Hot Fudge Cake October 30, 2008

This is one of my favorite “I need chocolate and I need it now” recipes. 

 

When I first moved to NC and lived on my own for the first time in my life, I found myself craving chocolate badly one night, but didn’t have the dorm stash of junk that I was used to and didn’t have Mom’s home baked desserts always waiting on the counter.  I also didn’t have eggs.  I started searching the labels of the baking ingredients in my apartment for a recipe I could make without going to the grocery store late at night.  I found the recipe for Hot Fudge Cake on the inside of the Hershey’s cocoa label.  (I find it hilarious now to think of myself alone in my tiny apartment tearing apart labels at 10 pm trying to find a recipe I could make with chocolate and without eggs.  I must have really been in a rough spot that night). 

 

Well, as we were sitting here tonight playing the Wii, I felt a strong need for some chocolate and I knew I wanted this cake.  It is quick and easy and soooooo good.  It is very much like Molten Lava Cake that some random restaurant serves.  But better, of course, because it is homemade.   It ends up being like a homemade chocolate brownie/cake with a hot pudding like goo running through it. Sounds gross yet delicious at the same time, right? It is best served with vanilla ice cream, but is also good with homemade whipped cream, which is what I am about to make while this bakes in the oven.

 

Hot Fudge Cake

1 c flour

3/4 c sugar

6 T cocoa (divided)

2 t baking powder

1/4 t salt

1/2 c milk

2 T vegetable oil

1 t vanilla

1 c brown sugar

1 3/4 c hot water

 

Combine flour, white sugar, 2 T cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Stir in milk, oil and vanilla until smooth (I stir this together right in the 8×8 pan that I bake it in to save washing a bowl).  Spread in ungreased pan. 

Combine brown sugar and remaining 4 T cocoa.  Sprinkle over batter.  Pour hot water over all.  

Bake at 375 35-40 minutes.

 

Allow to cool, but eat while still warm or re-heat!

 

Also, this is a good time to mention one of my other favorite cooking tools.  This Oxo measuring cup is the coolest ever.

It is slanted so that you can look straight down at it and see how much stuff you have in it.  You don’t have to bend over and get at eye level so that you can make sure you have the right amount.  Call me lazy, but I think that is the best thing ever.  Thanks, Mark!

Cool New Kitchen Stuff September 14, 2008

Ross’ sister and parents had a couples shower for us today at La Dolce Vita.  LDV is one of our favorite local restaurants, and very special because it is where we had our first date (and where we met in person for the first time!).  The food was amazing as always, and Renee, the owner, was sweet enough to give us a gift certificate from her and her staff as a gift.  That means we get to go back soon!!!

We received several new super cool kitchen items today.  I cannot WAIT to make some new recipes using these new gadgets!

 

First is the Cuisinart Griddler Panini Maker.  Here are pictures of it being used both ways:

                                    

How cool is that?  There are different plates that can be put in depdending on what you want to use it for, and best of all… the plates are dishwasher safe!  One of my favorite childhood memories is my Dad making breakfast for us on Sunday mornings on the griddle.  It has been many years since I’ve had that breakfast, and I can’t wait to cook one up.  I am also excited about making some super delicious sandwiches!

 

Our next awesome Cuisinart gift is the blender/food processor combo.  They have some pretty smart engineers at Cuisinart.

There are a few recipes that I have wanted to make that need a food processor and we haven’t had one.  Potato soup will be made at our house in the very near future!  Also, I think my sister and I ruined my last blender by making too many margaritas and crushing too much ice.  This one has a special ice crusing setting, so I think we’ll be all set.  We even got a recipe today for beer margaritas, so we might have to make up a batch of those to test out the new blender! 

 

We also received the Black and Decker electric carving knife.  Ross has pretty much perfected making roasts, and this will help it to look much nicer when it is served! 

 

We also received tons of other cool gifts, including lots of stuff for the house and garden.  Thanks to everyone, today and over the past few months, who has given us so much cool stuff!