Back from Vacation and a chocolate cake!

Well, we are back from the beach. I am missing it already! We had a ton of fun and the first day that we were there we saw 2 sharks about 10-15 feet from us! That really made me nervous, especially since we were watching Shark week on TV each night! The weather was gorgeous except for the last 2 days we were there and it was rainy. Here is the ocean the first of the week that we were there..

See how blue/green and calm...the only thing wrong with this, is that it was filled with this....

Do you see the striped ones? Those were some mean jellyfish! Abby got stung by them twice. And the blue one? I was told that it was a man-o-war? and that they are poisonous. Luckily, no one was stung by one of those. There were so many jellyfish, the kids made a game out of it..see who could get the most! Now, the picture below shows the end of the week, see how green and and rough? There are never waves like this in the gulf! We stayed in Seagrove Beach, which is half way between Panama city and Destin, FL. The last 2 days the beaches in Panama City were closed because there were 6 drownings and 40 rescues because of the rip currants.
Oh, and here are my babies...right after dinner at Pineapple Willies... (We didn't like it too much, a complete waste of a $63 meal!)

Now on to the chocolate cake! Normally on Monday, one of my kids would post their baking project for the week. This week would have been Abby, but since we were gone and didn't bake anything last week, we will pick up again next Monday. I'm not sure what she will pick yet. But, yesterday was Jamey's birthday and we can't go a birthday around here without a cake, and what better cake to try than the recipe that I got with my Askinosie chocolate, right? Well, I normally don't like a cake naked. I have to have the frosting...well, are you sitting down? This cake does not need anything to go with it. In fact, I probably would have like it better without the frosting! And now, I am an Askinosie convert! It is so good!! This cake is probably the best chocolate cake that I have ever had! You definitely have to make it!

Do you notice the darkness in the middle? That is the moist part that melts in your mouth! Needless to say, we cut this cake last night, and when I got home from work today, it is completely gone!! I guess I am going to have to make another one!

Askinosie Chocolate Cake:

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 Tbsp (heaping)Askinosie cocoa powder

1 cup water

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9x13 pan. (I used a bundt pan)

Mix sugar and flour together in a large mixing bowl, set aside. Melt butter in a small pan on the stove. Add vegetable oil, cocoa and water. Bring to a boil. Pour cocoa mixture into sugar/flour mixture. Mix for 5 minutes. Add buttermilk, vanilla, salt, baking soda and eggs and mix again until thoroughly combined. Pour into baking pan, bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cake cool completely before serving.

I am not going to type up the recipe for the frosting, because I prefer it without it. But, if you really want it, you can find it here.