#MEwx Flood Advisory, rain, snow and All in one Chocolate Cake

Good morning Augusta.

I've put up an Ambient WS 5000 weather station where you can view real time weather readings from my location online by clicking here.

We're under a FLOOD ADVISORY this morning, it's in the post preceding this one.

This morning we have rain and freezing rain with a slight chance for rain this afternoon. Ice accumulation of up to a tenth of an inch. Highs in the upper 30s with West winds 10 to 15 mph gusting to 30 mph.

Tonight we'll have partly cloudy conditions with lows around 15°F. Winds will be West 10 to 15 mph gusting to 30 mph in the evening.

We've received roughly  3 inches of rain/snow here over the past 24 hours and it's still slushing out there.

The  wind is North between  1.1 MPH and 7.2 MPH.

The Relative pressure is 29.10, the Absolute pressure is 28.90 and falling with a weather graphic indicating snow/rain  and clouds.

Augusta's humidity is 99%, the  outdoor temperature is 31.6°F, the dew point is 31.4°F and the wind chill is 31.6°F.  

Visibility is 10.0 miles / 16.1 kilometers with clouds and sun.

The UV index is 0 placing the average person at low risk and the solar radiation reading is 2.6W/m2. Sunrise is 7:03 AM, sunset is 4:40 PM, moonrise is 9:54 AM, Moonset is 10:49 PM. The moon is          waxing crescent and is 28.2% illuminated. We'll have 9 hours 37 minutes of daylight today.

The next Full Moon is on February 5, 2023 with our next new moon being on February 20.

 

Hey, Valentine's Day is only about 2 weeks off, so use this recipe as a test for the big day.

All-in-One Chocolate Cake

NIGELLA LAWSON

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CAKE:

·         Butter for greasing baking pans

·         1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

·         1 cup sugar

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         ½ teaspoon baking soda

·         ⅓ cup best-quality cocoa powder

·         6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

·         2 large eggs, at room temperature

·         2 teaspoons vanilla

·         ¾ cup sour cream, at room temperature

FOR THE FROSTING:

·         6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

·         3 ounces (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

·         1 tablespoon light corn syrup

·         ½ cup sour cream

·         1 teaspoon vanilla

·         2 ½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

·          

PREPARATION

1.      For cake: heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter sides of two 8-inch cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a knife blade, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, butter, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Process to make a smooth, thick batter.

2.      Using a rubber spatula, divide batter between pans, and smooth tops. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from cake pans.

3.      For frosting: Combine chocolate and butter in a large heat-proof bowl, and heat until melted in a microwave oven or over a pan of simmering water. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in corn syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until very smooth. Frosting should be thick and spreadable. If necessary, add a teaspoon or two of boiling water to thin it, or additional sifted confectioners' sugar to thicken.

4.      Cut four strips of waxed or parchment paper and place them side by side on a cake plate, covering the surface. Place one cake layer domed-side down on plate.

5.      Spoon about a third of the frosting onto center of cake and use a knife or a spatula to spread it evenly. Place the other cake on top, domed side up. Spoon another third of frosting on top of cake, spreading to make swirls or a smooth finish. Spread sides of cake with remaining frosting and allow to sit for a few minutes until set. Carefully remove paper strips. Place cake under glass or in an airtight container and set aside in a cool place until serving.