ONE OF THOSE DAYS.....

We all have "one of those days" in the kitchen when you wish you could start over.  Well today was one of those days for me!!

Jessica  is turning 23 tomorrow!  Woo-Hoo!!  I just love this girl.  She is one of the sweetest and prettiest girls I know and I wanted to make her a dessert for her birthday.  When I asked her yesterday what kind of dessert she wanted, she said chocolate!!  Perfect!  I just happen to have a recipe for a chocolate cake that I have been making for years and years and everyone who loves chocolate loves this cake.  It is so easy to make and it is probably the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten....I can say that because it is not my recipe so if you follow the instructions, you can't go wrong....or that is what I used to think before today!!!!

I should have known something was gonna go wrong because I was running ahead of schedule and I am always running behind!

I had enough time to actually take pictures to share on here while I was cooking.  

I added all the ingredients and poured it in a pan.  

Let me say right here that I know that disposable aluminum pans are ugly!  My thinking was that if I put it in one she wouldn't have to worry about washing the dish and returning it to me!  But I really hate the way it looks....especially for a birthday cake so that was my first mistake!   Anyway, I popped it in the oven and while it was cooking, I started the icing (my favorite part because I love to lick the spoon)!!

Just a little FYI...not too long ago I was trying to find a really great tasting vanilla for baking.  I bought this Tahitian Vanilla at Williams-Sonoma and I really love it.  Definitely makes the difference in flavor when baking!

I know this doesn't sound like a big deal, but I remembered that my sifter had broken and I didn't have one to sift the powdered sugar and you know how lumpy icing made with powdered sugar can be!  

I just had high hopes that I could beat it enough to get the lumps out....ummm nope!!  

When I poured it on the cake it looked like it had chickenpox....ugh!!

What to do?....what to do?........    I know....I will make some chocolate covered strawberries and put them on the cake to cover the "lumps" !  "Oh that is gonna look sooo good" is what I am thinking!  I decided I would make them this morning!

F.Y.I..... I found this Baker's Chocolate in it's own container.  So all I had to do was pop it in the microwave. When I was done, I just threw the entire container away...no mess!!  AMAZING!!

At this point, I have made them and they look really pretty so why? why? why...didn't I just leave well enough alone?  

I decide....well it is her birthday...I think I will cover them with sprinkles!  I can just hear you all saying NOOOOOO!!!!!  But YESSSSS I did!

I had sprinkles all over my kitchen when I was done and then I looked at my cake and thought "wow...this is just embarassing"!  I don't care how I arranged them....it was obvious nothing was gonna help! 

Sweet Jessica.....Bless her heart.....she got the ugliest cake I have ever made!!

Happy 23rd Birthday Jessica!!!

I hope you don't let this stop you from making this cake....it really is the BEST chocolate cake I have ever eaten!!  

Happy Birthday Jessica!  I'll make this up to you!!

JIFFY CHOCOLATE CAKE

CAKE:

1-1/2 sticks butter

1 cup water

4 tablespoons cocoa

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla

ICING:

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup milk

3-1/2 tablespoons cocoa

1 box powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring butter, water and cocoa to a boil.  Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and flour.  Add chocolate mixture and mix well with a mixer.  Add eggs, buttermilk, baking soda and 2 teaspoons vanilla and beat until well blended.  Pour into a greased, floured 13 X 9 pan and bake for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

While cake is cooking, add butter, milk, 3-1/2 tablespoons cocoa in a medium saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Take off fire and add powdered sugar a little at a time until well blended.  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and pour over warm cake!  Enjoy!