Hot Down Under in The Firefighter

The Story | Excerpt | Praise | Behind the Scenes | Discussion Guide (PDF) | Recipes | Buy the Book

 

 

RECIPES

Mick’s Mom’s Chocolate Cake

A recipe the whole family loves – and so does Tash, the first time she’s invited for dinner.

Ingredients:

• 3 oz. semisweet unsweetened chocolate
• 8 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp. instant coffee (optional)
• 1 c. boiling water
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 c. white sugar
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 c. sour cream (not the “lite” kind)
• 2 c. minus 2 tbsp. white flour, sifted
• 1 tsp. baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour a 10” tube/bundt pan.
Put chocolate, butter (and instant coffee, if desired) in a bowl. Pour boiling water over them and let stand until melted. Stir in vanilla and sugar. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time, blending thoroughly. Stir baking soda into sour cream, then add sour cream to bowl and mix thoroughly. Beat egg whites until stiff. Stir 1/4 of egg whites into the batter in the bowl, then fold the rest in. Pour batter into the tube pan. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert on a cooling rack, unmold, and cool completely.

If desired, dust with icing sugar, glaze with melted chocolate, or frost with chocolate icing (see recipe below).