern retribution if it wasn't the next thing I posted about. So in the interest of family togetherness, here it is.

The recipe is simple, it's the same one I've always used and I didn't even make my own dulce de leche, so I'm afraid my sister is going to be a bit disappointed that it's nothing new. Oh and the next person who tells me to open a can of ddl and "pour it" is going to get a dope slap. I glooped it with a spoon and then tried to swirl. Mostly I got pockets, but really it's not something to complain about.

But! I now have a table, which means prep space which means not just cooking, but also more pictures since the table is right in front of a window. Nice. Of course this is all assuming I can convince a certain someone that the table is mine, not his. I think just keeping him off it while food is on will be the goal. Heh.

Camera Cleanup #7

Found some shots of this years Christmas dinner, which was as always, wicked good. My sister in law does the lions share of the cooking, which usually features classic brown sugar/mustard glazed ham with pineapple and cherries. Good times and killer sandwiches later.

This year she made this awesome pumpkin cake with a chocolate glaze. The glaze was like a ganache and it was also wicked good.

Then there's these. These are called Holiday Bacon Appetizers and they're from Ree, the illustrious Pioneer Woman. It's bacon, crackers and cheese all heated and crisped and fatty and stuff. Look, they're rich enough that even she only makes them for the holidays. That should tell you something. Something good.

Toasted Pound Cake

My girlfriend has today off which means I'm thoroughly booked, but here's a quickie for you guys. Looks good, huh? Couldn't be easier either, here's what you do.

Heat up a nonstick skillet to medium-high. Melt a little butter in it and plop down a nice thick piece of pound cake. Let it sit for a minute or two and then flip it, with a little more butter if you need some, and let it toast on the other side. Now put it on a plate with some ice cream and eat it. The outside gets crispy like a grilled cheese and the inside is warm, super soft and almost gooey. Yeah, that's the stuff. Elegant and fancy? Not really. Wicked fricking awesome? Hell yeah. In fact, it's my new favorite way to eat pound cake, it's even better than just eating a slice out of hand. I wish I had gotten an interior shot for you guys, but once the fork goes in there's no stopping until it's gone.

Bacon and Butter Cake French Toast

Yeah, it's exactly what you think it is. I was looking at this chunk of bundt cake that was sitting on my counter (a butter cake mix that my girlfriend had really wanted me to make) and I just thought to make this.

Butter cake, dipped in a mixture of egg, milk, vanilla and a pinch of salt. You know, french toast. But I sprinkled some crumbled bacon on it before frying. And then I ate it with maple syrup. It was ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome. I'm going to make it again, repeatedly, but with pound cake. The sandwich loaf shaped slices would be better, they would hold more egg and bacon. And more bacon is a goal worth striving for, don't you think?

This could just as easily be dessert as breakfast, since it is pretty rich and sweet. And I do count this as breakfast kids, cake is a perfectly fine breakfast food. The way I see it, if donuts are ok to eat for breakfast, anything is.

Chocolate Valentines, Molten Chocolate Cakes

So I got an email a while ago from Kate of Serendipity. She wanted to know if I wanted to take part in a Valentines Day roundup where she would send me some chocolate, I would do something with it and post about it.

At first I was kind of dubious, seeing as how I'm really not a big V-Day person. I get my girlfriend flowers (which I do periodically anyway), a card, I cook her a dinner she enjoys (which I do all the time regardless), probably some champagne in there and yeah, that's it really. I didn't even do a post about it last year.

But then I remembered where Kate lives.

She lives in Belgium.

So, to recap, she offered to send me Belgian chocolate and all I had to do was make something with it? Yeah, I'm down. Completely. Always happy to take part in activities with my fellow bloggers. Heh.When the package came it was like Christmas. I opened up the envelope I let out a most undignified (not to mention unmanly) squeal of delight. Four bars of chocolate, two in foil and two in plastic with a sticker declaring they were artisan. Or that's what I'm guessing "artisanale" means. Because I'm clever like that. I don't have pictures of all of them, some of it mysteriously (and rapidly) disappeared. Mostly the big bar from that artisan place. Yeah, no idea what happened to it. Heh. The question was, what to do with it? What to do with it, indeed.

