Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

The blog is back!

It's been well over a year since my last post--and I can pin-point the exact day my blog hiatus began:  March 17, 2011.  Match Day.  We were thrilled to have matched in Orlando, FL, and we've been so happy here!  But for a lot of reasons (mostly good ones!) I was busy in a way that I'd never been busy before, and blogging had to take a back seat to packing up and moving 1,000 miles away, buying our first home, making that home 'feel like home', making new friends, spending time with family, lots of travel, adjusting to Bobby's residency schedule, and that small piece of my day that makes these things possible:  working!  Looking back, I think I couldn't sit down to blog because I just had too much to say, and I wasn't sure how to say it.  

But I never deleted my blog (well, I had to delete the other one, per Bobby's request), and didn't consider my blog hiatus to be 'quitting' the blogosphere--I knew I'd be back when things calmed down a bit!  And they have :-)  We continue to be very happy here, and we've settled into a good routine.  I will occasionally share bits of residency and life info on this blog, but for readers solely interested in recipes, you can always scroll down!  Bobby's enjoying his General Surgery residency, and really likes the other surgeons and the hospital as a whole.  Yes, his hours are insane.  Imagine the worst possible hours your spouse could keep...and then make it slightly more worse than you imagine.  Interns aren't supposed to work more than an average of 80 hours a week (so on average, imagine your spouse working an additional 40 hours a week).  That's two full-time jobs for one person.  Next year the hours restrictions are lifted, so I'm bracing for that!

On to Kitchen things!  My kitchen is adorable, with yellow walls and blue accents.  A fantastic countertop and cupboards, with lots of space.  I'll add some photos soon.  So with a new kitchen, I gave the blog a new blue look.

I figured I'd make a come-back with something sweet and yummy--a Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake!  The other night it was late (you know...after 8:30pm) and I wasn't necessarily craving dessert, but I had some energy, and  I just felt the urge to bake something.  So I poured a glass of wine, grabbed an apron, turned on the Adele Pandora station, and pulled out this recipe I had dog-eared in my 2010 Southern Living Annual Recipe Book.

Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake

8oz package semisweet chocolate baking squares, chopped
1c butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
4 eggs
1/2 c chocolate syrup (I used Hershey's No Sugar Added)
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flour
2 tsp cinnamon (I probably used closer to 2 Tbs because I like cinnamon)
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 c buttermilk
1 c chocolate chips (not in the original recipe, but I think they'll make a great addition!)
1/2 c powdered sugar

Microwave the chocolate baking squares in a microwave-safe bowl for 1-2 minutes, or until melted--stir every 15-30 seconds.

Using a mixer, beat the butter until creamy, and then gradually add in the sugar--beat at least 5 minutes or until fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each addition.  Stir in the melted chocolate. syrup, and vanilla until smooth.

In another bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon and baking soda.  Then add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk (begin and end with the flour mix).  Fold in chocolate chips.  Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt or tube pan.  Bake at 325 for an hour.  Let it cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, and then remove from the pan and let it cool alone on the rack for an hour and a half.  Garnish with sifted powdered sugar.