Silvia's "It's not the coconut" chocolate mystery cake

Silvia loved to enter the Marin County Fair food competitions and often won prizes.

Not one, not two, but three mystery ingredients! A taster guessed, "It's not the coconut". But it was. Or rather the sauerkraut whose texture resembles coconut. The other mystery ingredients are beer and crystalized ginger. Debuted at a Friday the 13th bake sale. Very appropriate for April Fool's Day.

Recipe

Preheat over to 350 degrees.
Rinse and drain 2/3 cup of sauerkraut.
Dice crystalized ginger into pea size pieces making one cup.

Sift together the following dry ingredients:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 1/4 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda

Cream together 2/3 cup butter, softened, and 1 1/4 cup sugar.

Add 3 eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition. Blend in 1 tsp vanilla or coconut extract.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar mixture alternately with 1 12 ounce can of beer.

Stir in the sauerkraut and the ginger pieces.

Ladle into flower pots - unglazed terra cotta with varying sizes. If using flower pots, spray the inside with cooking spray. Put a small piece of parchment paper in the bottom of each pot to cover the hole. Fill pots 3/4 full and put on a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake about 30-35 minutes in a 350 degree oven testing with a toothpick. Allow to cool and sprinkle with raw sugar and chocolate covered ginger for decoration.

If you prefer, recipe will make two 8" cakes.