You may be wondering what does chocolate cake have to do with the Enneagram. In some ways, it has little do with the Enneagram, and in other ways, there is a connection.

The 1^st connection is that chocolate cake can help you give better presentations. In an acting class I took many years ago – the reason for my taking this was to try to learn how to turn all my speeches into top notch ones – the instructor suggested that when we felt any “stage fright,” we think of eating something delicious oozing out of our mouths. Then, she suggested, and rightly so, that we would be filled with pleasure and “stage fright” would be gone.

My choice was this amazing chocolate cake I’ve been baking since the 1970s, aptly titled “Groovy Chocolate Cake” from a cookbook, also aptly titled called “Chocolate Kicks and Other Recipes for the Chocolate Addict” by Edna McHugh (© 1970 Pierce/Stern/Sloan Publishers, Inc.).

Here’s the 2^nd reason why this particular chocolate cake aligns with the Enneagram:
Ones | It is a perfect cake!
Twos | Everyone will love it and love you for making it!
Threes | It is easy to make with fast, great results!
Fours | It is a different kind of chocolate cake!
Fives | It takes few utensils to make; you hardly need a hand mixer!
Sixes | It always comes out well, so no worries!
Sevens | The chocolate sprinkles on top are so much fun!
Eights | It makes a large cake so you can eat it all!
Nines | It really lasts and works well as a comfort food!

Groovy Chocolate Cake Recipe

Cake
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
1/4 pound butter
1 cup hot water
2 cups sifted flour (regular, not cake flour)
2 cups sugar (white)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs, beaten

Frosting
4 squares unsweetened chocolate
7 tablespoons milk (regular)
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon rum flavoring (vanilla can be substituted)
1/3 stick of butter, melted
chocolate shot (also called “sprinkles” and use a lot of these; dark chocolate is best)

Cooking directions
Set over at 350 degrees. Grease a 13” x 9” x 2” pan. Melt chocolate over hot water. Melt butter in 1 cup of hot water, and bring to a boil. Mix melted chocolate into butter and water. Sift together flour, sugar, and salt. Pour mixture into flour mixture all at once and blend well. Add sour cream, vanilla and baking soda, and mix well.

Add eggs. Bake for 30 minutes or until done (stick a toothpick into center and it should still be very moist but not dripping; sides of cake should be moist and done). When cake is almost done, start making the frosting.

For frosting, melt chocolate over water. Mix milk (gradually) into powdered sugar. Add salt and rum flavoring. Add melted chocolate and mix well. Add melted butter and mix some more. Spread over cake in pan while cake is still warm. Cover surface with chocolate shot (chocolate sprinkles).

Enjoy!