All this rain is just about to make me want to camp in the kitchen. This is absolute perfect weather to cook something warm and comforting to take to bed with a good book. Being Filipino, our usual rainy day comfort indulgence is chocolate  rice porridge. I can totally eat that the whole day and still want some of it cold the next day. Usually I like it with some fried dried salted fish. I know, that doesn’t sound so appetizing but, hey ..hahaha – I’m asian. I think we are all gastronomically predisposed to liking these things.
I think for most Asians, congee or a good bowl of noodle soup would hit the right spot. I’m not much of a soup chic but I do get a craving for those too. The western palette would  find  some thick chunky soup boiling during those cold wet days, and maybe even some chilli to heat things up for a good sweat.
Well, right now … I am in for some baking! There’s a storm brewing over the archipelago and it hasn’t stopped raining for the past 3 days. I need a sweet stash to get me through. Trapped indoors with nowhere to go but straight to bed or the follow the trail to the teevo with a good movie perhaps.
It’s almost 2pm and hmmm..a hot cup of  coffee  with a warm slice of  coffee cake sounds like a good plan to me. Yeah, we’ve got  a winner for this rainy afternoon. Coffee cake it is then!
There are no words to describe the heavenly pairing of a hot cuppa java or hot chocolate and some moist coffee cake . The first time I ever baked one, I nearly finished the entire cake! Hahaha. What an oinker,eh? It was that good…if I may say so myself!
CHOCOLATE CHERRY COFFEE BUNDT CAKE
Ingredients
1.5 cup(s) mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon(s) unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
1.66 cup(s) sugar
.75 cup(s) (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
3 cup(s) flour
1.5 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1.5 teaspoon(s) baking powder
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
.5 teaspoon(s) salt
16 ounce(s) container light sour cream
3 large eggs
.75 cup(s) dried cherries
Confectioners’ sugar (optional) , for garnish
Instructions
1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. In a small bowl, combine chocolate chips, cocoa, cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar; set aside.
2.In a large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat 1 1/3 cups sugar and butter until blended. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl.
3.Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla extract, salt, sour cream and eggs; beat until well mixed. Increase speed to medium; beat 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Stir in dried cherries
4.Spread one-third of batter into pan; sprinkle with half the chocolate mixture. Top with half the remaining batter; sprinkle with remaining chocolate mixture. Pour in the rest of the batter.
5.Bake coffee cake 65 to 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack to cool completely. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar, if you like.
Photo Credit: steamboatwillie33
Photo Credit: coleenmarie
Photo Credit: Sweet Lee