Starting A-New

I've decided to not end my blogging. However, I feel I don't have many things to blog about I would like to try and start blogging once a week by putting up a weekly recipe. I've tried to do this a while back but I did not keep up with it. I'm trying again.

I don't know if I will be good at keeping up with what is going on in the Benson house hold but I will try. You might find better luck by checking out Justin's blog.

"Made with love." That is what I tell Hannah when ever she asks me, "mom, how did you make this? Or mom, what is in this?"

"I made it with love." That is how I look at cooking, weather I am creating something my own or following along in a recipe I try my hardest to do my best. I try and put all that I got into the dish that I am making. Sometimes I might not have had that much love that day and it just didn't turn out right. I don't stop, I find another recipe and I keep going.

Cooking for me is a passion, and hope someday to make it a career. My family and sometimes my neighbors are my ginny-pigs. Thank goodness I have more hits then I do mishaps. Of course my neighbors would never know that.

I would like to share with you all my talent and give you a recipe once a week that I hope you will enjoy. Remember, when you make it with LOVE it tastes so much better.

We all love chocolate and I have found the best chocolate cake recipe that you will EVER have!!!! I find it to be better then any restaurant cakes, it is that good. All I have to say is there is a LOT of LOVE that goes into this recipe.

Giant Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache and Edible Flowers
Cake:

Instead of using edible flowers you can sprinkle the cake with shaved chocolate(my favorite), or garnish it with raspberry's, strawberry's, there is just so much you can do with this recipe.

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ganache:

• 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup sugar
• Edible flowers* (for decoration)

Special equipment:

• 1 12-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides

preparation

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Spray parchment paper with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour, tapping out any excess. Sift 2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Sift cocoa into another medium bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over cocoa; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add butter to egg mixture and beat until blended. Beat in cocoa mixture. Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat to blend. Add dry ingredients and beat on low just to blend. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35-38 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.

Place chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Bring cream and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Carefully pour hot cream mixture into bowl with chocolate. Let stand 1 minute. Whisk until melted and smooth. Chill ganache until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.

Carefully invert cake onto large cake plate. Gently remove parchment paper. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake and allow ganache to set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before decorating.

Decorate cake with edible flowers. Cut into wedges and serve.

* Available at some supermarkets and at farmers’ markets. Use only those flowers that have been grown without pesticides.