I woke up one day last week and was truly just craving chocolate cake, lots of sugar, and fruit. I love the taste of sugary things and really dense, moist cake is the best. This cake is moist and dense on the inside, but the top and outsides get really crunchy. Is there a damn thing better than that?
It’s been hectic around here, to say the least. In addition to baking and keeping up this awesome space, I work in marketing, too. It’s a great balance and I love it all. For the marketing work I do, I’ll be traveling this fall to a few different countries (#blessed). In between it all, I planned a surprise birthday trip (he already knows! yay!) for Russell to his former home, Portland, Oregon, to see his dream team: The Portland Timbers. We’ll be at their last home game of the season! So, with lots of travel, lots of baking, and lots of lolzing – this fall is going to be one of the absolute best, I can just feel it already.
My brain is doing some shapeshifting and dreaming of snow up to my knees, dark nights, and lots of spiced tea. Are you ready for fall and, more importantly, winter??
Chocolate Cake Recipe
1-1/2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 c granulated sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp espresso powder (Use this kind)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 c water
2-3 ripe apricots
Preheat your oven to 350F and line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Slice the apricots in half, removing the pits, and into nice chunks – about 5-6 per apricot.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso, baking soda, and salt. Add in the vanilla, vinegar, oil, and water. Whisk together to combine.
Portion the batter into the 12 cupcake holes. Put an apricot chunk on the top of each cake (skin side exposed), and sprinkle with raw/turbinado sugar. Bake for about 12 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.