Chocolate Yogurt Cake

 

I love easy recipes, the kind that take a only a few ingredients and are easy to remember.

This yogurt cake is so easy to make and so delicious.  It just uses a yogurt cup for the measurements, so you don't even have to dirty your measuring cups.  Even better right?

The versatility of the cake is that you can make a simple vanilla cake, you can make chocolate, or even lemon, which I did last week, and was immediately devoured by my lemon loving boys here at home.

So, without any further ado, let's bake.....

Chocolate Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:

1 plain yogurt 170 gr, cup  (6 oz)

Now using the same cup, we measure the remaining ingredients:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

1 cup cocoa powder

3 cups of all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 eggs

Chocolate chips

Directions:

In a bowl, beat the eggs with the yogurt using a whisk, then add in the oil and sugar.  Whisk until well combined.  Add in the cocoa powder and mix.

Add the flour, a little at a time, sifting while adding.  Lastly, add in the baking powder and mix gently just until combined, don't over mix the baking powder or it may make the cake dense.

Grease the cake pan with butter and cocoa powder, then transfer the cake mix to the pan.  At this point, you can pour some chocolate chips over the batter, but it's optional.  I like to, just to make it even more chocolaty.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Let cool completely then invert onto cake dish.  You can leave the cake as is, and make a simple chocolate frosting to cover the top, or you can cut the cake in half, and use your favorite filling.  

For simplicity purposes, I just used some whipped chocolate frosting, that I already had on hand.  

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars are not only delicious, but a great way to use up over ripe bananas.

My family tends to go through phases, there are the months where I can't seem to buy enough bananas to keep in the house, and then there are the months were not a single banana is touched.  We are in one of the latter months and so I ended up with a bunch of bananas going so ripe, that they started turning to mush.

I usually will make banana bread, or banana streusel cake, and even chocolate chip banana muffins, but when I saw this recipe over at Butter with a side of Bread, I just knew I had to try.

They are great for breakfast, for a snack, for a mid afternoon treat or even a late night movie watching munchie.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bars

Source:  Butter with a side of Bread

5 very ripe bananas about 1 2/3 cup
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup oil any type- I use coconut
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup mini chocolate chips divided



Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 15×10.5 (I used a 13x9)  pan with non-stick spray.

Peel bananas and mash well. Stir in brown sugar, oil, milk and eggs until combined. Add in dry ingredients and stir. Fold in 1/2 the chocolate chips.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle remaining chips on top. Bake 18-22 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely and cut into squares.

Yields 24 bars.

Mint Chocolate Mug Cake

Y'all......mug cakes are one of the easiest and most versatile recipes to keep on hand.

You know how sometimes you get a craving for something sweet, but you don't want to have to whip up a whole cake?  This is the perfect way to get rid of that craving, and since the possibilities are endless, you can do chocolate, vanilla, caramel, whatever you want.

This Mint Chocolate Mug Cake came about last week, when I was craving chocolate and had none on hand.  It turned out SO SO good and definitely hit the spot. 

Mint Chocolate Mug Cake

Adapted from: Table for Two

1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon mint chocolate chips


In a big mug, add all the ingredients and give them a good whisk to make sure everything is incorporated. 

Add the mint chocolate chips to the middle of the cake batter.  Don't mix, don't stir, just drop and leave it alone.

Microwave on high for 70 seconds. Carefully remove from microwave and enjoy.

This truly is the fluffiest, softest and moistest mug cake, you will ever have.

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

In the world of cakes, I am one who prefers simplicity.

Maybe it's the fact that I grew up used to simple homemade vanilla cakes, those that my grandfather would throw together at midnight, just because the 4 grandchildren said they wanted cake.  He was awesome like that.

He never really measured, he never really used a recipe, he actually didn't cook much but we all knew him for his perfect cakes.  There were no rich sweet gloopy frostings slathered on top, or complicated fillings.  They were homemade, plain, not too sweet, with a dusting of powdered sugar, and enjoyed over a cup of tea.

Those memories have stuck with me my whole life.

I'm not a huge cake fan, I've always been more into savory than sweets, and I really dislike very rich cakes especially with tons of frosting.  They make me feel quite sick, to be honest.  But once in a while I'll get a hankering for a slice of fluffy cake and I have to cave.

And here we are.....

If you like chocolate oranges, you are in for a treat, because this cake tastes just like one of those. My son loves the chocolate oranges and he was quite excited when I handed him a slice of this cake after photographing for the blog.

