Chocolate Pound Cake Bundt

My own version of the famous Nothing Bundt Cakes cake!

For my dad, there is no other flavor than chocolate for dessert! Naturally, for his 92nd birthday this month I made him a chocolate cake! I love the cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes. Blaine gave me one for my birthday. My favorite flavor is the White Chocolate Raspberry, yummy! They are very moist and delicious! We used to buy them in Nevada so I'm  thrilled that we have a couple of stores now, here in Orange County!

They frost them with a delicious cream cheese icing but my dad likes chocolate butter-cream. Sooooo, I decided to bake him a chocolate pound cake. I love this recipe. The trick is to slightly under-bake it so the center is fudgy. I normally don't frost it but for his birthday, I went "all out"! I like to store the cake
in the fridge and serve it chilled, but that's just my preference. I love cold cake!

Chocolate Pound Bundt Cake

My variation of a recipe I received from a friend, Gail K.

1 ½ cups salted butter, softened

3 cups granulated sugar

5 large eggs

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ cup good quality unsweetened cocoa

1 cup milk (whole or 2%)

1 Tb pure vanilla extract

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, one at a time and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk to blend. Gradually add dry ingredient mixture and milk alternately to creamed butter/sugar mixture. Mix in vanilla extract.

Bake in prepared bundt pan at 325°F, for approximated 1 hour. I test mine by tapping lightly on the top (actually it will be the bottom!) of the cake. When it springs back and doesn’t jiggle around, then it’s done enough. You’ll just have to experiment to get the cake done to your likeness.

Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack for about 5-10 minutes before transferring it to a cake plate.  Let cool completely before frosting it. Frost cooled cake with your favorite frosting or glaze. I only do homemade frosting and used a chocolate butter-cream for the cake pictured above.  I put the frosting into a decorator bag with about ¾ “ opening. I frosted the “petals” from the outside of the cake to the middle, using a little more pressure at first and less at the top. I topped the cake with a homemade tissue flower. Voila! 

Homemade French Bread

Large loaf French Bread topped with sesame seeds

This recipe is easy to make since there are only 6 simple ingredients. (If you add sesame seeds on top, there are 7 ingredients!)

French Bread

makes 1 large loaf

1 pkg active dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp if you use bulk like me)

1/4 cup warm water

1 Tbs granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups water

2 1/2 tsp Kosher salt

3 1/2 - 4 cups all purpose flour

3 Tbs toasted sesame seeds (I buy mine already toasted but you can toast your own by heating seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until golden)

In a large bowl or Bosch machine, combine the yeast with 1/4 cup warm water and sugar. Let this sit for 10 minutes. Add in the 1 1/4 cup water, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Gradually add the remaining flour, 1 cup at a time until workable.  Transfer the dough to a large, oiled bowl (I use olive oil). Turn the dough over so all sides are coated lightly with the oil. Cover with a cloth and let rise 1 1/2 hours. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Transfer dough onto lightly floured surface; punch down the dough and knead out air bubbles. Form into large loaf or two smaller ones if desired. Place loaf on baking sheet (I cover my baking sheet with parchment paper). Using a sharp knife, make 5 slashes diagonally across top of loaf (see photo above). Let loaf rise, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Bake for 18-25 minutes, depending on your oven. Test with skewer or knife; when it comes out clean, it's done! Let cool on rack about 10 minutes before serving. 

2 small loaves French Bread