Dreaming of Paris and Classic Opera Cake

We are building a house. Or planning to. I am NOT daunted about all the intrinsic details that go along with it. In fact I am looking forward to the whole gamut of the game; choosing the tiles and colours, selecting the packages, budgeting the essentials, weeding out the wants and sticking it out with the needs. Our weekends for a month now have been spent meeting with the land and house developers. Phew! I see our private coffer shrinking by the minute. We decided to make a change and its really about time: buy a new house, make the current house our investment property instead and really look after our future.

I am intimating this in the hope that the readers out there will also share our belief that saving and investing are good for THE future. My little boy says, Im too anal about these things. Just like I'm too anal about running our household. I asked him, Am I a perfectionist? My little boy then affirmed, with a big resounding YES! Lol. I beg to differ though. Perhaps it goes with age. I always get "3" on Enneagram test; 3 is the Achiever, not the Perfectionist, in the same breath that I'm defensive. Hahaha! Or I simply believe that you don't settle for less. Yes, I can be so process driven and can be extremely organised - as my boss would say much about me. And yes I thrive on work pressures. Be that as it may, my Legendary Mommy really taught me well, at the tender age of four (4) I already know how to tie my own shoe laces. Lol! And by 8 years old, I was already making sure my siblings get their lunch at school. I was trained to be this way, being the eldest child in the family.

So let me digress, building a house is costing us our European Holiday next year. Or may cost us the trip. It will be hideously expensive to do two things at the same time. But I wanna get to Paris and take our sweet time soaking in the culture, and experience the city, the Parisian way. There is a pletora of food to be had and far too many scenic spots to witness upon. I would also love to visit the United Kingdom again and spend time with my best friend who I haven't seen for 6 years, let alone see her two (2) darling little kids, as I am a godmother to both. 

Will we ever get to Paris next year? I don't know. Maybe. But for now, this classic Opera Cake would do.  

*Warning, this cake is not for the faith hearted, very rich and the making being process intensive. However, please endeavour as the final product is worth the pain and the love handle!  :)

The opéra, named after the Paris Grand Opéra of the 1900s, comprises neat layers of sponge, buttercream and ganache, all enticingly flavoured with coffee.

Makes 12 ( Mine actually yielded 16 pieces)

Ingredients

8 tablespoons ready-made coffee

Almond cake

120 g egg whites (about 4 egg whites)

80 g caster sugar

4 eggs

130 g ground almonds

75 g icing sugar

40 g plain flour

5 tablespoons instant coffee granules

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Ganache

300 ml whipping cream

3 pinches of salt

500 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped

100 g milk chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

Coffee Italian meringue buttercream

250 g caster sugar

100 ml water

5 large egg whites

50 g caster sugar

500 g unsalted butter, softened and cubed

1 shot of espresso or 50 g instant coffee granules

Equipment

3 Swiss roll pans, lined with greaseproof paper

Sugar thermometer

20 x 30-cm rectangle frame

Start the recipe the day before you want to serve the cake. Preheat the oven to 190˚C (375˚F) Gas 5.

For the almond cake

Put the egg whites and sugar in a stand mixer or in a bowl using an electric whisk and whisk until stiff peaks form.

Whisk in the whole eggs. Gently fold in the ground almonds, icing sugar, flour and coffee granules using a large metal spoon. Finally, stir in the melted butter.

Spread the mixture thinly and evenly onto the prepared pans and bake in the preheated oven for 5–10 minutes. Flip each slab of cake onto a sheet of greaseproof paper dusted with a little semolina. Peel the baking paper off the top and allow the cakes to cool.

For the ganache

Put the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil over low heat. Put the chocolates, salt and butter in a heatproof bowl and pour in the boiled cream. Using a spatula, start to mix the ingredients in a circular motion, just in the centre of the bowl. Keep mixing in a tight circle until the chocolate starts to melt and emulsify with the liquid. Gradually widen the circle to incorporate more of the mixture.

When you have reached the edge of the bowl, the chocolate should be entirely melted and all the ingredients should have emulsified and combined into a shiny, rich, velvety truffle ganache. If the ganache looks like it is splitting, add a dash of cold milk – that should bring it back. Finally, fold in the coffee granules and allow to cool slightly.

For the coffee Italian meringue buttercream

Put the 250 g sugar and the water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer over low heat until the syrup reaches 121˚C/250˚F on a sugar thermometer. Use a brush dipped in cold water to dislodge any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. This will stop the syrup from crystallizing.

