Mug Cake

A while back, I bought 2 boxes of Dr. Oetker cake in a mug mix. One was vanilla with chocolate chips and the other was chocolate. Maybe I had them sitting in a cabinet too long, but while they tasted okay, they weren't great and not all that cake-like. They sure didn't look like the photos on the boxes, though admittedly, that might be partly my fault as I made a mess of the prep. Then again, the instructions were less than precise, especially the baking time in the microwave. The instructions gave the time for various wattages of microwaves, but not what level to use. So I tried "Bake" at first and that didn't work, so I tried the same mug-o'-mix again under "High." The result was uh, flaky. The second one, cooked/baked the instructed time on "High" came out pretty much the same. And despite my greasing the mug, the cake was caked on the sides. Not something I'll attempt again.

Mug Cake Chocolate Box

Mug of Chocolate Cake

As you can see, it didn't really rise, and I used a fairly standard size mug as instructed.

Close-Up of Chocolate Cake in a Mug

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Chocolate Dessert

We celebrated Rosh Hashana (New Year's on the Jewish calendar) at my sister's home, and dessert included two chocolate treats: A chocolate babka and a chocolate mousse cake. Both were wonderfully yummy.

Chocolate Babka

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Happy Rosh Hashana, if you celebrate! May the upcoming year be sweet!

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The Joy of Babka

Good chocolate babka is a special treat and the chocolate babka from Russ and Daughters is amazing. Kind of a mix between a bread and pastry, infused with chocolate, a chocolate babka typically comes in a loaf. Russ and Daughters sells wrapped chunks and I can't recall seeing as much chocolate as they stuff in their babkas.

Chocolate Babka

Chocolate Babka Swirls

Tiny Figures Harvest the Chocolate from the Babka

Here are some yummy looking, other babka offerings in New York City, and more here at Serious Eats. Russ and Daughters isn't on either list, probably because it's more of a deli than a bakery. But if you happen to be on East Houston Street in Manhattan, over by Orchard Street, pop in and try a hunk of this chocolatey goodness.


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Let Me Have Cake

So I made a chocolate cake last month for my birthday. Don't get excited; it was just a Duncan Hines mix with pre-made icing from Pillsbury. Yeah, top of the line! ;) But I didn't make an actual cake, using round tins and stacking the two halves with icing in between. I used loaf pans, iced one loaf and put the other loaf in the freezer. Last night, I pulled out the second loaf for defrosting, then, uh, frosting and now I have another cake! It's magic!

Here it is pre-and post-icing.

Chef Ralph Shows Off His Masterpiece

Chocolate Lover Maude Didn't Know Where to Start

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National Chocolate Cake Day

So, National Chocolate Cake Day is a thing here. Like I need a special day to eat chocolate cake. Anyway, no chocolate cake for me today, so I present my dessert from Saturday: molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, a delicious confection from the Tir Na Nog Irish bar.

Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream

Molten Chocolate Cake

Molten Chocolate Cake Interior, with Ice Cream

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Ummmmm.... Chocolate

After seeking out potato latkes for Chanukah, a friend and I went to one of our favorite kosher bakeries, Moishe's, for dessert. I took a few photos to drive all you chocoholics out there crazy. ;)

Chocolate Cookies

Cakes and Cookies

Check out that Checkerboard Cake

Feeling: content

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It's looking pretty nasty out right now, but I've got a chocolate loaf to take the edge off the approaching storm. A chocolate loaf is what happens when I get tired of filling cupcake cups with cake mix batter. Duncan Hines double chocolate cake mix with Pillsbury chocolate fudge icing.

Chocolate Loaf

Feeling: mellow

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