Today Sweet Life proudly celebrates it’s first year. I am over the moon thrilled at the completion of my first year, in being boldly honest I never thought I would make it this far. I humbly admit I am horribly the most unorganized person and often find myself completing 3-4 task at the same time (at this moment I am typing this post, sorting laundry, finishing the cake, paying bills and loading my dishwasher) if not for my the continuous stream of coffee coursing through my veins I fear I would never complete half the daily task I begin. I also must confess I can spell, yes I am a able adult who in fact can put letters together and form sentences. I put this out for all of you to forgive my awful spelling in your comment boxes and this……what’s up with that? I seem to always ……..every five minutes. I cannot guarantee you …..this will be tamed but, I will try.
Moving on I begin blogging out of complete curiosity. One afternoon I in need of sweets searched online for a recipe (which I cannot even remember) and found a baking blog. I read every post, thinking wow this is great, a place where she can express her love for baking and share her thoughts. I quickly found dozens after dozens of blogs, all very interesting, but I needed more some one I could relate to. I wanted a place to go that focused one my tex/mex style of cooking featuring recipes my family would enjoy. After searching more I found Teresa at Aprovecho-Mexican American Border Cooking, instantly I fell in love with her blog she posted great recipes, her writing was warm and she shared her love of family and friends. It didn’t hurt she was a fellow Texan, hey I love my Texas peeps. I went to her blog week after week each day thinking I can do this, should I do this, would any one read my blog?
Then I leaped head first into the blog world and have enjoyed every step, every bad pic, every horribly written post and all those misspelled comments. In celebrating my first year I feel I should celebrate by sharing a recipe from Teresa’s ecookbook Mi Chita’ Mexican Chocolate Recipe dedicated to her grandmother. I send out warm wishes to Teresa and thank her for inspiring me. Stop by and visit her if you have a chance, she is currently taking a break. I spoke with her yesterday and she guarantees me she will be back sharing more great recipes soon, I for one am thrilled.
A few days before my first year arrived I was overjoyed to learn that my family shared the same joy of my blog continuing it’s life, I was showered with gifts praising my bloggie accomplishments. A huge box arrived from Mexico filled to the brim with pottery I had longed for and a huge 10 liter glass Vitrolera to display my ever loving aguas from my little sis. My girls gifted me with the new Rick Bayless cookbook Fiesta at Rick’s and a Robb Walsh cookbook I had my eye on. Topping it off my beloved hubby decided to throw a twist into the mix and shower me with a beautiful necklace/earring set from one of my favorite lines.
So let’s celebrate together shall we, celebrate my /your blog, celebrate sharing recipes, meeting new friends, inspiration and celebrate finding a place where we can express our love of cooking. So to celebrate I offer you the chance, I mean I offer 5 (yes 5, thanks babe) a chance to win a copy of Teresa’s ecookbook. This giveaway is OPEN to EVERYONE, there is no shipping required, I simply purchase, submit your email and you receive her cookbook in your inbox, pretty cool. So enter simply by your comment, tweet for another chance. Giveaway begins today ending Sunday
Let me give you a sample of the recipes included in this cookbook, how about Mexican Chocolate Cheesecake, Dessert Nachos,Champurrado(a Mexican frothy drink),Mexican Chocolate rum Mousse, or Mocha Milkshake. There is also two free bonus recipes included. She is currently working on a new cookbook and has graciously offered me a copy, which means so much. Please enter to win, you will not be disappointed.
I couldn’t end my happy post without thanking my greatest support team.
Hubby for all his love, devotion, and support both emotionally and financially (we all know having a blog cost money)
Chuls for her constant stream of ideas, time spent in the kitchen with her is priceless to me and relief in knowing if I should ever tire she would continue my blog with firecness.
Pips for being my prized taste tester, who always encourage me to make desserts and her constant suggestions to make her pancake Saturdays a weekly post.
Nina, my little sister, who from my first post to current post calls me to let me know how she enjoyed the recipe, loved the pics, and blessed me with my first comment. Thanks for your 15-20 calls everyday, thanks for being my bloggie cheerleader, cheering on my every post but mostly thanks for being my best friend. love ya
Momo my mother who ignited the love of cooking into my soul, I thank you for passing your tricks, your wisdom and you heritage to me. I am proud to be your daughter and blessed to call you mom.
And to you my faithful reader who visit me well knowing I shall post another Texas/Mexican recipe, but you still visit..thanks (there I go again with the..) Thanks for your comments, your support and your love.
