Chocolate Cake Layers...

I just wanted to let you know that yes, you can survive on chocolate cake alone. [If it's good chocolate cake.]

I had wanted to post this cake last week but time just got away from me. Most of it has been spent trying to write an introduction speech about myself.

I think it's funny that I can't do this simple task. Maybe I should just take excerpts from my blog and call it a day. Right?

I find this task so daunting. I mean, I write about myself here all the time. Yet, if you remove the "cake" part; I find myself at a loss for words.

Last night I stayed up until 4:00am trying to write the speech. All I have to show for the all-nighter is a batch of cupcakes and a pile of crumpled up index cards.

Okay, I still don't have a speech but I do have a slice of kick-*ss chocolate cake left. The cake is moist and intensely chocolate. The icing is silky, luxurious, and divine. For the cake I used Valrhona cocoa and for the icing I used Valrhona chocolate buttons for melting. Trust me, use good chocolate for the recipe it makes a world of difference.

Print The Recipe: Sour Cream Chocolate
One Year Ago: Chambord Cupcakes

Tiger Cake

I went back and forth, back and forth and finally decided that I would share this little bit of personal info. Today is my birthday. No big hoopla or party. Just dinner, cake, and friends.

I was also going back and forth, about what type of cake I wanted. I could not decide between yellow and chocolate, almost annoyingly indecisive. Go ahead ask Katie, every time we exchanged e-mails I changed the flavor of the cake.

I went through my binder of "must try recipes" and came across “Tiger Cake”. A yellow and chocolate swirled cake! It was like an “a-ha moment”. Immediately all the stress of finding the perfect birthday cake dissipated.

The “Tiger Cake” is from Alice Medrich’s book Bittersweet. Putting the cake together was very easy! Seriously ...easy peasy. It did call for two odd ingredients 1) one cup of olive oil, 2) ½ teaspoon of white pepper. Oh man, was it hard not to change the recipe! In the end, I am so glad that I followed the recipe according to Medrich. The pepper adds just a bit of warmth but since I glazed the cake with a milk chocolate ganache, I doubt anyone will suspect the presence of pepper in the cake.

I am planning to serve the cake with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, a fanned strawberry, and an iced cappuccino. Hopefully everyone will enjoy the cake and maybe even manage to take home a slice.

It can’t wait to share cake with friends and loved ones. Even though I’ll be surrounded by loved ones, one person will still be missing …Katie. That is where the candied flowers come in. The flowers on top of the cake were a gift from her and I had been saving them for a special occasion. Even though she could not be here in person, (she lives on the other side of the pond) I know her “spirit” was here. Katie, than you for the friendship, flowers, and birthday gifts.

RECIPE: TIGER CAKE