52 weeks of baking: 50 - chocolate lava cake

Alright people. This recipe. I don't know how I've survived without it. It's insanely easy and ridiculously delicious. It's molten chocolate lava cake. Like you get at restaurants. Except AT HOME and made fresh with quality ingredients, because who knows whats in that nonsense from Chili's and how long it's been around. Here's the recipe, and bookmark that sucker because it is a keeper. I found it months ago but somehow just got around to making it. SHAME.

Like I said, this recipe is EASY. It's a one bowl wonder and it's only downfall is that it makes four little cakes. And that's definitely not a bad thing. If you've got four folks around, perfect, but if you're me and Brendon that leaves you with two extra. And these babies are made to be eaten right out of the oven. Not sure how well they'll keep, but we'retrying it out. Even if they're not as melty and perfect as they were fresh, it's still chocolate cake. It will get eaten. I think next time, and there will be a next time, I'll try halving the recipe.

I mean, is that not heaven? I love cake batter far more than I should, so this little cake was my happy place. Oh, cake batter. I love you so. Don't kill me, raw eggs!

52 weeks of baking: 31 - chocolate cake #2

First and foremost, happy birthday Harry Potter. Yes, I realize his birthday was yesterday, but there was no blogging for me yesterday. But we definitely celebrated, via this cake. It's chocolate, I feel like he'd like it. Everyone likes chocolate.

And yes, I made another chocolate cake. Whoops. Guess I'll have to eat it. This one is very similar to the last one I made, although it's a layer smaller and made with regular cocoa versus dutch process. It's every so slightly different in taste and texture; this one is fluffier, not as "dark", and the icing is more whipped. But that's about it. Two incredibly similar chocolate cakes. I'm okay with that because they're both delicious. This is the recipe I used this time.

I feel like I need this photo blown up and hung in my kitchen. It's my life. It compliments the painting hanging in my dining room well. One day I'll share that ridiculousness.

This cake is probably easier to make than the one I made last time. Less ingredients and you use just a couple bowls. Like seriously, two. It's an all around winner and I am storing it away in my repertoire as an excellent birthday cake. Or a just-because-cake, because you never need a reason for chocolate cake. Did I mention that it's delicious? And that I just had a piece and am debating going for seconds?

And kudos to the lovely folks at the Riverside CVS who have been eating my baked goods, asking what's coming up next, and sending Brendon home with compliments. THAT is the reason I bake. I love when people enjoy my food. I hope it makes them happy.

I feel like I owe the internet a post on what has actually been happening in my life aside from consuming lots of food, but every time I think about it I'm just like, SHEESH no one wants to hear that droll nonsense. Nothing exciting, just very very very busy. Can you believe it's August? Four months left of the year. Did your brain just explode a little?

52 weeks of baking: 12 - chocolate cake

It's no secret that I love dessert. And I love cake. And I love chocolate. So naturally, for my 12th week of baking that happens to also be my birthday week (AND I had a request for chocolate cake, the stars aligned for this one, y'all), I made a big ol' extra chocolatey chocolate cake. Three layers, because I'm not messing around.

I've actually made a two layer version of this cake before for a friend, but I only got half a piece before it disappeared so I thought I deserved my own. Also, I botched the icing the first time around, my butter was still a little cooler than room temperature so the icing ended up a little piecey. Delicious, just not as cute as it should be. This time it was perfect. I used this recipe for the cake and this recipe for the icing. Chocolate on chocolate.

This may be the richest cake, ever. It is intense. Cut yourself a sliver, for real. But it is damn good and I think it may be even better chilled. The icing is like mousse descended from heaven and the cake is fudgey and dense and moist and perfect. Eat it with some ice cold orange juice. Chocolate cake and OJ is pretty hard to beat.

And hey, check out my bakeware collection:

This is one cabinet's worth. This does not include my baking sheets, muffin pans, glass bakeware and of course, my ridiculous Pyrex collection. I was trying to find three little 8 inch pans and was attacked by basically everything as it tumbled out of the cabinet. Organization is not my strong suit. But now it's all neat and organized and I even got rid of a few redundant bowls. So many mixing bowls.

I've gotten a couple suggestions for future weeks-o-baking, and I'm excited to try them out! Plus of course a gazillion and one things I've been dying to make. I thought it would be challenging to come up with something to bake every week but, NOPE. Bake on, y'all!