Mocha Chocolate Chip Cake

Happy New Year!

This cake is from the Alice's Tea Cup cookbook.  The full name is "Jean's-Not-Yet-But-Soon-To-Be-Famous Mocha Chocolate Chip Cake."  Back before Alice's Tea Cup franchised and when the sisters (who own and started the store) were often seen in the restaurant, I used to go pretty frequently (I still go plenty, but not as much).  Back then, this cake was spectacular.  Apparently Jean, the owners' mother, actually made the cake at the restaurant when they first opened.  I know this because she told me.  You see, one day when I ordered the cake, I was saying how great it was and a woman at the next table turned around and introduced herself; she was Jean!

As the restaurant got busier and expanded, I'm sorry to say that the cake changed.   It wasn't as moist and the icing didn't have the chocolate chips mixed in it, just a few on top...which meant less icing and less chocolate.

So you can imagine how happy I was when the cookbook came out in time for the holidays and had the recipe in it.  I made it for New Year's Eve and I have to say I was disappointed.  The cake itself came out perfectly, just as I remembered it.  The problem was the icing.  It was too stiff and sugary and I found it very difficult to work with.  And today it started to get oddly dry in some spots and tiny patches of butter started to separate from it.  I think the problem was that there wasn't enough butter in it.  And I think it will be easier to spread (and possibly nicer to eat) with mini chocolate chips in the icing.  I thought I remembered that from the restaurant, but honestly that may have been because they used mini chocolate chips on top after they changed it, I can't remember (it's been years, literally).  Anyway, as disappointed as I am, it was still a great cake and it doesn't pain me to try it again with more butter!

P.S.  I'll upload the photo tomorrow.