“Chocolate is the best investment. You buy a 7-ounce bar and gain 2 pounds.”
– Unknown
The holidays are over, all the goodies have been eaten or given as gifts, holiday decorations are put away, and once again home has some semblance of order and calm. For many, though, something is missing from all this zen: chocolate. If you are one of these folks, I can imagine the relief you feel making it to February … the month of chocolate! There’s no need to feel as if you’re alone in the struggle or have to justify your pleasure in this treat. I read that Americans spend around $22 billion on chocolate annually and that 58 million pounds were bought in February alone last year. With those numbers, it’s clear that this is one serious love affair.
If you are one of those people who have a “take it or leave it” attitude about chocolate, hold that thought. I can almost guarantee you’re going to love this delightful cake. If you are attending a potluck, planning a Super Bowl event, or hosting a lunch, serving something chocolate this month is pretty much nonnegotiable.
True story: I have a chocolate cake recipe that I have been making for years. It’s a recipe I found so long ago, I can’t remember what magazine I cut it out from. It’s on a recipe card that is old, rather stained, and yellowed from age. Some of us can remember a day when we didn’t have the internet. A good recipe was kept as a secret. A secret is a secret, right?
Well, it was 1971 when I was asked to bring a dessert to a family gathering. I brought this cake. It was such a hit that it disappeared in record time. A few days later, my sister asked me for the recipe. I told her I really didn’t want the whole world to know about my cake recipe. She promised she would just bring it to an end-of-school event at the high school where she taught.
Against my better judgement, I gave her the recipe. I thought to myself that she couldn’t possibly be the sneaky older sister I remembered from our much younger years on the farm. People change, right?
Several months later we were in the car, heading to a mall to do some shopping. My sister was driving. I was in the passenger seat. Each of our firstborn children were strapped in car seats in the back.
Her 5-year-old son suddenly leaned forward and excitedly said, “Mommy, tell Aunt Kathy about her chocolate cake in the contest and how you won the prize!” I was stunned. When I turned to look at her, the color had drained from her face.
I will end this story here, as this is a family newspaper and further comment on what was said next would most likely be frowned upon. So here is my “secret” chocolate cake recipe. Because, why not?
Maggie’s super-moist chocolate cake
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups brewed coffee (cooled)
- 1 cup cocoa
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 eggs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease well a 13-by-9-inch baking pan.
Put all ingredients in a bowl and, using a mixer, mix at low speed while scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. When well blended, pour batter into the pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream cheese frosting
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup soft butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Directions:
Combine ingredients (except sugar) and beat in a mixer on high until well blended. Put the mixer on low speed and add powdered sugar gradually until blended. A little less powdered sugar will make a thinner frosting.
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Happy Valentine’s Day! Wishing you all a beautiful day filled with love and happiness.
Want to learn more about all things chocolate? Join Cooking at 43° North from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Orr’s Island Schoolhouse for “Calling All ChocoPhiles.” Check the Anchor calendar for details. This program is open to all ages.
