There are some kitchen projects that require teamwork, and any cake requiring more than ten hours of manpower is high on that list. Here is a tip for tackling such projects. If you add the promise of “decadent chocolate bliss” to the task description it produces a rapid increase in the number of volunteers! The thought of chocolate sinks into their brain and hypnotizes them. For example, focus on this picture for 10 seconds:

Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah. Right? Are you even listening? or are looking in your purse for a piece of chocolate?

So when Darla, Christine and The Nonnie sounded the call to make Emeril’s Chocolate Chocolate Pudding Cake with Chocolate Ganache, a dozen pairs of hands joined the coalition of the willing. Ready, set, BAKE!

Measuring, mixing, and stirring in the luv.

And once the cake was in the oven it was onto the fillings. First pudding…

… then ganache! (This ganache took a village but was SO worth it.)

But that wasn’t enough to keep these baking divas out of the sugar bowl. The cookbooks come out and the gloved came off. Soon there were warm cranberry scones, cheesecake (!), pumpkin bread, petit fours, chocolate decorations, and pink meringues (no egg white left behind). It was a pure bakery explosion.

Time for one last picture of the sweet assortment.

Then we could wait no longer. The chocolate cake was assembled (we may or may not have waited for everyhting to cool and set), decorated, and then the whole outrageous thing as sliced and devoured. Darla did the honors or slicing in. Yum.

 Special thanks to Christine for letting us take over the kitchen and then for documenting the action!