Comfort food

Creamy garlic mashed potatoes and gravy, mushroom risotto, chicken soup, hot milk with honey,vanilla & cinnamon, rice pudding , warm homemade bread slathered with butter, chocolate cake, and the list goes on...
I'm a definite comfort craving, scent seeking, taste savouring, self proclaimed food critic; my own worst enemy at times. Take an average Saturday night for example; I spent the bulk of my day shopping with my three favourite girls only to return home to a rushed dinner hour. Pressure usually produces good results and the thai inspired dish proves itself. That was until after dinner...
I decide to bake a coffee cake for possible Sunday company, a traditional thing to do. I read the recipe through and assemble all the ingredients.
I proceed to combine the flour and sugar, cutting in the butter, still fully confident in my abilities until I realize I'd just created streusel not the cake batter intended. The usual; why am i baking at this hour,i love cooking and other unmentionables come to mind. Problem solving

prevails....and i turn to the internet for inspiration. Could I make a pie or some lemony square? I really,really want chocolate cake, though. My inner frugal solution:I salvage some of the butter to create a new streusel. I cream new "unmeasured" butter with sugar, eggs and vanilla.( who cares at this point) I add cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt to my flour mistake willing the magic in baking powder to do its thing.Next the recipe reads to stir dry ingredients into butter mixture alternating with sour cream. I don't remember reading that! Why did i pick this recipe?...idea of comforting chocolate cake overriding all rational thought . I proceed to blending, sort of alternating, but not really. Where are my guinea pig kids when i need a taste tester? Okay, so its in the pan and the streusel concoction is sprinkled. Lets hope the cake is edible!

The real recipe:

• 1/2 cup butter,softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 2/3 cups flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 cup sour cream

Streusel:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup pecans,toasted

Stir together sugar and flour; cut in butter till crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans. Set aside.

Batter: Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time.Blend in vanilla.
Stir flour, baking powder,soda and salt together in a new bowl. add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream ending with dry ingredients. Spread batter in a 9" springform pan. sprinkle with streusel and bake at 350' for 1 hr +10 min.

(original recipe found at Allrecipes.com)