When things go right- Nana's chocolate cake and Microbiology

Ever had those days when you feel like nothing is right? Of course, we all do.  From the time you wake up in the morning and hop in the shower, things just feel wrong.  This past week, I felt that way too.  I had a Microbiology exam, and then, I tried to make my Grandmother's (Nana's) infamously delicious chocolate cake. I was definitely in for one of "those days."

Microbiology: should be a piece of cake right? Yes, I love thinking of how I, as a future doctor, will crush all those bugs (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and the like) with vanc, amphotericin, and rifampin (not in that order of course), but these tests are impossibly difficult.  We're talkin' A-J multiple choice in which E-J are different combinations of A-D. Let me tell you, ya gotta know your bugs.

Nana's Chocolate Cake: Spending most of my summers in Allentown, PA, my childhood was filled with wonderful memories of my grandparents... and plenty of Nana's cake. The most Chocolate-y Chocolate cake smothered in some mystical concoction of icing, topped with a sprinkling of coconut. Delish! Later in life, I grew to appreciate not just the delicious chocolate-y taste, but the moist rich texture.  It is the only cake I know of that can keep that dense, moist quality everyone looks for in a cake without getting "heavy" on your palate or stomach! Knowing I needed that warm comfort of those summers spent back in Pennsylvania (and having leftover coconut from the samoas), I attempted to cool my heels from studying micro by making her cake.

Well, things didn't go the way I planned, for either of my trials this week.  Micro was, as always, impossible. There is something about my professor's questions that make you want to pull your hair out and doubt everything you think you know.  Later, when I started making my cake, I thanked God that Nana wasn't in my kitchen with me for fear she would tell me I was doing it all wrong.  I have never seen a more wet batter. The batter was so liquidy that it was sloshing out of the bowl as I stirred it with my KitchenAid Mixer.  No joke, picture chocolate skim milk consistency.  It looked so bad, I didn't even take pictures of the process for the blog! In both situations, checking my answers on the Micro exam and triple (or quadruple) checking the recipe, I told myself to go with what I know.  That was the best that I could do.

Obviously, from the title of this entry, things turned out amazing! Despite all my self doubt, I earned myself an "A" in Micro (so no fear if I'm your doctor- I will know how to identify and kill your bugs!). And as I pulled Nana's cake out of the oven (still wondering if I could pass it off as chocolate milk to my boyfriend), I was pleasantly surprised to find that familiar cake, plump, moist, and ready to be devoured. I enthusiastically iced and topped my cake and snapped a quick pick so you could share in my triumph with me!

Moral time: As with micro and Nana's cake, being confident in what I knew helped me accomplish what I needed to do.  I know that my professor makes those questions so darn hard because he wants us to be ready for any clinical situation that gets "buggy." That chocolate milk batter was Nana's secret to the most moist chocolate cake. Both situations turned out right, even though I was afraid of it going oh-so-wrong.

Enough sappy stuff: Let's get down to the most delicious chocolate cake and coconut frosting!

Nana's Chocolate Cake
one hefty 13"x9" pan or 2  9" round pans

Cake:
- 3 c. flour
- 3 c. sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 c. cocoa
- 3 t. Baking powder
- 3 t. baking soda
- 1/2 t. salt
- 3/4 c. oil
- 3 c. of boiling water


Frosting:
- 1 c. milk
- 4 Tbs flour
- 1c. powdered sugar
- 1c. butter
- 1 t. vanilla
- Sweetened Shredded Coconut

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, soda, and salt together in a stand mixer.  Add oil and the eggs, adding one egg at a time on LOW SPEED. Once incorporated, it should look like good cookie dough, slowly add the water while the mixer is on low.  You may need to stop every once and a while to scrape down the sides or wait for the dough to soak up the liquid. Once all water is added, mix for 5 min, scraping sides and bottom of bowl at the 2.5 min mark. This is your chocolate milk batter. Bake for 40-50 min (for the 13x9 pan). Cool completely in pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.

Frosting: Over med-low heat, combine the milk and the 4 T flour. Whisk until smooth, then stir continuously until thickened (about 5 min). Let cool completely. Cream the butter and powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and flour/milk mix. Mix thoroughly. Ice your cake as you please, generously sprinkling the coconut on when finished (and between layers too!).

Enjoy!!