Chocolate Cake

When I wear my heart on my sleeve I open myself up to people holding and forming opinions about me. Sometimes they upset me and sometimes I feel like screaming. Maybe it’s time I cleared some stuff up.

Did you know why the blog is called “Wholesome Ireland”? I’m guessing most don’t because my old blog – “Wholesome Cook” was so little visited. When I went to register the domain last year I discovered that it had already been taken. So I went through all the different permutations in my head and tried to come up with a new, unique name. Then even registered one or two that I never used. I needed to distinguish that I was still the same person but from Ireland. Thus the blog name was born.

My blog is personal, so it represents my opinions and experiences. I do cook/bake healthy items but also make sweet treats that technically aren’t wholesome. The blog is a snapshot of family life at a particular day or time. I blog maybe 2 recipes a week, but we eat 3 meals a day, 7 days a week with snacks not included.

The concept of wholesome refers to my ideology, not just my cooking. I believe that to make a change in society that you have to become an active agent. So I get out, get involved and be part of change. It’s a “whole sum”. I get stuck in, grow my own food where I can, feed my family better, be part of a community and try to encourage others.

I’m not perfect. I’m a stuck-at-home mother with a dream of one day being able to claw out of the hole we found ourselves in thanks to the recession and redundancy. I’m just ordinary, not special at all.

So to the people who say that I shouldn’t provide treats as the blog is meant to be “wholesome” or that I shouldn’t bake on a budget and spend our money elsewhere I say…………….

Have a chocolate cake.

Have a very happy Bank Holiday weekend.

Chocolate Cake (Makes 4 dense mini-loaves or 6 cupcakes)

Ingredients

125g butter, softened
125g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
75g cocoa powder
100g plain flour

Method

Preheat your (fan) oven to 170 degrees Celcius. Line a mini-loaf tin with 4 liners.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one. If the mixture becomes a bit curdled add a tablespoon of the flour. Sieve together the baking powder, cocoa powder and plain flour then beat into the batter. It will become quite stiff.

Spoon into the loaf cases and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.

Eat while a little warm with a spoon of vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream on top.

18 Comments

Joanne Cronin

04/08/2013 at 20:50 Reply

Caitriona – any one who questions your ethos or commitment has clearly never met or read your work in any great detail. I admire the approach you take.

I just nearly got off the sofa to make your cake, and then I remembered that I don’t have any eggs!

Wholesome Ireland
04/08/2013 at 20:57 Reply
Thank you J. I think it’s more that people can sometimes forget the blog is personal. Xxx I tested the recipe with GF flour and it works quite well btw!
- kathryn
  04/08/2013 at 21:09 Reply
  Which reminds me that I’ve got a dozen spare eggs if John is coming our way – which would allow you to make more cake. Mostly I bake with wholemeal flour, steam veg ad try to be good. But wholesome lifestyles need fun Just turned a few of each of half a dozen of the veg that are ready now in the garden into tempura made with a spicy gram flour batter (all that oil) and there’s a raspberry upside down cake going into the oven and it’s made with lots of lovely sugar and butter. And white flour.
  I reckon you’re as wholesome as it gets.
  And I really must get around to using some of those domains I’ve registered myself – thanks for the reminder
  - Wholesome Ireland
    05/08/2013 at 07:47 Reply
    You really can’t beat a tempura made with gram flour. Love it K. Don’t know that J will be heading your way as he has all the kids today for a change. 😉 Will drop you a text if he is. Thank you. xxx

Hayley Winrow

04/08/2013 at 21:25 Reply

I just stumbled across your blog and already loving your writing. Will be making these cakes tomorrow. Thank-you lovely =)

Wholesome Ireland
05/08/2013 at 07:47 Reply
Hi Hayley thanks for dropping by & your kind words. x
- Hayley Winrow
  05/08/2013 at 20:23 Reply
  I made the cake today and it was beautiful, I have had to hide the tin from my 6 year old who wouldn’t stop scoffing them. Thank you =)
  - Wholesome Ireland
    06/08/2013 at 08:39 Reply
    Ah delighted to hear it! Well done!

Lucy Pearce

04/08/2013 at 23:10 Reply

Love it, Caitriona… Tell all the doubters to stick on their own blog and post it…. Oh hang on they don’t have them cos they’re too busy trolling nice people like you who are putting out good stuff into the world. Keep on rocking x

Wholesome Ireland
05/08/2013 at 07:48 Reply
🙂 Hey Lucy, thank you. Love it, I’ll keep rocking. x

Louise

05/08/2013 at 14:21 Reply

Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it. Love your blogging. Ps I tried your rainbow cake recipe a few months ago for my son’s christening and it was a big hit ,so thanks!! 🙂

Wholesome Ireland
06/08/2013 at 14:31 Reply
Ah brilliant I’m glad to hear it Louise. 🙂

Cuisine Genie

05/08/2013 at 16:31 Reply

Well said C! People will always be miserable…thankfully we’ll always have chocolate cake 🙂

Wholesome Ireland
06/08/2013 at 14:31 Reply
We will ALWAYS have cake L!

