New Chocolate Cake Recipe

I have never considered myself a foodie, but I have been called a foodie a few times by friends especially when they see me get all wide-eyed and excited when I am talking about food. Hence, when I stumbled on this book at the last Big Bad Wolf Sale, I felt compelled to buy it, the RM8 price of course helped to convice me to get it.

  

The Foodie Handbook : (The (Almost) Definitive Guide to Gastronomy by Pim Techamuanvivit.

When I started reading... I skimmed the book at stopped at page 173: Fifty things every foodie should do, or at least try once in her (his) life.

While some of the things listed had a bit of a ... "yeah right! like that's gonna happen"factor eg: no. 17: Spend a week in New Orleans - I would love to go to New Orleans but seriously?
though...

Anyhow... what I'm trying to get at is no. 20 Learn to make an easy but decadent chocolate cake.
I have tried quite a number of chocolate recipes, basic butter chocolate cake ones, moist chocolate cake, devil's chocolate cake etc... but seeing that the recipe was short and simple I had to just give it a go and thus tick off this number from the 50 too.


The result:

Yummeh!

 

 

The recipe:

 

7 oz / 200g good plain chocolate chopped or broken into small pieces

 (I used: Van Houten's Cooking Chocolate)

1 cup / 225g butter

1/4 cup / 25g cocoa powder

5 large eggs, separated

1 cup / 225g sugar

1/2 cup / 60g flour

1/4 cup / 85g soured cream (or creme fraiche)

and a pinch of salt

 

The method:

 

1. Put the chocolate, butter and cocoa powder in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Microwave for one or two minutes, depending on the power of your machine, just until the butter and about half of the chocolate have melted.

3. Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir until everything is , mixed together. Set aside.

4. Put the yolks, sugar and flour in another medium-sized glass bowl and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until well mixed.

5. Add the creme fraiche and salt and stir until blended.

6. Pour the mixture into the bowl with the melted chocolate and butter mixture, and stir to blend well. Set aside.

7. Whisk the egg whites using your own amazing elbow grease, or a stand or handheld mixer. Beat until the egg whites form a soft peak, that is to say, it forms a peak that quickly leans over to one side as you pull the whisk up from the whipped cloud.

8. Take about one-third of the whipped whites and whisk it into the batter until well mixed. Fold the rest gently in to the batter until the white streaks entirely dissapear into the chocolate batter.

9. Preheat the oven to 400F /200C/Gas  Mark 6. Butter and flour a 9-by-15 inch/22-by-12cm loaf pan, and line it with parchment paper.

10. Pour in the chocolate batter and use the back of a knife to level the surface a bit.

11. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the surface has a little bounce. Remove the cake from the oven, but leave it in the pan, and let cook in the pan on the countertop form about an hour.

12. Wrap the whole thing in aluminium foil and refrigerate. Remove it from the fridge at least an hour before serving, an run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan. Remove the cake from the pan onto a plate and slice.

13. You can serve this with fresh berries, preserves, or a dollop of whipped cream.

* For a bit of variety, you can bake this batter in muffin tins - or other fancy single serving shapes - for 12 to 15 minutes.

 

Have fun baking! Trust me it will turn out amazing and like what Pim said... this will be your default chocolate cake from now on.

Marble Cake.

Since last week, I have this sudden craving for Marble Cake. My mother used to make them, and I used to help separate the mixture into three and add the cocoa powder and colouring. When I checked my mom's recipe that I copied last week, I realised that the measurements were in oz!!! Only my mother has the old school weighing machine with the oz weight blocks. So, I had no choice but to google another recipe!

Last Saturday, I tried this recipe. Took the risk and made double batch so that I could send to Mom and MIL. The cake sorta caved in the middle, don't know why, but still is crumbly and I thought nice just like how I remembered my mom used to make them. Give it a try, won't cha. 

My SRF (self-raising flour) was bad, so I substituted it with the Superfine Flour added with 2 tbsp of baking powder for each 225g of flour.

Here's the original recipe, I suggest you follow exactly:

Ingredients:

225g butter, softened

225g caster sugar

4 eggs

225g self-raising flour

3 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:

1.         Heat oven to 180C/gas 160C/gas 4. Grease a 20cm cake tin and line the bottom with a circle of greaseproof paper. If you want to make life easy, simply put all the ingredients (except the cocoa powder) into a food processor and whizz for 1-2 mins until smooth. If you prefer to mix by hand, beat the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Fold through the flour, milk and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth.

