All posts by Angela

Chocolate Butter Cake with Brandy?

Part 1: 9:27am  After searching high and low for the ideal Chocolate Butter cake recipe, I’ve decided to settle on this one http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/chocolate-butter-cake.   It has all the ingredients that I think will make a wonderful tasty chocolate cake.  If it turns out well, I’ll give a loaf to my neighbor for Christmas.

Part 2:  2:39pm  Well, the recipe makes two loaf of 8″x3.75″ pan.  It is now in the fridge to cool.  Can’t wait to try.  Now for the next part, i am going to look for a ganache recipe to frost the cake. Yum!

Ganache recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/saras-secrets/master-ganache-recipe/index.html

Part 3: 7:05pm

 Well, I think the cake itself is just okay.  There is something missing.. I just can’t put a finger to it.  It’s supposed to be chocolate butter cake but it does not taste very buttery nor does it taste of brandy.  I would say the recipe is about 3.5 stars.  The ganache on the other hand was excellent.  I think I have Ghiradelli to thank.  All the same i’m sure we have no problems finishing of this cake for Christmas..  to bad Ben is still to little to have any.

 

Beginnings of a new adventure

At last, we are in Salem, Oregon. It took each of us 4 days and 3 nights to drive from Peoria to Salem.   It was a nice long (very long) drive that served the purpose of “stress decompression”.  The drive was along I-80 about 3/4 of the way and then I-84,  nothing difficult about it especially with the assistance of GPS navigating the overnight stops.  I tried to take pictures with my cell phone which I posted on pd.kalafut.net, the pictures did not do the drive justice at all.  I don’t think there is a better way of seeing the country other than driving through it.  There are no words to describe the drive through Wyoming and along the Columbia River in Oregon, it was just simply beautiful.

The day I reached Salem was Saturday, May 8th.  There wasn’t a cloud in the sky.  It was lovely blue skies with a temperature around 78F.  That must be good omen for a city that is cloudy most days of the year.   Jim was already waiting in front of the apartment as I was driving into McNary Heights.  We left some really good friends behind in Peoria,  but we are ready to start anew in Salem Oregon.  So here we go…..   Adventure in the Northwest for the Kalafut’s.