Meanwhile, put the egg whites and the 50 g sugar in a stand mixer and begin whisking until stiff peaks form. You can use a heatproof bowl and an electric whisk but you may need a second person’s help when you come to pour the syrup in!

Once the syrup has reached the right temperature, slowly pour it in a steady stream into the meringue bowl with the beaters still running. Avoid letting the syrup touch the beaters otherwise you’ll get lumps of hardened sugar. Keep whisking until you have used up all the syrup and the meringue is glossy, thick and has cooled substantially – this may take several minutes of whisking. The bowl itself must have cooled too.

Now add the butter, a cube at a time, whisking well between each addition until the butter is used up and fully incorporated in the meringue. Finally, whisk in the coffee.

To assemble

Press the rectangle frame down on top of each cake slab in turn to cut out equal rectangles of cake. Leave the frame pressed into one cake and brush half the ready-made coffee over the cake within the frame.

Spread half the meringue buttercream over that and spread level with a spatula.

Freeze for 10 minutes to set, then spoon one-quarter of the ganache over the top of the buttercream and spread level.

Place a second cake slab on top. Top with the remaining coffee, meringue buttercream and one-quarter of the ganache as before and freeze for 30 minutes to set.

Place the last cake slab on the top and spread another quarter of the ganache over it. Freeze overnight, still in its frame, and reserve the last of the ganache.

The next day, warm the reserved ganache to liquify it. Gently ease the frame away from the layered opéra and cut it into 12 neat fingers using a hot, sharp knife.

Put the slices on a wire rack over a tray and pour the ganache over each one to enrobe it. Allow to set before serving.

recipe from 'Patisserie at Home by Will Torrent' (Ryland Peters & Small, £19.99)

Ensaimada (Brioche)

A couple of weeks ago, we saw King Kong, the musical (play) at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. Technically it was brilliant. You kinda appreciate the hard work wired into the movements of arduously making KingKong move like the real thing. To carry the arms and the legs of the mammal is a mammoth task. Pun intended. The head of King Kong was made to move by an electronic board. The limbs' were all due to puppeteers. The story line was old; setting was New York, heroine Anne falling in love with the skipper of the ship that brought them to Skull Island, King Kong saving her from the dangers of jungle, heroine showing empathy to King Kong, King Kong was drugged and brought to Broadway , and the iconic scene on top of the Empire State Building where King Kong fell into the abyss of oblivion. That in a nutshell is the story of the giant gorilla. Although King Kong doesn't belong to my top 3 musical plays (Les Miz remains my all time favourite), I like it as much. Just because.The last musical play I was able to watch was Rock of Ages and that was eons ago. My eyes welled up as soon as they turned off the lights, signalling the start of the show. I literally have shivers shooting down my spine every time the heroine hits an octave higher. 

I like musical plays and Im arty fartsy that way. My little boy tells me so. I love going to the museums, appreciating art. I love old buildings, pebble stones on alleys of brick wall. Soaking in other cultures is up my alley. I cant draw to save my life. But I appreciate good things and hard work and innate talent. of the old world and the new.

This recipe is from old and distant past. It is spanish in origin. Adapted by Filipinos and made it their own. I must say its the best brioche bar none. We call it Ensaimada. And its my favourite merienda or snacks of all time. I try  to make it as less sinful as I can. You can tweak it by putting ube or purple yam in between those rolls or make the butter on top even more sinful and delectable. I chose not too, mindful of those love handles slowly showing their ugly head.

*Snagged from thetummytrain.com

All photos are raw and by NoSetMenu

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water, 100 to 110° F *
6 tablespoons sugar
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature, plus more melted butter for brushing the rolls
6 egg yolks
1/2 cup evaporated milk
canola oil for greasing proofing bowl, baking sheet, and brioche molds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. To proof yeast, add one tablespoon sugar and let stand for 10 minutes. The mixture should foam up and double in volume. This means the yeast is active. If the yeast does not foam and double, discard and repeat.
2. Sift flour and salt together twice. Add about 1/2 cup of flour to the yeast mixture and set aside.
3. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
4. Turn the speed to medium-low, add yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add flour-salt mixture alternately with milk, mixing until well incorporated.
6. Finally add yeast mixture, beating well.
7. Replace the paddle with a kneading hook and knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Alternatively, knead the dough by hand on a clean surface dusted with flour until smooth and elastic.
8. Let the dough rest in a bowl greased lightly with canola oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise until double in size, about one to two hours. Meanwhile, brush 12 brioche molds lightly with oil.

