Chocolate Zucchini Cake with Chocolate Frosting


chocolate zucchini cake by


Chocolate Zucchini cake:
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups zucchini
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Chocolate buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup butter melted
3/4 cups cocoa
1/3 cup milk (or cream)
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup or so walnuts or pecans (optional)


chocolate zucchini cake by


Quintessential Chocolate Cupcakes


Quintessential Cupcakes by



Chocolate Cake:

1 box pillsbury devils food cake mix
1/2 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs lightly beaten (room temp works best)
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping cup chocolate chips

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting: 

1/2 cup butter at room temperature
5 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: 

1/3 cup butter
2-3 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt


-CK 2.0



Dark chocolate sheet cake with chocolate frosting


Dark chocolate sheet cake with chocolate frosting


2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips (sprinkled with a little flour)

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup hot cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar
rainbow sprinkles (optional)



Dense Chocolate Pound Cake


1 cup room temperature butter
1 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup chocolate chips or chocolate chunks




Gooey Chocolate Lava Cake


Gooey Chocolate Lava Cake by

I needed a cake to top off our Memorial Day feast, something with plenty of chocolate, because it had been too many days since I’d made a chocolate dessert, something elegant, because for a Holiday meal I like to go all out, and something easy, because I was also making roasted cauliflower, fried potatoes, cornbread, fruit salad, slow cooked baked beans and a beef brisket smoked from 8 a.m. to 5:30!  This cake not only checked all the boxes, but it turned out so insanely delicious that I’m going to have to add it to my frequent chocolate rotation.  It has a brownie quality to it, with the almost batter like texture on top, but it still feels like cake because of the more substantial cake layer around the bottom.  Don’t get me wrong, these layers are not distinct, they melt into each other in a chocolate flavor and texture experience that will seriously send you spinning.  IT’S SO GOOD!  And just wait until you see how easy it is to make!

2 sticks butter melted (half for bottom layer and half for top)
1 package chocolate cake mix (I used the pillsbury devils food cake mix)
3 eggs (1 for the bottom layer and two for the top)
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup cocoa powder
16 ounces confectioners sugar (3 and a heavy half)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips

  1.  Heat oven to 350 and prepare a 9×3 inch round cake pan.  Just spray with cooking spray and if you want to be extra careful put a parchment round in the bottom.  My normal cake pans were not 3 inches high so I used my springform pan and wrapped it once with foil so no butter would leak out.  It worked great!  You can also use a 9X13 but in that case bake time would be really decreased and I think it would be difficult to get the bottom layer spread out all the way – an 8×8 might have high enough walls, whatever you use, pay more attention to doneness than bake time.
  2. Combine the cake mix, 1 egg and 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter until blended.  It’s very thick.  Press this layer into the bottom of the pan as evenly as you can.
  3. In a stand mixer on medium speed beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the remaining two eggs powdered sugar, and the cocoa powder.  Lower the speed of your mixer and add the remaining 1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter and vanilla then beat until smooth.
  4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on the bottom layer (This is optional, but I thought they created a nice kind of glue for the two layers and I used bittersweet just to be extra fancy) then pour the cream cheese batter over the top.
  5. Bake 40-50 minutes – in my foil wrapped spring form pan it took about 55.  It’s done when the sides are set, but the center still jiggles – like jello, not like liquid.  If you’re using a different pan than I did check at 30 minutes and every 5 after that.  Serve slightly warm or room temperature.  Its fantastic on it’s own but great with vanilla ice cream or dusted with powdered sugar.

Recipe adapted from “I am” Ooey Gooey Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Bundt Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze


Chocolate bundt cake with bittersweet ganache glaze by

One thing I love about baking is that it’s something I do with my children and in particular my 6 year old Afton who is quickly becoming a master of the baked arts.  IMG_0803Sometimes I pull out a few books and let her pick what she wants to make which was how this chocolate bundt cake with bittersweet chocolate glaze came about.  It’s such a pretty cake, and on a Sunday afternoon there’s nothing I like better than spending time with my people and churning out delicious sweets.  This one is from my Martha Stewart Cakes book that has been a lot of fun to bake from.  I followed her recipe pretty closely, just increased quantities a little on the ganache glaze and in the future, I might add mini chocolate chips (1.5 cups) to the cake batter, because: obvious.  It was a really flavorful chocolatey cake though, and all the ingredients are on hand which makes it an easy cake when you need to come up with something quickly.  My cutest critic Afton was very pleased with the result and I’m sure you will be too!

For the Cake:
1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup sugar 

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup sour cream

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Glaze: 
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped (if you don’t have fancy chocolate, chocolate chips will work fine)
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter

  1. Pre-heat oven to 325 and prepare a bundt pan by spraying with baking spray or butter then tap in flour to coat.
  2. Mix your milk and sour cream until combined.  In a stand mixer or large bowl with a hand mixer whip up the butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 3-5 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each.  Add vanilla to your butter/sugar/egg mixture.
  3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and mix together.  with your mixer on low alternate adding your dry ingredients and the sour cream/milk mixture in batches beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined (if using add chocolate chips last).  Batter will be thick.  Turn it into your bundt pan and even out the top.
  4. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out completely clean.  Let cool in the pan 5 minutes then put on a cooling rack while you make your glaze.
  5. To make the glaze, heat the cream in a medium saucepan until it just barely starts to boil then take it off the heat and put in your chopped chocolate.  Wait 2-3 minutes then add your butter and whisk until smooth.  If for any reason you still have chocolate chunks heat in the microwave or stove on low until you can whisk it completely smooth.  Let it sit a good 10 minutes or so in order to get a little thicker glaze then pour over the top of your cake and serve.

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Cakes cookbook 

Sourdough Chocolate Cake


Sourdough Chocolate Cake by



1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar


1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon vinegar (cider or white)

1/3 cup vegetable oil




1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chocolate chopped up



Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Original Cake Pan Cake