Sourdough Chocolate Cake w/ Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting

I've made bread and coffee cakes and pancakes with my sourdough starter, but until now I've never made a chocolate cake.  Did you know there was such a thing as a sourdough chocolate cake?  I had never even thought of such a thing until recently when I came across a recipe for one.  I'm not even sure where I saw that recipe so I just did a quick search to find one that sounded good.  And then I read the reviews and adjusted a few things.  Of course.

Let me just say that I love this cake!  It's dark and dense and not too sweet and may just be my favorite chocolate cake ever.  Just, so good.

Sourdough Chocolate Cake
adapted from allrecipes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 3/4 cup buttermilk (or soured milk)
• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup cocoa
• 1 to 2 tsp. instant coffee powder
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
• 3/4 cup flour
• 3/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Mix sourdough starter, buttermilk, and 1 cup flour together.  Let sit several hours or overnight, until bubbly.
2. When ready to mix and bake cake, preheat oven to 350°.  Generously grease 13x9" baking dish.
3. In large bowl, cream butter, oil, and sugar with electric mixer.  Add cocoa and instant coffee and mix well.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition then mix in yogurt and vanilla.
4. Add sourdough mixture and mix well.  Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together and then mix into batter.  Beat until smooth.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Cool before frosting. (see recipe below)

Enjoy!

 Since I was making this cake to take for a potluck, I also made a couple cupcakes so we could taste it.  I figured that would be better than taking a cake with a couple pieces already taken out.  Though, judging from some of the other desserts, it's a perfectly acceptable and expected practice to get into your dessert before bringing it to the potluck.   But the cupcakes were perfect.

There was still plenty of batter for the cake. This recipe makes a lot of batter; be sure to use a large bowl to mix it.  It will be full.

Some of the reviewers on the original recipe page mentioned a cream cheese frosting on this cake.  Since I added the instant coffee powder to the cake, I decided to add some to my frosting too.  It turned out really yummy.

Coffee Cream Cheese Frosting
from Perfectly Sprinkled

Ingredients:

• 4 T butter, softened
• 4 T cream cheese, softened
• 1 tsp. instant coffee
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 to 1-1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Directions:

1. Mix butter and cream cheese together and then add instant coffee.  Allow mixture to sit for several minutes and then mix again to incorporate coffee.  Stir in vanilla.
2. Add powdered sugar a bit at a time, mixing well until frosting reaches desired consistency.  Spread over cooled cake.

For best results, store this cake in the refrigerator.  I learned that from the reviews, too.  I don't know if it's because it tastes better, or if it's just to make it last longer because it will be harder to get into.  Either way, this cake will not last long.  It's just that good.

Antioxidants - Follow-up

I posted a list of antioxidant-rich foods a few weeks ago.  I saw this image on Pinterest tonight, and I thought the pictures and additional information here would be a nice follow-up.  The list isn't exactly the same, but there's some good information about each of the foods listed here and why they're good for us.  I like that coffee is on this list!  I love my morning coffee...
 

Cranberries are really high on my list, too... and broccoli, and strawberries, and peaches, and...  The more healthy choices we have, the more likely we'll all find something we like that is also good for us!

Did anybody notice anything unusual about any of the pictures? (Click the graphic to view full-size)

Iced Caps

Since I found this recipe for the Breve Frappe, I've been making it quite a bit. Cory and I really enjoy it. Now that it's time for cool summer drinks, I'm going to have to make some of Tammy's Not Quite Tim Horton's but Almost as Good Ice Caps. They're pretty good, too. I grabbed this recipe from her a while ago.  We don't have Tim Horton's around here, so I can't really tell you if they're as good or not - but they are plenty good.

NOT QUITE TIM HORTON'S, BUT ALMOST AS GOOD ICE CAPS

• 1 cup of whole or 2% milk
• 1 heaping teaspoon of instant coffee
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 6 ice cubes
• 4 teaspoons of sugar

Mix all in blender until ice is crushed. Pour in glass and drink with a straw.

Tammy says she usually makes a double batch because, as soon as she makes one for herself, everyone else wants one too - so I think that's the way to do it.  I'm also planning to try the Frozen Lemonade she posted recently.  That sounds so good!
 

Breve Frappe

I got a coupon to try Breve Creme coffee creamer for FREE.  I usually drink my coffee black, so I probably would not have tried it otherwise.  I bought the Hazelnut Cream, and it is really good!  But, I still drink my coffee black, and I always forget to put it in my coffee.  Today I found this recipe for Delightful Frappe which uses the Breve Cream.  I whipped some up in my Ninja.

Delightful Frappe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups ice cubes
• 3/4 cup coffee, cooled
• 1/4 cup Breve Creme coffee creamer, any flavor
• whipped cream

Directions:

1. Combine ice, coffee and Breve Creme coffee creamer in a blender.
2. Process until well blended and slushy.
3. Top with whipped cream and serve immediately.

  Yum!  I will definitely be making this again.  I'm also thinking about trying the other flavors - Dark Chocolate Cream and Vanilla Caramel Cream.  All the flavors sound great, and I like that they're made with real milk and cream.