German Chocolate Cake

I first read about this cake on this blog, which is sadly now absent from the blogasphere. Since then I seem to see it everywhere. I've used my favorite chocolate cake recipe, for this and topped it with a bitter ganache, which helped balanced the intense sweetness. This is an ugly cake, with an intense flavor, you will remember it long after you've licked the last drop of ooze from the plate



Chocolate Cake

You may be tempted, as I was, to cut down the sugar in this recipe-Don't. Once you add the buttermilk and coffee, this becomes a not very sweet cake.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare your cake pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.

In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Topping

1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup white sugar
3 egg yolk, beaten with 1 teaspoon water
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup flaked coconut

In a large saucepan combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolks, margarine and vanilla. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and coconut. Spread on cake while still warm.

Ganache

250g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup cream

Combine chocolate and cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir with a metal spoon until smooth. Remove bowl from heat.

Set aside at room temperature to cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache is thick and spreadable.

Kidgeree

1 cup rice

½ cup moong dal

1 Tbsp cooking oil

Mustard seeds

Turmeric

Powder together: 4-6 cardamoms, 6-8 cloves, 2-3 pieces of cinnamon, 1 tsp cumin seeds

Roast the moong dal to a light brown; wash it along with the rice. Mix salt and the powdered spices with this and let it stay for awhile. Heat the oil; add mustard seeds. When they stop spluttering, add turmeric. Pour in the rice-dal mixture, roast it for a minute or two, then add sufficient water. Let it cook slowly on a low heat. Fluff with a fork, and serve.

Gingerbread cake

This is the Old Spice mainly man of the cake world. Moist, dark and spicy.

Recipe from Sweet Kat's Kitchen

Cake
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 T. ground ginger
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. (1 ½ sticks) butter, melted and cooled
1 c. light molasses
1 c. packed light brown sugar
1 ½ c. buttermilk
3 lg. eggs, room temperature

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 T. vanilla extract
5 c. confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Garnish: ground cinnamon, optional


Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour 3 (8-inch) or 2 (9-inch) round cake pans or spray with nonstick baking spray containing flour. Sift together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat the melted butter, molasses, brown sugar, buttermilk and eggs on medium speed until creamy. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds. Mix just enough to blend the batter after each addition. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the pans and place cakes on wire racks to cool completely. Frosting: In large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract on medium speed until soft and light. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Once all the sugar is incorporated increase mixer speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes. To complete cake: Spread the frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving and sprinkle ground cinnamon over the top of the cake if using.

AUGUST 2010 DARING BAKERS CHALLENGE

The August 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Elissa of 17 and Baking. For the first time, The Daring Bakers partnered with Sugar High Fridays for a co-event and Elissa was the gracious hostess of both. Using the theme of beurre noisette, or browned butter, Elissa chose to challenge Daring Bakers to make a pound cake to be used in either a Baked Alaska or in Ice Cream Petit Fours. The sources for Elissa’s challenge were Gourmet magazine and David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”.



Notice the bit where it says 'Baked Alaska or Ice Cream Petit Fours? I decided to join the two, and it was AWESOME!

Raspberry-Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup (250ml) whole milk
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (165g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise OR 2 teaspoons (10ml) pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
5 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
1 cup reduced raspberry puree

Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams. Scrape out the seeds of the vanilla bean with a paring knife and add to the milk, along with the bean pod. Cover, remove from heat, and let infuse for an hour. (If you do not have a vanilla bean, simply heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan until the liquid steams, then let cool to room temperature.)

Set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2 litre) bowl inside a large bowl partially filled with water and ice. Put a strainer on top of the smaller bowl and pour in the cream.

In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks together. Reheat the milk in the medium saucepan until warmed, and then gradually pour ¼ cup warmed milk into the yolks, constantly whisking to keep the eggs from scrambling. Once the yolks are warmed, scrape the yolk and milk mixture back into the saucepan of warmed milk and cook over low heat. Stir constantly and scrape the bottom with a spatula until the mixture thickens into a custard which thinly coats the back of the spatula.

