Let Them Eat Cake!

A couple of people have asked me how The Mr's P90x workout is going. Saturday was his 90th day so he is officially done. And I finally have my desserts buddy back.

We looked over the pics from day 1 and compared them to now... and its crazy. I think he's only lost about 10-15 lbs but the difference is amazing. We went to his parents' house yesterday and I think they think he's manorexic. He looks it. He just got his official body fat percentage calculate this morning (calipers) and its a staggering 4.3. I told him that if he were a woman, his period would have stopped a long time ago. I think that number scared the shit out of him because he's looking to add more to his nutrition plan.

And did I mention I have my desserts buddy back? I have an awful sweet tooth. You would have thought having 6 cavities would have stopped me but it really didn't. It stopped me for about a week but I just love it. Desserts are my weakness. Normally, I'd get a dessert at dinner or buy some ice cream from the store knowing that The Mr. would at least split it in half with me. These 90 days have been killing me! I've doubled my intake of sweets.

So to commemorate his finishing his stupid workout, I baked him a chocolate chip cake with chocolate frosting. While the presentation was lacking (I tried to use my cake dome... and the transfer from the cake pan to the dome didn't go very well), it was fucking amazing. Here's the recipe because everyone needs to go home and bake this cake. You will thank me. Or you will curse me after you spend the evening licking the bowl clean from batter and frosting... not that I did that or anything.

The recipe called for sour cream and I thought that was really weird... but I guess it made the cake dense enough so that the chocolate chips didn't sink to the bottom. And it made it really creamy. Did I mention that its fucking amazing?

I found the recipe here but in case you don't feel like clicking the link, here's the info copied and pasted for your viewing pleasure.

Cake:
1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped, good-quality milk chocolate chips
(or use miniature semisweet chocolate chips)
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch salt
3/4 cup dairy sour cream
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg, graded "large"

Frosting:
1 cup (6 ounces) good-quality milk chocolate chips
1/3 cup (2 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Few grains salt
2/3 cup dairy sour cream, well-stirred

For Cake:
Grease and flour a 7 by 11 pan, at least 1-1/2 inches deep (alternatively, use a 9 inch square pan of the same depth). Set aside. Adjust rack to center of oven; preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine about 1 tablespoon (no need to measure) of sifted flour in a small bowl with chocolate chips. Stir to coat chips well; set aside. Sift together remaining flour with baking soda and salt. In another small bowl, combine sour cream and water. With fork, beat to mix (mixture may be lumpy—OK).

In large bowl, cream softened butter, sugar, and vanilla for a minute or two until light and fluffy (I use a sturdy, hand-held mixer to make this, but you can do so by hand if you wish). Add egg and beat in well, scraping bowl bottom and sides thoroughly. Beginning and ending with sifted dry ingredients, add dry ingredients in thirds and sour cream mixture in halves, beating at low speed after each addition just until blended. Batter will be thick. Remove from mixer. Fold in chocolate chips (and any extra flour with them). Turn batter into prepared pan and spread level, then, with back of spoon, spread slightly higher in corners and along edges of pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 23 to 27 minutes, turning pan back-to-front once about halfway during baking time. Cake is done when toothpick inserted near center emerges with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake. Remove to cooling rack. While cake cools, the top, which domed during baking, should flatten out. Cool completely before frosting.

For Frosting:
In small heatproof bowl, combined chocolate chips and salt. Place over hot water on low heat (water should not touch bottom of bowl); stir often until melted and smooth. Leave bowl over hot water. All at once, add sour cream. Stir in briskly (a whisk is a big help here). Mixture will clump and "seize" at first, but should smooth out as whisked. Remove frosting from heat and hot water. If necessary, allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally (frosting will thicken slightly as it cools).

Spread cooled frosting evenly over top of cake. Chill, covering tightly when cold. Store in refrigerator for up to several days.

Nothing says, "Congrats on losing all that weight and ridiculous amount of body fat" like a super fattening piece of cake. I told The Mr. I was going to start injecting lard into his food if he didn't gain some body fat back.

The dogs have been extra cuddly with me lately and while I love the attention, I can't help but think that its because The Mr is lacking body fat to keep them warm anymore.