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Enjoy! Sweet Life
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
adapted from MI Chita’sMexican Chocolate Dessert Recipes
by Teresa Cordero Cordell and Robert Cordell
cake
6 eggs separated
2 cups light brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cups milk
2 tsp vanilla
*****************
Tres leches sauce
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 disk Mexican chocolate melted (either melted in microwave for1 1/2 minutes or over double boiler)
combine sauce ingredients and blend well.
******************
Preheat oven to 350
lightly grease and dust with cocoa powder 2 cake pans (9inch).
combine flour, cocoa, baking powder in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl combine milk and vanilla.
Beat the 6 eggs whites until stiff.
Reduce speed and gradually ad the brown sugar to beaten egg whites.
After sugar dissolves add yolks and beat for three minutes.
On medium low speed, alternate flour and milk mixture to eggs until blended.
Pour equally into prepared cakes pans.
bake 30 to 35 minutes.
While still warm, poke holes into cake layers with a wooden skewer.
Pour sauce over both layers and allow to cool in refrigerator.
**********************
Ganache
3/4 cups whipping cream
1 1/3 cups chopped Mexican Chocolate
2 tsp vanilla
Heat cream in small heavy saucepan over medium heat.
Place chopped chocolate in medium sized bowl.
Pour hot cream over chocolate and stir with wooden spoon until melted.
Add vanilla.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate in refrigerator for 1 hour.
Also place beaters in refrigerator to chill.
Remove from fridge and whip on high for 2 to 3 minutes until it reaches spreading consistency.
Carefully remove first cake layer from pan and place on cake plate or
board. Spread ½ cup ganache on top. Place second layer over the first
and completely frost cake with remaining ganache. Garnish if you like
with edible flowers or chocolate covered strawberries or, as in my
case, Amaretto Cherries. Use your imagination to decorate this cake
in any way you and your family would like. Enjoy
Happy Anniversary!!! LOOOVE this Cake…I’m drooling 🙂 I want a bite 🙂
HUGS <3
On my list to make! Looks amazing….
That cake is absolutely gorgeous! We’d love if you could enter it into the Recipe4Living 5th Birthday Contest! You could win a huge gift basket full of Scharffen Berger gourmet chocolate!
I love tres leche cake! But chocolate? Genius! Adding this one to my recipe files.
One whole year – congrats! The frosting on your cake looks delicious!
congrats on your bloggaversary! this cake looks amazing & caught the eye of my coworker whose birthday i am baking for this weekend. do you think that instead of making a cake, this recipe could be used for cupcakes? they’re easier to schlep into nyc on the bus for work.
thanks!
@Beth..oh yes! beth cupcakes would be great and with the ganache..how pretty! thanks for stopping by!
sweetlife
Congratulations on your first year 🙂 && that looks like a delicious cake
Sending you love, besos, y abrazos – thank you for sharing your sweet life!
Happy (very) belated blogiversary!!
I love your posts and we’ve enjoyed the recipes we’ve tried. Keep ’em coming 🙂
Happy (belated) one-year anniversary! It looks like things have really taken off for you in the past year and they’ll only get better from here. Congrats Sweetlife.
Happy belated blogaversary!
I really liked reading this post, it was very sweet =). It was really cool to hear about how you started blogging, and I’m very happy you did start because I <3 your blog!
hope there are many more blog anniversaries to come!
*hugs*
~Kurious Kitteh
Happy 1st Birthday to sweetlifebake.com!
Tres Leches Cake is such a hit in my family. I can ionly magine this cake in chocolate!
Carmen
Thought I’d make up for my absence by leaving not one but TWO comments!!! ROFL Well ok – that’s a lie. But truth is I need more gingko biloba cos I keep forgetting stuff – like wishing you a very happy belated Anniversary 😀
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!!!!!
YIKES!!! Has it really been nearly a week since I was last here??! My God! Where did the time go??
This is seriously gorgeous – love the cake, love the stand, love the photos. This is now on my most wanted list! 😉
Happy belated blog birthday! That is one cake I’d sure like to sink my teeth into, looks so rich and perfectly decadent!
Congratulations on your one year for the SweetLife blog!
This is a gorgeous cake, Chocolate Tres Leches Cake, a special occasion and decadent dessert. Just lovely.
OMG! Congratulations on your first year of blogging, I couldn’t articulate to write after I read the title “Chocolate Tres Leches Cake”
My head got all fuzzy.LOL tres leches cake is already unbelievable delicious with chocolate. WOW…..