Strain the custard into the heavy cream and stir the mixture until cooled. Add the vanilla extract (1 teaspoon [5ml] if you are using a vanilla bean; 3 teaspoons [15ml] if you are not using a vanilla bean) and the raspberry. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, preferably overnight.

Remove the vanilla bean and freeze in an ice cream maker. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can make it without a machine. See instructions from David Lebovitz: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2007/07/making_ice_crea_1.html

Brown Butter Pound Cake

19 tablespoons (9.5 oz) (275g) unsalted (sweet) butter
2 cups (200g) gluten free sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon (5g) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3g) salt
1/2 cup (110g) packed light brown sugar
1/3 (75g) cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C and put a rack in the center. Butter and flour a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan.

Place the butter in a 10” (25cm) skillet over medium heat. Brown the butter until the milk solids are a dark chocolate brown and the butter smells nutty. (Don’t take your eyes off the butter in case it burns.) Pour into a shallow bowl and chill in the freezer until just congealed, 15-30 minutes.

Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, and salt.

Beat the brown butter, light brown sugar, and granulated sugar in an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well, and then the vanilla extract.

Stir in the flour mixture at low speed until just combined.

Scrape the batter into the greased and floured 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) square pan. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula and rap the pan on the counter. Bake until golden brown on top and when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.

7Cool in the pan 10 minutes. Run a knife along the edge and invert right-side-up onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze

9 ounces (250g) dark chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) heavy (approx 35% butterfat) cream
1 1/2 tablespoons (32g) light corn syrup, Golden syrup, or agave nectar
2 teaspoons (10ml) vanilla extract

Stir the heavy cream and light corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and add the dark chocolate. Let sit 30 seconds, then stir to completely melt the chocolate. Stir in the vanilla and let cool until tepid before glazing the petit fours.

Meringue

8 large egg whites
½ teaspoon (3g) cream of tartar
½ teaspoon (3g) salt
1 cup (220g) sugar

Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt on high speed in an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar gradually in a slow stream until stiff peaks form.





Assembly Instructions – Ice Cream Petit Fours

Line a 9”x9” (23cmx23cm) pan with plastic wrap, so that no sides of the pan are exposed and so there is some extra plastic wrap hanging off the sides. Spread 1 ¾ to 2 cups (450ml to 500ml) ice cream into the pan. Cover with more plastic wrap and freeze several hours.

Once the brown butter pound cake has completely cooled, level the top with a cake leveler or a serrated knife. Then split the cake in half horizontally to form two thin layers.

Unwrap the frozen ice cream. Flip out onto one of the layers of cake and top with the second layer of cake. Wrap well in plastic wrap and return to the freezer overnight.

Make the chocolate glaze (see above.)

While the glaze cools, trim ¾” (2cm) off each side of the ice cream cake to leave a perfectly square 7.5” (19cm) ice cream cake. Cut the cake into twenty five petit fours, each 1.5”x1.5” (4cmx4cm).

Glaze the petit fours one at a time: place a petit four on a fork and spoon chocolate glaze over it. Place the petit fours on a parchment-lined baking sheet and return to the freezer for one hour.

Make the meringue

Pipe the meringue over the ice cream and cake, or smooth it over with a spatula, so that none of the ice cream or cake is exposed. Freeze for one hour or up to a day.

Burn the tips of the meringue with a cooking blow torch. Or, bake the meringue-topped Baked Alaskas on a rimmed baking sheet in a 500°F/260°C oven for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Serve immediately.

THE DARING COOKS AUGUST 2010 CHALLENGE: THE WORLD OF PIEROGI!

The August 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by LizG of Bits n’ Bites and Anula of Anula’s Kitchen. They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make pierogi from scratch and an optional challenge to provide one filling that best represents their locale.

I made a few of the more traditional style boiled pierogi, filled with apple and cinnimon. They where tasty, but more suited to a cold, snowy country. A place where your craving a warm gooey something that will sit in your stomach.

Being a lazy sort of person I baked the rest of the pierogi, which I had filled with Mutter Panner. They came out FANTASTIC! I will defiantly use this process again, though I'll have to work on a gluten free dough first.

