Falling

Not falling as in falling down. The season of fall and all of the fun it brings!! I will probably be working on two posts today because I didn't get the chance to blog Friday about a band. Too many things on my mind and not enough time to type them all out I guess! I just have to say that I am loving this cooler weather. I was feeling that I wasn't ready for summer to be over, but this little dose of cool weather has me excited for all of the things that fall brings!!! I am looking forward to it.

For me, fall always means baking treats. Cooler weather just makes me wanna bake! So yesterday I baked a Mexican Chocolate Cake. One of my favorite stops is this little spice shop not too far from our house. They have every kind of spice and seasoning you can imagine!! Upon entering the place, your senses are sort of overwhelmed because of all of these different scents all under one roof. But once your nose adjusts and you begin to look around, you'll find so many cool items. One thing in my spice cabinet that I cannot do without is cinnamon. It smells great and just makes everything taste better. And once you have truly good quality cinnamon, you will never buy another kind! Before getting into spices, I never even knew there were different kinds! My two favorites are the Ceylon Cinnamon and the Vietnamese Cassia.



Both have truly different and unique qualities, but are equally good depending on what you use them in. Ceylon is from Mexico and is ground from soft stick bark instead of the hard kind. It's lighter in color than other cinnamons and it's flavor is very light and delicate. It is best in sweet dishes and cakes. This is the kind I used in the chocolate cake I just made. The cassia is a little $$, but it's very strong. Since a little goes a long way in whatever you're using it for, it lasts a long time. It is amazing for homemade cinnamon rolls and coffee cakes. I especially like to put a little bit in the coffee filter with the grounds. The coffee brewing smells delicious and gives it a little extra kick!! Another one of my spice store favorites is Mexican vanilla. It is the best vanilla on the planet! My grama always uses mexican vanilla in her cookies and so did my great grama. Best cookies ever! So, spend extra on good cinnamon and vanilla!! It's worth it!!



Here is the recipe for the cake I made. I shared some with the neighbors and their little boy loved it and so did my kids!!

Mexican Chocolate Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil (I used apple sauce instead bcuz veg oil freaks me out)
1 cup water
1/2 cup sour milk (add 1 tsp vinegar to the milk & let sit for a few minutes to make it sour)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12x18 inch cake pan. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the butter, oil (or applesauce), water, sour milk, eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Spread evenly into prepared pan.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

*now I didn't frost this. I just dusted it with a little powdered sugar and ceylon cinnamon. BUT. There is a glaze you can make by melting 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/4 cup boiling water, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 cup powdered sugar. So there ya go! Chocolate always fixes whatever is wrong with you, so indulge and be happy!!!!