But the answer, really, was simple. When you have awesome chocolate you have to make an awesome chocolate cake. That's it. So, molten chocolate cakes it was. Because really, is there a more awesome chocolate cake? I'm not convinced that there is. Plus it's so ridiculously easy. I didn't use the same recipe from last time I posted about them, I used this one from Tasty Kitchen. It used all bar chocolate, instead of some cocoa powder, so the cakes weren't so dark. Which means my girlfriend likes them more, too. Which is good, for Valentines Day.

So thanks Kate! This was a lot of fun. Now, have you kids all been to her blog? If not you should, she takes wicked good pictures. And I'm not just saying that because she sends me chocolate. Heh.

Oh and since it is Sunday, here's Noodles. Wanting what she can't have.
Check out what the other folks did with their chocolate, here is a link to the roundup.

Five Minute Cake In A Mug

I bet you've all gotten that email that starts like this:
"5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE"

Or some variation thereof. My sister sent it to me awhile ago, but I hadn't gotten around to making it. Then I got this new mug. Seemed appropriate. Heh. Thanks JennDZ! But how was it? Well, I didn't really do it right. See, the Foodie Blogroll mug that I won isn't quite the right size for the recipe, so I mixed it up in another mug and then filled the FBr one halfway. It worked out fine except I should have taken it out a bit sooner. Flavor-wise it was pretty good, for microwaved cake. A little whipped cream helped. It does make kind of a mess out of the mug, but whatever. Next time I make it I'll leave out the chocolate chips, they all just sank to the bottom and formed a goopy layer. And there will be a next time. Probably fairly soon.

Here's the whole recipe, just in case anyone hasn't seen it.

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (microwave safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

Blackberry Jam Crumb Cake

I'm afraid this is one more without step by steps or anything. Mostly, this time, because I was making it at night and I just can't get decent pictures at night in this place. Yet. But it was so good I had to share it. The recipe is here, although I saw it over the The Hungry Dog. It's a very simple cake that uses melted butter instead of softened, which is great for whipping it up on the fly. I used some blackberry jam that one of my sisters made. I've had it sitting in a cupboard for months, trying to decide what to do with it. I could just make pb&js with it, but that seems kind of like a waste, you know? So I used some of it in this cake. Good times kids, I highly recommend it if you are looking for a cake that's not too sweet. It's perfect for breakfast and it's easy to put together, what more do you want from a crumb cake?

Strawberry Cream Cheese Brownies

Filling:
1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
3/4 tsp vanilla

Brownies:
2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick of butter (8 tbls)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup strawberry jam
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Prep an 8x8 pan with butter and flour or parchment paper. Process the filling ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Melt the butter and chocolate together. Whisk in 1/4 cup of jam, let cool slightly. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla to the chocolate mixture, stir to combine. Whisk in flour until incorporated. Microwave the remaining jam until warm, stir so it's smooth. Pour half the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it out. Spread the cream cheese mixture in an even layer on it, spoon the jam on and swirl it with a knife. Pour the remaining batter on top and smooth it out. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Cool for at least 2 hours.

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This one comes from the folks at Cook's Illustrated. And I have to say, this is the closest I've come to being disappointed by one of their recipes. I mean, it was good, but it wasn't perfect. Which is really what I've come to expect from them. I don't think the jam in the brownies worked out as well as it could have, they came out a tiny bit gummy despite their assurances that it wouldn't. Now, it might have been that I used extra-dark chocolate instead of unsweetened, since I didn't have any, but I adjusted the sugar accordingly so that shouldn't have been an issue. Well, regardless, they were good. I wound up eating the whole pan myself since my girlfriend has determined the only way she likes cooked cream cheese is in cheesecake. A couple extra hours on the stair stepper and everything evened out. Heh. If my girlfriend had liked them I would even make them again, with a couple changes. But here is how I did it this time, almost straight out of CI.

