Dark Chocolate Cake for Double Celebration!

10.05.2014 - Nongsa, Batam.  10th May is my son 4 years old 3 months birth-date as we do celebrate every month just for fun.  Coinsequently the next day 11th May is Mother's Day.  So i make a delicious sinful chocolate cake to celebration these two occasion.  I have come out with 2 different designed for 2 different celebrations.  Its simply fascinating!!  The cake is set the next day on the 11th which i find it taste even better!

I used the same chocolate recipe that i have posted recently for my anniversary.  I knew this recipe won't disappoint me and i can imagine, enjoying a slice of this homemade rich chocolate cake with a fantastic chocolate ganache only happen with this recipe. :)

This cake is a true indulgence, everyone loves it.

 on the 11th for my mother's day celebration! :) haaaa.....decorated with some fresh flowers on top.  Its so beautiful as i love flowers. people never really appreciates these little flowers in the garden.  I cleanse them viola! its so lovely on my cake!! absolutely gorgeous! 

On the 10th evening, the cake is ready for my son Birthdate celebration ! :) i just sprinkle with some edible decorative candy stars on top and 4 candles. 

Ingredients:
(make one 9" round cake pan )

INGREDIENTS FOR CHOCOLATE CAKE
4 large egg yolks
25g caster sugar
50ml vegetable oil
70ml water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
85g cake flour
25g dark cocoa powder ( = 2 tbsp full )
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon baking soda dash of baking soda only

4 large egg whites
55g caster sugar ( = 4 tbsp full )
i added pinch spoon of cream of tartar equal to 1/4 tp

FOR CHOCOLATE GANACHE
170g pouring cream
170g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped


Method:

Line base of a 9" round pan or 7" round pan with parchment paper. Do not line or grease the sides.

Sieve together cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Place egg yolks in a mixing bowl. With a ballon whisk, whisk the yolks a little. Add in sugar and whisk till the mixture turns pale and thickens.  Add in vegetable oil gradually, whisking at the same time till the mixture combines.  Add in water gradually, whisking at the same time till the mixture combines. Add in vanilla extract, whisk to combine. Sieve over the flour mixture and whisk till the flour is fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Set aside.

In a clean, dry mixing bowl, beat egg whites with a handheld electric mixer on low speed until mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches the soft peak stage.The soft peak stage is reached when the peaks of the whites curl over and droop slightly. The egg whites should appear smooth and glossy.

Add the beaten egg whites into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a spatula until just blended.   Pour batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan lightly on a table top to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the batter.

Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 degC for 45 mins, bake cake in the middle oven.

Toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, when lightly pressed the cake will spring back. Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould. To release the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife or a off-set spatula around the inside of the pan.

to make chocolate ganache:
Place cream and chopped chocolates in a bowl. Set it over a saucepan of simmering water.  Stir the mixture gently with a spoon till the chocolate melts and mixture becomes smooth.  Remove from the bowl from the saucepan. Use immediately.

to assemble:
Slice the cake horizontally into three layers. Place a layer of sponge cake on a cake board. Spoon about 4 heaped spoons of the chocolate ganache onto the surface. Spread evenly with a spatula. Repeat with the second layer of sponge cake. Place the third layer and spoon the remaining ganache over the top and spread it over to the sides. Smooth the surface evenly with the spatula. Decorate as desired. Keep chilled in fridge.

Celebrating 2nd Year in Batam

29.03.2014 - Nongsa Batam.  Today we are celebrating our 2nd year anniversary of staying in Batam Island.  Indonesia.  

We praise the almighty for giving us such a wonderful life here and everywhere we have been.  Time flies like it was just yesterday we moved here.  I hope and wish our life will be always bless in years to come wherever we maybe.

Chocolate Cake recipe chocolate-cake-for-double-celebration 

Dark Chocolate Cake with Ganache

29.03.2014 - Nongsa, Batam.  I had ran out of butter at home as i received a call in the afternoon from my hubby requested for a cake for evening to celebrate our 2nd year Anniversary of staying in Batam.  So the only quick cake and no butter cake that came to mind is the chocolate sponge cake.

Im always so lucky to get a great recipe well have to say with some knowledge of baking to do some modification as well on the recipe.  I am so happy that the result of this cake was PERFECT!!! The cake is super moist, soft and spongy!! taste just as good not too sweet and is a perfect cake for any occasion and this is the best chocolate cake i have ever made!!

