Chocolate Minicakes (chiffon method)

I was in the mood for chocolate.

 
Chocolate with something else.
But I couldn't decide on that 'something else'. 
So I made them all!

Chocolate cake with Ferrero Rocher.
Chocolate cake with almonds.
Chocolate cake with chocolate chips.

This time round, I decided to try my usual cupcake recipe with a twist.
Instead of the usual creaming method, I made these using the chiffon or egg separation method.

The result: a lighter fluffier cake but a little drier.
I reckon it's the meringue.

I can't say if this yielded a better result or not. It's really a matter of personal taste. If you like lighter cakes, this is the way to go; but if you favour denser, richer, moister cakes, then the creaming method would be your choice.

CHOCOLATE CAKE (chiffon method)
Makes 8 regular sized cupcakes.

50g chocolate, plus milk to make 1/2 cup or 120ml volume
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
30g sugar
80g butter
70g sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
120g plain flour
10g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder

In a glass measuring cup, measure 50g of chocolate.
Then pour in milk till it reaches the 1/2 cup or 120ml mark.
Microwave the mixture, stirring frequently, till the chocolate is melted and thoroughly mixed with the milk.
Set aside to cool.

Combine egg whites, cream of tartar and 30g sugar in a mixing bowl.
Whisk till soft peaks form.
Set aside.

In another mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add egg yolks one at a time till well combined.
Add vanilla extract.
Add cooled chocolate milk mixture and mix well. 

Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
Add to batter and mix on low till just combined.
Add the meringue and mix on low till just combined.
Or for an even lighter cake, fold in the meringue using a spatula or balloon whisk.

The batter is now ready for the cupcake liners.
For the Rocher cake, fill cupcake liner 3/4, then place a Rocher on top.
For the almond cake, sprinkle some sliced almonds on top.
For the triple choc chip cake, stir some choc chips into the batter, then fill the cupcake liner. Sprinkle top with more choc chips!

Bake at 150*C for about 25 mins.
Best served warm.
Or better still, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream :)

Enjoy!

* * * * * * *

More cake recipes can be found HERE.

Chiffon Cheesecake with Hershey's Syrup Swirls

It's been a long time since I had chiffon cheesecake, better known as Japanese cheesecake to some. Many of you would already be familiar with this, so it needs no introduction.

For a little bit of fun, I added some Hershey's Syrup into some batter and marbled it on the top. While the visual effect was quite nice, I didn't quite taste enough Hershey's. More next time!!!


CHIFFON CHEESECAKE 
with Hershey's Syrup Swirls
Makes a 6x9" cake.

20g butter
115g cream cheese
45ml milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 tbs lemon juice
30g cake or plain flour
10g corn flour
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
65g caster sugar
60ml Hershey's syrup

Melt butter, cheese and milk over a water bath. (Or just stick it in the microwave in 10-second shots, stirring in between till you get a smooth mixture.)
Set aside to cool.

Add egg yolks, vanilla extract and lemon juice and stir till well combined.
Combine the flours, then sift it into the mixture and stir till well combined. 

In a clean mixing bowl, combine egg whites, cream of tartar and sugar.
Whisk till soft peaks form.

Pour egg whites into cheese mixture and fold gently (preferably with a balloon whisk) till no whites streaks are visible.

Pour batter into a greased and lined baking tin, saving just about 1/2 cup (120ml) of batter. Add Hershey's syrup into the remaining batter and stir gently will well combined. Randomly dot the top with the Hershey's mixture, then use a chopstick to create swirls.

Bake at 160*C in a water bath for 45-50 min till a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top has browned nicely.

Best to slice the cake when chilled so that there are less crumbs.

Tiramisu, the batter baker way

I promise you, this tastes a lot better than it looks.
My photography skills are horrible (thankfully my food-making skills are a little better), so do give this recipe a chance.

