Pepita Cake with Mexican Chocolate and Tequila {she made, ella hace}

This month for she made, ella hace, Leslie and I thought that chocolate would be a fitting theme. After all, Valentine's Day is tomorrow...and when one thinks Valentine's Day, one thinks chocolate. Funny how both of our dishes wound up using Mexican chocolate, though. That's just part of that connection we have - the one that makes me want to hang out with this cool chick  month after month.

The chocolate in the cake that I'm sharing to day may not be visible on first glance. The base for the cake is actually pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds). There is still some flour in there, but ground pepitas act as a flour, as well. Using them definitely reminds me of using coarse, freshly ground almonds in baked goods. It lends deep, earthy flavor, plus it makes for a super moist cake.

You may remember me mentioning that we have some friends that go to Mexico every year, and I'm so lucky that they always bring me back a few homemade disks of Mexican Chocolate. I adore the homemade variety beyond compare. Sure, I like the varieties you can buy at the store, too - but the homemade is soft and easy to break apart, and there's just something magical about chocolate made from scratch!