First, I made my filling. Egg yolk, softened cream cheese, vanilla and sugar. A certain amount of aggravation was had while I was making these and this was the first bit. Notice anything about that picture? Perhaps that it seems to be a little more than a quarter of a cup of sugar in there? Yeah. I added the brownie amount of sugar to the filling. I'm a clever guy. So I had to run out and get more cream cheese. Grumble. But I did and then I made it right. Next I mixed together the dry ingredients and this was my second but of aggravation. I thought I had a whole bunch of flour. I didn't. This time my girlfriend offered to go to the store, possibly to get away from my howls of rage and knife throwing. Ok, I wasn't really howling and throwing things, she was just being sweet. While she was gone I took the chocolate and butter and melted it. Shiny. Ever wonder what my new camera looks like? Heh. Then half the jam in there. Then all of that went into a bowl with the sugar (the right amount, I double checked), eggs and vanilla. Stirred to combine, then the dry ingredients were added. And mixed. Then I poured half the batter into a parchment lined pan. Then I spooned the filling on. This was the last bit of frustration from this recipe. "Just spread the filling smooth" my ass. Ok, I didn't process the filling, that's true. But c'mon, I make cake batter by hand. The filling was very smooth and soft. The brownie batter seemed kind of thin though. Now, it's entirely possible that I made a mistake or two (that I didn't notice and fix, heh) and so it's my fault. These things happen and I admit it, but I could have sworn I did it right. It could also be that processing the filling was more important than I thought it was. Ah well, fortunately it didn't affect the flavor. Although I didn't bother swirling the jam in there, it wouldn't really have worked. Which was a shame. But anyway, then I poured the rest of the batter on, didn't take a picture and tossed it in the oven. After about an hour I took them out. They also got a cool wave pattern since I couldn't smooth the filling out. So like I said, they were good. Not perfect, but good. If I were to make them again I would follow the recipe exactly and see what happened. I think it's much more likely that the filling issue was me instead of CI. They do test these things after all. Heh.

It's My One Year Blogiversary! I Made Cake!

1 1/3 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, set them aside. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and vanilla, mix to combine. Add the dry mix, stir, then the milk. Beat for a couple minutes (o n medium for 1 minute if you're using an electric mixer). Pour into a greased 8 1/2 inch round pan and bake for 20-30 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for a few minutes in the pan then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

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That's right, it's been a year since I started doing this to kill time during a period of unemployment. I know it's a cliche, but it really doesn't seem that long ago. I've met a lot of great people because of blogging and improved my cooking skills immensely. It's been a really good time all around. But I think I'm going to move straight on to the cake before I start getting all emotional. Heh.

I bet a lot of you are thinking, "Ok, that's great and all, but what about the kind of lame recipe up top?" Well, that's "Busy Day Cake" from the 60's Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and it was the first cake I ever made. And since I'm poor and can't afford to give away cool stuff you're going to get nostalgia for my one year post. Some of you have heard this story before, it's in my profile at Bakespace, but I haven't put it up here yet. So.

My mom always did a lot of cooking/baking when I was a kid. I would sit on the counter and "help" her by pouring pre-measured cups of flour or slightly eaten cups of chocolate chips into the bowl. As I got older my helping became more helpful because I could fetch stuff or stir something while she got stuff out of the fridge or chased a toddler she was taking care of around. It was fun and it really kick started my love of cooking. So one day when I was eight years old I walked up to my mom and said,

"Mom, I want cake."

She looked me over, walked over to her wall of cookbooks, pulled down the BH&G one (you know the one, the red and white check cover, it's been around forever), opened it up to this cake and handed it to me.

"You know where everything is," she said and walked off.

So I made a cake. And a mess. But it turned out just like it was supposed to. Which I guess isn't too surprising, since this cake is practically foolproof. But it was still very exciting for me to have baked a cake. Which of course I then got to eat. Here's how you make it.

First, butter. Because what kind of cake recipe would it be without it? Sugar, also key. Then you cream them together a bit. No need to go crazy, this isn't a delicate confection. Add an egg and start to mix it before you realize you forgot the vanilla. Add that. Finish mixing and add the dry ingredients. Mix that up, think that it looks more like unkneaded bread dough than cake batter, then add the milk. There we go, that looks better. Now you just pour it into a greased 8.5" round pan and bake at 350 till a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for a couple minutes then turn it onto a rack to cool the rest of the way.

Now you may have noticed I didn't frost it or anything. That's just because when I was a kid I never did. Normal frosting wouldn't really fit, since flavor-wise it's more like a coffee cake than anything else. In fact it's an awful lot like cocoa ripple ring without the chocolate (funny, that. They came from the same cookbook.). How does it stand up to my memories? Well, it sure doesn't thrill me like it did when I was eight and it was my first solo baking experience. But now that I have some kitchen skills I can think of a couple changes I would make to it that would make it better. I have plans. Oh yes, I have plans.