An Afternoon for Cake

The last few weekends have been cold and dreary and our family has spent far too much time indoors trying to think of something exciting to do. This week I decided to be proactive and I invited some friends and their families over for afternoon cake and coffee. I have a friend who grew up in Bavaria and when he shared with me that it is traditional there to have cake and coffee every afternoon, I fell in love with that tradition. I mean what is not to like about a daily piece of cake. And with several grownups and a bevy of little girls in our house, I was able to bake a cake and resist the temptation to eat it all ourselves. So we had a delightful if chaotic afternoon with plenty of kids, friends, and caffeine.

I am not a risk taker by nature but for some reason I always end up trying new recipes when I invite people over. And yesterday's cake was no exception. Fortunately it turned out wonderfully, moist and delicious with a rich chocolatey icing that melted in your mouth. I wish I'd taken a picture but we cut into it too quickly. Here are the recipes I used:

Moist Devil's Food Cake
Quick Chocolate Frosting