2.                  Divide the mixture between 2 bowls. Stir the cocoa powder into the mixture in one of the bowls. Take 2 spoons and use them to dollop the chocolate and vanilla cake mixes into the tin alternately. When all the mixture has been used up (and if young kids are doing this, you'll need to ensure the base of the tin is fairly evenly covered), tap the bottom on your work surface to ensure that there aren't any air bubbles. Take a skewer and swirl it around the mixture in the tin a few times to create a marbled effect.

*** If you wish to have 3 colours, divide into 3 and add some red colouring to the 3rd bowl, and alternate the 3 mixtures when mixing into the cake tin.

3.                  Bake the cake for 45-55 mins until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe: BBC Good Food

Raya cookies project done.

Every year I usually leave it to the pros to prepare Hari Raya cookies for me. I would have a few favourite suppliers of  both cookies and cakes. This year I thought I should cut down on my orders cause usually I have to admit that the ordering and the collection of these cookies and cakes are the highlights after which these cookies are normally not finished even 2-3 months later. This year I vowed to myself to order only the minimum, only the absolute must have and some to give away to my mom and mother in-law. However, hubby requested that I make 2 of his favourite cookies. So, I did last weekend. I had to get it over and done with so that next weekend I am free. On Saturday I baked  Chocolate Chip Cookies  and on Sunday I made Almond Clusters. No recipe really, I just had the ingredients and just followed my instinct. Ha!ha!ha! Okay, so I did study some recipes I found online when I tried for the first time a while back, but now, I find that it's quite easy to prepare. So, I say my hari raya cookies project is done because I have no other plans to bake anymore cookies... though I did just buy Jam Tart presser on Sunday when I bought the paper cups for the Almond Clusters. Well, you never know... 

Zarif was so tempted to lick the spatula... yes he was fasting, and has not missed a day yet. 

Handy helpers.

Almond Clusters

Nayli and her Crazy Cookies

One day in spite of being on sick leave from school, Nayli wanted to try out a recipe she found in a new activity book for girls. It was called Crazy Cookies, though it's just butter cookies, really. 

After measuring the ingredients for her, I left her to do the rest pretty much except for the baking bit.

Sifting the flour.

Preparing the icing. 

Her favourite part.

Trying out different types of cookie cutters.

 

Results.

Toppings on the icing as a final touch.

Well, her cookies turned out good and there's none left for Hari Raya! Good job Nayli!

Another chocolate chip cookie recipe?

Really? Yeah, by now you would have thought you 

already have THE chocolate chip cookie recipe that you'd use till... forever right? Well, yes that's what I thought when I first got a chocolate chip cookie recipe when I was in my teens. Another when everyone received this chain emails about Famous Amos Cookie Recipe years ago until.... I got Nigella's KITCHEN and tried her cookie recipe! And followed her suggestion to scoop with ice-cream scoops! I ended up with huge chunk of cookies that are just out of this world.  So yes, this is my last chocolate chip cookie recipe ever! :-)

 Ingredients:
150g unsalted butter
125g soft light brown sugar
100g caster sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg, fridge-cold
1 egg, yolk fridge-cold
300g flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 X 326g packet milk chocolate morsels or chocolate chip

 ** I used Van Houten's chocolate buttons and chocolate chips
Imagine how chocolatey the cookies are!
** If you want the cookies to be less sweet, just reduce the sugar measurements a little.

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celcius. Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
• Melt the butter and let it cool a bit. Put the brown and white sugars into a bowl, pour the slightly cooled, melted butter over them and beat together. 
• Beat in the vanilla, the cold egg and cold egg yolk until your mixture is light and creamy.
• Slowly mix in the flour and bicarb until just blended, then fold in the chocolate chips.
• Scoop the cookie dough into an American quarter-cup measure or a 60ml ice cream scoop and drop onto the prepared baking sheet, plopping the cookies down about 8cm apart. You will need to make these in 2 batches keeping the bowl of cookie dough in the fridge between batches.
• Bake for 15-17 minutes in the pre-heated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks.

Here's the cookie jar that will not be full for long... once you fill it with these yummy cookies!

Maybe you can try this recipe for this Eid??? 

Baked Doughnuts

Here's a simple recipe that I have used over and over again. Something that I got from one of the recipe books received during the Naturel Bento workshop that I attended (thanks to advertlets :-)). Do give it a go. Make double batches at least because I can assure you it will just disappear as soon as you serve it! I usually make 2 batches, serve 1 and freeze the other batch for a surprise tea time treat another day.