RECIPE
( I used  8" round cake pan )

For Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake Recipe
4 egg yolks large
25g caster sugar
50ml vegetable oil
70ml water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
85g cake flour
25g rich dark cocoa powder ( Dutch - good quality coco powder )
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
dash of baking soda

4 egg whites large
55g caster sugar
1/4 tp Cream of Tartar

Here i provides you two chocolate ganache recipes, just incase you ran out of heavy cream, you may used the "no heavy cream recipe" for your frosting! Enjoy

For Frosting - Dark Chocolate Ganache: ( used no heavy cream ) 
120ml fresh milk  ( you may add little by little to adjust the amount of liquid for the thickness level )
50g butter
300g good quality dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

or

Dark Chocolate Ganache: ( with heavy cream )
200g Heavy Cream
200g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

Chocolate Sponge Cake
Method:

- Line base of a 9" round pan with parchment paper. Do not line or grease the sides.

- Sieve cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and dash of baking soda. Set aside.

- Beat egg whites till foamy add in cream of tartar, continue beat and add half of the sugar amount and turn to high speed and beat the mixture. Continue to add in the remaining sugar and beat until the egg whites reaches stiff peak, just like how you make chiffon cake.  Most of the recipe probably will advise do not over beat the whites still stiff, it is better to beat the whites still soft peaks for easy folding with the yolk batter. But it doesn't matter for me, if you know the technique of folding, you won't deflate the egg white without over mixed )  Set aside egg whites.

- Pre-heated oven at 170c

- Place egg yolks in a clean mixing bowl. beat the egg yolk with a balloon whisk or electric egg beater and gradually add in sugar in 2 batches, beat till the mixture turns lemony and thicken.  Add in vegetable oil, water and vanilla gradually, whisk till the mixture just combined.  Transfer sieved flour mixture in and mix until just well combined. Do not over mix. Set aside.

- Add the beaten egg whites into batter mixture in 3 batch, 1st 2 times i fold in with the remaining egg whisk from the machine / balloon whisk until just combine and last batch of egg white i fold with a spatula until just well combine do not over mixed the mixture.

- Pour the batter slowly into the prepared round pan to get rid of air bubbles or just in case you are to fast pouring in the batter, you may tap the pan lightly after pouring batter to the pan.

- Bake in pre-heated oven at 170 degC for 45 mins, place the cake in the center of the oven. After cooked, insert a toothpick to the cake, when come out clean, its done.  Invert the pan immediately and let cool completely before unmould.

- To release the cake from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife or a off-set spatula around the inside of the pan.

- Slice the cake horizontally into three layers. Frost cake with chocolate ganache onto the surface. Spread evenly with a spatula. Repeat with the second layer of sponge cake. Place the third layer and spoon the remaining ganache over the top and spread it over to the sides. Smooth the surface evenly with the spatula.

Decorate as desired. Keep chilled in fridge.


Chocolate Ganache:
METHOD

In a double boiler, Place Milk / Cream and chopped chocolates ( or butter ) in a bowl. Set it over a saucepan of simmering water until all melted and combined and smooth.   Remove from saucepan. Set chocolate to cool and transfer to the fridge to set for easy frosting.

Dark Chocolate Sponge Cake for Deedat 3years 11months Birth-date

10.01.2014 - Nongsa Batam.  Celebrating his monthly birth date because next month 10th Feb he will turn 4 years old.  We might not be celebrating anymore, he seems like getting bore with cake!! :) LOL its a good thing. because we don't know when we will stop celebrating every month, so maybe is time to stop celebrate it after he turned 4. Here i make a Chocolate Sponge Cake frosted with whipping cream.  

Ingredients:-

4 egg yolks (large)

20g caster sugar

50g corn oil

60g milk

15g dark cocoa powder

75g cake flour, ( i use normal flour added 1tsp baking powder )

4 egg white (large)

1/4tsp lemon juices or 1/4tsp cream of Tartar  ( I used only lemon juice)

60g caster sugar

Method

1. Lightly whisk egg yolk with sugar. ( i beat till lemony color )

2. Add in corn oil, stir to combine.

3. Add in milk, stir to combine,then add in cocoa powder, mix well.

4. Add in cake flour, mix well, set aside. ( add 1ts baking powder )

5. Add lemon juices into egg white, beat till foamy.

6. Gradually add in sugar, beat till stiff peaks (十分发 / 硬性发泡)

7. Take 1/3 portion of egg white mixture and use hand whisk to mix with egg yolk mixture till light.

8. Fold the balance of egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture using a spatula, combine well.

9. Pour batter into the pan (do not need to line with baking paper and do not use a non-stick pan), bake at pre-heated oven at 140c for 25mins (at lower rack) i preheated at 150c bake 7mins and increase to 180c bake for 10mins lower down to 150c again for 5mins and increase again to 180c 5mins bake on centre oven, total time i put 25mins increase again another 7mins means 32mins

then increase to 170C and continue to bake for 25mins. Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack (don't need to invert the cake). Once cake is slightly cool down(10-15mins), remove cake from cake tin (use a think and flat spatula to run around the side and bottom of the cake pan) and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

NOTE

if you want to make a normal vanilla sponge cake, replace chocolate emulco with vanilla essence, and omit cocoa powder and add back 15g of cake flour to become 90g cake flour.

