Sunday 20 March 2011

The Cake Slice March 2011: Chocolate Cream Pound Cake

The posting date for The Cake Slice bakers certainly seems to roll round quickly! This month the winning cake was a Chocolate Cream Pound Cake made using double cream and butter for richness and copious amounts of cocoa powder for a deep rich chocolate flavour.

When it came to baking the cake, I wasn’t in need of a large cake so decided to only make a third of the batter – easiest way to split the 3 eggs called for in the recipe – and to bake them in 4 mini loaf tins. I bought these a while ago and hadn’t ever got round to using them, so this was the perfect excuse.

I loved the shape and size this gave my mini pound cakes. I think they look so cute, I never can resist mini sized things, plus, this way you get to eat a whole mini cake yourself without feeling greedy!

I used brown teff flour in place of the wheat flour to make it gluten free. However, I think I should have done a mix of flour or added some xanthan gum to help improve the texture of the flour as my little loaf cakes sunk in the middle – while still in the oven – so I don’t think the flours structure was strong enough to support the cake. Oh well, lesson learned.

The problem of the dip in the middle was easily solved by serving the little cakes upside down. I think this actually gave them a better shape due to being mini and meant no one was any the wiser when it came to eating them. Shhhh.

Topped off with a little drizzle of coffee glaze and the cakes were good to go. The crumb inside was very dark and rich due to all the cocoa powder. This gave them a rich chocolate flavour and a slightly fudgy, almost brownie like consistency.

They were delicious on the day they were baked, but I found them a little dry the following day, so I’m not sure I’d bake them again if I knew they wouldn’t all be eaten straight away. Overall I found this cake tasty, but nothing outstanding.

Click to see The Cake Slice blogroll

Chocolate Cream Pound Cake
(Recipe adapted from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)
Ingredients
60g cocoa powder
55ml double cream
150g plain flour (I used GF brown teff flour)
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
100g unsalted butter, softened
335g caster sugar (I reduced this to 225g)
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Heat the oven to 160C. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
Sift the cocoa powder into a heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a microwavable bowl and heat for 30-60 seconds until just boiling. Pour the hot cream over the cocoa and stir and mash with a spoon to make a thick paste. Set aside to cool.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bow once or twice as necessary. Beat in the cocoa powder paste until well combined (it will look grainy but this is fine).
With the mixer on medium-low speed add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla (the batter should now be smooth and glossy).
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, a third at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Add the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on the rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Makes one 9x5 inch loaf cake

To Make Mini’s
Use only one-third of the ingredients (easiest way to scale down the 3 eggs in the original recipe) and bake in 4 mini loaf tins that have been lined with greaseproof paper. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out to cool. Serve upside down, drizzled with the glaze of your choice.

21 comments:

Unknown said...

Mini things are very adorable. Nice job on making the cake. That glaze that you made though, boy does it look good!

Caroline said...

They look great and individual cakes are such a good idea!

The Caked Crusader said...

Yum - I think it's the texture that's making me drool - it looks so indulgent!

Natasha @ Saved by the Egg Timer said...

They look moist, I like the mini pans idea.

beauty be told said...

looks delicious! love the drizzle of the glaze!

Kelly-Jane said...

They are so cute done in the samll loaf tins!

Chele said...

Drool worthy!!! No other way to say it my dear ;0)

natalia said...

Ciao Katie ! Your minis are the cutest and the drizzle is a great addiction !

OvenDelights said...

My cake ended up sinking as well, I don't think it has to do with the switch in flour you used. Not sure why this happend. I don't think I'll be making this recipe again, wasn't my favorite.

Please Do Not Feed The Animals. said...

I had sinkage too.
I like the mini pans - do you think you will use them more now you have tried them? I'm just wondering if I would use them enough to justify the cupboard space.

All That's Left Are The Crumbs said...

Add me to the list of bakers whose cake sank a little. I love that you made mini pound cakes. I really enjoyed the flavor, and I am planning on making it again soon, so I will have to try this idea.

Jodi said...

Looks great! Mine didn't sink - wonder why everyone else's did?

Anonymous said...

Look delish as usual Kati =) Love that you made little individual cakes...too cute! Mine also sank in the middle but still tasted good.

Emily said...

Looking fab! Look that texture!

Maria said...

so moist! yumyum mini cake

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

I thought of 1/3rd too :-)and coz of the eggs only:-)
Loe mini's too specially coz i like to bake more stuff, less quantity :-)
The cakes look sooo pretty and cuteee and totally loveee the cutest way u dressed them up with.
Am so sad i missed this one :-)Really want to try this again but am still at the ends of what went wrong :-(

Elle said...

Darling minis Katie...and tuning them upside down is perfect for presentation. SOme of our fellow bakers had a problem with the middle dipping a bit, so it might just be the recipe, not the flour.

Chef Basket said...

The chocolate cake pound cake! I think this could be a perfect choice for the chocolate lover's in your life.

Anonymous said...

I have never made cake this way before, but it sounds delicious with all that cream. And i am betting that coffee glaze probably made this all the more divine

Monica H said...

I like the coffee glaze you put on these- yum!

Snel afvallen said...

Hmm yummy absolutley chocalicious! Making it tommorow!