Happy One year!!! I hope you’ve enjoyed it immensely! Looking forward to another year.
Tanti cari auguri per il 1 anno di blog e complimenti per la deliziosa torta! Mi sono segnata la ricetta, spero di non avere difficoltà nel farla. Un abbraccio
Congrats on your first year blogging and keep them coming. Love your blog 🙂
looks too good..mouthwatering cake!
Happy 1st Anniversary! I look forward to more of your posts, wonderful pics and Mexican/Tex-Mex recipes even though I can never successfully make any of them over here (talk about being sadistic, eh?).
Are those Ibarra’s chocolate disks I’m looking at???? You just reminded me how stupid I am for not buying some of those when one supermarket briefly carried them, thinking that they’ll restock when they run out!
Lovely looking cake too!
This cake is a perfect way to celebrate one year 🙂 Congrats on the accomplishment! I love how supportive your family is…buying you gifts…too cute.
Hi, LOVE your blog. I sooo wanna make that choc tres leche cake. Where can I buy those mexican chocolate disks. I live in San Diego, so we have various Mexican markets, but I haven’t seen those. Should I just ask around or do I need to order them online?
Many Thanks!
Jenny
Congratulations on your first year! Fun, isn’t it? When I finish a year (I’m a newbie) I’ll be celbrating, too!
I’m on the hunt for Mexican chocolate? Now where will I find that in Pennsylvania!
from rosemary
Happy Blogiversary! I enjoy reading your posts and admiring your lovely pictures.
The cake looks awesome! I can do with a slice of it right now 🙂
Congratulations on a wonderful first year! Your family knows how to celebrate. I think my family better step things up next year. lol The cake looks delicious.
The photo for this post is divine. Seriously, I would frame it and put it in the kitchen. Oh, and I tweeted your giveaway too. Congrats on your 1 year anniversary!
Congratulations on your first anniversary!
I know that I’ve only started reading your blog this year, but you’ve been so inspiring, witty and I love what you’ve shared with us so far. Cannot wait for another year of Sweetlife’s Sweetlife 🙂 xoxo
Thanks for being in the blogging world, especially in the past 4 months when I first began read your blog~~you really look on life with such a sweet eye ;]
I made my first Tres Leches Cake a few weeks ago and it was a roaring hit. I think i will progress to other flavours like this gorgeous one. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Happy…Happy 1st Blog Birthday!!! There’s really a lot to celebrate for the journey you have gone through…your many wonderful recipes and smiles you have put on my face. I can imagine the joy you feel. I celebrated mine last month. It was such a happy, awesome feeling. I was actually very happy that I lasted through one year. Blogging about food is really fun. Keep Cooking Keep Blogging Keep Smiling! 😀
Happy Bloggy Birthday! Your cake and your cake stand are so very gorgeous! 😉
Congrats on your blog bday! This cake looks incredible!!!
Happy Anniversary! The cake looks amazing and I bet is bursting with flavor. Thank you for sharing.
Yay, congrats! Love the cake, the frosting looks ah-may-zing! I want a fingerful.
I am so glad to see that tres leches can be made with chocolate. I have been thinking about it in the back of my brain for a few weeks. This is perfect!
Congrats on 1 year and cake looks Delish!
glad you posted this on FB… now I can save it…
Congratulations on your blog anniversary! Thanks for posting this recipe. As a confessed chocoholic (who adores Mexican chocolate), this appeals mightily to my less disciplined inner child who could happily, and greedily consume the entire cake!
Congrats to you on your first year! This is SUCH a sweet post. I am SO glad you started blogging and that we’ve met along the way…you always inspire me!
This chocolate tres leches cake sounds and looks delicious…I’ve never had a chocolate version before. But really. Yum.
Oh that does look great and I’m so happy you’ve continuing blogging as well 🙂
What a lovely cake! Congrats on your one year!
Congratulations on your anniversary!! I wish you many many more to come 🙂 And the cake looks gorgeous..I had never heard of chocolate tres leche cake..this is interesting!
I twitted : http://twitter.com/thescorpiowoman/status/18166344859
Happy 1st Anniversary 😀 This cake looks so yummy.
Hearty congrats on one year! I love this cake – I have never had tres leches with chocolate! Perfect.
Congratulations on your one year milestone! And best wishes for continued success. Your blog is sweet indeed!
LL
Holy Moley! This looks amazing!!!! Best cake ever!
