15-Minute Bodyweight Workout: HIIT it Hard!

 

 

 

 

 

Made this one up on the spot when I was all hyped up from sugar (chocolate frosting orgy etc.). Go as fast as possible without rest between rounds.

Super Simple Fool-proof Dark Chocolate Cake

I spent Saturday afternoon baking, frosting, and decorating this delectable chocolate cake for my parents to take to some random asian poker party.
Not gonna lie- Sharing this recipe with y'all is a way of soothing my conscience about not being able to post as often.
Yes, it is slightly malformed, but it has not only provided me with the experience of making a layer cake; I've also discovered one of the best and easiest chocolate cake recipes ever! I mean, it's TSAC-proof. That itself should speak worlds for this recipe. The Espresso Chocolate frosting is a recipe I've been using forever, and it's just a basic chocolate buttercream with espresso powder thrown in. you can omit the espresso, but I find that coffee really brings out the chocolate flavor well. Almost tastes a bit like tiramisu! Which, I guess, is up next on my baking list for fall, after everything pumpkin-related of course.

I kind of screwed up flipping the layers (it's my first ever layer cake!) but only because I accidentally ripped a corner with my spatula. Better luck next time. Let's just say that my first try at making a layer cake ended in an ecstatic yet exhausted orgy of chocolate frosting and cake crumbs.

CAKE RECIPE: food.com (Serves 20-24 making 2 layers of cake, or maybe just two if I'm there ;p )
*2 cups sugar (I used 1 1/4 cup because I loaded it with frosting)
*1 3/4 cups flour*3/4 cup cocoa powder
*1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
*1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
*1 teaspoon salt
*2 eggs
*1 cup milk
*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*3/4 cup boiling water 

FROSTING RECIPE:food.com, makes about one to two cups
*1/2 cup butter, softened
*2 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
*1/3 cup half-and-half, or sub. un-whipped cream
*1 to 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

For a:light frosting- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
medium frosting- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
very rich frosting- 3/4 cup cocoa powder

*Mix all together and store in refridgerator 

PREPERATION:
1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2.) Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13 x 9 inch pan
3.) In large mixer bowl, stir together dry ingredients
4.) Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla
5.) Stir in boiling water
6.) Pour into prepared pan(s)
7.) Bake 30-35 minutes in two round 9-inch pans, 35-40 minutes for retangular pan, or until pick comes out clean
8.) Let completely cool, then run pick along the side of the cake to loosen it.
9.) Put plate on top of a pan and flip upside down so the plate is on the bottom. Tap the pan if the cake does not come out, or carefully insert a thin spatula under cake to help it come out.
10.) IF MAKING A LAYER CAKE: Frost top of first layer
11.) Flip the other layer out, and place on top (with help of a spatula) of frosted layer
12.) Decorate as you like! I covered the entire thing with frosting to hide the damage, and then topped it with some chocolate shavings. Suggestions-

• Cover with chocolate ganache (one cup of cream + 8 ounces of finely chopped and melted chocolate)
• Pipe with frosting
• Add strawberries or raspberries on top

WWS

Beyond tired and busy...
As you can probably tell from my lack of posting.

Dumbell Metabolic Workout: one pair of 10 lb dumbells

8 rotating lunges holding dumbells
12 squats with side arm raises with dumbells
20 kettlebell swings with dumbell
x3

10 chest presses in v-sit
10 deadlift to upright row
x3

10 baby burpees (burpee minus the pushup)
20 squat jumps
30 half cobras
40 lying burpees
50 mountain climbers

Obsessed: Laughing Cow Creamy Swiss wedges!!!

This is coming from someone who is not a big fan of cheese. In fact, although I will eat it if it is in/on something, i.e pizza or cream cheese frosting, I will pretty much never eat it plain- unless it's this!!!

