Kitchen

[Diva on The Q]

Ice cream!!!! 

[house_cat]

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@homedecor1 wrote:

JMO but I find "death by chocolate cake" extremely decadent (very sweet) so more "sweets" would be overkill -- from my perspective.   A fruit tray or fruit platter would be sufficient for a little extra.

My bday is July so can I put my order in now for that delicious cake😉 for my special day! Nothing better than homemade ... you're a good friend.

Enjoy!💐

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I may have misspoken. I don't know if Death by Chocolate is a specific recipe.  In my case, I make three layers of chocolate cake (the recipe on the Hershey cocoa can), with Ghirardelli chocolate pudding in between the layers and Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge frosting from the can.  I have recipes for chocolate frosting, but I find that the DH from the can makes the best version of what I grew up calling a Blackout Cake. Reserve the shavings off the cake layers to sprinkle on top of the frosting. It's so close to the blackout cakes my brother and I grew up with from the bakeries in NYC. I can no longer eat chocolate, but my brother requested this cake for his 60th birthday.

[chrystaltree]

I'd do a cheese and fruit platter with some crackers on it.  There might be one person who doesn't eat cake or doesn't eat chocolate cake.  

[BeccaLou]

Nuts,  a couple cheese balls and crackers.

[sissel]

I would do the usual snacks & cake, ice cream but then I need to go crazy making little goodie bags or small plant to take home. Go to dollar tree they have cute paper plates, napkins, get some little prizes have a little game & eachone gets a prize. Play some music during the teenage year of the birthday person. Sometime it's not about the food it's about the people having fun & laughing. 

[house_cat]

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@sissel wrote:

I would do the usual snacks & cake, ice cream but then I need to go crazy making little goodie bags or small plant to take home. Go to dollar tree they have cute paper plates, napkins, get some little prizes have a little game & eachone gets a prize. Play some music during the teenage year of the birthday person. Sometime it's not about the food it's about the people having fun & laughing. 

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I just did that yesterday! I bought all kinds of nostalgic candy like ring pops and those candy necklaces, a tiara for the birthday girl and party hats.  I got plates and those blow out things, balloons, all the stuff I remember from parties when we were kids!

[Daysdee]

I would also say ice cream vanilla or maybe marble fudge.  Two or three strawberries on each plate would be nice.  If you don't want to do ice cream, whipped cream unless the cake already has a rich frosting.  

[house_cat]

Update:  It was a really nice evening. I totally forgot to offer the ice cream, but there was plenty to eat and lots to share as "take home".  Thanks for all the input!

[Sooner]

Belatedly about the whole issue:

@house_cat  Pears poached in red wine or port are fabulous with chocolate!  They can be made ahead and kept cold in their juices.  The sweet tart flavor is great!  

A dollop of whipped cream would finish it off.  You could slice the pears into lovely vertical slices and serve 2 or 3 with each piece of cake and a dollop of cream!  

Death by Chocolate is a specific cake recipe from Chef Marcelle Desaulniers who operated the Trellis restaurant in Williamsburg, near the historical section.  We had it there a long long time ago, before he was famous for it and it was one of the absolute best things I ever ate in my life!  

It is a magnificent dessert!  

The other one of the best was the Black Forest Cake served at the Biltmore Hotel is downtown Las Angeles!  Oh wow was it good!  Dark and rich, ganache, kirsch soaked cherries and real whipped cream.  We were there for a week and I had it for breakfast every day we were there.

housecat, You like to cook!  Look up the real recipe for Death by Chocolate and make one sometime!  I did.  Once! LOL!!!

[house_cat]

@Sooner 

Thank you for that information. I will look for the recipe, but I doubt if I'll ever make it.  I'm not really a fan of chocolate cake, but I am interested in seeing what it's all about.