Chocolate Cake (chocolate suicide)

I have had this recipe for years, I found the orginal recipe in a magazine while sitting in a doctor's office 30 years ago.  

I took it and began to tweak it just a little so that the cake was so unbelieveably moist you wouldn't be able to resist it.  

Then I began to make adjustment to the frosting, I wanted a frosting that wasn't overly sweet, that would stand on it's own without the cake, I think this is it.  Rather than see people scrape the frosting off to the side, I see them plowing right through and threatening to lick the plate.   

I have come across a few chocolate cake haters in my time, I fix this cake for them and have yet to not have a sold out convert.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients

1¾ cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa 
1½ tsp baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk 
½ cup butter, melted
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup mayo
1 cup strong  hot coffee

Frosting:

1/2 cup softened butter
2/3 cup cocoa
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
2/12 to 3 cups powdered sugar (for your own consistancy and sweetness)
1 tbls cream
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff


Instructions:

Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans

In a mixer, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. 

Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter, mayo and vanilla extract and beat until smooth

Remove bowl from mixer and stir in hot coffee with a spatula. 

Batter will be very runny.

Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake on middle rack of oven for about 35 minute, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached.

Allow to cool 15 minutes in pans, then remove from pan and place on wire rack.  Cool for another 15 min and then frost while still warm.


This also works well in a 9x13 pan!

Chalupas

My Sister-in-law, Ann and her husband... :), made a Chalupa recipe for a family gathering many years ago.  Through the years I have added a few things to make it crockpot friendly and to suit the tastes of my own family.  This is such an easy, comfort food meal.  It's definitely a favorite.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. pork shoulder
1 lb. dry pinto beans (rinsed)
1 15-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeno peppers minced 
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cumin
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
generous pinch or two of salt
1½ cups water
¾ cup shredded chedder cheese 
12+ flour tortillas

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. Cover with dry pinto beans, tomatoes, garlic, jalapenos, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, and 1½ cup water. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours or high heat for 4-6 hours. Don’t open the lid – it adds to the cooking time.Remove the lid after the cooking time and shred the pork using two forks. You can do this directly in the slow cooker. If it’s too runny, continue to cook with the cover off for a little while. If it’s too dry, add more water.Sprinkle cheese on top, replace the lid, and cook for another 30 minutes to allow the cheese to melt.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425. Place tortillas directly on the oven rack and bake for 2 minutes flip the tortillas and bake for another 2 minutes until bubbly yet soft. Be careful because they burn easily! 

Remove from oven and allow to cool.Top each tortilla with pork and bean mixture and sour cream.

 Other topping ideas include fresh tomatoes, lettuce, cilantro, sour cream or guacamole.

Lemon Loaf

I have to admit, this is a new favorite. It happened soley because a co-worker had a son who was hooked on Starbucks lemon pound cake.  She was in the process of attempting to eliminated chemicals and food dyes from their diet and found the restraurant version to be a violent offender.

I quickly went to work with a combination of pound cake/lemon cake recipes I had in my arsenal.

Below is the results of this experiement.  My coworkers son was my sounding board as, I considered him to be my resident expert.

He has proclaimed this to be, 'better than Starbucks'. -Thanks Ethan, I have yet another great recipe, because of you!!

Ingredients:


Cake:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature*
2  cups granulated sugar divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature*
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature*
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

Syrup:
1/2  cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. 

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, add the eggs, 1 at a time, 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. 

In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, vanilla and lemon extract.

Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour until incorporated, do not over mix. 

Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. 

When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. 

Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. 

Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

* I cannot stress how important it is to have your ingredients at room temperature for this recipe.  I know its a pain to wait but, it really does make a difference.