I absolutely love love love tiramisu - the soft moist cake with layers of melt-in-your-mouth mascarpone is just heaven in a bite!

Well, actually, you don't even have to bite. This tiramisu just melts in your mouth! 

When I tasted my first tiramisu (at the grand old age of 17 - oops, underaged alcohol consumption... shhh), I had the impression that it would be difficult to make, just because it was such a delicious dessert.  So when I was told it was super easy and didn't even require baking, I was thrilled!!

After trying out a few recipes, I've finally come up with my own variation. It's largely based on Giada de Laurentiis' recipe, but with a small but significant tweak, that made all the difference to me.


TIRAMISU, the batter baker way
Makes a 6x6" cake.

Sponge layers:
1 pack instant coffee
1 tsp cocoa powder
180ml hot water
1 tbs dark rum (or you can use kahlua or bailey's)
18 pcs savaiordi (sponge fingers)

Mascarpone layers:
3 egg whites
2 tbs caster sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
250g mascarpone cheese
3 egg yolks
2 tbs caster sugar 

cocoa powder
chocolate curls


Combine all the ingredients for the sponge layers (except the fingers).  Set aside to cool while you prepare the mascarpone mixture.

Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a clean oil-free bowl.
Whisk till peaks are stiff. Set aside.

In another bowl, combine cheese, egg yolks and sugar.
Mix till well combined and creamy.
Fold meringue (stiff egg whites) into the cheese mixture till well combined.

To assemble the tiramisu, dip a sponge finger for just 1 second into the coffee mixture. Place in your serving dish and repeat till you get a single layer of sponge fingers.

Scoop half of the cheese mixture onto the sponge fingers and spread evenly.
Sprinkle with cocoa powder, as much as you like.

Repeat with sponge fingers, cheese mixture and cocoa powder.
Finally, scatter chocolate curls on top and lightly press into the cheese.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.


Hope you like this variation of tiramisu. 
Give it a try and let me know what you think!

* * * * * * *

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

It's been a long long long time since I last made a cake.
And the last time I made a Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake was in Dec 2010.

Since then, I've been wanting to try another variation of the Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake by America's Test Kitchen.

And again, their recipes have not failed me.
It was easy to make, almost fail-proof, and the flavours were great! Of course, it helps that you use the best quality chocolate you can afford, since this cake is all about the chocolate.

I was in such a haste to get this ready for a birthday party that I didn't have the chance to take photos of the sides or the insides (I wrapped this cake with plastic around the sides, that's why you see a shiny reflective surface in the photo).

But... to show you what it looks like inside, here's a shot from my 2010 attempt, and it pretty much looks the same.

The original recipe from the website was for a 9.5" cake. But I halved the recipe and it made a 6.5" cake just perfectly. You could probably make up to a 8" cake; you'll just get shorter layers and a shorter cake, but the flavour will be just as awesome!

Now, don't be put off by the long recipe for this cake. It's really not that complicated at all. The recipe is long only because the instructions are very detailed. Once you've read through the recipe, you'll find that it's really rather simple. I gave it a go, and am so glad I did. Cos this is a really lovely mousse cake - rich, yet light at the same time. It sounds odd, but it's true. You'll know what I mean when you try it...


TRIPLE CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE
Makes a 6.5" to 8" cake, using a springform pan at least 3" high.

BOTTOM LAYER:
42g butter
100g bittersweet chocolate
3/8 tsp instant espresso or coffee powder (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, separated
pinch of salt
35g brown sugar

Melt butter, chocolate and espresso powder bain marie, stirring occasionally till smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Whisk in vanilla extract and egg yolks. Then set aside.

Whisk egg whites and salt till frothy.
Gradually add sugar and whisk till soft peaks form.
Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it up.
Then gently fold in the remaining egg whites till no white streaks remain.
Push the batter into a greased or lined springform pan, smoothing the top.
Bake at 160*C for about 15 min till cake is done.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Do not remove the cake from the pan.
The cake will collapse and shrink quite a bit as it cools. This is perfectly normal, so don't get worried.

