Every day we encounter things we know we should do, but we don’t necessarily do them. It’s hard to! Like saying no to the delicious third glass of wine that calls my name but then leaves me waking up with just that slight twinge of a headache. Or those last few bites of decadent pasta, cheese, or cake. Or like calling distant family relatives that you don’t feel like speaking to. Or waking up and not hitting the snooze button, getting right out bed and going on a run. Yeah…fat chance. We know we should or should not do things based on how they make us feel, how good they are for us. I also know I should always always always follow directions on a baking recipe, but sometimes, like this time, I didn’t.

And there were consequences in the form of an overflowed pan and bits of charred burned cake on the bottom of my oven. No bueno. Especially when you’re in your room, inhaling beautiful, highly seductive whispers of hot chocolate flavored cake and it suddenly, instantly turns into the exact smell you don’t want: burn. I ran to my oven, opened it, and smoke flew out like a torpedo. It was not good.

But at least the cake that remained in the pan tasted good. Very good. Imagine your favorite creamy, milky, subtle hot chocolate baked into a cake form. Yes. It’s such a cute creative cake, and I would have enjoyed it more had I followed the directions in the first place.

In life we might strive to always do or not do what we know is the right thing for us, sometimes we don’t, and it’s fine. It’s what makes us human, in all of our flawed glory. Although I will always choose the right pan size. My burned oven begs me to.

Hot chocolate cake

Adapted from Tasting Table

Note: this recipe calls for the cake to be baked in eight ovenproof vessels. They suggest mason jars, but you can use any ovenproof dish such as a ramekin or a mug. Alternatively, you could use one large 10-inch baking pan, definitely not an 8-inch one like someone I know.

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, plus more for dusting

¼ cup hot-chocolate mix

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1¼ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup coffee, at room temperature

2 cups whipped cream

Set the oven to 300 degrees F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, hot-chocolate mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla extract, olive oil and coffee.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, a third at a time, whisking to incorporate between each addition.

Arrange eight 8-ounce Mason jars on a sheet tray and carefully pour ½ cup batter into each jar (Or large 10-inch baking pan). Place the tray in the oven and bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Top each cake with the whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder. Serve warm.