Ultimate Chocolate Cake

This was the chocolate cake I made for my boss who is now off to get married next weekend. I baked a chocolate cake (his absolute favourite) and a Lemon Curd filed Zila Cubes cakes. The Zila cakes were the perfect start of the morning (as it was conveniently sliced) before we dig in the oozing chocolate mountain. I took the recipe from the BBCgoodfood (Angela Nilsen) website as it had over 800 positive ratings, so I thought it must be good.........and ohh my God how good it was. I only changed the cream and made a 10% bigger cake so it would be a nice size in my rectangle tin (I found the rectangle shape better for he office cake sharing/it is easier to divide and share). Oh I made a poor attempt to replicate my boss and his fiancee to sit on top of the cake....sadly later during delivery his leg broke into pieces...........but I still sit them on top of the cake as I worked too hard not to put them on. I also made the mistake to cover the freshly covered cake with kitchen foil which later stuck to the cream and left some marks, but nobody complained about this:) 

Ultimate Chocolate Cake

For the sponge

220 g good quality dark chocolate, about 60% cocoa solids

220 g butter

1 tbsp instant coffee ganules

95 g self-raising flour

95 g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

220 g light muscovado sugar

200 g golden caster sugar

30 g cocoa powder

4 medium eggs

85 ml buttermilk (5tbsp)

For the cream

500g mascarpone

200 g good quality dark chocolate, about 60% cocoa solids

3-4 tbsp hazelnut liqueur

To decorate

50 g chocolate for chocolate curls 

Preheat the oven to 160C and line a 19X25 cm rectangle tin with baking paper.

Break the dark chocolate in pieces into a medium, heavy based pan. Cut the butter into pieces and tip in with the chocolate, then mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125 ml cold water and pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat.

While the chocolate is melting, mix the self raising flour, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, light muscovado sugar, golden caster sugar and cocoa powder in a big bowl, mixing with your hands to get rid of any lumps. Beat the eggs in a bowl and stir in the buttermilk.

Now pour the melted chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until everything is well blended and you have a smooth, quite runny consistency. Pour this into the tin and bake for 1 hour 25 -1 hour 30 minutes - if you push a skewer in the middle it should come out clean and the top should feel firm. 

Leave it to cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cake is cold, cut it horizontally into three. Make the cream:mixing the mascarpone with the melted but slightly cooled chocolate and the hazelnut liqueur.

Sandwich the layers together with the mascarpone cream but leave enough cream to cover the outside of the cake with a palette knife.

Decorate with chocolate curls: melt 50 g of dark chocolate and spread it on a sooth chopping board. Pop it to the freezer for 10 minutes so the chocolate  hardens, then with a long bladed sharp knife start shaving curls of the surface. It doesn't have to be precise, the more shape and size you have is the better.

The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days......haha it took 30 minutes for the office staff to demolish the whole cake:)

Buttermilk Pancakes

I had some leftover buttermilk in the fridge, so I used it the best way possible: for buttermilk pancakes. I bought the British Cooking cookbook long time ago, purely to discover recipes from different regions and have some historical background to each dish. For this recipe they give a short description:

"These little pancakes are a traditional Irish recipe and are made with buttermilk, which is widely available in Ireland. The pancakes are quite like the drop scones that are so familiar across the water in Scotland, with Welsh and English variations too. They are delicious served warm, with honey." 

I have to mention buttermilk is quite common nowadays...just to to your local supermarket, they usually stock it with the creams.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients makes about 12

225g pain flour

1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

2-4 tbsp sugar

1 egg

about 300ml buttermilk

butter or oil for frying

In a large mixing bowl mix together the plain flour, the bicarbonate of soda and the sugar to taste(..if you want salty topping then only add 2 tbsp). Add the egg, mixing together, and gradually pour in just enough of the buttermilk to make a thick, smooth batter.

Heat a heavy based pan and add the butter or oil. Place spoonfuls of the batter on to the hot pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until bubbles rise to the surface. Flip the pancakes over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Remove from the pan and serve warm with the choice of your topping. While cooking the pancakes always cover the ready ones with kitchen foil to keep them warm.

Marcarpone and Strawberry Mini Chocolate Cakes

I bought the Lakeland's 12 hole mini sandwich tin and I had to try it straight away. This cake recipe is originally from their website, slightly changed.

Mascarpone and Strawberry Mini Chocolate Cakes

For the cakes

175g unsalted butter, softened

125g soft light brown sugar

100g caster sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 vanilla pod

175g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

50g cocoa

75ml buttermilk

75ml boiling water

For the filling

300g strawberries 

150ml double cream

200g mascarpone

1vanilla pod

3 tbsp Amaretto liqueur

2-3tbsp icing sugar

Preheat your oven to 180°C.

Cream the butter with both of the sugars until pale and light. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add the vanilla seeds.

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa into the mixture and mix until almost combined. Add the buttermilk and boiling water and continue to mix until smooth.

Divide the mixture between the Mini Sandwich Pan so that each well is two thirds full. Bake on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for about 20 minutes until well risen and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean. Leave the cakes to rest in the tin for 2 minutes and then ease out and leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the cream whip the double cream to stiff peaks, add the icing sugar, mascarpone, vanilla seeds and Amaretto liqueur and mix it together. Wash and slice the strawberries.

Cut the cooled cakes in half and spread the bottom layer of each cake with the mascarpone cream, add some strawberries and some cream again.

Sandwich with the top layer then add some more cream on top and a slice of strawberry for decoration.

Jubilee Cake

So it is jubilee week and in the office we have the chance to decorate our department. So we planned an office jubilee street party, and I supplied the cake and some cupcakes. So here is my

Jubilee Cake

For the sponge
175g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 vanilla pod
225g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
75ml buttermilk
75ml boiling water

For the cream
200ml double cream
1dream topping
120g white chocolate
80g dessicated coconut
200g cream cheese

Decoration
200g raspberries
200g blueberries

Preheat your oven to 180°C.
Cream the butter with the sugar until pale and light. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Add the vanilla seeds.
Sift the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda into the mixture and mix until almost combined. Add the buttermilk and boiling water and continue to mix until smooth.
Divide the mixture between 2X19cm Sandwich tin. Bake on the middle shelf of your preheated oven for about 20 minutes until well risen and a wooden skewer inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean. Leave the cakes to rest in the tin for 2 minutes and then leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

Whip the double cream  with the dream topping to stiff peaks then add the melted white chocolate, dessicated coconut and the cram cheese.

Level each cake and spread the bottom layer with the white chocolate cream. Arrange half of the raspberries and blueberries on the cream and add some more on top of the fruits so the top sponge will stuck to it . Sandwich the top layer on top then add the rest of the cream and the fruits to create an union jack effect. 



Ok little bit of update...we came second at the office competition..This was the end result: well part of it