Mystery Mocha Cake

From Mystery Mocha Cake

For our book club on Sunday, I decided to take a chocolaty dessert for my dinner contribution. I know you are shocked, aren't you? Since I knew Sunday was going to be a busy day and not a day of rest as it should be (but it was fun-busy), I decided to make a quick and easy dessert that I found in Paula Deen's The Lady &Sons Just Desserts recipe book. Let me tell you, this dessert had all the makings of perfection for me. It married two of my FAVORITE loves; coffee and chocolate.

Here is the recipe:


Mystery Mocha Cake
~Paula Deen

3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 one ounce square semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup coffee

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square pan.

Mix together the 3/4 cup granulated sugar, flour, and baking powder.

Melt together chocolate and butter in a saucepan and add to flour mixture. Add milk and vanilla, mixing well. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Combine the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, cocoa, and brown sugar. Sprinkle over batter. Pour coffee on top of this and do not stir. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cake should have a chocolate syrup base on the bottom. This cake is best when served warm.

This was the result:

From Mystery Mocha Cake

This dessert came out hot and bubbling with chocolaty goodness all over! As promised, you could see the syrup oozing from under the cake, along the sides. I used a deep 9-inch square pan. The cake is more brownie looking than cake texture, but it is so good, especially when served warm. I highly recommend serving it warm. I served mine at room temperature, and although it was good, it did not have the optimum flavor as it did when I heated it. It was also difficult serving it from a cold pan. The syrup of course did what it does best when cooled, it stuck, so did the cake to the pan. Not that it did anything to take away from the flavor, but it was a little itsy-bitsy embarrassing trying to pry the slices off the pan. So take it from me, re-heat (warm) the pan before serving if you let it get to room temperature. Also, if you want a thicker cake, just double the recipe, and use a deep 9-inch square pan OR use the same recipe and use a smaller pan, just remember to adjust for time.

Other than that, it was simple and delicious. I only wish I had served it with some ice cream. And maybe some caramel sauce. And maybe some pecans. And maybe some extra chocolate sauce. And maybe...Okay, I will stop! You see? I am hopeless.

From Mystery Mocha Cake

Until next time...