Death by Chocolate Cake--Oh My!!

I made this for my hubby's birthday today. It's his favorite. Around our house, we call this "Sin Cake" because we always over-indulge!

Death by Chocolate Cake

4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 package dark chocolate cake mix (Duncan Hines dark chocolate is what I use.)
1 sm. package instant chocolate pudding mix (cheap kind is ok)
1  ½-2  cups semisweet chocolate chips (save other ½ cup for glaze) If you have mini-chips those work even better but regular are fine and dandy.)

Mix all ingredients together and beat for about fifty strokes.  Pour into a greased and floured Bundt or tube pan and bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes. Check with a toothpick every 5 mintes after 40 and don't overcook. A few crumbs on toothpick are okay. Turn the the cake out onto a plate after a minute of cooling.

This cake is tender, moists, and dark and rich, a sinful tempation that gets better as it cools. The next day it is killer good.

Three ways to frost

Sprinkle with powdered sugar and eat plain.

Glaze:
½ cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup  milk or cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
½  teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine milk or cream, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a small pan. Cook, stirring, until mixture boils. Pour this over the chocolate and stir until smooth. Drizzle over the cake.

Frosting:
Put two cups of powdered in a bowl and slowly add the above glaze, stirring well until smooth. Spread over cooled cake.

I also sometimes sprinkle chopped pecans over the icing.

Back from RWA And Mickey Mouse land-Photos!!

Back from the Romance Writers of America's national conference in Anaheim, California, land of unending sunshine and Mickey Mouse! I didn't win the RITA but had such a great time being a five time finalist. Schmoozing with fellow finalists at that RITA reception and signing books for readers at a charity booksigning were big highlights for me. Here are a couple of photos from the conference.

Love Inspired Authors. That's me in the front in the brown with red hair.

At the RITA Award ceremony with double finalist, Christine Rimmer. We had a table together with her editor and mine and several Golden Heart finalists. A great group of writers.

Fellow finalist Irene Hannon, Debbie Clopton who writes those funny Mule Hollow boooks, and me in the jacket. We had a blast at the Harlequin Party. Who wouldn't with lots of fun oldies music for the fleet of foot, an ice cream bar complete with bananas foster,  a crepes bar, a dessert bar, and a decorate your own cupcake bar!!

The conference included lots of emphasis on the new trailblazers in fiction publishing--ebooks. So tell me, do you own an ereader? If so, what kind?