Rick’s birthday was this weekend! Hippity, Happity Birthday- tumm-diddly- um …my love! Frankly, he is the best gift I have ever received -so we both win. 🙂

We are scaling back around our house a bit -as the company Rick was working for closed last Wednesday and my company is also cutting back. We are trying to see this as an opportunity to change our horizons rather than as a tragedy. Rick is such a multi-talented guy that there are many things he can do – he just has to choose  a new direction.  As long as we’re together we’ll be fine.

For his birthday cake this year, he couldn’t decide between Favorite Fudge Cake with Fudge Frosting or with Sour Cream Frosting- so I compromised and made a six inch cake with fudgy frosting and cupcakes with sour cream frosting. The sour cream ones need to stay in the fridge (so they don’t melt all over the place) and so cuppies are easier to deal with fridge space-wise.

This time, I also added a pinch of cloves, a twidge of cinnamon and some espresso to the cake to spice up the flavor a bit. Still a winner- still our fav cake – we can’t ever seem to choose another when it comes right down to it.

Gabi’s Favorite Fudge Cake, makes one 9 inch -two layer cake or two 6 inch layer cakes -can be doubled.

• 3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 2 Cups sifted all purpose flour (plus more for pans)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted for lumps
• 1/2 Cup (1/4lb) butter, softened to room temperature (plus more for pans)
• 2-1/4 Cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1  Cup sour cream
• 1  Cup boiling water
• (optional: add 2 Tablespoons instant espresso powder to the boiling water)
• (optional: add 1 pinch ground cloves and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients)

Preheat oven to 350F.
Butter and lightly flour two 9inch round cake pans, place a parchment circle that has been cut to fit the bottom
in each round and butter and flour the parchment. Sift flour, soda, salt and cocoa together in small bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment,
or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat butter until soft. Add brown sugar and eggs and beat at high speed
until light and fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla and melted, cooled chocolate. Stir in dry ingredients
alternately with sour cream, beating slowly but well until incorporated after each addition. Add boiling water and
stir until batter is evenly thin. Pour at once into prepared pans and bake at 350F for 35 minutes or until
top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in pans 5 minutes on wire racks and then run a straight spatula
around the sides and remove to rack, paper side down, to cool completely, then frost.
Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 Cup (1/4Lb) Butter
• 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 Cup whole milk or half/half
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 drops almond extract

Heat chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until barely melted, stir often. Remove from heat. Combine confectioner’s sugar, milk or half/half, and extracts in a stand mixer with the whip attachment, blend well.
Add chocolate/butter mixture and beat until it starts to hold some shape. It will be thin at first and firm up as it cools.

Makes enough to frost tops and sides of two 9-inch layers or four 6-inch layers.

Sour Cream Frosting

• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 pound confectioner’s sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Beat butter until creamy add the sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract. Whip until spreadable consistency. This frosting is airily soft. Frosted cakes must be kept refrigerated.

I also made another Favorite Fudge cake for my fairy goddaughter, Tessa’s,  wedding anniversary on May 4th. I didn’t add the optional espresso or spices because she and her hubby Jared aren’t coffee drinkers and I didn’t add it to their wedding cakes when I made them two years ago. So Tessa- here is the recipe and come any time and we’ll make some cakes together. 🙂

xo