Menu Monday and other musts...

Known jokingly as the Queen of Indecision, it's no surprise that I had difficulty deciding between several Monday topics floating around out there in the blogosphere and my own Menu Monday. Not to mention I've been struggling with my own case of the Monday blahs and just can't seem to get it together, thus this late in the day post. But in a moment of rare clarity, I decided (yes decided) to just include a little dab of everything. So let the hodgepodge begin... On this week's menu, chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate. Brace yourself!

Ultimate Chocolate Cake (courtesy of Martha Stewart)

Ingredients:

1 c cocoa; sifted
3/4 c coffee; boiling
1 c milk; room temperature
2 3/4 c cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz butter; room temperature
2 1/2 c sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
4 large eggs

Frosting:
12 tbsp butter; room temperature
3 1/2 c confectioner's sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1/2 c milk
2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 8-inch cake pans. Butter cake pans and dust pans with 1/8 c cocoa powder, instead of flour. Mix cocoa, boiling coffee, and milk together. Cool to warm temperature. Sift together all dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar by hand. Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time. Add flour in batch additions mixing until smooth.
Divide batter between pans and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate pans in oven and continue baking for 15 minutes.Test as usual. Cool cakes in pans for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

Frosting:
In a small bowl, sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder. Add butter, milk, and vanilla; stir until smooth and free of lumps.

Mom's chocolate cake is hands down my family's most requested dessert. This cake is scrumptious but being a Martha Stewart recipe, it is anything but simple. Not wanting to compete (as though I could) with Mom's cake, I wanted to find my own recipe that would satisfy my husband's sweet tooth. Plus being a busy mom, I wanted a recipe that would get me all the compliments with none of the fuss. Once again, Kraft's Food and Family Magazine came to the rescue. Viola, delicious chocolate cake in a few quick and easy steps.

Best Ever Chocolate Cake (courtesy of Kraft)

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, divided

1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix

1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding

4 eggs

1 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping (Do not thaw.)

2 Tbsp. PLANTERS Sliced Almonds

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350°F.

CHOP 2 chocolate squares. Beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, eggs, sour cream, oil and water in large bowl with mixer on low speed just until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 min. Stir in chopped chocolate. Pour into 2 greased 9-inch round pans.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 min. Loosen cakes from sides of pans. Invert onto racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

PLACE COOL WHIP and remaining chocolate squares in microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 1 min. Let stand 15 min. to thicken. Stack cake layers on plate, filling and frosting with COOL WHIP frosting. Garnish with nuts. Keep refrigerated.

Which recipe will you try?