Chili's Molten Chocolate Cake! And a photo catch-up

If you've ever tasted Chili's Molten Chocolate Cake, you know that it is amazing. In fact, I am sort of obsessed with it and will fight anyone who thinks it isn't the best. :) So the other day I found a copycat recipe for it on Top Secret Recipes. This is the second copycat recipe I've tried for the cake, and it is much better than the first one. It was surprisingly simple and tasted just like the real thing! Because I am a food blogger wannabe, here is a picture (and I did go a little overboard with the chocolate sauce on the plate, I know):



Molten Chocolate Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix (you can use homemade chocolate cake instead but mine turned out moist enough with the cake mix)
Ingredients listed on box (1 1/3 cup water, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, and 3 eggs)

1 bottle hot fudge topping
vanilla ice cream (I used vanilla with a caramel almond swirl and it was great)
Magic Shell chocolate topping

Make cake batter following directions on the box. If you have "Texas-sized" muffin tins (6 muffins per tin), use those. This recipe makes 8 Texas-sized muffins/cakes. Otherwise you can use regular muffin tins to make a miniature version of the cakes. Fill the tins 2/3 full. Bake according to package directions, being careful not to overbake.

Let the cakes cool and then flip them upside down. Cut out a 1.5" diameter cylinder in the bottom (which is now the top) of each cake. Make the hole deep but don't go all the way through because you're going to fill it with hot fudge and you don't want it to leak out the bottom. Scoop out the chunk of cake and discard it (or eat it!).

Spoon about 2 T. hot fudge into each hole. If you aren't yet ready to serve, you can store them in a sealed container in the freezer.

When you're ready to serve, heat one cake at a time in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, or until the fudge starts to bubble. The fudge will spread itself out inside the cake and make it wonderfully moist and tasty! Let the cake cool slightly, then place a scoop of ice cream on top and cover with the shell topping. Voila! A rich, chocolatey, delicious dessert.


Here are some pictures we've taken recently. I thought this was a cute daddy/daughter one.

Brittney and Sam are moving to Texas! We'll definitely miss having them close by. This picture was taken at their goodbye barbecue. (Britt, this is for you because I know you're out there in the blog lurker world! :)

The whole group at the barbecue.

A couple of weeks ago our little family of three visited the recently renovated capitol building here in Salt Lake.





We also went to Trolley Square, a historic mall that used to be a trolley station and is most recently famous for the shooting that happened there. I have to admit, I was (irrationally) a little uneasy about visiting in the wake of last year's shooting. Apparently so is everyone else because it was basically deserted.



And finally, another hair experiment. Poor Kate.