"Saying Goodbye to Friends" Recipes

Last week, I decided to go all out and bake a chocolate cake. Two of my very good friends moved to Arizona today, so the whole weekend was full of goodbye parties. And how do I best contribute to events? By baking, of course. Please take note that is cake is not healthy, not endorsed by all things DASH diet, or any diet for that matter. But the beautiful kick of the raspberries and the simple blueberries make up for it. I will miss my friends dearly, but I'm glad their departure prompted me to bake my first chocolate cake from scratch.

In addition to cake, I whipped up this little dish to take to the party. It was dreamed up in my head while I was at work, and I'm so pleased that it turned out-- and was a hit! Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake with Butter Cream Frosting and Fruit

Multiple Servings/Family Size (includes 1 servings of fruit)

(inspired by the Pioneer Woman)

Cake:

2 cups Flour

2 cups Sugar

4 Tbsp Baking Cocoa

4-6 oz Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips

2 sticks Butter

1 cup Boiling Water

½ cup Buttermilk 

2 large Eggs, beaten

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Vanilla

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture.

Pour into a floured 13 x 18″ sheet cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Frosting:

1 cup Unsalted Butter (softened at room temperature)

2 cups Powdered Sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla

6-8 Tbsp Heavy cream

With a power mixer, beat butter at medium speed until nice and smooth.  Add powdered sugar and vanilla and continue to mix until sugar is fully incorporated.  Add cream and mix for 3 minutes.  Check the consistency, if it is too loose, add more sugar. If it is stiff, add more cream. 

Raspberry filling:

Frozen raspberries

Water

White Sugar

Corn Starch

Defrost berries by boiling with water in a medium pot. Strain out seeds with a mesh steamer or colander. Pour back into pot, add water and bring to a boil. Mix corn starch and a little bit of cold water in a small bowl. Add corn starch mixture and sugar to boiling berries. Stir well.  Boil until it reaches desired consistency. Cool.

Cut cake in half. Flip one piece upside down on desired presentation surface. Spread frosting on first piece. Add cooled raspberries, in an even coat. Allow to set for a few minutes. Place second piece on top. Spread frosting on top. Embellish with Blueberries and Raspberry filling.

Note: If you don’t have fun frosting tips, use a small zip-lock baggie with the corner cut off.

Chickpea, Green Bean, and Sweet Potato Couscous

1 Serving (includes 3 servings of vegetables)

Olive Oil

Onion

Green Beans (frozen or fresh)

Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed

Pearl Couscous

Garbanzo Beans

Water

Paprika

Black Pepper

Parsley

Garlic Powder

Balsamic Vinegar

Lemon Juice

In a large frying pan or stick-less soup pot, sauté onions, green beans and sweet potatoes in small amount of olive oil. Add couscous and garbanzo beans. Cook until couscous is browned, stirring often. Add spices and enough water to cover all. Bring to boil and then simmer until couscous is done and water is mostly evaporated. Add balsamic vinegar and lemon juice.

Serve either warm or cooled.