Welcome our special guest, Janet Rudolph!

‘DYING FOR CHOCOLATE’ CHOCOLATE CAKE

Janet Rudolph

Some of you may know me as the Editor of the Mystery Readers Journal, or from my blogging at Mystery Fanfare and DyingforChocolate.com, or from my photos of roses and sunsets on my Facebook page. You may have run into me at mystery conventions that I’ve attended or helped organize. Or you may have turned up in my living room as an author or attendee at a Literary Salon or as part of my weekly mystery book group.

Wherever we’ve met, either online or real time, you probably know that I have another interest—chocolate. Chocolate has been another passion of mine and a major component in my cooking and baking and eating! Chocolate is good for the heart, the blood pressure, the skin, the mood… just about everything. Of course, I’m talking ‘good’ chocolate -- dark organic chocolate. I always have chocolate in my desk and have a piece or two of Taza 70% Mexicano every day. With chocolate, I’ve even lowered my cholesterol by 95 points! However, everything in moderation. Eating a whole chocolate bar is not going to help your weight or heart.

Several years ago I was at the Fancy Food Show discussing chocolate with an exhibitor, when another attendee at the Show, said to me, “You have to Judge the chocolate at the upcoming San Francisco International Chocolate Salon.” Now, I didn’t know this guy, and although I think of myself as somewhat knowledgeable about mysteries, what did I really know about chocolate? Well, I liked it, but was that enough? Of course, he offered me a job I couldn’t refuse. Who wouldn’t want to be a chocolate judge?  But having been trained as an academic (that’s another story), I thought I should have the ‘proper’ credentials to be a judge. So, I immediately went home, bought a domain name, and started a chocolate blog. I post a daily chocolate recipe or review and have been for 5 years now at DyingforChocolate.com.

But mystery and chocolate. Some of you know, I post Holiday Lists on Mystery Fanfare (Halloween Mysteries, Fourth of July Mysteries, Christmas Mysteries, and more). I’m a list maker. Well, for Chocolate, I also post Holiday Chocolate Recipes. Did you know that there are over 75 Chocolate Holidays a year?  And, that doesn’t count the other food holidays that I’ve been able to tweak to include chocolate. National Zucchini Day? No brainer. Chocolate Zucchini Bread.  National Oatmeal Cookie Day? Add Chocolate Chips! Have a look at www.dyingforchocolate.com when you get a chance. You can never have enough chocolate—or recipes.

So now that I’m part of the chocolate community, I not only receive mysteries at the door from publishers (delivered by UPS and FedEx with biscuits for Topper, my golden retriever), but I also receive chocolate and cookbooks. Pretty cool, huh?

So today I want to share a recipe for one of my favorite chocolate cakes. “Dying for Chocolate” Chocolate Cake. It’s easy.. and cakes always look great when baked in a bundt pan! Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and you’re good to go. Want other recipes? Check out www.dyingforchocolate.com. Want to know more about mysteries? Check out www.mysteryfanfare.  And, I love it when my two world collide, and they do. Lots of mystery folks love chocolate, and lots of chocolate folks love crime fiction.  Guest posts from authors on both blogs... about their passions: chocolate and crime fiction. Have a chocolate recipe to share. Contact me.

“DYING FOR CHOCOLATE” CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp Instant Coffee Granules (or ground espresso)
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (save two ounces of chocolate chunks)
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sweet butter, softened
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla
3 large eggs

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease 10-inch Bundt pan.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in small bowl. Bring water and coffee granules to a boil in small saucepan; remove from heat. Add 6 ounces chocolate; stir until smooth.
Beat sugar, butter and vanilla extract in mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs; beat on high for 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture.
Fold in remaining 2 ounces chocolate chunks.
Pour into prepared Bundt pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until long wooden pick inserted in cake comes out clean.
Cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes.
Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar, optional!