DivaHick: Autumn's Warning (or I Can't Believe It's Been a Year Already)

The one thing everyone remembers about our wedding (besides the whole kilt thing) is the Cake. It was the ooeyiest, gooeyist, chocolatey, buttery, BEST CAKE EVER!!! If for any reason, you should be anywhere near western PA and find it neccessary or desirable to get a cake, by all means go to http://www.autumnscakes.com/ (and no she isn't paying me for this commercial, but seriously, not only does she make the BEST CAKE EVER!!! but she's just an amazing and nice person.)

This is what our cake looks like one year later. She warned us, she really did, she said it was never as good the second time around. She even offers to make a new cake, but we had to go move to Ohio. Of course, we did think about driving back to PA to get it, but then reality reared its ugly head. Since it is tradition, I pulled it out the original and defrosted it. I also have the champagne we drank, and I put that in to chill. I know I'm a sap. I can't help it. (Stop making little vomit noises- I can hear you!)

But since the cake looks so good, but isn't going to taste at all like Autumn's BEST CAKE EVER!!! (it really does deserve the caps and exclamation points each time), I decided to bake a new cake today for FarmerGeek. (Stop making those vomit noises- I mean it!!!!)

So today, for your pleasure, my own chocolate chocolate chip cake, which is no where near as good or as cool as the BEST CAKE EVER!!! but as good as I get. Which is why I don't make cakes for a living.

Step 1:

Put in the Mamma Mia Soundtrack. Do not question me, just do it. Man it's the first step and already you question me... this does not bode well...

Next I got out the old Betty Crocker cookbook. It always good to have a jumping off point to start a recipe. I used the Devil's Food recipe.

Step 2: Assemble the Cast of Characters

1/2 c Hot water

3 sq. chocolate- melted

1/2 c of shortening (softened)

2 c of sugar

3 eggs

2 1/8 cups of flour, sifted

1/4 tsp of soda

2 1/4 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

2 tbsp of cocoa powder

4 tbsp of cultured buttermilk (the dried stuff)

1 c of water

Half a package of chocolate chips

Step 3: Start Assembling

*Melt chocolate in microwave. DO NOT TASTE... I'm warning you... you WON'T like it.

*Whisk in the water. Make sure it's still hot and don't worry if it looks funny, it'll be OK.

*Cream together the shortening and sugar, only hold back 1/3c of sugar for later.

*Then add three eggs.

(Can I just say- look at those eggs... do you SEE how dark those yolks are? That's my girls!)

* Remember that chocolate mixture we did in the microwave? Time to mix that in.

(Do not get distracted by the fact that your college roommate sent you a message on Facebook... ok, but not for too long!)

* Sift the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and powdered buttermilk together. Then slowly mix into the chocolate mixture. Once that's mixed in, then add that last cup of water. Mix throughly.