The recipe comes from one of my very much loved British cookbooks that I've had for many years.

Chocolate Orange Drizzle Cake

For the cake
1 ½ sticks of butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
Grated rind of 2 oranges
1 ¾ cups self rising flour, sifted
2 tbsp milk

For the topping
Juice of 2 oranges
½ cup sugar
2 oz. semisweet chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Grease and line a 7 in. round pan.  Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well.  Add the grated orange rind, flour and milk and fold in with a metal spoon.

Turn into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 30-40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the pan.

When cool, score the top of the cake lightly with a sharp knife.  Put the orange juice and granulated sugar into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.

Bring to the boil and boil for 1-2 minutes.  Pour over the cake.

When all the juice has soaked in, carefully remove the cake from the pan.  Melt the chocolate and drizzle over the top.

You can leave it as is, or do a dusting of powdered sugar like I did.

Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake - No Bake

Ferrero Rocher.......and cheesecake......all in one delicious mixture.  I mean, what is there NOT to like about that?

Last week it was my sister in law's birthday and she had been eyeing out this cheesecake, so I decided that instead of a birthday cake, I would make her this instead.

It was a hit.  I think it's the perfect combination of chocolate and hazelnuts and cream cheese.  It's not overly rich and sweet which makes it even better, in my opinion.

Super easy, no bake cheesecake.

Ferrero Rocher Cheesecake

Source: Tastemade

8 ½ oz of crushed corn flakes

2 ½ oz unsalted butter, melted

4 tbsps cocoa powder

7 oz hazelnut

1.1 lbs cream cheese

1 ½ cup + 4 tbsps cream (25% fat content)

3 oz sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

170g dark chocolate

8 Ferrero Rocher chocolates


Crush the cornflakes with melted butter and cocoa powder. Cover the bottom of a springform pan with the crushed corn flakes and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Toast the hazelnuts in the oven.

Blend the still warm hazelnuts to form a paste. Add the cream cheese, half of the cream, vanilla extract and sugar and beat until all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour it in the pan and spread with a spatula. Refrigerate until firm.

Melt the chocolate with the rest of the cream.

Cover the cheesecake with chocolate. Decorate with Ferrero Rocher chocolates let it cool for 30 minutes. Serve.

5 minute Chocolate Mug Cake!

There's days that you're too sick to fix a meal, nevermind a dessert. I got it in an email about a year ago and deleted it without even trying LOL But I'm glad my friend Veronica resent it to me this past week.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons cake flour (That's plain flour, not self-rising.) 

4 tablespoons sugar 

2 tablespoons baking cocoa 

1 egg 

3 tablespoons milk 

3 tablespoons oil 

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) 

A small splash of vanilla essence 

1 coffee mug 

 

 

Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well.Add the egg and mix thoroughly. 

 

Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla essence and mix again. 

 

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!

Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

Triple Chocolate Mess!

I'm a mom and usually when the word mess comes up, I cringe, because I know there's something gross that I need to clean.

But THIS is one mess I would not mind dealing with daily, the Triple Chocolate Mess that gets dumped into your slow cooker and 8 hours later has you literally licking the plate. (shhhhh don't tell anyone I said that)
So let's make a mess, come on don't be shy, moms never get to play dirty so now it's our turn.

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MESS

1 package chocolate cake mix
1 pint sour cream
1 pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 6oz. bag chocolate chips
1 6 oz bag peanut butter chips
3/4 c. oil
4 eggs
1 c. water

Spray crock pot with non-stick spray. Mix all ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours Try not to lift the lid. Serve with ice cream. Keeps in fridge for a while. Just heat and serve.


Here's the MAIN culprits to this mess....yes I know there's eggs and oil and water but really they are nowhere near as dangerous as these guys above.

In a bowl add the chocolate cake mix and the pudding mix

Now add the chocolate chips and the peanut butter chips........steal a few and pop them into your mouth quickly before the little 4 year old sees you, otherwise you have to share *tee hee*

Look at the chips some more and realize they look so COOL that you need a close up.

Realize that you really don't need pictures of every single egg and oil cup going in, so dump in the rest of the ingredients, mix it all up nice and well.


Grease the slow cooker pan with non stick spray and dump your mess in there. One thing I have to give props for, at least the mess is contained in ONE area....right???

Turn it on low for 8 hours and walk away, remind yourself every 2 minutes that you are NOT to lift the lid no matter how much your hips scream for it.