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.
Caitriona Redmond
I'm an Irish mother to 2 boys, born & bred in Dublin, Ireland. I like to cook simple & fresh food for the family, with the family on a budget.
18 Comments
Joanne Cronin
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
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
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
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
I just stumbled across your blog and already loving your writing. Will be making these cakes tomorrow. Thank-you lovely =)
Wholesome Ireland
Hi Hayley thanks for dropping by & your kind words. x
Hayley Winrow
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
Ah delighted to hear it! Well done!
Lucy Pearce
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
🙂 Hey Lucy, thank you. Love it, I’ll keep rocking. x
Louise
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
Ah brilliant I’m glad to hear it Louise. 🙂
Cuisine Genie
Well said C! People will always be miserable…thankfully we’ll always have chocolate cake 🙂
Wholesome Ireland
We will ALWAYS have cake L!
Dr Hows Science Wows
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
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
Sounds much more wholesome then the treats I’ve seen some kids eat!
Wholesome Ireland
You know it!