Happy Birthday Henri!

Henri is 4 today!

We had a birthday party for him on Sunday. He wanted a "monster" themed party and a cake with yellow frosting. So that's what we tried to give him.

Whew! Good news. He liked it.

Henri is allergic to eggs. Imagine the challenge of having to make an eggless cake. I've tried MANY recipes, and only ONE recipe I have works well for making layer cakes and tastes great, thanks to my friend Jess. This year instead of making a round layer cake, I tried the recipe in a Bundt pan, adding 20 minutes to the bake time, to make this cake:

Henri's Birthday Cake

My good friend Jess realized a couple of years ago that one of the cake recipes in her cookbook (that she made for her dad's birthday) did not require eggs, and she passed the recipe on to me. In my opinion, it's also a REALLY, REALLY good cake recipe (if you like rich, moist, dense chocolate cake). The recipe is from an out-of-print cookbook called American Bistro by Diane Rossen Worthington. So for your baking enjoyment, but without the frosting recipe included because I always do something different, I've put the recipe down below. If anyone knows that I should not reprint this recipe, I will quickly remove it. I'm so thankful to Jess for passing the recipe on to me and to the author of this recipe. Henri is so grateful when he gets to actually eat cake, and asked me again and again this year if I would make him an eggless cake for his birthday party. I just want to share the love. Thanks.

Chocolate Celebration Cake
from American Bistro by Diane Rossen Worthington

(aka Eggless Chocolate Layer Cake)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. (I use parchment paper or Pam Baking spray or Bakers Joy. Once the cakes stuck to the pans badly when I used just butter & flour, and I called Rachel crying. She straightened me out and sent me off baking with parchment paper.)
   
2. Prepare the cake: In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Place the cocoa in a large bowl and slowly add the hot water while stirring constantly. When the mixture is smooth, stir in the cold water. Stir in the vegetable oil and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture just until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans, dividing it evenly, and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the pan.
4. Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes (or Bundt pan for 50-55 minutes), or until they begin to come away from the sides of the pans and the tops are springy to the touch. (Do NOT open the oven until you are ready to test the cake for doneness). Remove to racks to cool for 20 minutes. Run a think-bladed knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes, then invert onto the racks to cool completely before assembling.
5. Place the first cake layer, chocolate chip side up, on a serving plate. Spread frosting thickly over the layer, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Top with second cake layer, chocolate chip side up, and push down gently. Finish frosting as desired.

Makes one 9-inch, 2 layer cake (serves 8-10).

Enjoy! It's 1:00 am, so I will post more about the party activities later.