9. Once risen, punch down the dough and divide into twelve equal portions.
10. Roll out each piece to a thin sheet, brush with melted butter, and roll it like you would a jelly roll.
11. Coil this into a spiral-shaped bun. Either place the coiled dough flat on greased baking sheets or in greased fluted brioche molds.
12. Set the dough aside to rise a second time, until double in size, about an hour. When the dough is almost done, preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C).
13. Bake until the crust turns golden brown. Brush with melted butter and dust generously with sugar. **

Storage: The rolls will keep for about a day or two at room temperature. Refrigerate to make them last for up to 5 days and simply reheat before eating, if desired. Remember that bread is best eaten fresh.

** You can also top ensaymadas with margarine, a sprinkling of sugar, and some grated cheese, if desired.

Salted Caramel Brownies

What a nice surprise to find my blog NoSetMenu with 36,000++ hits. Say what??  In absentia in blogging for two (2) years, I found my blog with thousands of hits. The thousands is an icing on the cake really. I know 36,000 is a pathetic number, as other bloggers would have millions but hey it is still something to reckon with and be proud of. Somewhere across the universe, there are kindred spirits who share my interest. Lol. My intention of opening a blog is to share with you my love for food. Or creating them for that matter. If randomly you found the recipes and you are able to re-create them then Im a happy camper. I have some pushover friends and friends of my little boy who encouraged me - to open a blog that is; a treasure chest where I could keep memories of my tiny kitchen, an avenue to hone my interest and a  place where my creative juices overflow.

To cut the chase off, here is a recipe that will knock your socks off;

*Recipe snagged from Ed Kimber/TheBoyWhoBakes

** Photos are all mine. All raw.

Salted Caramel Brownies – Makes 12

Salted Caramel Filling
175g caster sugar
150ml double cream
10g unsalted butter
large pinch of flaked sea salt

Fudge Brownies
180g plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder (my preferred brand is Green and Blacks)
1/4 tsp salt
300g dark chocolate, around 65-75% cocoa solids
150g unsalted butter
220g light brown sugar
150g caster sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

To make the caramel place the sugar into a medium saucepan, set over medium heat and cook until the sugar melts and caramelises – make sure to cook it far enough – it should look like the colour of an old penny. Pour in half the cream and all the salt, be careful the mixture will bubbly up violently. Once the mixture has calmed down pour in the remaining cream followed by the butter, if there are any lumps place the pan back on the heat and stir until smooth. Take off the heat and allow to cool and then pour into a squeeze bottle (this makes it easier to spread the caramel later).

For the brownies preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan. Grease a 9×13 light coloured pan and line with a strip of parchment leaving about a 2-inch overhang along the long edges to make removing the brownies easier. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a medium bowl and set aside. Place the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and stir occasionally until the mixture is fully melted. Take the bowl of the heat and add the eggs and sugars and beat until the mixture is smooth. Sieve over the flour mixture and gently fold together.

Divide the mixture equally in half and spread out the first half into the prepared tin. Using the squeeze bottle pour the caramel over the batter leaving a 1 1/2 cm border around the outside. You now need to spread the remaining batter over the caramel and this bit can be a little tricky. You can gently drape it over the caramel but it can be hard to get an even layer so my preferred method is to use a piping bag using a wide flat piping tip(with the flat side facing up).

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 until the a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, you dont want raw batter. Allow to cool completely before using a sharp knife to cut into squares.

Lemon Macarons

Today, I opened my blogsite after a long time. My heart did a flutter but my fingers froze...musing, do I have to? Mulling over, can I still do it? I don't think I can still write. I'm rusty. Real life has taken over. My writing skills wasn't made out of genetics I think. Unlike some people I know. I wasn't borne with great writing skills. Mine was nurtured over time and out of a requirement from studying - tons of reports and analyses, a thesis or two; Borne of writing emails, investigation reports and transcripts at work. And from reading - encircling those proses, phrases and words, remembering them and savouring their meaning. 

Reading has always been one of the things I love to do. I still do. Words and Proses especially those beautifully crafted almost always move me. I usually cant wait to finish reading beautiful words. I remember them. And like honey touching my lips, words are sweet. I love "flowery" words. To me, they have colours and beauty. They are alive. I used to memorise all the adjectives in Thesaurus too. 