So yummy Chocolate Sponge Cake!!

Chocolate Cake Recipe

21.10.2013 - Batam.  I love chocolate cake.  2 days ago i made a chocolate cake from a steamed chocolate cake recipe.  I absolutely love it but however, i still wanna eat a real good chocolate cake. 

This is the chocolate cake i first made on the 22.01.2010, i gather several recipes into this one recipe below

I still remember how delicious, soft and moist this cake was. I decorated with chocolate buttercream frosting and pistachio nuts

So i remember i have ever made one in 2010, it was a recipe i adopted from woman's weekly but i do alot of adjustment from one recipe to another and came out my own recipe, i like to do ingredients comparison and amount and so i put it into one recipe and do my baking.  It is hard work. But worth all my time reading, comparing and gathering so many chocolate recipes into one good recipe.  This recipe created not like other chocolate cake which put every ingredients in one bowl mixed and baked that easy.  This recipe need some extra work which is separate egg yolks and white. beat separately.  I used this method so as i want my cake to rise beautifully full but remain dense and moist not dry like sponge cake, and it work, rise beautifully! lol... 

It turn out good anyway and i still kept the recipe with me.  and here again i bake for the 2nd time.  It is really so delicious.  

The should look as good as my first chocolate cake pic above, dark and chocolaty but the camera snap turn out my cake not much the same, probably the lighting/ flash.  anyway, i love this cake.  My house smells so chocolate when the cake almost cooked.  I am happy to share this recipe before i lost it. :) 

Happy Baking!  

Ingredients:-
100g dark chocolate chopped, melted
185g butter, melted
2 1/4 cups cake flour (sieve ) / Self-Raising Flour
1/2 x 2 tsp baking powder ( sieve ) = 1/8 tsp
1/3 cup coco powder ( sieve ) 1/3 cup = 4tsp
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup fresh milk , room temperature
1 1/3 cup brown sugar ( if use granulated sugar reduce amout of sugar to 1 1/4 cup )
4 eggs, separate, room temperature

METHOD:-
1) Sieve flour, coco powder & baking powder put aside, Melt chocolate put aside
2) Melt butter put aside
3) Beat egg white until ribbon stage until stiff and put aside,
4) Separate egg yolks & white, Beat egg yolks with half sugar till fluffy
5) fold in flour into beated egg yolks, mix a little, fold in melted chocolate, butter, warm water and milk.  Fold in egg white mix well.
6) bake 180c-200c, 60mins. ( after 25 mins cover with aluminium foil to avoid burn ) i put cake bake in center of oven.

Chocolate Cake ( Steamed / Baked )

19.10.2013 - Batam.  I was so tempted by my fried Steamed Chocolate Cake recipe and the chocolate cake she made.  But it was a steamed cake, so i thought of giving it a try with baked instead of steamed.  I did some modification of this recipe.  I replace evaporated milk to fresh milk and rest of the ingredients are the same.

My chocolate cake come out not rise in double. ( why it didn't rise? i dont really know ) But it was fully cooked, i inserted a skewer and it come out cleaned.  and the texture is spongy, soft and dense.  Is really a good chocolate cake recipe, that is how i want a chocolate cake to be, not like a sponge cake.  and it wasn't dry, i just love it!!!

Even though it looks flat. but i sandwiched it up and put a thin layer of chocolate frosting and top with thicker chocolate frosting. Perfect!! Taste so delicious!! and my cake is all GONE in a second!! :) TOO GOOD...

This recipe is good to keep!!

So now i called it " Chocolate Cake ( Steamed / Baked ) how is that sounds eh...? lol....

So Delicious!

Chocolate Cake ( Steamed / Baked )

Ingredients
Butter ~ 180g,
sugar ~ 180g,
evaporated milk ~ 200g, ( I used fresh milk )
eggs ~ 2 (beaten)d
Flour ~ 100g,
cocoa powder ~ 50g,
baking powder 1/2 teaspoon
baking soda 1/2 teaspoon

Method :
1) melted - sugar, milk and butter on the double boiled  steam bowl thereafter  remove from heat set aside.
2) after cooling of 1)  add egg, mix well!
3) Flour and other sifted into a large bowl, and pour into 2) ( fold in 3 batches ) mix well until smooth
4) after mixed well transfer into a 7 inch mode and wrapped in tinfoil (to prevention of water droplets inside), over high heat for 50 minutes! ( i baked for 180c, 45mins )  


Chocolate Frosting
180g milk chocolate / dark chocolate
50g whipping cream ( the amount depends on the consistency of your Chocolate Frosting you want )

* Double boiled chocolate & Cream together mixed well. set aside till cool and ready to used.

 My son want it with Peanut Butter! lol

So freaking yum!!