Mocha Fudge Cake

If you’re (as I was earl last week) craving a dessert that’s rich, indulgent, and bursting with chocolaty goodness, this Mocha Fudge Cake is your answer. It is truly a chocolate lover’s paradise. The combination of dark chocolate chips, Ghirardelli ground chocolate, and espresso powder creates a bold, sophisticated flavor profile. The espresso enhances the chocolate without overpowering it, giving the cake a subtle coffee kick. The texture is perfectly moist thanks to buttermilk and a generous amount of butter, while the warm mocha icing poured over the hot cake ensures every bite is decadently fudgy. Plus, it’s baked in a 10x10-inch pan, making it easy to slice and serve for a crowd (or to keep all to yourself—no judgment here!).

Mocha Fudge Cake

For the Cake:

2 c. granulated sugar
2 c. flour, plus 1 tablespoon (divided)
1 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda (divided)
½ t. kosher salt
½ t. espresso powder
½ lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ c. Ghirardelli ground chocolate
1 c. water
½ c. buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 t. vanilla extract
1½ c. dark chocolate chips

For the Icing:
¼ c. Ghirardelli ground chocolate
½ t. espresso powder
¼ lb. (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 T. heavy cream
1 lb. powdered sugar
¼ t. kosher salt
1 t. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9” x 9” pan with Baker’s Joy or a similar baking spray to prevent sticking; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, salt, and espresso powder. This creates the base of your cake’s dry ingredients. Set it aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, ¼ cup ground chocolate, and water. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to ensure it’s smooth. Once it’s boiling, pour this rich chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until fully combined.

In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk with the remaining 1 teaspoon of baking soda—this helps give the cake its tender crumb. In another small bowl, toss the dark chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of flour to keep them from sinking in the batter. Add the eggs, buttermilk mixture, and vanilla extract to the batter, beating until smooth. Gently fold in the chocolate chips for bursts of chocolate in every bite.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The aroma of chocolate and espresso will fill your kitchen!

About 5 minutes before the cake is done, start the icing. In a large saucepan, bring ¼ cup ground chocolate, espresso powder, butter, and heavy cream to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat with a mixer until the icing is smooth and glossy.

As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, spread the warm mocha icing over the top. The heat from the cake helps the icing sink in, creating that fudgy texture. Let it cool slightly, then slice and serve. Pair it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra indulgence!

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Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Maple Bourbon Glaze

 

Generally speaking, I get a craving for pumpkin in mid-August, which is why you’ll find a lot of pumpkin recipes here on the blog during that time. I got the same craving this past August, bought quite a few cans of pumpkin purée, and then I never got around to using them. That changed last weekend when I was a whirling dervish in the kitchen. Over the course of three days, I spent about 24 hours on my feet in the kitchen experimenting with recipes. This one is delish! It’s good at breakfast, brunch, as a dessert at dinner, or any old time of the day. I found that it tasted better the second day, so that makes it wonderfully make ahead.Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Maple Bourbon Glaze

1¾ c. flour

1 t. baking soda

2 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

1/8 t. ground cloves

½ t. kosher salt

½ c. vegetable oil

½ c. sugar

½ c. packed dark brown sugar

1 15-oz. can pumpkin puree

2 large eggs, room temperature

¼ c. milk, room temperature

Crumb Topping

¾ c. flour

¼ c. sugar

¼ c. packed brown sugar

1 t. pumpkin pie spice

6 T. unsalted butter, melted

Maple Icing

1½ c. confectioners’ sugar

2 T. pure maple syrup

2 T. bourbon

 Preheat oven to 425°F. Line  an 8” x 8” pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2” overhang on two sides; spray with nonstick spray. .

 For the cake: In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs and milk together until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold everything together gently just until combined and no flour pockets remain.

 Pour into prepared pan.

 For the topping: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice together until combined. Stir in melted butter with a fork until crumbs form.

Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F and then reduce the temperature to 350°F. Bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 30-40 minutes.

Lift cake from pan using parchment paper overhang and place on serving plate. Slide the parchment out from beneath the cake and drizzle on glaze.

 Make the glaze: Whisk glaze ingredients together until combined and smooth. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for 1-2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. I think this tastes better on Day Two.

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Single Layer Carrot Cake with Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

 If you read this blog with any regularity, you will be only too aware of the carrot shredding frenzy that I got myself involved in a week or so ago. I’m happy to report that it has finally come to a delicious conclusion, the last having been used in this adorable and tasty mini carrot cake. I discovered this little morsel on the Beyond the Butter blog. It’s a wonderfully easy recipe because it mixes together by hand; there’s nothing to putting it together.