While my writing skills isn't natural, my cooking and baking skills are. And I would like to think so, if you may. My legendary Mommy passed on to us, her kids, her natural skill in the kitchen. 

Since my words and phrases are filled with ineptness, let these photos do the talking. Let them move you as words do me. You can have the cake and eat it too.... Life is too short.

Lemon Macarons – Pierre Herme “Macaron”

300g ground almonds

300g icing sugar

110g egg whites “liquefied”

1/2g yellow gold food colouring (or 1 / 4 tsp. Coffee)

10g lemon yellow food coloring 

300g Granulated Sugar

75g of mineral water

110g egg whites “liquefied”

225g fresh whole eggs  

240g granulated sugar

8g Lemon zest

160g fresh lemon juice

350g unsalted butter

100g ground almonds

1. The day before, prepare the lemon cream. Rinse and dry the lemons. Zest the lemons so you have 4g of zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your hands. Mix lemon juice, sugar/lemon and eggs in a bowl. Put it in a bain-marie. Whisk until the mixture is at 83/84C (this took forever and I’m not sure I got all the way!)

2. Leave to cool to 60C before adding the butter in pieces. Whip until the cream is smooth using an immersion blender, mixing for about 10 min. Pour the cream into a baking dish. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the cream and keep it in refrigerator overnight.

3. On the next day, sift the icing sugar with the almond powder. I tend to put this almond/sugar mix in a food processor for a good few pulses because the store bought ground almonds are apparently not as fine as a professional kitchens use and this can effect the way the wet is absorbed by the dry goods. Mix the colourings in the first amount of “liquefied” egg whites. Add this to the icing sugar/almond mix but don’t mix together.

photo taken with my Iphone

4. Boil the water and sugar to 118C. Once the syrup is at 115C, simultaneously, begin to whisk the second amount of “liquefied” white eggs. Pour the 118C sugar syrup onto the whites down the side of the mixer bowl avoiding the whisk. Continue to whisk and let cool to 50C before adding them to the sugar-almond mix.

5. With a rubber spatula, fold it into the icing sugar almond powder whilst turning the bowl through a quarter turn on each fold. When the dough just begins to shine, it is ready. The batter will resemble a cake mixture being a bit runny. Online this stage is often described as looking like magma, which I take to mean the batter should form a ribbon that keeps its shape for around 10 seconds.

6. Pour it into a pastry bag fitted with a No. 11 plain tip. Pipe the mixture into circles about 3.5cm in diameter, spacing them every 2cm on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Tap the baking sheets on a work surface covered with a kitchen towel to let any air bubbles rise out. Let the shells crust for at least 30 min – they should go from shiny to a slightly duller look that wont stick to your finger if you lightly touch one. This rest is to help to develop the proper “feet”.

7. Preheat oven to 180C. Put the baking sheets into the oven. Bake for 12 minutes quickly opening the oven door twice during baking first at 8 minutes the at 10. Out the oven, slide the parchment and shells on the work surface. For me this has always been too high a temperature I cook at around 160C and for a little less time but it all depends on your oven but you don’t want them to brown so bear this in mind.

8. Mix the lemon cream with almond powder. Pour it into a pastry bag fitted with a plain no.11 tip and pipe generous amounts onto half the shells and top with a second shell. Store in the refrigerator overnight to obtain the perfect texture.

Photo taken with my Iphone

David Lebovitzes Devil's Food Cake

As I write this, Melbourne and the whole region of Victoria is going overdrive and has gone mad. The Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Finals has just started. And Geelong Football Team has just scored its first goal within the first 10 seconds of the game.

I baked this cake last night but it was a conscious decision on my part to write the blog entry while the game is ongoing to distract me. I couldn't bear the suspense. Its killing me. Argh! And as I write this, I could feel my heart racing wild and can hear the throbbing of my anxious heart...

To say that the whole Melbourne echoes my state is an understatement. The world stops in this side of town and half the population trooped to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and the other half have their eyes glued on their television to watch the best of the best in wild abandon.

Australians love their sports, and to say that they are passionate about it yet again is an understatement. Sports fill their waking hours, literally hogging the limelight anytime and anywhere.

