MountainMornings

Believe me, I’m not a baker. I love to cook, but dessert left me despondent. My go-to cake was always three layer carrot with toasted coconut cream cheese icing. Other than that, I could maybe do chocolate chip cookies if push came to shove. 

That was it my whole life, two things. Period. 

But finally Pinterest wove its magic spell around my brain; it was a chocolate peanut butter flourless cake that looked divine and sounded like my favorite candy. I loved and then I pinned it under “Yum.”

Resistance was futile. My best cousin/friend Anita was hosting the Passover Seder this year and I calmly offered up my usual butternut squash casserole AND this amazing cake that I’d never made before. Oh yes. It looked that good. 

Ada wasn’t sure it was worth the work – the beating of eight eggs for five minutes with my ancient 1960s avocado green Sunbeam mixer – the gradual melting of chocolate and butter – the water bath! The challenge was real. 

When the recipe called for me to check the temperature I laughed. I didn’t have a thermometer for a cake, or candy, or a turkey for that matter. I don’t even think I have one for a person!

It was a risk, delivering the cake still in the pan, peeling off parchment paper, spreading the chocolate ganache on top. But I’m happy to say the cake was a hit. In fact Bob told me it’s the best thing I’ve ever made! Harumph. 

Kudos to last night’s real heroine Anita! She and Skip lead a Seder that couldn’t be beat and her grandson Zach was an amazing babysitter/playmate with my two grands. Thanks for an absolutely lovely evening, with just our LA crew missing. 

Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the cake. But here’s the recipe: 

Happy Passover to all my Jewish friends and family and faithful readers. So long Cville, we’re gonna miss you!