Quick and Kosher with Jamie Geller,Jamie Geller

The first rule in comedy or criticism is that it's completely PC to call out a certain group of people if you are one of them. As I am a total BT, I can comfortably say from experience that ba'alei teshuvah can sometimes make you laugh.

There's the story of a girl who carried a siddur around her house under her armpit because she knew there was some issue with carrying on Shabbos and figured a shinui was needed. Or my neighbor who chased after her kids with a broom when they ate cookies outside her front door on a windy Erev Pesach - fearful that chometz would blow back into the house. Or my own experience

I wonder if this silly "fanaticism" is innate to ba'alei teshuvah, or just to particular personalities predisposed to obsession and uncertainty. My got-to-make-sure-I-always-get-it-right behavior spills over into my kitchen. For instance, I made a Bundt cake in a new oven and the recipe said 33-43 minutes. Now the first issue is the 10-minute time span for "doneness." I worried the whole time is it 33 or is it 43, is it 34, 35, 36, etc?

So I compulsively turned on the oven light starting at the 28-minute mark and then made the completely wrong assumption that the cake needed another 5 minutes when my 33-minute timer beeped. So now I have this cake that's about 5 minutes overdone and slightly crunchy around the edges (yes people, it happens to the best of us) and am wondering - should I just throw it out and start over again? I am having company, and I wrote a cookbook - how could I serve such a cake?

My calmer, clear-minded, and often more coherent better half talked me off the trashcan ledge and convinced me that a bit - or a ton - of yummy icing would do the trick. And whaddaya know; the icing saved the day, my reputation and future book sales.

So here is a pretty foolproof, one-bowl, amazing chocolate cake recipe that should really be done in 45 minutes, plus or minus just a few for oven temperature discrepancies. Enjoy, and whatever you do, don't obsess over it! It will be great and you'll get oodles of compliments. The secret is not to let on about your uncertainties.

One Bowl Amazing Chocolate Cake

Prep: 7 minutes; Cook 45 to 50 minutes; Chill: none; Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 (3.3-ounce) package Osem Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1¼ teaspoons baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup liquid non-dairy creamer

½ cup canola oil

½ cup mayonnaise

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly grease a Bundt pan with non-stick baking spray.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer whisk together flour, sugar, pudding mix, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda.

3.Add non-dairy creamer, canola oil, mayonnaise, eggs and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

4. Pour into prepared Bundt pan.

5. Bake at 325° for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan about 20 minutes. Loosen sides and center with a knife and invert onto a serving plate.

Tip

For a glaze, place 1 cup chocolate chips and ½ cup non-dairy frozen ready-to-whip liquid topping, thawed, in a small saucepan. Heat until melted and drizzle over cake.

Note

Everyone has a go-to recipe for a one-bowl cake, and this is mine. It's a combination of three or four recipes and, yes, I think it's the best. The mayonnaise and pudding really moisten the cake, and you'll also score beauty points with presentation because, as I always say, anything baked in a Bundt pan will impress your guests. It's like a self-decorated cake.

Suggested Wine

Hagafen 2005 Napa Valley Late Harvest Zinfandel

Chocolate cake needs to be paired with a wine that will accent the chocolate, and the sweet strawberry jam of this Late Harvest Zinfandel will do just that.

Jamie Geller is the author of Quick & Kosher: Recipes From The Bride Who Knew Nothing, published by Feldheim. (It will be in stores this November, just in time for Chanukah.) Jamie is an internationally syndicated food and lifestyle columnist, the host of the OU cooking show, "Simply Kosher" and a freelance producer for HBO and the Food Network.

To schedule personal appearances including cooking demonstrations, presentations, fundraisers, and book signings - and to pick up more shortcuts, cooking tips and new recipes - visit Jamie at her online home: www.quickandkosher.com.

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Quick and Kosher with Jamie Geller , Jamie Geller