I know it's technically a "spread," but I just love poppin' a piece straight up. (Ya dig?) I really dislike chewing cheese, because I don't like having that sour taste all over my mouth, and the texture is just... ugh...
But this cheese (probably because it's a spread lol) just melts on my tongue!!! Heavenly. And only 35 cals!!! Great for calcium too. Though only fourth next to my fave calcium boosters- Ice cream, frozen yogurt, and buttercream frosting.

WWS

My first A.P Biology test tomorrow!!! Definitely a bit nervous... It's a very hard class, and last year the highest score on this test was a B-. Not exactly encouraging stats, but let's try and be positive here. Maybe I won't fall straight on my face. Maybe the world will be kind and it'll just a cushioned blow to my ass. Hopefully.

WWS for the coming week is the free Turbulence Training 4-week Program.

Short and sweet is key- I barely have time to sleep, much less indulge in prolonged sweat sessions.

super duper light cake recipe

My friend O shared with me a fantastically easy and light cake recipe. Originally we made it in the rice cooker, which didn't work very well since my rice cooker has various issues, but I recreated it today in the oven and it came out awesomely.
It's an extremely light cake- the kind that serves more like a vehicle for frosting than anything else...
This is sure to be a hit with asian grown-ups, since sweets are generally not super sugary in Asia.
The only catch is that you have to whip the egg whites until your hands fall off. There's probably a way to incorporate cream of tartar for an easier way to make it rise, but I'll have to play with that in the future. Oh well, at least you're getting a good bicep workout in; all the more reason to treat yourself!

RECIPE:
*4 eggs, yolks and whites seperated
*1/2 cup sugar
*1 cup flour
*about 1-2 tablespoons milk
*1 teaspoon vanilla
*pinch of salt
*You can serve/garnish it any way you'd like; with strawberries and whipped cream, frosting, dusted with powdered sugar, etc. I spread it with some chocolate ganache (melted semi-sweet chocolate chips) and sprinkled some chopped almonds, which is great too.

PREPERATION:
Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees (unless you're using a rice cooker.)
1.) Seperate egg yolks and whites into different bowls
2.) Add 1/4 cup of sugar into each bowl
3.) Whip egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form

4.) Whip egg yolks and sugar until they are a very pale yellow color.

5.) Mix both together and add in flour until incorporated
6.) Add milk until mixture ribbons, however little/much needed.

7.) Add vanilla and salt
8.) If you have a rice cooker, heat it up and then cook the cake at "heat" for 10 minutes and "cook" for 10 minutes. Resist the urge to open the lid and check it because it will deflate if lid is opened too early! If you're using an oven, bake for 10 minutes at 200 degrees and 5-7 minutes at 300 degrees. It's ready when it has risen and a toothpick comes out clean.

Decorate as you see fit. I melted some chocolate chips with the microwave and smeared it on, along with sprinkling sliced almonds on top. I would recommend a really light and fluffy frosting to go along with this cake.

WWS

Sorry to keep you guys hanging for so long... school started on Wednesday and I've been super loaded with homework.
I've actually seemed to have (almost) killed my procrastination habit this year- at least when it comes to schoolwork. I can actually focus and get all my work done. Hope that's a developement that's here to stay. Weirdly enough, my appetite always seems to disappear whenever I'm busy- also not a bad thing, as it gives me more time to do other things rather than eat. Generally I'm a perpetual snacker, but these days I just don't feel like eating. I feel fine otherwise, and have plenty of energy; my appetite just always goes away when I'm busy.

Since I'm so busy with school and extracurriculars, there isn't much time to work out. So I try to go for five short but intense strength training workouts a week, including my tennis lesson. Each workout is around 20 minutes, and thus I can crank one out, shower, and be back to doing AP bio within 40 minutes (counting changing time).

TT Crazy 8 circuit: (pretty damn tough!)
60 jumping jacks
10 spiderman pushups
20 walking lunges
45 second wall squat
30 second plank
5 burpees with pushup
50 high knees
x3