Ingredients:

50ml Naturel Blend Cooking Oil
2 large eggs
80 ml sour cream or plain yogurt
1tbsp lemon juice
120g self-raising flour
20g cocoa
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
80g caster sugar
pinch of salt
Naturel Soft Margerine, to grease

STEP 1

Brush a 12-hole doughnut pan lightly with Naturel  Soft Margarine and preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius. Beat Naturel Blend Cooking Oil, eggs, yoghurt and lemon juice together with a fork until well mixed.

STEP 2

Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda into a mixing bowl and stir in sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid ingredients (from STEP 1). Mix until well combined.

STEP 3

Spoon mixture into greased tins, filling only half-full and bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until well risen and a skewer inserted into doughnuts comes out clean. Remove from tin and cool on wire rack. If you wish, sprinkle the top lightly with some sifted icing sugar before serving.

** if you wish to freeze some, once cooled, place in containers and freeze immediately.

Enjoy!

At long last...

I finally found the urge to blog again. It has been so long since my last blog post. Well, to break the ice, I guess, I shall begin with the easiest post... a tried and tested recipe. I found this recipe last Sunday, since I thought I wanted to find a different banana cake recipe. The ones that I already have and tried before somehow just isn't that divine... so I googled for another. I came across this one, I didn't ponder much, just found it and tried it. The recipe is simple... yet divine!

A simpe yet divine: BANANA CAKE RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 1 cup white sugar
• 125g butter
• 3 ripe bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (185g) self-rising flour
• 2 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essense
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees C. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until it turns a light colour. Gradually add beaten eggs one at a time. Mash banana in a bowl with vanilla essense. Mix bicarbonate of soda in a cup with the milk.
2. Add your mashed banana mixture into the creamed butter and sugar and mix until combined. Alternatively add your flour and your milk mix until just combined.
3. Pour mixture into a greased loaf tin and bake for 45 minutes at 190C or until the cake springs back from touch in the middle. Cool on cake rack.
4. Enjoy or share it with family and friends! :-)

Source: Googled from allrecipes.com

Red Velvet Cake - tried and tested recipe.

I don't know why during the Hari Raya season, I had the sudden urge to find a Red Velvet Cake recipe. Having tasted it during various open houses albeit all in one day, I had this sudden desire to find a recipe, try and taste my own Red Velvet Cake!

So down the google lane I went checking out for easy to make RVC recipes. Ha!ha! Besides the remarks or feedbacks that are posted by those who have tried the recipes in the recipe forums, my one other important criteria of trying out a recipe is that the ingredients are not that difficult to find and the method is not too complicated. So I found one that I was happy with (by reading the recipe that is...) and walla...

My 1st RVC.

The feedback from my mother (my most honest and sincere food critic)... two thumbs up! I was over the moon. If that was not enough, because I was not too happy with the cake, cause I thought it had some bitter spots, so I took a quarter of a slice to work, to be shared and commented by my buddies at work. They loved it too, yes there were some bitter spots, not sure where that came from. Was it the colouring or the baking soda, I'm not sure, anybody out there know why? Do drop me a line if you do.

Anyhow, here's the recipe that I got from the internet. Fudged as suggested by those who tried and commented in the recipe site, cannot remember which one probably from allrecipes.com.

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients:

1. 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2. 2 ounces red food coloring

3. 1 cup milk***

4. 1 teaspoon white vinegar/lemon juice

5. 1 teaspoon salt

6. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

7. 2 cups white sugar

8. 2 eggs

9. 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

10. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

11. 1 cup of vegetable oil


Directions


1. For cupcakes, bake at 325 for 25 min.

2. Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.

3. Combine the buttermilk*** - salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the oil and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve.



*** the recipe actually calls for buttermilk - here's what needs to be done in the absence of buttermilk

What you need:

• Milk (just under one cup)

• 1 Tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Place a Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup.
2. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line.
3. Let stand for five minute. Then, use as much as your recipe calls for.

Cream Cheese Frosting II


Ingredients (US)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 8 ounces cream cheese

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1 tsp orange rind

Ingredients (metric)

• 115 g butter, softened

• 225 g cream cheese

• 480 g confectioners' sugar

• 10 ml vanilla extract

• 1 tsp orange rind

Directions

1. Beat softened butter and cream cheese until well blended.

2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until creamy.

# note: I would actually cut down the sugar a little the next time I use this recipe.

A piece of cake - literally! :-)

So if you are giving this recipe a try and if you managed to tweak it successfully, do let me know yah!