MIDDLE LAYER:
1 tbs cocoa powder
2.5 tbs hot water
100g bittersweet chocolate
180ml whipping cream
1/2 tbs white sugar
pinch of salt

Combine cocoa powder and hot water. Set aside.
Melt chocolate till smooth. Then set aside to cool slightly.
Whisk whipping cream, sugar and salt till soft peaks form.
Whisk cocoa powder mixture into the melted chocolate till smooth.
Then fold together the whipped cream and chocolate mixture till no whites streaks remain.
Spoon the mousse over the cooled cake (bottom layer) and smooth the top.
Refrigerate for at least 15 min while preparing the top layer.

TOP LAYER:
3/8 tsp powdered gelatin
1/2 tbs water
85g white chocolate
180ml whipping cream

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand for 5 min.
In a small saucepan, bring 60ml of the whipping cream to a simmer.
Remove from heat, add gelatin and stir till fully dissolved.
Add white chocolate and stir till smooth.
Let the mixture cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Whisk the remaining whipping cream till soft peaks form.
Fold 1/3 of the whipping cream into the chocolate mixture to loosen it up.
Then fold in the remaining whipped cream till no white streaks remain.
Push the mousse into the pan over the middle layer, and smooth the top.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight to allow the cake to set.

To serve:
I chose to decorate the cake with more chocolate.
First, I dusted some cocoa powder over the top in a triangle pattern.
Then I placed 3 Ferrero Rochers in a cluster near the edge of the cake.
Next, I sprinkled some chocolate shavings around the Rochers, lightly pressing them into the mousse.
Finally, I randomly pressed in a few silver dragees to add a little bling!


I hope you'll give this recipe a try, and if you do, please let me know how it goes for you.

Thanks for reading this very long post  :)

Dark Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

WARNING :: This is for serious chocoholics!!  

Hands up if you are a fan of lava cake!!

The first time I tried this, it was love at first bite. How could a chocoholic resist rich chocolate cake AND luscious velvety molten chocolate oozing out from the centre?

Absolute heaven!

It's good as it is on its own.
But even better with vanilla ice cream.
Although, my husband will say it's better with cookies 'n cream.

This decadent treat is the probably the easiest thing to bake!
Even easier than muffins.
No need to worry about batter deflating.
No need to worry if it's gonna rise or not.
Just mix everything up and pop it in the oven for 10 minutes!!

You can even make these in advance.
Or freeze it for future cravings.
I can't think of an easier and more versatile recipe, really.

Dark Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Makes 4 small cakes packed with intense chocolatey goodness.

140g dark chocolate (get the best quality you can find and afford)
80g butter
90g sugar
2 eggs
60g flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate, butter and sugar.
When well combined, remove from heat.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs.
Temper the eggs with a little of the chocolate mixture.
Then stir the eggs into the chocolate and mix well.
Add flour and mix well.

Divide the mixture among 4 greased ramekins.
Bake at 200*C for 10 minutes.
Let the cakes cool in the mould for a few minutes before unmoulding.
(Best served warm.)

Now brace yourself for the full impact of C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E decadence!!

All Wrapped Up

3rd attempt at a fondant cake.

Settled on a simple design. Or so I thought.
It looks simple.
But sometimes the simplest things are the hardest to do perfect, don't you agree.

First, I added too much water when microwaving the marshmallows. So I ended up with fondant that was too moist.

I made the bow and tail ends in advance, so it would have time to dry and set up. But when I was moving the bow, the tip of one of the tail ends broke.
Fortunately, I still have some leftover fondant in the same shade.

Now I have a profound appreciation of fondant cake decorators. Each element you see on the cake is made by the delicate hands of an artist.

Practice makes perfect.
And I'm determined to get those straight edges and sharp corners.


