Chocolate Marquise 3 ways

I haven't posted for a long time...........to be honest I was/am on a diet as the scale went way beyond "normal". But now that I shed off a few pounds I am back baking:) I used my new Cube cake mould to create something truly delicious. I used 3 different fillings and all guests were delighted. Maybe I should have been more careful when I turned out the mousse from the mould as it chipped off at few pieces but I haven't heard any complain from the dining room:)

Chocolate Marquise 3 Ways

Chocolate Cake Base

100 g dark chocolate (minimum 65% cocoa solids)

50 g butter 

2 eggs

90 g golden caster sugar

50 g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

Chocolate Mousse

200 g good quality dark chocolate (minimum 75% cocoa solids)

100 g good quality milk chocolate

4 eggs separated

150 ml double cream 

To fill/decorate (all optional)

150 ml double cream

handful of strawberries

few spoons of strawberry jam

1/2 bottle sour cherries

2-3 tbsp Kirsch

100 ml custard

Preheat the oven to 180C and place the stainless steel square part of the cake mould to a baking sheet, lined with baking paper. Spray the sides with vegetable oil based release agent.

Melt the butter and the chocolate together in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water then leave it to cool. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is pale and thick. 

Add the room temperature chocolate mixture into the egg mixture then fold in the flour and baking powder. When you mixed everything together pour this thick batter into the prepared frame and spread evenly.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is cracked but the middle just set. When ready remove the stainless frame and leave it to cool completely.

To make the mousse, melt the two chocolates in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water,  leave it to cool to room temperature. Whisk the egg whites to firm peaks and set it aside.

Whip the cream very softly and add the yolks, then gently mix in the cooled melted chocolate. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, (thoroughly but don't overwork it).

Spoon the mousse into the prepared tin (spray the Zila cake mould with vegetable oil based release agent) and gently tap it to the work surface. You don't want to knock out all the air bubbles you just created, but you have to make sure the mousse is evenly spread so you don't have gaps at the finished mousse surface. 

Level the sponge with a cake leveler and place it on the mousse. (top of the sponge will hang above the side of the mould but it is fine). Cover it with kitchen foil and put it in the fridge and leave it to chill for at least 4 hours (I left mine for overnight). 

When it is rested, turn it up side down and gently remove the silicon part of the mould and the stainless steel rim. I slightly damaged the finished product, but next time I will put the mousse into the freezer just before removing the mould to make easier the seamless separation.

The choice filling is down to you. I used custard (have to admit it was fresh-shop bought one.....I had other cooking to do as well and run out of time), sour cherries that I soaked in Kirsch for overnight than adding gelatine to the juice I turned it to a soft jelly. For the last one I used fresh strawberries and some strawberry jam(home made). Decorated all with whipped cream, fruits and vanilla pod.

 The best is when you dive into a cube and all the custard pours out......................YUMMIE

Poppy Seed Cake With Sour Cherry Fillig

This is my first sweet cake in my 12 Slice Cake mould. I have to say baking sweet cake is more difficult than the savoury one, but it is only the case of practise. The cake was requested again by my poppy seed "addicted" husband. In the end he even persuaded me to serve the cake with poppy seeded sauce.

Poppy Seed Cake with Sour Cherry Filling

 For the sponge
210 g self-raising flour
210 g butter at room temperature
200 g golden caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
50 g poppy seed
1/2 lemon zest

For the filling
fresh or bottled sour cherries
200 g summer fruit sauce, or pie filling or jam+red jelly  (whatever you have at home)

For the decoration
150 g double cream
Kirsch 
a small strip of chocolate transfer sheet
20-30 g white chocolate

First I prepared the chocolate decoration.

Lay down an approx 6 cm wide chocolate transfer sheet, with the textured side up. Spread the melted chocolate with an offset spatula knife evenly on the transfer sheet. Put the transfer sheet with the board underneath to the freezer to harden up.

Heat the oven to 180C and spray the Zila tin with a vegetable oil based separating agent

Put all the cake ingredients except the poppy seed in a  large bowl. Beat them together with an electric mixer until you have a creamy mixture, then fold in the poppy seed.

Pour the cake mix into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 20 -25 minutes or until the sponge springs back when pressed. Always check the middle of the cake as with Zila mould that is the most important thing. If you think it is ready and you turn it up side down, but the middle is sill a bit underdone just put it back to the oven without the silicone part(the cavities upside).

If the bottom of the cake is not flat, just level it so the cake will stand straight when you turn it up side down- just use the stainless steel ring as your guide. Pour some sauce to the cavities and fill the rest of the space with sour cherries. Pour the remaining of the sauce on top of the sour cherries.

To decorate, whip the double cream with some Kirsch (amount depending on your taste, but 2-3 tbsp should be enough) to soft peaks and pipe it around the cake. Take out the chocolate from the freezer, cut out triangles and insert 12, 1 in each part.