National Chocolate Cake Day 2012: Great Recipes and the History of Chocolate

National Chocolate Cake Day is once again upon us! It is a great day, when we can all come together and honor the greatest flavor of all: chocolate. Whether you are a chocolate lover or a cake aficionado, this day is for you.

Every January 27th individuals from far and wide commemorate this special day. There is an abundance of chocolate cake everywhere you turn.

Obviously, there are three goals with National Chocolate Cake Day.

1. Bake a chocolate cake.

You can pick your favorite recipe, using a cookbook, or scroll through this handy slideshow to find the perfect choice for you.

2. Decorate a chocolate cake.

3. And finally, eat a chocolate cake and share it with friends.

But where does chocolate even come from?

The Mayans harvested cocoa bean from rain forests and worshiped the intoxicating substance as an idol. The Aztecs also held the bean to a high regard, using it for currency. They also used it to create a luxury drink. Christopher Columbus became the first European to discover cocoa during his fourth voyage to the New World. He returned to Europe with the beans, but they were overlooked for other treasures.

Fast forward about 200 years: In the 1760s and the Baker Chocolate Company is established in Dorchester, Mass., by James Baker and John Hannon. Baker begins calling his products Baker's Chocolates. The 1800s saw the rise of many of the most popular chocolate companies including, Cadbury and Nestle. In the 1900s, Milton S. Hershey introduced the chocolate bar, beginning what would become a chocolate empire.

Tuesday was also National Peanut Butter Day. If you missed that great holiday, try to make yourself a nice chocolate and peanut-butter Reese's cake to make up for it.