Month: February 2023

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

• 5 -6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped
• ¼ cup 32g baking cocoa
• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ cup (50g) vegetable oil
• 2 cups (460g) coffee
• 1 large ripe fresh avocado, cut lengthwise, pitted, and mashed (no chunks)
• 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (200g) brown sugar

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1½ cups (340g) butter, room temperature
• 4 cups (500g) confectioners’ sugar
• 3/4 cup (94g) baking cocoa
• 4 tablespoons (60ml) heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 pinch table salt

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare two 8″ round baking pans with baker’s spray or GOOP.
2. Combine chocolate, cocoa powder and three tablespoons of coffee in a heat-proof bowl. (The best way to do this is the brew coffee and place 2 cups into a medium bowl. Remove 3 tablespoons. You will use the remainder in a moment.)
3. Place bowl over a pot of simmering water, gently stir until melted and combined. Remove from heat. (You can also melt in microwave. Heat for 30 seconds then switch to 10-second increments. Stir between each heating.)
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
5. In another bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, remaining coffee, avocado,and both sugars. Stir in the slightly cooled chocolate.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Whisk until fully combined and smooth, scraping the side of the bowls completely. (try to not over mix)
7. Divide batter between both baking pans. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Buttercream

1. In a the bowl of an electric stand mixer, fitted with whisk attachment whisk butter and sugar on medium high speed until very pale and fluffy or about five minutes.
2. Be sure to stop at least once and scrape the bowl.
3. With the mixer off, add in cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.
4. Turn mixer on low and blend for about 30 seconds.
5. One tablespoon at a time add in heavy cream.
6. Once all cream has been added and mixture is mostly combined, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
7. Now turn the mixer onto medium-high to high and whisk for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is lighter and fluffier. The frosting will be shiny and seem to have many large air bubbles throughout and this is exactly what we are going for. (You can smooth those out on the cake if so desired.)

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 box (15.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
• 1 box (18.3 ounces) fudge brownie mix
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1¼ cups water, room temperature
• 1 cup (218 g) vegetable oil

Ganache

• 1 cup (238 g) heavy whipping cream
• 1 bag (12 ounces) semi sweet chocolate morsels

Instructions

Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt Pan with nonstick cooking spray or use the butter/flour method.
2. In a large bowl, add cake mix, brownie mix, eggs, water, and oil. Whisk for 2 minutes, or until lumps are mostly gone.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, checking for doneness at 45 minutes. The cake is done when an inserted toothpick comes out with a few crumbs, but no wet batter.
4. When done baking, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for up to five minutes. Then, carefully turn the cake out onto a cooling rack and cool for about 30 more minutes.

Ganache

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, add whipping cream. Heat for about 2 minutes, or until the cream is just boiling.
2. Carefully pour the chocolate morsels into the boiling cream; it may rise up and bubble, but this is okay.
3. Let sit for 5 minutes. Whisk the chocolate and cream until shiny and smooth, about 1 minute.
4. Pour over cooled cake and serve.

Ingredients:

For the sheet cake

• unsalted butter 115g, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing
• virgin coconut oil 115g
• caster sugar 350g
• plain flour 420g
• baking powder 4 tsp
• fine sea salt 1 tsp
• vanilla extract 2 tsp
• coconut extract 2 tsp
• egg whites 5 large
• coconut milk 350ml
• desiccated coconut 85g

For the cream cheese icing

• unsalted butter 75g, at room temperature
• full-fat cream cheese 125g, at room temperature
• icing sugar 400g
• fine sea salt ¼ tsp
• vanilla extract 2 tsp
• desiccated coconut 60g, to decorate

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4. Lightly grease the baking tin and line with a strip of parchment paper that overhangs the two long sides, securing in place with metal clips.

For the cake, place the butter, coconut oil and caster sugar into a large bowl and, using an electric mixer, beat together on medium speed for 7-8 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Meanwhile, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add the vanilla and coconut extracts to the butter mixture and mix briefly to combine, then add the egg whites, one at a time, mixing until fully combined before adding another. Add the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the coconut milk, starting and finishing with the flour. Fold in the desiccated coconut. Scrape the cake batter into the prepared tin and spread into an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the cake springs back to a light touch or a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 15 minutes, before transferring it to a wire rack (using the parchment paper to lift it out) to cool completely.

For the icing, it’s very important that the butter and cream cheese are both at room temperature, otherwise it can be tricky to get the right texture. Place the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes, or until smooth, creamy and fully combined. Add the icing sugar, salt and vanilla, and mix on slow speed until the sugar has combined with the butter mixture, then mix on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy.

Spread the icing all over the cooled cake, then sprinkle the desiccated coconut on top and serve.

This cake will keep for 2-3 days but, personally, I think it’s best eaten within a day of icing.

Ingredients:

For the sponge

• self-raising flour 250g
• fine sea salt ½ tsp
• cardamom powder 1 tsp, finely crush seeds from 10-12 pods
• pistachios 75g, finely chopped
• cashew nuts 75g, finely chopped
• butter 250g
• golden caster sugar 250g
• eggs 5 large
• soured cream 75g
• vanilla extract ½ tsp

For the filling

• mangoes 2-3 ripe
• double cream 250ml
• icing sugar 50g, sifted
• cardamom powder ¼ tsp, or finely crush seeds from 4-6 pods
• saffron strands 12-15, soaked in 2 tsp of lukewarm milk

To decorate (optional)

• edible flower petals a few
• icing sugar a dusting
• pistachios 10-12, chopped, to sprinkle

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas mark 4. Grease two 20cm sandwich tins with butter and dust with flour. Line the base with baking parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift the self-raising flour, salt and cardamom powder. Add the chopped pistachio and cashew nuts to the flour and keep aside.

In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, or using an electric hand beater, beat the butter and sugar until it is light and pale on medium speed. This can take 6-8 minutes. Then add in the eggs one by one, mixing after each addition.

Add the nuts, cardamom and self-raising flour mixture in two or three additions and fold through. Mix in the soured cream and vanilla and fold again.

Divide the batter equally into the two prepared cake tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes on the middle shelf of the oven. The cakes are ready when they have risen and are light golden in colour. A skewer test should come out clean. Let the cakes cool in their tins for about 5 minutes, then remove them from the tins and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cakes are in the oven, peel and chop the mangoes into small cubes and keep aside. Discard the stone.

Whisk the double cream to soft peaks and gently fold in the sifted icing sugar. Add the cardamom powder and soaked saffron. Gently swirl together to get a rippled yellow-and-white cream.

To assemble, once the cakes have cooled, place one of the cakes on a plate or a cake stand. Spoon the prepared cream mixture on top. Add the chopped mangoes and then place the second cake on top. Press it gently. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with some edible flower petals and some chopped pistachios.

NOTE: The addition of soured cream makes a light and tender crumb. You can leave it out if you prefer. Regular mangoes can be used in the recipe but I highly recommend looking out for the Indian alphonso or kesar varieties in the summer, for a fragrant and sweet mango flavour. These are available in Indian grocers or online.