Chocolate Rose Cake, Love and a Giveaway!

February is the month of Love.....it's my favorite Hallmark holiday time of the year! It makes me remember shoebox Valentine boxes decorated with lace doilies and conversation heart candy. Then there is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate....love, love, love...what's to not like? If you're lucky, you might even be bestowed with a dozen or so roses. Or a Chocolate Rose Cake. I bought Nordic Ware's Platinum Rose bundt pan a few years ago. The first ones to use it were my daughter and son when they surprised me with a chocolate rose cake, dusted lightly with powdered sugar. It took my breath away. So when the kind folks at CSN stores contacted me to offer a giveaway of my choice from one of their sites, I perused their cookware site. While looking at the bake ware, I saw this pan and remembered how lovely the cake was.They have so many wonderful products that I nearly fell off of my kitchen bar stools while looking. It was hard to decide, but since this is the month of Love, Chocolate and Roses, I went with one of my first thoughts. I wanted a special recipe to make in it and share, and came up with a recipe inspired by Rose Levy Beranbaum. My dear friend Christine, stopped by a few weeks ago with a gift of "Rose's Heavenly Cakes." (Thank you, Christine!) I found a deep chocolate bundt pan recipe in it, tweaked it a little and was very happy with the results. I hope you will be too. You can make the cake in any bundt pan, but for a chance to win the Platinum Rose Pan, leave me a comment with thoughts of Love. If you are a Follower, leave a second comment stating that you are, and you'll have another chance to win. And...if you are a fellow blogger and have me on your blog roll, let me know in another comment and you'll be entered yet again! CSN has generously opened the giveaway to residents of the US and Canada and will ship it directly. You gotta Love that!

Remember in this crazy world, All There is, is Love...Love is All There is. It's not just a Hallmark Holiday. Spread the word.♥

Chocolate Rose Cake

1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup turbinado sugar*
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft at room temperature
*click here for information on turbinado sugar

Prepare a 10 cup bundt pan by spraying with baking spray with flour.

Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees or 325 degrees if using a dark pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, cocoa,eggs, and vanilla until smooth.Mix the ground almonds, flour, sugar, baking powder in a medium bowl.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Add the cocoa mixture and continue beating. Slowly add the ground almond, flour, sugar,baking powder, baking soda, and salt mixture and continue beating for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl while beating. The batter will be thick. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.

Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched lightly.

When done, place the cake on a wire rack. Poke the cake all over with a wooden skewer and brush with cocoa syrup (from recipe below).

Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and brush the rest of the syrup over the cake.

Cocoa Syrup
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla
optional:
2 teaspoons Kahlua*
2 teaspoons dark rum*
*you may use 4 teaspoons of either rum or Kahlua if desired

In a small saucepan, whisk together the cocoa and sugar. Add the boiling water and bring to a full boil, while stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Add the vanilla and liqueur if using. Brush on cake while the syrup is still hot.Chocolate Rose Cake recipe, click here.

Many thanks to CSN stores.