The "When Harry Met Sally" Chocolate Cake

I love chocolate cake. No, let me rephrase that—I LOVE chocolate cake.

Today our church will hold a picnic/potluck.

Some people bring hamburgers or brauts to grill, or perhaps hotdogs and baked beans. Others take the easy route and provide chips and dip or colas. I always bring a salad and dessert, often trying a new recipe.

I spent Friday afternoon looking through my recipe files, hoping for a bit of chocolate inspiration. I didn't find anything new. Rather, I found something old—a yellowed clipping from a newspaper, all but forgotten at the bottom of my card file. And what an intriguing name—"Better than Sex" cake, or as I prefer to call it ...

The "When Harry Met Sally" Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 box of chocolate cake mix, any kind will do

• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk, (NOT evaporated milk)

• 1 jar ice cream topping, (see note below)

• 1 small container of frozen whipped topping, thawed

• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Prepare the cake mix according to package directions. Stir in the espresso powder. Bake in a 9x13-inch baking pan and let cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Poke 12 evenly-spaced holes in the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon. Fill the holes with the condensed milk. This will take a few minutes. You will need to fill the holes one at a time, wait a moment while the milk soaks in, and then repeat the process until all of the milk is used.
3. Next cover the top of the cake with the ice cream topping. Save about 1/4 cup of topping to drizzle on the finished masterpiece. Place the cake in the freezer for about 20 minutes. This will allow the ice cream topping to firm up a bit. Remove the cake from the freezer and cover with the whipped topping. Drizzle with reserved ice cream topping and then sprinkle on chopped nuts.
4. That's it—cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator.

What Makes This Recipe Work?

• Only 6 ingredients. It's easy peasy-lemon squeezy

• No tedious cake-mixing instructions. Use a cake mix and follow the simple directions on the box.

• Use whatever flavor of ice cream topping you wish. I love chocolate fudge, but you could substitute milk chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, etc.

Carb Diva's Carrot Birthday Cake

Today is my birthday. I won't say how many years, but suffice it to say I was alive during the Eisenhower administration.

Today is also National Carrot Cake Day. My favorite cake. It's kismet. 

Carb Diva Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups shredded carrots
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple, drained

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch cake pan.
2. Sift together the first 6 ingredients(flour through nutmeg) and set aside. Place the sugar, oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix together with a spoon. Add the dry mixture, and then stir in the carrots, coconut, walnuts, and pineapple.
3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes. Cool and frost with your favorite cream cheese frosting.