PFB Challenge #7: Emergency Cake Video

It was an emergency...where I just happened to be wearing false eyelashes.

VOTE HERE!

With each challenge we get stretched in a new way...and I am loving it! This challenge #7 for Project Food Blog: Video 411, tapped into my long-time desire to have my own cooking show. Since I was a little girl, I've practiced having a cooking show in the kitchen with my mom. Together we came up with skits and characters to show off our cooking chops, all done with tons of laughter and plenty of good memories.

My heart is to show you that cooking always has a story behind it. I love bringing that story to life in a fun, dare I say, campy manner, but not without plenty of how-to information and accessible, drool-worthy recipes.

Every bit of this video was done by me and me alone. Seeing how naptime (once again) is my only time to do blog stuff, it was me, the camera, my imagination and some editing software. If I waited for the Hubs to come home to film for me, it would be too late in the evening, resulting in bad lighting, too much giggling and not enough baking.

The original post for Emergency Cake was done out of a real-life chocolate craving emergency. Nothing would satisfy my craving except for a freshly-baked, dark chocolate-drenched, slightly warm, slice of the moistest, richest, easiest cake ever. Go from mixing to your mouth in just over an hour- well, that's faster than most chocolate cake-toting ambulances.

As I went around and around with ideas for this challenge, what I continued to come back to is one, BE MYSELF and two, make a recipe I dearly love. So that's what I did.

Enjoy the show.

Emergency Cake

(click HERE to see the original post)

adapted from Divvies Chocolate cupcake recipe

Oven: 350 degrees

Makes 6 servings

1 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 cake pan with parchment and spray with pan release; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or just use a whisk, works just fine), mix together oil, vinegar, vanilla, and water until well combined. Add flour mixture to the mixer and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as necessary. Batter should look and feel more watery than normal cake batters.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Transfer to oven and bake for 35-37 minutes. Cake is done when the center bounces back when gently pressed.  

Let cool 10 minutes in pan then invert to serving plate or wire rack to cool completely...but if it's an emergency, you can eat it warm. Nothing wrong with that, especially if you are pouring warm ganache over the top.

(Honestly, who uses a fork in an emergency?)

To cut it into 6 snack-size pieces, simply cut the cake into thirds then in half. Pour ganache over each slice individually. Serve or cram.

Ganache

1 cup heavy cream, brought just to a boil

1 cup good quality chocolate of you choice (I prefer 60% cacao)

Pour chocolate into hot cream. Whisk until well combined and glossy. Use immediately or let it stand for 15 minutes for a thicker topping. Pour over cake, one slice at a time or over entire cake- your choice.

Thank you so much, Foodies for taking time to watch my video! Voting for this post will begin on Monday the 15th. I will send out a reminder post for you!

I appreciate your support through this entire contest. Your kind words and comments have kept me going and enjoying it all the more. You've gotten me to this challenge, let's continue on to Challenge #8! I've got something delish for you that is pumpkin-licious!

Love ya, Foodies!!