Dr Hows Science Wows

06/08/2013 at 08:18 Reply

I’m completely behind you on this one… don’t get enough traffic yet to have to deal with too many negative comments but what a load of rubbish! We all need cake sometimes ;0) … and as for spending your money on food… surely feeding your family should be top of the priority list!

Wholesome Ireland
06/08/2013 at 08:39 Reply
Thanks. I think it’s more to do with wasting my money on sweet treats apparently. People can forget that this is a personal blog!

The Dublin Diary

10/08/2013 at 00:31 Reply

Sounds much more wholesome then the treats I’ve seen some kids eat!

Wholesome Ireland
10/08/2013 at 09:13 Reply
You know it!

Joanne Cronin
04/08/2013 at 20:50 Reply
Caitriona – any one who questions your ethos or commitment has clearly never met or read your work in any great detail. I admire the approach you take.
I just nearly got off the sofa to make your cake, and then I remembered that I don’t have any eggs!
- Wholesome Ireland
  04/08/2013 at 20:57 Reply
  Thank you J. I think it’s more that people can sometimes forget the blog is personal. Xxx I tested the recipe with GF flour and it works quite well btw!
  - kathryn
    04/08/2013 at 21:09 Reply
    Which reminds me that I’ve got a dozen spare eggs if John is coming our way – which would allow you to make more cake. Mostly I bake with wholemeal flour, steam veg ad try to be good. But wholesome lifestyles need fun Just turned a few of each of half a dozen of the veg that are ready now in the garden into tempura made with a spicy gram flour batter (all that oil) and there’s a raspberry upside down cake going into the oven and it’s made with lots of lovely sugar and butter. And white flour.
    I reckon you’re as wholesome as it gets.
    And I really must get around to using some of those domains I’ve registered myself – thanks for the reminder
    - Wholesome Ireland
      05/08/2013 at 07:47 Reply
      You really can’t beat a tempura made with gram flour. Love it K. Don’t know that J will be heading your way as he has all the kids today for a change. 😉 Will drop you a text if he is. Thank you. xxx
Hayley Winrow
04/08/2013 at 21:25 Reply
I just stumbled across your blog and already loving your writing. Will be making these cakes tomorrow. Thank-you lovely =)
- Wholesome Ireland
  05/08/2013 at 07:47 Reply
  Hi Hayley thanks for dropping by & your kind words. x
  - Hayley Winrow
    05/08/2013 at 20:23 Reply
    I made the cake today and it was beautiful, I have had to hide the tin from my 6 year old who wouldn’t stop scoffing them. Thank you =)
    - Wholesome Ireland
      06/08/2013 at 08:39 Reply
      Ah delighted to hear it! Well done!
Lucy Pearce
04/08/2013 at 23:10 Reply
Love it, Caitriona… Tell all the doubters to stick on their own blog and post it…. Oh hang on they don’t have them cos they’re too busy trolling nice people like you who are putting out good stuff into the world. Keep on rocking x
- Wholesome Ireland
  05/08/2013 at 07:48 Reply
  🙂 Hey Lucy, thank you. Love it, I’ll keep rocking. x
Louise
05/08/2013 at 14:21 Reply
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try it. Love your blogging. Ps I tried your rainbow cake recipe a few months ago for my son’s christening and it was a big hit ,so thanks!! 🙂
- Wholesome Ireland
  06/08/2013 at 14:31 Reply
  Ah brilliant I’m glad to hear it Louise. 🙂
Cuisine Genie
05/08/2013 at 16:31 Reply
Well said C! People will always be miserable…thankfully we’ll always have chocolate cake 🙂
- Wholesome Ireland
  06/08/2013 at 14:31 Reply
  We will ALWAYS have cake L!
Dr Hows Science Wows
06/08/2013 at 08:18 Reply
I’m completely behind you on this one… don’t get enough traffic yet to have to deal with too many negative comments but what a load of rubbish! We all need cake sometimes ;0) … and as for spending your money on food… surely feeding your family should be top of the priority list!
- Wholesome Ireland
  06/08/2013 at 08:39 Reply
  Thanks. I think it’s more to do with wasting my money on sweet treats apparently. People can forget that this is a personal blog!
The Dublin Diary
10/08/2013 at 00:31 Reply
Sounds much more wholesome then the treats I’ve seen some kids eat!
- Wholesome Ireland
  10/08/2013 at 09:13 Reply
  You know it!

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