Perfect Stormy Cake

So, this morning, like most Friday mornings, I went into the kitchen to bake a cake. My usual chocolate chiffon cake- a recipe I make almost every week. This is my go-to cake recipe. It's tall, dark and handsome- just the way I like them. I've probably made it a hundred times. Only this time, it wasn't going to go as planned. The house smelled lovely, the batter look perfect, but as the cake cooled, the entire thing shrivelled, slanted and hardened. Things don't always go as planned. C'est la vie. No use crying over bad cake.

The truth is, this wasn't the first time a cake of mine has gone bad. I'm human, and I really believe that sometimes, if it's not meant to be, it's just not meant to be. So, I tossed it and decided to bake an even better cake. (Just a note, if a recipe goes wrong, I never EVER try to make it a second time. For me, it's just not in the cards for that particular recipe at that particular time...you?)
So, I quickly pulled out my go-to cookbook, Norene Gilletz's, The Food Processor Bible. (Norene is a Canadian cookbook legend- her recipes define the term: "tried & true"). I skimmed the pages and came across exactly what I was looking for: 'best coffee cake'- how could I go wrong?

This crumbly, chocolatey, crunchy cake is made in the food processor- only one clean up and tastes heavenly. I love a classic white coffee cake but for some reason, I was drawn to the chocolate in this one. The recipes calls for the cake to be baked in a square baking pan, but I baked in in a 9-inch springform instead. I was in the mood for a round cake.. also, couldnt help but think that this cake would be perfect in individual cake molds- something special for my guests at my next dinner party. Another note, I didnt have any sour cream or plain yogurt so I used 2 small vanilla flavored baby yogurts- that's what I love about cooking, the ability to use what you have!!
This chocolate-pecan-crumb cake looks just right for a snowy, slushy day. With a steaming cup of coffee, I can't wait to cut into this one.

 Topping: pecans, cocoa, choc chips, brown sugar, cinnamon- yum!

Pull that food processor of yours out of storage and use it for this!

 Use what you have to make it work!!

Beautiful!