Chocolate Chip Cake

I suppose if it weren't for birthdays at work I wouldn't have a blog. This picture is really crummy, but the reviews on the cake were much better. It's not often I use a cake mix, but if you add enough ingredients it masks it pretty well. This goes together in a snap, very easy to make and turns out a really nice cake.

Chocolate Chip Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 small box instant vanilla pudding (dry)
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 (8 oz.) sour cream
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

Beat cake mix, pudding mix, oil, sour cream and eggs together until well blended, about 3 minutes. Stir in chips, nuts and coconut by hand. Grease tube pan. Pour cake mixture into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Turn oven off, open door and let cake set in pan for 1 hour before removing to cake server.

This could be dusted with powdered sugar and served or make the icing below.

Icing

1/2 stick of butter melted
2 heaping tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons milk or cream
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cake.

Lemon Blueberry Sour Cream Cake

It's been so long since I posted to my blog. I just haven't made anything blogworthy recently. It was brought to our attention at the office that we hadn't had any goodies in a while. I've had this recipe for a while waiting to try it. I have read a message board on AOL for many years. There are a lot of good cooks on there who share their recipes or share what they had for dinner, etc. There is a particularly great cook on there who posted this recipe that came from a bed and breakfast inn called the Campion House. I had frozen some fresh blueberries a while back and had all the ingredients so voila. I had lots of compliments on this, so I'd call it a winner.

LEMON BLUEBERRY SOUR CREAM CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teapoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons lemon extract
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups blueberries

Grease and flour tube pan. In medium bowl, sift flour, soda and salt. In large mixing bowl, cream butter; add lemon extract and gradually add sugar. Beat 2 minutes. Beat in 2 eggs at a time, beating until thoroughly mixed after each addition and 2 to 3 minutes after last addition. On lowest speed, add half the flour, beating only until blended. Add all the sour cream, then the balance of the flour. Mix until smooth. Stir in blueberries. Pour into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 80 minutes. Cool 20 minutes in pan, then turn onto a cooling rack.

I glazed this with the juice from one lemon and about 1 cup powdered sugar