First of all from one Texan to another…God Bless Texas!!
and congratulations on your one year blogaversary!!! Its hard to imagine life without a blog and all of our dear friends…..lets hope for many many more years of posts!!!
Your cake is fantastic, I love this tres leches more than any I have seen…this could be the one for me to make!!
Happy 1 year bloggaversary. Can’t wait to see what you are going to cook up for year number2. This cake looks crazy delicious. Can’t wait to try it and then feed it to my family – this is evil trouble to keep around the house.
Congrats on one year!! Tres leches cake is one of my favorite desserts!! I just had one at an upscale Mexican restaurant a few days ago. Your chocolate version looks absolutely delicious!! I’m always afraid of the “soaking cake in milk” process whenever I think of making one myself. But I might have to try sometime soon. I can’t wait too long before I have another one! Your cake stand is so pretty. It goes very well with the cake 🙂
Congrats on your blog success. I have enjoyed reading your smart and witty blog.
Love the Tres Leches cake. I am a big fan of TL and would love to try this.
Be well
Happy Blogiversary and to many more! I started a little like you more than five years ago… That Chocolate Tres Leche cake looks terrific!
Cheers,
Rosa
Bravo Bonnie and congratulations for reaching that first crucial year that will make or break a blogger. You did it Amiga. Thank you so much for the spotlight on my blog and my ebook. I’m so happy you are enjoying it. I hope all the winners will enjoy it as well. Well done and continued success. I think your writing is just wonderful, filled with warmth and alot of caring for what really matters…familia. 🙂
Congrats on your one year! Trying NOT to eat my computer screen right now! Love the picts!
Congrats on the year! It’s a real accomplishment! I want the ebook! AND I’m trying to not eat my computer screen right now looking at these picts!!!
congrats on reaching an awesome milestone! you’ve done such unique and delicious work, and this cake is certainly no exception to that. how utterly scrumptious!
Chocolate? Tres Leches sauce? AND ganache? I’m in love. This cake look amazing!
And Congrats on your one year 🙂
Wow! Congrats on one-year of blogging. It is quite a feat to remain dedicated — and you’re a student /mother/wife/sister on top of it all.
I can wait for the next year of posts 🙂
Congrats on your first blog-birthday!!
I am so happy to have found you, your blog is great source of inspiration!!
I love the cake, traditional tres leches is one of my favorites. I’d love to try this version.
hugs from Taiwan,
Oooh this is the way to celebrate, all right! Three kinds of milk in a luscious cake! And happy 1st year anniversary! I’m so glad you stumbled into blogging and fell in love with it!
Awe Bonnnie, this is so wonderful and really sweet too. Ooh, and congratulations on one year-you more than did it. I always anticipate seeing your creativity. You have style that is all your own in both cooking and presentation. You know I love it! I mean it too…
p.s.that cake looks luscious, but I’m staring at the cake stand. That is beautiful. Was that in the box from Mexico?
congrats on the milestone, staying in this for a year is a triumph – here’s to another great year my friend… love the cake, almost sinful and what a great friend, but that’s just one thing I like ’bout Texans – now as for the gifts, I’m a little jealous of the 10 liter glass Vitrolera …oh, keep those Texas/Mexican recipes coming…. and enter me for Teresa’s ebook
First off…a big congratulatory hug. it’s great that you have all this great support.
You multi-task. Do you actually think that this characteristic belongs to unorganized people?…I think not…that’s pure skill and loads of talent…be proud!!!
It’s really funny how we all somehow share the same beginnings of why we end up starting our own blogs…how wonderful we all are for sharing our foodie passions.
Happy 1st and flavourful wishes, Claudia
Congratulations on your first year of blogging! I am so glad that I found your blog because your recipes and photographs are always inspiring. This cake looks beautiful, and I can only imagine how rich that first bite must taste!
oh Sommer thanks HUGS , you are truly a jewel, I am glad I found your blog..
sweetlife
OMG! The cake is gorgeous! My husband promises to make me a heavenly birthday cake next week–I’m thinking I’ll slip this recipe into his briefcase!
Let me just say, I truly do appreciated you. Not just your brilliant recipes or your artistic photos, but the YOU that comes across every post. You are willing to humbly put yourself out there for all to see, and that kind of honesty is what keeps us coming back for more! Happy Blog-iversary!
Thanks Rachel….glad ya stopeed by..
sweetlife
Congratulations on one year! Love the blog!!