Drunken Chocolate Voodoo Cake

We don't celebrate Mardi Gras, but we do have something evil to share today :) This cake took days to make for Dad's birthday and he rated it 5+ Blings!

I'm not posting the 3 page recipe, but you can email if you'd like to have it. Here's the general idea: First, you let a cup of raisins sit in dark rum overnight (hence the term "drunken"). Then you make the "Zombie Cake" with more rum, tons of chocolate, and a lot of spices. Next, you make the "Mocha Rum Mousse" with even more rum and more chocolate. After this comes the "Blackened Molasses Glaze" with black strap molasses (we added some black strap rum as well) and yes, more chocolate. Finally, you make the "Chocolate Caramel Voodoo Needles" that stick into the cake.

Now in case you haven't noticed, this cake is not for those who don't care for the flavor of rum or chocolate :) It is to die for! We made this a couple times and it is well worth the effort! It's also super rich and will last for days.

~April

Chocolate Zucchini Bling Cake

This dark chocolate cake would never lead you to believe it was made with a vegetable. This was made with frozen zucchini from last summer's garden, which we grated in the food processor. The recipe is below :) 4.5 Blings

~ April & Sylvia

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup Crisco
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 10 packets Stevia powder
• 3 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 3 cups coarsely shredded zucchini
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup dark Rum
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon each of Allspice, Ginger, Cardiamin, and Cloves
• Glaze (directions follow)

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
1 Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, Allspice, Ginger, Cardiamin, Cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.
2 With a mixer, beat together the butter, Stevia and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, rum, orange peel, and zucchini.
3 Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition.
4 Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted 10-inch tube pan or bundt pan. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45 minutes!) or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes; turn out on wire rack to cool thoroughly.
5 Drizzle glaze over cake. Glaze: Mix together 1/4 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/4 cup dark Rum. Beat until smooth. Pour onto cake while still warm.

Chill cake before serving. Makes 10-12 servings, NOT! Try 6 pigs realistically.