Happy Valentines to Me!

This is what Scott created for me for Valentine's this year! I love it!

Valentine's Chocolate Mud Cake

For Valentines dinner I'm going to make this yummy Chocolate Mud Cake. I made it for Scott's birthday, and I can't wait to eat it again tonight.



Here's the recipe if anyone is interested. It is adapted from a recipe posted a few years ago on NieNie diaries blog.  I like this version better, the frosting is less sweet. I may just fill mine with chocolate whipped cream if I don't get out to get the marscapone cheese. Both are yummy!

Mud cake


This recipe uses a simple mixing method which make a lush, dense brownie-like cake.

8 oz unsweetened chocolate (or 5 oz cocoa powder plus 4 oz unsalted butter)
6 oz olive oil (3/4 cup)
14 oz sugar (2 cups)
4 oz powdered sugar (1 cup)
4 eggs
5 oz flour (1 cup)
3.4 oz cocoa powder (1/2 cup)
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder (above 5000 feet altitude, only use 1 tsp)
½ tsp baking soda
8 oz buttermilk (1 cup) - (or 1 cup warm milk mixed with 1 TB lemon juice, let stand 10 mins to curdle before using)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and dust with cocoa powder two 9in cake pans.
2. In double boiler, melt the chocolate and olive oil and mix until smooth. Take mixture off heat and bring to room temperature.
3. Meanwhile, beat both sugars and eggs until well creamed.
4. Add the room temperature chocolate mixture to the sugar mixture and beat a couple minutes.
5. Add remaining ingredients and mix until all ingredients are incorporated.
6. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans .
7. Bake for 26-28 minutes, or just until center of cake springs back to the touch. Remove from oven. Allow to cool before inverting on a cooling rack and removing from pan.
8. Before layering cake, use a knife to gently cut away any uneven parts at the top or sides of the cake.

Some tips:
1 & 2. Line your cake pans with parchment paper so the cakes pop right out.
3. Use room temperature eggs. Take them from the fridge and let them sit 5 minutes in hot water before using.

Perfectly Smooth Chocolate Marscapone Cream Filling

6.25 oz dark chocolate (60%), chopped
8 oz heavy cream (1 cup)
8 oz mascarpone
1.25 oz sugar (1/4 cup)

1. Place chocolate in a heat-proof bowl.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer.
3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a few minutes to melt the chocolate.
4. Stir the mixture until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
5. Stir in the sugar.
6. Chill until cold enough to whip, but not more than 1 hour (I read that if it gets too cold, the chocolate and cream will separate later).
7. Whip the ganache into soft peaks.
8. Stir in the marscapone.

You can use it immediately between the cakes or refrigerate for later use.

Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting

8 oz heavy cream (1 cups) – for denser, thicker frosting
~~~~ or ~~~~
16 oz heavy cream (2 cups) – for a lighter, fluffier frosting
11 oz dark chocolate (60%), chopped
2-4 oz powdered sugar (1-2 cups)
4 oz cold butter, cut into 8 pieces

1. Place chocolate in food processor.
2. In a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a simmmer.
3. With food processor running, pour hot cream over chocolate. Process until combined, a minute or two.
4. Stop processor and add powdered sugar. Process until combined, about 1 minute.
5. With processor running, drop the butter pieces in through the feeding tube. Wait until the butter is combined before dropping in the next piece. Let the mixture process about 1 minute after all butter has been combined.
6. Now some options:
• If you used 8oz cream, you can cool the frosting to room temperature (about 1 hour) then frost the cake. The frosting will shiny and thick.
• If you used 8oz cream and prefer a lighter color and fluffier texture, chill the mixture until cold (about 1-2 hours) then whip until thick and spreadable. Do not overwhip or it will curdle!
• If you used 16 oz cream, you must chill the mixture until cold (1-2 hours) then whip until thick. Do not overwhip or it will curdle!

Zoo with Cindi and Michelle

This guy gave us a show! Beautiful.

We got the chance to go to the Phoenix Zoo again with Scott's sisters Cindi and Michelle. It was so great to see Cindi and her adorable baby Mason who were visiting from Portland for the weekend. I wasn't feeling well so didn't see her much but my family enjoyed seeing her and my kids think Mason is awesome. He's one and so much fun.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the zoo trip.



I'm sad this one is fuzzy. Mason was so happy to have an animal that he was big enough to crawl on to. :)