urges

an uneasiness settles over you. its starts at the base of your spine and works its way upward and forward, through your gut and into the bottom of your rib cage until it tightens around your lungs like a vice. panic is imminent and you know that at any moment you will lose all control and the monster that hides itself away in the classic dr. jekyll and mr hyde duo is going to be unleashed at the expense of those you love most. 

you. need. chocolate.

oh...this doesn't happen to you? really? really?!?

i don't believe you. only because i am basing this off of the fact that this occurs weekly for me and then it is: why don't we put chocolate bars on the grocery list? want to go get ice cream? e, can you run down to the corner store and grab me a three musketeers? i'm not kidding. toblerone is a sacred word to me (and the instant pick-me-up as my best friend b knows). 

anyway, last week when this overwhelming urge hit at 9:30 on a monday night, i instantly googled. yep, googled for my life (the need for chocolate also makes me overly dramatic). and much to my surprise, i had all the necessaries for chocolate cake from scratch. let me tell you people, happiness is discovering that you can make your own damn cake and eat it too, whenever you damn well please.

 

i meant to take more photos of the process of the making of the cake...but seeing as i felt and resembled ewan mcgregor in trainspotting only on a chocolate binge rather than any of those other abusive substances (toilet scene anyone) i opted out. i also made the very poor decision of sending half the cake with e to work. instant remorse. 

now for the recipe should any of you find yourself in said predicament:

CAKE

3 cups all-purpose flour 

2 cups sugar 

1/2 cup baking cocoa (original recipe calls for 1/3 but i altered to my own taste) 

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

2 cups water 

3/4 cup vegetable oil 

2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

2 teaspoons white vinegar

FROSTING (this is the real kicker! i had mostly run out of cocoa at this point but alas, still had hot chocolate mix)

1/2 cup Hot Cocoa Mix
1/3 cup milk
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar

i also added about 2 tbsp of baking cocoa for a more bitter taste and a little more vanilla to taste.