I will always love sports; watching and playing anything under the sun. I might not be "that" good playing anything sporty, but I love to sweat them all out. My little boy say I show more testosterone while watching a game; I would stand up from the bleachers, raise my fist and utter expletives. Hahaha! It came at no surprise that this Grand Finals is eating me slowly...I couldnt watch it. Its too much for me.

Australian Football League or to be more politically correct, Australia rules Football is a league of its own. I have to issue such statement lest I suffer the onslaught of hardcore fans if I compare AFL with American Football. AFL Footballers don't wear all those body cover-ups and its not European football either because its quick and extremely physical (click here to understand the sport). The only common denominator, for layman, is one has to kick  a goal.

I also wanted to introduce you to the latest favourite food blogger/writer of mine, David Lebovitz. The Devil's Food Cake is his version. I have baked several in the past and his version is one of the best thus far.

But my mind and heart is somewhere else at the moment, I couldn't seem to concentrate due to the bloody Grand Finals!

David Lebovitz deserves a blog entry beautifully crafted (as if. hehehe) like his food creations. And so I will write about him in a few.

For the meantime,  let me distract myself out of this quandary; I reckon I'll go and do some cleaning. The suspense is really killing me.

And by the way, I'm for Geelong, no matter what. GO CATS!


*Snagged from http://www.davidlebovitz.com/

For the cake:

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup strong coffee (or water)

½ cup whole or low-fat milk

For the ganache frosting:

10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

½ cup water (or cream)

¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter

1. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F degrees.

2. Butter two 9″ x 2″ cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.

3. To make the cake layers, sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.

4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)

5. Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.

6. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

7. To make the frosting, melt the chopped chocolate with the water (or cream) in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove the bowl from the pan of water.

8. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk them into the chocolate until completely melted and the ganache is smooth. Cool until spreadable, which may take about 1 hour at room temperature.

To frost the cake:

Run a knife around the inside of each of the cakes which will help release them from the pans. Tilt one cake out of the pan, remove the parchment paper from the bottom and invert it back onto a cake plate. Spread a good-sized layer of icing over the top. Top with the second cake layer and spread the top and sides with the remaining icing as decoratively as you want.

POSTSCRIPT: GEELONG WON. GO CATS! :))

Red Velvet Cake

This blog entry is waaay long overdue! I baked this cake almost a month ago and the draft has been sitting in my draft compartment for a long time too. It was the cake I baked for Father's Day in Australia which is celebrated every 1st Sunday of September and have brought in for the family to enjoy. Many family events had overwhelmed us these past few weeks, not that we are complaining huh, just been extremely busy so it was a little bit daunting.

Anyway going back to the cake, lol!  This is the only cake I have ever baked that I wasn't able to taste or even had the chance to do proper photo op for that matter. It was wiped out.totally.there and then. I even received a text message from the "kids"of the family, singing the praises for this cake. I was taken aback by the enthusiasm of the family so much so that I am paying homage to the hype about red velvet cake or red velvet cupcakes if you may. You can say Im a bit cynic about having a go, red velvet is anything but.

Lo and behold,  if you shoved the humble pie into my mouth, in my case my humble cake, gladly I'll do it. Red velvet cake is anything but boring. The texture is so velvety, lustrous, delectable and so moist-ful. So now,  I bow my head with respect. Red Velvet cake had me at hello.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (15 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted
1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two - 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 - 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the refrigerator for at least an hour (or overnight). (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

Cream Cheese Frosting: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth. Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth. Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

Assemble: With a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally. You will now have four cake layers. Place one of the cake layers, top of the cake facing down, onto your serving platter. Spread the cake layer with a layer of frosting.  Place another layer of cake on top of the frosting and continue to frost and stack the cake layers. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Can garnish the cake with sweetened or unsweetened coconut.

Serves 10 - 12 people.

Peanut Butter Filled Chocolate Cupcakes With Chocolate Ganache

I don't normally bake cupcakes for the simply reason that they can be quite "sinful", especially my kind of cupcake. I don't bake them plain. My kind of cupcake needs to have a filling. And loads of chocolate bars...It can really be rich you know. And to remain true to this, here is yet another example; with filling of peanut butter goodness ensconced by delectable chocolate and topped with frosty chocolate treat. What else can you ask for?

