Cho-Chip Cake

An easy fix when you want a cake and a cookie


The cake with the ricotta icing


want a bite.....


I love baking...but i really do not think it is that hard. I am tired of hearing from all the chefs, it is an exact science , you have to have to have to...... measure everything right. I say, poooh! of-course you have to measure but really is not that exact. You have to use ur discretion as you go. I personally never cook as per directions, i only get inspired. After that, i do as i please, sometimes the only thing i really stick on with the recipe would be an ingredient or so!! It was the same thing in here. I had gone to Barnes and Nobles to pick up some coffee ( they have Starbucks in there) and while i was coming out i saw the cutest cupcake book on sale and of-course, never to miss on books with yummylicious photos, i grabbed this one.
I looked at the photos for a few days, dreamed on making and devouring them and basically did nothing. Then, this Saturday (Aug.4th) when i was watching food tv, and seeing Paula shove another piece of cake in her mouth with whipped cream y'all , i thought cupcakes! (i know...sheesh, to be inspired by paula of all people!).
There was a recipe for chocolate chip cupcake, which i converted to a regular cake and modified the whole recipe to an extent that the only thing that i followed the recipe was 3/4 cup self rising white flour ( i think i used unbleached white flour). So, i think i will put this as my own concoction, with just borrowed inspiration for the title!!

Here is the recipe.

Dry:
3/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1tbls cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder and baking soda each
1 tsp. orange zest ( optional)

To replace eggs:
1 tbls flax powder
1/2 cup soy milk

Liquids other than above:
1/4 cup oil ( i used sunflower oil)
1 tsp. orange extract
2 tbls orange juice

Other:
1/2 cup chocolate chip

Do:

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Line a 6" round pan with parchment paper( go ahead use the square one... be different!)
Mix the flax powder with the milk using a whisk, till it gets frothy. This acts in place of eggs.
Now, add the dry to the wet ingredients including the flax-milk mix, add 1/2 cup of choco chips, mix well and pour it in the lined pan.
Bake for 25 minutes and transfer to cool in a wire rack.

Now for icing. I did not want to use shortning or butter and i had ricotta cheese left in the fridge. So, i decide on the ricotta icing. For this you need, again, i just made this up on the fly, so go ahead and play with it.

1/2 cup skim ricotta
1/4 cup icing sugar
2 tbls honey
1 tsp orange extract
peach color ( it looks pink tho :(

Mix the icing well and ice the cake roughly when cooled. It will not come out professional as you can do with butter or shortening, but is really light and different.