  I have recently become enamored with small cakes, having purchased this set of four of 6-inch cake pans. It’s the perfect size for singles, couples, or even a family of four. As for the frosting on this cake, it is nothing short of fabulous! Browning the butter makes all the difference, and I don’t think I will make a buttercream frosting from here on out without doing the same. It’s a wonderful Easter dessert, or, if cut into tiny slices, perfect tidbits for afternoon tea.  This is a keeper.

Single Layer Carrot Cake with

Browned Butter Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

 Edited for clarity

 ½ c. flour

½ t. baking soda

½ t. cinnamon

1/8 t. salt

1/3 c. vegetable oil

½ c. sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

½ c. grated carrots

¼ c. chopped pecans

 Frosting

¼ c. unsalted butter (browned and cooled to solid state)

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 t. vanilla

½ t. cinnamon

2 c. confectioners’ sugar

 Preheat oven to 350ºF. Generously spray a 6-inch cake pan with Baker’s Joy; set aside.

 In a small mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

 In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, granulated sugar, and egg.

 Add the whisked dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk together until just combined. Fold in carrots and pecans.

 Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool the cake in the cake pan for 10 minutes before inverting it onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

 FROSTING

In a small saucepan melt the unsalted butter over medium heat. As the butter begins to bubble and foam, stir until foaming subsides. Continue to cook until the butter turns a light brown and has a nutty aroma.

Immediately remove the browned butter from the heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Cover lightly and place in the refrigerator to cool and solidify. This takes 40-55 minutes.

Using your hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat the browned butter on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Add cream cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon, and continue to beat until well blended.

Reduce speed to low, and gradually the confectioners’ sugar; beat until blended. Scrape down sides and mix on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes more.

 Frost cooled cake.

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Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey Sauce

 

About once a month I make a loaf of challah bread.  From this one loaf we get a delicious, ample slice of toast for breakfast, amazing croutons for our salad, a tasty grilled cheese sandwich, French toast for breakfast the following morning, and bread pudding for dessert.  All of that from one loaf.

Bread pudding used to be something from which I would recoil.  I mean bread, and (gulp) pudding?!  It sounds like some cruel joke.  Come to find out the joke was on me.  It is tasty, comforting, and with the addition of my favorite Irish whiskey, ever so warming and relaxing.

Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey Sauce

2/3 cup raisins

1/3 cup brandy

4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

4 cups day-old challah* with crusts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup pecans, toasted, chopped

1 Tablespoon Irish whiskey

Irish Whiskey Sauce (see below)

Combine raisins and 1/3 cup brandy (or bourbon, or rum) in small bowl. Soak for 30 minutes. Drain and save liquid.

Butter an 8-inch square glass baking dish.  In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and raisin soaking liquid. Place bread, raisins, and pecans in prepared dish. Toss lightly with fingers until mixed.  Pour milk mixture over and let stand 5 minutes. Push down bread into custard. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, smashing bread down into the custard occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place bread pudding in large metal baking pan. Add enough hot water to come up the side of the bread pudding dish about an inch. Bake until pudding is puffed and golden brown on top, approximately 50 minutes. Remove dish with bread pudding from water and cool slightly. Brush top with the tablespoon of whiskey.  Cut into rounds using a 3” biscuit cutter. Serve warm with sauce.

Irish Whiskey Sauce
 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons whipping cream

Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons Irish Whiskey (I use Jameson)
½ teaspoon tangerine zest (I use Melissa’s Ojai Pixie Tangerines)

Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in sugar, whipping cream, salt, and whiskey. Simmer until thickened, whisking often, about 3 minutes. Cool slightly. Stir in tangerine rind.  Serve warm on top of bread pudding.

* If baking your own challah using the ABM (or other) recipe, don't bother to braid it, just bake it up in a standard sized loaf pan.

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One of the reasons that I just had to make this particular recipe was to test drive my new spoon from Kelly Galanos’ Etsy shop, Sycamore Hill, The Home of The ORIGINAL Hand Stamped Vintage Coffee & Espresso Spoons™.  Is this adorable, or what?  Click on over and check out her shop and tell her that I sent you.  And stay tuned.  I am crushing on that “Cereal Killer” spoon, so I’m going to have to come up with a killer recipe for cereal (okay, so it may be a challenge, I’m up to it), so that I can buy that spoon!

 This post is linked to:

The Scoop

Totally Tasty Tuesdays

Try a New Recipe Tuesday

Tasty Tuesdays

Wow Us Wednesday
What’s In The Kitchen 
Work It Wednesday
Miz Helen’s Country Cottage

Clever Chicks Blog Hop