Chocolate cake with apples & hazelnuts

"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years."

Abraham Lincoln

There are many quotes pertaining to the shortness of our lives and the importance of actually living it rather than rushing through. Whilst I am aware of the swiftness of life, the birthday signposts reminding us that we have driven through another year of our unknown length of existence, I also feel that it can be enough if we just remember to look out the window once in a while and take in the sights and experiences around us.

As I have gotten older I have learnt to slow down and be present in each moment; the person I become is largely tied to what I experience in life. The friends I spend time with, the loved ones whom I laugh with and the daily occurrences I encounter and remember all contribute to the richness of my life.

I will admit that as much as I try to slow down, there are days that I just seem to be on auto drive, much like Adam Sandler's character in Click. Some days flow into each other like water into sand, hard to recall and washed away with each lap of the wave. It is not often, apart from momentous occasions such as Christmas, births and weddings, that I can remember what I was doing on a particular day a year ago. Today happens to be one of those days.


Exactly one year ago, in a different house, in a different life, I decided to keep a record of the food I made to enable my husband to see exactly what I had cooked for him. Thinking inside the square I began to simply write a text document, my husband, who prefers to look rather than read, suggested I create a blog.

When I created this blog I had but a vague idea of what I wanted to do with it. As I began to explore the blogs of others, and to see a glimpse into the lives of people who enjoyed food as much as I did, it encouraged me to spend more time on something that brought me joy. 1 year later I am even more excited by new tastes and new recipes to try and hopefully love.

ease: 5/5.
prep time: 20mins.
cooking time: 35mins. My skewer came out clean at 35mins, however upon eating it was still not cooked, I would suggest cooking it for another 10mins.
total: 55mins.

taste: 4/5. This cake is very light and not dense at all. I think it is for this reason that the apples seem to distract from the chocolate rather than compliment. Their firm tartness dominates the light, fluffy chocolate cake and crunchy hazelnuts. The cake is also not very sweet; I liked it but I didn't love it. However I gave it a 4 as two big boys fawned over it and had seconds and thirds.

would I make it again: No - prefer flourless cakes to be dense and muddy.

recipe: http://ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.com/2009/02/chocolate-cake-with-apples-and.html