A few years ago my mom gifted me a set of dishes, the dessert plate you can see above. They were the very first set of dishes that my Grandmother and my Great Aunt had in their first apartment! It is a cherry branch pattern on a field of white with a delicate red ring along the edge. I have dinner plates and dessert plates along with cups and saucers. They do not get used very often, but they fit me and our kitchen perfectly. I am quite impressed with my Grandmother’s taste. I no longer have our first set of dishes, but from what I can remember, they were a hodgepodge and nothing to write home about!
On to chocolate things! I love a simple bundt cake. They come out of the pan pretty and they require no stacking, crumb coating, fancy frosting and the like. I have made a few versions of a chocolate stout cake in layer cake form and cupcakes before settling on this recipe from Smitten Kitchen. She uses the simple bundt pan for a clean presentation.
After making the cake a few times with a few different beers, I have had the best results and flavors using Founders Breakfast Stout, the chocolate and coffee notes lends itself perfectly to the richness of the cake. For the ganache, I substitute the instant coffee granules for a tablespoon of orange liquor, such as Cointreau. I dislike the taste of coffee and I prefer the flavor combination of chocolate and orange.
If you are looking for a yummy cake, I urge you to try the recipe linked above. It is my go to cake recipe for events and parties.
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