English Chocolate Cake with Caramel Sauce - The Ultimate Cake

How to describe this cake. First off, let me tell you that I made it couple times already and it's always been a hit. Now I get requests to make it. I have first talk about this cake on October 5th, 2006 when my brother was visiting me in Nova Scotia. He drooled over it.

Since I haven't review this cake in English I decided to make one today, just to share the recipe with you.

Why do I call it the 'Ultimate Cake'? I guess it's because this was the first thing that comes to my mind when I think about it.

This cake is made with dates puree. You are all familiar with the famous Queen Elizabeth Cake. This cake uses the dates puree, the flour, sugar, eggs etc., similar to the Queen, but is has a twist. You add cocoa powder to the mixture.

The Queen Elizabeth Cake has a caramel sauce on top and sometimes people will add coconut. If using nuts, I usually mix them in the Queen's mixture. In this cake, you'll be topping your cake with nuts than you'll add a layer of chocolate chips and pour on top the Caramel Sauce. You have to reserve some of the sauce to serve with the cake. Add some ice cream if you wish and you have the 'Ultimate Cake'. All of your guests will leave home wanting the recipe.

This cake freezes really well also. So keep couple pieces in the freezer for those unexpected guests.

Recipe:
English Chocolate Cake with Caramel Sauce

French Version:
Pudding Anglais au Caramel Écossais

Source:
Les Gourmandises d'Isa
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Focaccia & Pasta for Dinner

What a great dinner we had last night. My daughter is home, for the week, because it's reading week at the University. So she is enjoying mom's homemade meals.

Today I decided to make focaccia. It was my first time making it, but I love eating it in restaurants. I prepared all the ingredients and put everything in the breadmaker. It's that simple for the first part. Just use the dough cycle on the BM. After it's done, the dough needs a second rise. Once it's done I like to poke the holes on top of the dough, and I added olive oil and fresh rosemary. What a great smell in the house while it's cooking.

To go with the focaccia I prepared a Pappardelle with Creamy Sundried Tomato Sauce and Toasted Walnuts. I wanted something tasty and quick to prepare. It was ready in about 10 minutes. Everyone enjoyed.

Here are the recipes:
Pappardelle with Creamy Sundried Tomato Sauce
Herb Focaccia




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Association de Saveurs

Isa des Gourmandises d'Isa m'invite à un petit jeu d'association de saveurs. C'est très simple et je dois citer 10 associations de façon spontanée.

Voici donc:

7 épices et haricots mélangés
coriandre fraiche et tomates
cumin et pois chiches
curcuma et soupe
cannelle et muffins
chocolat et vin rouge
pommes et brie
curry et poulet
noix et salade
marjolaine fraiche et pommes de terre

A votre tour de vous prêter au jour. Je dois nommer cinq personnes et les voici:

La cuisine de Valérie, Ma cuisine de tous les jours, Gato Azul, Marie est dans son assiette, Couleurs, textures et parfums gourmands
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E...for Excellent Award

What a beautiful day. It's sunny outside and I received this wonderful Award from my friend Val at More than Burnt Toast. You have to pay her a visit. She had a big heart and always good stories to share with us. Also great recipes and pictures.

It's my turn to give this great award to 5 blogs:

1- Kevin of Closet Cooking. What an inspiration. He went from boring meals to a nice variety of quality meals everyday. I like his recipes, simple and great results. He lives in Toronto.

2- Here is another great blog from Vancouver: Eat me delicious. I started visiting her blog because she is vegetarian and I love her pictures. Also great baking recipes. Worth a visit.

3- Now we're going to visit a blog in Switzerland: Rosa's Yummy Yums. I like to read her stories. She also shares pictures of her cat and the area where she is living. If you stop buy she'll pay you a visit and will leave you a comment. That's great of her.

4- In California we have Susan of Food Blogga. Many great recipes and she has so many friends in the food blogosphere. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to add you as a new friend.

5- Why don't we go in Long Island, NY now? I recently discovered this blog: Culinary Types. I like to read his stories and also I love his desserts. I wish I was next door.

I could go on and on. So many blogs out there that I visit everyday. I hope you'll pass on this award to your blogger friends that inspires you.
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Out My Kitchen Window

Lynda at LuLu's Bay had put up a picture of the view from her kitchen window in Cairo, and asked bloggers to do the same.

This is a view, in my kitchen, when I look thru my patio doors.
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Happy Valentine!

The weather was beautiful today in the Comox Valley. My daughter is flying, from Ottawa, tomorrow to spend reading week with us.

I made some Dark Chocolate Cupcakes for Valentine. I decorate them with homemade chocolate. It was enjoyed by everyone.

We had a great meal and I received beautiful flowers.
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Five things about ME!

The lovely Val over at More then Burnt Toast has tagged me with the meme of five facts. She has a really nice blog. You should pay her a visit.

So what do I do now that I've been tagged? Well. There are rules.

These are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 5 facts about yourself.
3. Tag 5 people at the end of your post and their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.

About me:

1- I've been married for almost 20 yrs. That's a long time. Our 20th anniversary will be Dec. 10 of this year. I got married in Portage-la-Prairie, Manitoba, even if DH and myself are from the province of Quebec. It was the coldest day of my life. But we had a really good time. Just few friends, my family and DH family. Right after our wedding we spent couple weeks on Holiday in Quebec visiting the family and then we were separated for 4 months. You'll find the reason on #2.

2- I was in the military. I did my basic training in 1985. Was so hard, but I made it. I finished 6th on my platoon of 60. Not bad. Then I went to Borden to do my training as a driver. After four months I was posted to Manitoba. I drove all kinds of vehicules from trucks, to heavy equipment, buses, snowplow, name it and I probably drove it. I was there until the end of April 1989. That's when I released and went to Alberta to be with DH who is a military helicopter pilot.

3- I lived in 7 provinces in Canada. We moved almost every 3 yrs. I had a chance to visit all of Canada. What a beautiful country. Also I was not only moving but I had 3 wonderful kids. Now DH is still in the military and we were just posted, in August 2007, to the Comox Valley in BC. We enjoy it here.

4- I worked for the RCMP in a section called: Criminal Intelligence Service NB. I loved it. It was one of the most interesting and rewarding job I had. I'm not doing it anymore because we moved. So sad. But I had a chance to meet wonderful people.

5- I'll like to see the world. When I was yound I always said that I wanted to work in the military and with the RCMP, which I did, and I said that I wanted to see every country of the world. I'm still working on that one.

Now you learned a bit more about me.

SO now it's my turn to tag 5 people. I hope you play along.

Kevin at Closet Cooking

Valérie at La cuisine de Valérie

Rosa at Rosa's Yummy Yums

Ashley at Eat me, delicious

Manggy at No Special Effects
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