*Snagged from my favourite cupcake blog: http://cupcakeblog.com/

Chocolate Cupcakes
24 regular cupcakes / 350 degree oven

5.4 ounces dark chocolate or 3/4 of a 200 gram bar of Valrhona 61% cocao
22 tablespoons butter (yes, nearly three sticks of butter!)
1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
4-1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder, unsweetened
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

1. Melt chocolate and butter over a water bath.
2. Add sugar and stir, let mixture cool for 10 minutes.
3. Beat in an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
4. Add one egg at a time, mixing for 30 seconds between each
5. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and a pinch of salt into the mixture and mix until blended.
6. Scoop into cupcake cups and bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.


Peanut Butter Filling

4 ounces or 1/2 package of Philly cream cheese
1 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk

1. Beat cream cheese and peanut butter until combined.
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until combined.
3. Add the milk and beat until combined.

Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
5 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar

1. Chop chocolates and transfer into a heat proof bowl.
2. Heat cream until bubbles form around the edge of the pan, pour cream over the chocolate.
3. Let sit for 1 minute then stir until combined.
4. Add butter and vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixture and let cool for 10 minutes.
6. Sift powdered sugar into the mixture and beat until combined.
7. Continue to beat with an electric mixer until lighter in color and creamy.


mid-assembly

Assemble
1. Using a small pairing knife, cut off the top of the cupcake in the shape of a cone. Flip the top over and cut off the cone.
2. Fill the cavity with a teaspoon or so of peanut butter filling.
3. Replace top.
4. Frost with ganache.
5. Decorate as you wish.

Devil's Food White-out Cake

I intentionally didnt' include the recipe of Doris Greenspan's Devil's Food White-out cake on my "A Celebration" blogspot for the simply reason that the recipe is quite lengthy - as I am a tad lazy to toil over from one computer key to the another.  But the power of internet is far and wide these days - with a little bit of common sense - I was able to research and extract the entire recipe from the internet. Thus, cut and paste made my day. But a disclaimer I will issue; while the recipe was cut and paste and lifted from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, the pictures and the act of baking are originally mine, and mine alone. :)

Nothing can be more fitting than to celebrate a momentous event in your life than to bake this fudgy, gooey and marshmallowy chocolate cake. This is such a celebration.

And while the recipe may be daunting at first glance, the recipe takes you through every minute detail of baking galore.

This cake will never fail to amaze you. And trust me, I have found the cake for my family dinner on Christmas eve this year. 

Source: Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours p. 247-9 

Makes 12 servings 

For the cake 

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

3/4 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar 

1/2 cup sugar 

3 large eggs, at room temperature 

1 tsp pure vanilla extract 

2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled 

1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature 

1/2 cup boiling water 

4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped, or 2/3 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips 

For the filling and frosting 

1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large) 

1 cup sugar 

3/4 tsp cream of tartar 

1 cup water 

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract 

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet. 

TO MAKE THE CAKE: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate. When it is fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. At this point, the batter will be thick, like frosting. Still working on low speed, mix in the boiling water, which will thin the batter considerably. Switch to a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with the rubber spatula. 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Don't worry if the tops have a few small cracks. Transfer the cake pans to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.) 

When you are ready to fill and frost the cake, inspect the layers. If the cakes have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. With the same knife, slice each layer horizontally in half. Set 3 layers aside and crumble the fourth layer; set the crumbs aside. 

TO MAKE THE FILLING AND FROSTING: Put the egg whites in a clean, dry mixer bowl or in another large bowl. Have a candy thermometer at hand. 

Put the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the syrup to boil until it reaches 242 degrees F on the candy thermometer. While the syrup is cooking, start beating the egg whites. 

When the syrup is at about 235 degrees F, begin beating the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer. If the whites form firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and keep mixing the whites until the syrup catches up. With the mixer at medium speed, and standing back slightly, carefully pour in the hot syrup, pouring it between the beater(s) and the side of the bowl. Splatters are inevitable—don't try to scrape them into the whites, just carry on. Add the vanilla extract and keep beating the whites at medium speed until they reach room temperature, about 5 minutes. You should have a smooth, shiny, marshmallowy frosting. Although you could keep it in the fridge in a pinch, it's really better to use it right now. 

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Put a bottom layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a long metal icing spatula, cover the layer generously with frosting. Top with a second layer, cut side up, and frost it. Finish with the third layer, cut side down, and frost the sides and top of the cake. Don't worry about smoothing the frosting—it should be swirly. Now, cover the entire cake with the chocolate cake crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs into the filling with your fingers. 

Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before serving. (If it's more convenient, you can chill the cake for 8 hours or more; cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.)