For the fun of it, since I had a little fondant left, I made a little flower.
My hubby calls it a purple chrysanthemum...

Till the next fondant project...

Orange Chiffon Cake in Little Hearts

~~~Happy Teachers' Day!!! ~~~

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 250g caster sugar
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 225g top flour
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 120ml vegetable oil
• 180ml orange juice
• 2 tbs orange zest

Steps:

1. Separate egg whites from egg yolks.
2. Sift flour and baking powder. Make a hole in the middle. Add salt, vanilla essence, vegetable oil, orange juice and orange zest. Mix until smooth.
3. Whisk egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Add sugar.
4. Continue whisking until stiff peaks.
5. Fold egg whites into the egg yolk batter.
6. Bake at 160 degree celsius for 60 minutes.
7. Cut into thick slices. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes.

Fondant Garden

My 2nd attempt at fondant.

Happy 60th Birthday, Mom!

Choco Rice Cake

Sometimes, all it takes are the simple things to make you happy.  Don't you agree?

So, today, instead of some fancy smancy cake, it's just gonna be a simple chocolate butter cake, topped with good ol' chocolate rice. 

CHOCO RICE CAKE

113g butter
130g sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
120ml milk
20g cocoa powder
130g flour
1 tsp baking powder
Chocolate rice or chocolate chips, as much as you like

Warm the milk and stir in the cocoa powder till fully dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add vanilla and egg and beat till well combined.
Add milk mixture and beat till well combined.
Then throw in all the flour and baking powder, and beat till just combined.

Push the batter into a greased and lined 8" square pan.
Smooth the top and sprinkle chocolate rice/chips over the batter.
Bake at 170*C for about 30 min till done.

Serving suggestion:

Serve warm together with a scoop of ice cream, whipped cream and crushed nuts. 

Mini Blueberry Streusel Cake

Couldn't resist the blueberries on sale at the supermarket, so I bought a pack without knowing what I'd do with it. 

After some deliberation, I decided on a mini streusel cake. I thought it'd be interesting to have a cake layer on the bottom, a middle layer of blueberries, and a top layer of crunchy streusel topping. What do you think?

Let's start with the bottom layer - a simple butter cake recipe that produces a soft and fluffy yet amazing moist cake.


113g butter
130g sugar
1 egg
120ml milk
130g flour
1 tsp baking powder

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
Add egg and mix till well combined. Then do the same for the milk
Sift flour and baking powder over mixture and mix till just combined.
Divide batter among baking cups, filling each one no more than half.

Now for the blueberry layer.
Simply sprinkle your desired amount of blueberries on top of the batter.

Now for the crunchy streusel topping...
30g flour
20g butter, very cold
25g brown sugar
10g nuts of your choice (I used almonds)

Now, combine all the ingredients and blitz them in your food processor till they resemble muesli cereal.

Crumble the mixture on top of your blueberries.
Bake at 180*C for about 25-30 min till the cake is done.

Best savoured fresh from the oven, when the streusel is nice and crisp.  Don't forget your favourite cup of tea!

Double Berry Cake

Cheese Pound Cake with Fresh Cream n Frosties

Happy Birthday, Favian!

Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake

This one's for chocoholics!  
A rich velvety fine-crumbed decadent chocolate cake, drizzled with smooth liquid chocolate... what more could a chocoholic ask for. 

This recipe is from Rose Levy Beranbaum. It's simple and it uses a non-conventional method of cake making - not genoise, not chiffon, not wet+dry, not by creaming butter.  Reading the recipe, I was skeptical of the batter's potential to produce a soft cake.  I thought that without creaming the butter or whisking the eggs, it would just result in a dense, flat cake.

But it turned out to be a soft fine-crumbed cake with a rich cocoa flavour.  I bet this would be great as a seven-layer cake, filled and frosted with layers of rich dark chocolate ganache...  mmmm...

Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake

Makes enough batter for a 4-cup bundt pan. 

40g cocoa powder
80ml boiling water
