In for a Penny, but really a Pound

I was inspired by the food porn shots over on the Food Librarian last week and decided to attempt the Paula Deen Chocolate Cream Cheese Pound Cake over the weekend. For once, I knew I actually had all the ingredients in the house and no special shopping would be needed. As that never happens, I took it as a sign. (Do you really need a sign when it comes to chocolate?) Do yourself a favor though, and DON'T look at the nutritional guides that come with the recipe. TRUST ME!

Before:

I seriously need a much bigger mixing bowl.

Looks like chocolate pudding, doesn't it?

Thanks to the Food Librarian's warning about the size of the bundt cake pan, I was prepared with my muffin tins as back up. The mini muffins took about 10-15 minutes to bake while the regular sized muffins took about 20-30 minutes. I keep checking the tops. Once they look "firm" take them out and let them cool down a bit in the tins.

After:

1 pound cake in a 10 inch bundt pan;

6 muffins;

12 mini muffins;

Well okay, 8 mini muffins ... I had to made sure they were good didn't I?

And they are... Sweet. A little spicy, chewy, and so yummy.

You can taste the Paula Deen love.

Dad, you want me to freeze some for you?

That's my Grandmother's bundt pan. This is the first time I've successfully used it; well, semi-successfully. I still have to get the pound cake OUT of the pan in one piece. I let it cool down in the pan and now it's still stuck in there. (The better not to tempt me to cut into it until it's time to take it to the office.) I've been advised to flip it over, and place hot towels on the pan to loosen up the cake. We'll have to see how that works out. I doubt my colleaques will care as long as they get some. UPDATE: Gave up on getting it out in one piece. I cut it out in slices -- sacrificing the first one, of course, to the baking gods. The office is now the beneficiary of the mess.

I had three baking projects over the weekend. Two were successful -- this one and the Congo Bars. The third though ... that's another post! Let's just say that if the local wildlife won't even eat the remains, that's not a good sign.