There are times when I find myself baking a new treat, KNOWING I don't really need it. The sweet tooth or an impending dinner party or a birthday is on the horizon though. Duty calls. Those are the times that I turn a blind eye to the mirror (and the scale) and forge on, promising myself that I will have one piece and pass the rest around for others to share.
This past weekend, we celebrated Silent Bob's 60th birthday. His wish was for a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. I got right down to business and hauled out the cake pans and the beaters, plus my mother's favorite mayonnaise chocolate cake recipe. This is one of the first layer cake recipes that Mom let me make. If I begged her to make something on a Saturday afternoon and she was busy at something else, she'd suggest this cake. It's easy, fast, and moist.
The icing is an easy chocolate buttercream icing that I found in one of Ina Garten's cookbooks. I always agonized over buttercream icings until Ina came along. This icing is rich and frothy light. It can be doctored in many ways by addition of small amounts of coffee syrup, chili pepper, rum, or brandy. Do what you will! My one mistake was not allowing the butter to come to room temperature, as you can see by the one little speck of butter in the icing dead center in one of my shots ... I guess perfection is only for a higher force! It still tasted pretty darn good! We had our pieces of cake on Friday evening after a birthday dinner and took the rest of the cake to the family farm on Saturday, where SB's brothers and sisters gladly helped polish off the rest! As for my promise to myself... I kept it. Only one piece! With so many willing family members around, I could practically hear Ina saying, " How easy is that ?" That was easy!
There's nothing like a homemade chocolate cake! I wish I could have a slice for breakfast! LOL! I enjoyed my visit this morning! Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteMary
now that looks like a good cake!... although you will burn in hell for your sins (and i'm talking about that speck of butter not the eating of the slice!)
ReplyDeletehe he he x
Your cake looks lovely and moist - I'm looking forward to trying it (I have made brownies with mayo before!)
ReplyDeleteWell done on sticking to one slice (I know how hard it is!!!)
Your newest follower!!
Silent Bob has great taste. What a good old fashioned delicious cake. Yum!
ReplyDeleteLooks great! Nothing like 'old school' to fill the bill. Happy belated to S.B.!
ReplyDeleteYou have more willpower than I do! I would never be able to stick to one slice of that gorgeous cake. Good for you! I'm so glad you enjoyed the Monte Cristos too. Even though the recipes aren't my own creations, I still hope when people try them they will enjoy them as we did. Thank you for letting me know!
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