Dough

½ cup (125 ml) milk
½ cup (125 ml) whipping cream
3 large eggs
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
3 cups (450 gm) all-purpose flour

1. Mix flour and salt, add other ingredients, and knead dough until you have a smooth dough. (I kneaded this dough quite a bit, and it yielded a nice, pliable dough).
2. On a floured surface roll out fairly thin (1/8” or about 3 millimeters), cut into 2” (5 cm) squares, and fill with 1 tsp of filling




Mutter Paneer

1/2 cup vegetable oil
8 ounces paneer, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 onion, halved
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1-inch piece ginger, roughly chopped
Sprinkling of salt
3 teaspoon turmeric
4 teaspoon garam masala
2 (10-ounce) packets frozen peas
1 teaspoon tomato puree
1 cup vegetable stock

Heat the oil a large skillet and add the paneer cubes, in 2 batches, and fry until they are golden. Remove the golden cubes to a double thickness of kitchen towel. (It is possible to dry fry the paneer cubes in the pan with no oil, to avoid the oil splashing you. Then continue with the recipe below.)

Pour all but about 2 tablespoons of the oil out of the pan. Put the onion, garlic cloves, and ginger into a food processor and blitz to a coarse pulp. Fry gently for about 5 minutes with a sprinkling of salt. Stir in the garam masala and turmeric and cook for another 2 minutes before adding the still frozen peas.

Dissolve the tomato puree in the vegetable stock and pour over the contents of the pan. Stir again and turn the heat down to low, cover with foil or a lid and cook for 15 minutes, tasting to check that the peas are tender. You can cook muttar paneer up to this stage, if you like, uncovering and then reheating gently with the diced, oil-crisped cheese, or proceed directly now.

In which case, take off the foil and add the paneer cubes to warm them through before serving.

DARING BAKERS CHALLENGE JULY - Swirl Ice-cream Cake

The July 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Sunita of Sunita’s world – life and food. Sunita challenged everyone to make an ice-cream filled Swiss roll that’s then used to make a bombe with hot fudge. Her recipe is based on an ice cream cake recipe from Taste of Home.-


I always try to make these dishes when I have people coming over, to help us eat it. I had a whole plan in my head involving chocolate, cherry's and thick fudge sauce. As with all laid plans, everything went ary. So on the morning that the dessert was needed, I found myself, with no cocoa, or cream. So operation make-it-up-with-what-we-have-on-hand commenced. I ended up with an orange sponge roll, filled with mango sorbet, and topped with hibiscus and lychee zabaglione


Sponge Roll

6 medium sized eggs
1 Cup caster sugar /8 oz+ extra for rolling
6 tblsp of all purpose (plain) flour
2 tblsp of Orange juice
Zest of one orange
a little oil for brushing the pans

Pre heat the oven at 200 deg C /400 deg F approximately. Brush the baking pans ( 11 inches by 9 inches ) with a little oil and line with greaseproof baking paper. If you have just one pan, bake one cake and then let the pan cool completely before using it for the next cake.

In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar and beat till very thick; when the beaters are lifted, it should leave a trail on the surface for at least 10 seconds.

Add the flour mixture, in three batches and fold in gently with a spatula. Fold in the juice.

Divide the mixture among the two baking pans and spread it out evenly, into the corners of the pans. Place a pan in the centre of the pre heated oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or till the centre is springy to the touch.

Spread baking paper on the counter and sprinkle a little caster sugar over it.
While still warm, turn the cake on to the paper and peel away the baking paper. Trim any crisp edges.

Starting from one of the shorter sides, start to make a roll with the paper going inside. Cool the wrapped roll on a rack, seam side down.

Once cool open the roll and fill with cream or ice cream. Roll the cakes up again, this time without the towel. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge/freezer till needed, seam side down

Cinnamon Swirls

Something else I made with this bread mix. The mix smelt like dumplings, and was quite lovely to knead. I was surprised at how nice, the bread turned out. No odd smell or taste. Crusty on the outside and soft in the middle. Topped with a little sugar and cinnamon, it was addictive.