Chocolate-Earl Grey Pound Cake

The first time I made this, Liz said she dreamed about it! Guess it's a repeater. I recommend you double the sauce, or increase by half again. It went quickly!

Source: page torn from magazine that does not note its name on each page. Note to self: put your name on everything!

Chocolate-Earl Grey Pound Cake

4 Earl Grey tea bags
1/3 cup boiling water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar
Earl Grey Dark Chocolate Sauce
Garnish: Big cherries

Place tea bags in a glass measuring cup; pour 1/3 cup boiling water over tea bags. Let steep about 8 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags; cool tea completely. (I had 1/4 cup tea left at this point after pressing tea bags.)

Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa, and set aside.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating 5 to 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until yellow disappears. Set aside.

Stir together milk and tea. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix at low speed after each addition, just until blended. Stir in vanilla.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-cup Bundt pan. Bake at 300 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until toothpick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool cake completely on a wire rack. Dust cake with powdered sugar, and serve with Earl Grey Dark Chocolate Sauce. Garnish, if desired.

Makes 1 9-inch cake.

Earl Grey Dark Chocolate Sauce

3/4 cup whipping cream
3 Earl Grey tea bags
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Cook whipping cream in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat just until hot (not boiling), stirring often. Remove from heat. Add tea bags, cover, and steep 5 minutes. Remove and discard tea bags. Add chocolate and corn syrup, stirring until chocolate melts. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Cooking in the microwave causes food to lose nutrients, right?

WRONGO.

Microwaved food may retain vitamins BETTER than stovetop-cooked food according to Consumer Reports on Health. That's because the microwave zaps it quickly and without much water.

One study found that spinach retained only 77% of the B-vitamin folate when cooked on a stove - but retained ALL of its folate when cooked in a microwave. (B vitamins can deliver astounding health benefits. They can help to prevent stroke, heart disease, certain cancers, maintain your mental skills, and keep depression at bay.)

Your baking stones can be used in the microwave, you know that, right? At least the ones I recommend. Contact me for a few of my favorite microwave RECIPES and taste the freedom of fast, healthy cooking.