Sunday, October 28, 2007

Could've been prettier
---Judi’s Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl Cake



Judi’s Chocolate Cinnamon Swirl Cake
Best Recipes from American Country Inns and Bed & Breakfasts Copyright 2004

1 ½ cups plus ½ cup sugar
5 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 sticks butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 eggs, beaten
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In small bowl, mix ½ cup sugar, cocoa and cinnamon. Spray 9x13-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. In large bowl, blend butter and cream cheese. When well blended, cream in remaining 1 ½ cups sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and blend well. Mix in flour and baking powder. When well blended, mix in chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Pour half the batter into pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture. Pour remaining batter into pan and spread evenly over first layer. (This is a huge pain since it's a thick batter but it doesn't have to be exact.) Sprinkle entire top of batter with remaining cinnamon/sugar. Bake 45 minutes or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.

Yield 12 to 14 servings.
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I was looking for something to make with cake mix since my MIL gave me two boxes of it recently. Instead, I came upon this recipe and I happened to have everything to make it. I was hoping to make something to take to work but I didn't feel it was up to snuff.

Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad. It tasted all right and even my son ate a piece (he prefers frosted cakes). I didn't care for the appearance more than anything else. Perhaps I should have used more of the cinnamon/sugar mixture in the middle and less on top. I felt there was enough in the middle but way too much on top. Cocoa and cinnamon just isn't that attractive - it's looks like dirt.

When I was reviewing this recipe in my mind, I remembered seeing a picture of a similar recipe that was actually frosted. Thanks to my fabulous recall (that's getting less fabulous as I get older), I traced that picture back to Dorie. It wasn't the same recipe but something similar. This is more of a coffee cake so a chocolate-cinnamon frosting might seem a bit out of place but I think it would make this a much more attractive cake, maybe even worthy of taking to work. But then again, maybe it would be way too sweet.

I think it's been quite obvious lately that blogging is just a hobby for me. I wish I could post more unique recipes but I'm afraid my main concerns these days are cutting back on waste and shaving money off my grocery bill.

Blast From the Past: Quiche Lorraine from May 2006. I miss cooking with eggs dishes the most. I don't think my son would have a problem but until I feel he's old enough for a food challenge to test his slight egg allergy, I avoid straight eggs dishes. I could make my son something else but now that he's older, I'd rather not make something he can't have.

Question of the Day: Do you think this cake would be too sweet with frosting?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

No -- I don't think it would be too sweet w/ frosting -- like your son, I'm a frosting freak!!

And, please don't apologize about your blog: I love it, and check daily....secretly hoping that you've tried some of the recipes in my cookbook library, too!

Keep up the great blogging. (P.S.: I'm trying to cut back on grocery bills, too...so your tales are appreciated!)

Anonymous said...

I think it would be worth a try with frosting. And personally, I love the type of recipes you have. I'm an everyday kind of cook.

Jan

Red Dirt Mummy said...

Hey, don't put yourself down. I love your blog and I know lots of others do too! Sure I love the fancy-schmancy blogs but I also love to see what kinds of things other people have for dinner each night - maybe I'm just nosy?

As for the question about too sweet? I'm still getting over the (to me) enormous amount of sugar and butter so I'm gonna sit that one out LOL.

Wanda said...

Frosting couldn't hurt - at least for a try. My mother used to make a coffee cake that I liked, that looked something like yours in the picture.

Hey, I like your blog too - a lot! Which is saying something, since I am not so much into actually cooking, myself. But I check it daily without fail.

Randi said...

My mom makes this amazing sour cream coffee cake that I'd never frost. This looks similar, but no sour cream. I think it looks great.

Beth said...

I'd try a pecan streusel, but I don't really care for most frostings.

I also love your blog as is. Your recipes are very real-life.

Beth

ThursdayNext said...

I say no frosting...and your blog is perfect the way it is. :)

Unknown said...

I say no to frosting...not on this kind of cake. I think it's pretty! The swirls are visible to me. Keep it up! I look forward to the week b/c I know you'll have some posts that are practicle for everyday.

DancesInGarden said...

What about a drizzle? Might make it look more coffee-cakey than dirty and might not add as much sweetness as a full on frosting?

And about your blog. The reason I LIKE to read it is the fact that you review every day recipes and discuss family concerns like picky eating and allergies. Plus, the company isn't bad either LOL!

Randi said...

Omg, I totally had a dream about you last night. You were teaching me how to make dilly green beans( where did that come from?) I think I was thinking about you because I was reading a thread over on Egullet about meal planning after grocery shopping. I know you meal plan before right?