"Perfectly" Chocolate Bundt Cake With Chocolate Ganache

I know Easter is done but this post is long overdue. The photo shoot took place a few days before Easter and I took advantage of my mom's beautiful place settings and arrangements. Besides, bunnies and bird eggs are still relevant. It's spring after all!

 
I made a chocolate bundt cake using my new favorite go-to chocolate cake recipe, Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake. The end result is such an amazingly flavorful cake. To make it even more delectable, I topped it off with a layer of chocolate ganache. This cake is so rich and fantastic. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and your head will be swimming.

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa (I use Hershey's Special Dark)*
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 tsp baking powder   
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
I cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup strong hot coffee*

Directions 

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan
•  Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in hot coffee. (Batter will be thin). 
•  Pour batter into pan and bake 50-55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes in pan then turn out onto a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

9 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped (can use chocolate chips)
1 cup heavy cream

Directions 
  

• Place chocolate in a heat proof bowl.
• In a small saucepan, heat cream over low-medium heat until bubble start to form around the edges.
• Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir utnil the chocolate is fully melted.
• Pour ganache over cake slowly making sure to evenly coat.*
• Allow ganache to set up, about two hours. 

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*A few things....

  
~Hershey's recipe calls for 3/4 cup cocoa. I think a cup does the cake even more justice.

~Their recipe also calls for 1 cup of boiling water but I opted to use coffee. Coffee is such a compliment to chocolate. It really amps up the flavor so why not use it?

~PLEASE, make sure the ganache is not thin. I made the mistake of turning my mom's kitchen into a massacre-like scene during my second attempt making ganache. I used milk chocolate instead of bittersweet and it did not set up near as quick. I made the mistake of thinking once it hit the cake some sort of magic would happen and it would thicken. Uh, no. It ran off the cake platter and anywhere it could travel. And let me tell ya, it traveled FAST. (Did you know that chocolate syrup was used for blood in black and white  movies? I TOTALLY see why now.) Let the ganahce set up until it is thick, about at a batter consistency. Pour on just a bit to see how it goes and if it is too thin, pop it in the fridge and stir it every 5 minutes until it thickens a bit. If you have to spread it around the cake with a spatula, that is better than having to chase it down counter tops and drip it ALL OVER a freshly mopped floor. I cussed so much that day.   

Rose Easter Cake

Easter candy, you are killing me. 

This time of year is always tough. Right as I decide I am going to get in shape for summer, BAM! I forget about the 5 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies I ordered and they show up on a day when I could eat every single one in a sitting. Then, just as I get those out of the picture I am inundated with all that delicious and tempting Eater candy. (I think I had more  fun shopping for Easter Bunny candy for Mini Mac than I did shopping for Christmas. That aisle is so much fun.)

Oh, and did I mention that ALL of the above takes place during Lent? Yeah. Pretty dang tough for this gal. I had to quit giving up sweets for Lent because I failed miserably EVERY year.

I made this cake for my friend Sherry for Easter. Her in laws are coming into town and she wanted something special for their visit. They are not big chocolate fans so she decided on strawberry. I make a mean strawberry cake. My secret? Just a boxed mix, but in place of the water I use pureed strawberries. It makes SUCH a difference. 

I have had this rose pattern on my to-do list for a while now. I thought it would be perfect for an delicate Easter cake. Yes, the large rose to the left screams "Look at me! I want all the attention!" But I think it's pretty for my first try. Check out the tutorial I found at I Am Baker.

And then since it's Easter, I nestled a few Cadbury Mini Eggs in the center. These are the perfect candy for Easter baked goods.

Aren't they adorable?

One last tip that I must share. I was on a discussion board at Wilton.com one day and the topic was how to get a moist cake. One of the commenters shared that her grandmother ALWAYS put any cake she made in the freezer for at least 24 hours and then thawed it prior to decorating. She claims that her cakes were always so super moist and comparable to bakery cakes. Once my layers were cooled, I wrapped them twice in plastic wrap, tied each one up in a plastic bag and tucked them into my freezer. I laid them out to thaw the night before I was set to decorate. They appeared super moist to me, but I can't wait to hear the reviews from Sherry.

A very Happy Easter to you and yours!

Easy Cake Mix Cookies

I love Reese's ANYTHING. Pieces, cups, mini cups, eggs, cereal (Have you had this? It rocks.), ice cream bars (These rock even more), Blizzards, you name it. If it has Reese's in the title I am likely to salivate profusely over it. As with any other sweet treat these days, I approach this love affair with much moderation. But let me tell you, it is super tough.

Recently on a walk, I saw an unopened Reese's egg just lying casually under a tree next to the sidewalk. I was sure there was an early Easter egg hunt of some sort going on, but no one was around. It crossed my mind that it would be so easy to take off with that little guy and treat myself in celebration of all my walking calories burned. But, I stayed strong and passed that sucker up for the sake of my rear end and thighs. Boy, was it hard. I am bound to believe that my arch nemesis strategically planted the egg there to bring me down.

  

Need a quick Reese's fix? These cookies are perfect. They are oh so delicious and pretty much the easiest cookies I have ever made!

Easy Cake Mix Cookies

1 -18.5 oz. devil's food cake mix*
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
2 tbsp milk
2 large eggs
1 cup Reese's Pieces

-Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, peanut butter, eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl. Beat at low speed until blended. Stir in Reese's Pieces. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet. Press down a bit to flatten. Bake 7-9 minutes or until lightly browned. Once out of the oven, press down again to flatten a bit more.** Let rest about 5 minutes then remove to cooling racks.

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*We are getting jipped on cake mixes these days. Manufacturers have reduced the size of the mixes but we are paying the same price. Many run between 15.5 ounces and 16.25. The standard is 18.5 ounces. I have found that the store brand mixes have stayed true to this amount. And they are just as good.