2 eggs (100g without shells)

80ml water
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
157g cake or plain flour

160g sugar (reduced from 200g)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
150g unsalted butter, room temp, cut into small cubes

Whisk cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cover to prevent evaporation and cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, water and vanilla just until lightly combined.

Combine all remaining ingredients except the butter in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for a minute or so.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture, beating till well incorporated. Scrape the batter into a greased bundt pan and smooth the surface evenly.

Bake at 170*C for 25-30 minutes till a skewer comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool completely in the pan before unmoulding. DO NOT attempt to unmould or move the cake while still hot - it will break up to pieces! 

When cool, unmouild into serving dish and drizzle a generous amount of warm chocolate ganache before serving. 

Kahlua Chocolate Ganache 

100g chocolate

80ml whipping cream

1 tbs butter

1 tbs Kahlua

Heat all ingredients. Stir till smooth.

If mixture is too thick, add water till a pouring consistency is achieved. 

Mango Mousse Cake

Is it mango season?
At S$1 a piece, I couldn't resist.  I bought two to try.  Yes, just two.  Now I wish I'd bought more... One went to Mom, so I only had one left to for a Mango Mousse Cake I've been wanting to try.

Chiffon Cake 
Makes a short 8" round cake. For a more average-height cake, double the recipe. 
(A)
2 egg yolks
1/8 tsp salt
20g sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
37ml oil
55ml water
(B)
75g cake flour
3/8 tsp baking powder
(C)
2 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar (optional)
20g sugar


Combine all (A) ingredients, whisk till well combined and frothy.
Sift (B) over (A) and whisk till just combined. 
Whisk egg whites till frothy.  Add cream of tartar and sugar, and whisk till peaks have just turned stiff. 
Loosen egg yolk mixture with some whites. Then fold the remaining egg whites into the egg yolk mixture till the streaks disappear.
Push batter into baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. 
Bake at 170*C for 30-40 min till done. Invert on a rack to cool.
When completely cool, slice the cake into as many layers as you desire.


Mango Mousse
175ml whipping cream
2-3 tbs sugar
150g mango puree
100g diced mangoes

Whip the cream till peaks are soft. Add sugar, and whip till peaks are stiff. 
Add mango puree and whip briefly till just combined. 
If mixture is too soft, chill for an hour or so till the cream firms up. 

Once you have your cake layers and mango mousse ready, it's time to put it all together! On top of each cake layer, slather on some delicious mango mousse. Generously sprinkle the diced mangoes on top and cover with just a little bit more mousse. 

Place the other cake layer on top and press gently. Then slather on the rest of the mousse on top. As I made this on a weekday night, time was very limited, so I opted for the rustic look. 

With the tines of a fork and my trusty Ikea lazy susan, I dug the end of the fork into the mousse and gently turned the lazy susan. Gradually move the fork towards the centre of the cake and a simple decorative pattern emerges. 

Now, what d'ya think of that!

I'm submitting my rustic mango mousse cake to Aspiring Bakers #5: Fruity March (March 2011) hosted by Jess of Bakericious.

Green Tea Cake with Azuki Beans

Soft, fluffy, moist matcha cake, layered with azuki beans and freshly whipped cream, topped with a generous sprinkling of matcha powder. 

Now, that describes my vision of a perfect green tea cake. But, alas, reality bites...

I used a genoise recipe for the cake. And although it appeared to be rather moist, it was actually on the drier side. Maybe more butter/milk next time. If that works, I'll post the recipe. In the meantime, just pictures...

It also pays to have patience when it comes to slicing your cakes.
Learn a lesson from me... for cakes with whipped cream, chill them till firm before slicing. Otherwise, you get a mess like my cake...

Triple Berry Cake

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

Rustic Strawberry Cake

Just for fun, I made a mini strawberry cake, and decorated it in rustic style.

What do you all think?