Like Wine For Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe

Chocolate & Zucchini: Announcing WBW13: Like Wine For Chocolate: "Melt-in-your-mouth Chocolate Cake

- 200g (2 sticks minus 1 Tbsp) butter
- 200g (7 oz) dark chocolate
- 200g (1 C) sugar
- 4 eggs
- a rounded tablespoon of flour

Note: like all dark chocolate cakes, this cake is best made a day ahead (or at least in the morning if you serve it for dinner).

Pre-heat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper (no need to if you're using a non-stick pan).

Melt together the butter with the chocolate (in a double-boiler or in the microwave slowly and for just a few seconds at a time, blending with a spoon between each pass). Transfer into a medium mixing-bowl. Add in the sugar, stir with a wooden spoon and let cool a little. Add in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each addition. Finally, add in the flour and mix well.

Pour the dough into the pan, and put into the oven to bake for 30 minutes. Turn the oven off but leave the cake inside for another ten minutes, then put the pan on a cooling rack on the counter to cool completely. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate, and take it out about an hour before serving."


Here's a chocolate cake so rich it's like a brownie. Served with wine, it's decadent enough for any adult birthday party.

What You Eat = Birthday Blues?

Chef Ann Cooper's Blog... » You Do What You Eat: "Sugar’s Not the Only Problem

Indeed, the study proves what every parent already knows. Serve soda and
candy at a children’s birthday party and you’ll get loud, hyperactive
behavior followed by tears and tantrums. It works like this: Blood-sugar
levels jump suddenly after you eat sugar, which initially gives you a
burst of fresh energy. But then your blood sugar falls, and you become
lethargic and sleepy. In an attempt to prevent blood-sugar levels from
falling too low, your body produces adrenalin, which makes you irritable
and explosive.

But sugar can’t be the only problem. After all, high blood-sugar levels
mainly have a short-term effect on behavior, while the research of
Schoenthaler and Gesch indicates changes over a longer period. They
suggest it is much more important that you get the right amount of
vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fatty acids because these substances
directly influence the brain, and therefore behavior."


Here's a fascinating article on what a radical difference good nutrition makes in reducing violence, of all things. We've all been to the kind of children's party represented above. Swap out some of the sugar for a healthier alternative and you may host a truly enjoyable party for everyone. Good to know!