**These cookies do not spread well on their own. The first batch I made came out baked in the exact shape they went in, round balls. That is why I flatten them before I put them in the oven and again right when they come out. This second time is not necessary, but I just like a flatter cookie. 

Springtime Magic Bars

The weather at my house this weekend was such a wonderful taste of Spring. It was beautiful and it got me in the mood for some type of pretty springtime dessert.

These ARE truly magic. I know I often say,  "These are SO unbelievably good," but honestly, THESE are the best things I think I have ever made. OK, best BARS I have ever made. I had to specify "bars" because I just remembered a cupcake recipe I am going to share with you guys soon and it's pretty unbelievable, too. But seriously, bar-wise, these rock the house.

I adapted this recipe from one I came across at Lauren's Latest last week. Love her site. I didn't have the toppings her recipe required (chopped Oreos, mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallows--YUM!) so I used what I had. These bars are so easy. It's a graham cracker crust topped with sweetened condensed milk and then pretty much whatever you want to throw on top. I used chopped peanut butter sandwich cookies and pastel Sixlets. The magic happens when they are baked. The milk turns all caramely (that's a word, right?) and binds the ingredients together.

Right when they came out of the oven, I topped them with chopped Reese's Minis. Look at those guys. Simply gorgeous. Kate Upton has some serious competition in that shot above. I have SUCH a thing for peanut butter and chocolate. I was never a fan of peanut butter sandwiches or even PB & J for that matter. (I was an odd child. I also didn't like pancakes, waffles or donuts for breakfast. I wanted oatmeal. Don't worry. I have more than made up for that in my adult years.) But give me something sweet that has peanut butter as an ingredient and you could probably get me to do most anything you needed me to. Except push ups. I loathe push ups. And ironing.

To make them prettier, not to mention more delicious (if that is even possible), I drizzled on some melted white chocolate.

I love a recipe that can be adapted so easily. This is definitely one of those. As I mentioned, you can top these bars with basically whatever you want. With all the fun Easter candy out right now, lots of experimentation could be had with this recipe. I do recommend, however, if you want to use Reese's cups or something similar in texture, throw them on AFTER they come out of the oven. That way, they hold their shape but melt just enough to stay put on the bar.

Springtime Magic Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter
1-14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups chopped peanut butter sandwich cookies
1/2 cup pastel Sixlets or M & M's
1 cup Reese's Minis cut in half
1/4 cup melted white chocolate (optional)

-Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter until blended well. Press into the bottom of a sprayed 9 x 13 pan. Pour on the condensed milk. Spread evenly. Sprinkle on the cookies and Sixlets. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until edges are browned and bars are set. 

-Once out of the oven, sprinkle on the Reese's cups. Let bars cool completely.

-Carefully invert out of pan onto chopping block. (I invert them onto one board, then lay another board on top and flip them again so that they are right side up.)

-Drizzle with the white chocolate. Once that is set, cut into 16 bars.

For Lauren's original version with Oreos and marshmallows (that woman is a genius) check out the recipe here.

"I'm Not Gonna Call Them That" Bars

If you've been on Pinterest, you are familiar with recipe names that contain the words "crack" or "white trash." "Crack" referring to the fact that it's delicious and could be considered addictive and "white trash" because it uses simple everyday ingredients that are just kind of thrown together. (If you haven't been on Pinterest, then you must be a baby or a teenage boy. Seriously, check it out. Fair warning, you may be glued to the computer for days.) I have to be honest, I really can't stand those names. It's a pet peeve of mine. Like the word "britches" or "moist." Oh, and "scrumptious." Who says that? I don't think I have ever been at a dinner table and overheard someone say, "Margaret, these mashed potatoes are just scrumptious!" I think "scrumptious" is only used in the movies. And books. And maybe at Windsor Palace.

These are called White Trash Bars. Shelly at Cookies and Cups shared this recipe last week and as soon as I read the ingredients and realized I had them all on hand, I HAD to make them. They are super easy and SO tasty. As Shelly says, "These bars are pretty crazy." I am pretty sure they are a million calories a piece, but they're absolutely worth it.

And you won't believe what is in them. Now, because I got the recipe from Shelly and am posting about them so quickly after she did I am sending you to her site to get the ingredient low down. I will tell you that because I was short on the toffee pieces by about a half a cup, I threw in that much coconut to make up the difference. If you are not a toffee fan I bet you could replace the toffee pieces with just about anything you wanted. Chocolate chips, nuts, M & M's...Oh my. The wheels are turning and I think I just might have to experiment soon.

I used some leftover vanilla bean buttercream I had on hand, hence the black flecks. And also, because I LOVE sprinkles I embellished them with some rainbow nonpareils. Sprinkles just make everything better. Mini Mac would agree. She adores sprinkles SO much that she would pick them out of dirt to eat them if she had to.

Happy Valetine's Day!

Mini Mac is having her first Valentine's Party today. She was thrilled. Because she has to question everything these days she asked me, "Mommy, what do Balentine's do?" Talk about creativity in an answer. I had to think a while on that and then said something along the lines of cards and hearts. Keeping it simple.

For her party I made strawberry cupcakes with buttercream icing. I embellished them with pink sugar pearls and chocolate hearts. I used the method from the wedding shower cupcakes only I melted white chocolate and tinted it pink with some Americolor gel. 

I almost forgot to take a picture. I remembered as I was getting them out of my car and snapped one with my phone. Breathtaking, I know.

Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours!

Hiatus...

 

 

I apologize for being MIA for so long. I started a new job in December and it's taken all of my focus. I hope to be back very soon. I bought some cute cupcake papers this week that I can't wait to share with you guys!