The Cake Slice August 09: Pistachio Petit Four Cake

I was very excited by this month’s cake choice – a pistachio cake sandwiched together with marzipan, apricot jam and a dark chocolate ganache. The entire cake is then swathed in more of the indulgent chocolate ganache! I adore marzipan, pistachios and ganache but have never combined them together in a cake before so I couldn’t wait to get baking.

One of the things I love about pistachios is their dusky green colour and buttery taste and I was pleased to find that these attributes carry over into the cake layers too. They also kept the cake very moist and scattered with tiny speckles of nuts which added a great taste and light texture without being coarse. The jam, ganache and almond marzipan softened and melded into the cake layers, producing a lovely sweet yet bitter and indulgent gooey filling layers. The whole cake was divine!

As the cake is called a petit four cake, I halved the recipe and baked my cakes in my most recent bakeware purchase, a king sized muffin pan that I bought during my recent visit to Chicago. I couldn’t resist it - I had never seen a muffin pan so big! It produced perfect little layers cakes and I liked how it made the cakes slightly domed in shape. They were a big success with my family, all the flavours complemented each other so well. However, I was slightly disappointed that the cake, although nicely nutty, didn’t have much distinctive pistachio flavour, but they are quite a delicately flavoured nut so this is not really surprising. Click here to see the other Cake Slice cake bakers cakes.

Pistachio Petit Four Cake
(Recipe from Shy High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne)
For the Pistachio Cake Layers
80g skinned pistachio nuts (180g with shells on)
360g caster sugar
240g American cake flour OR (200g plain flour with 40g cornflour)
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225ml milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 eggs, lightly beaten

260g apricot jam
Marzipan (below)
Dark chocolate glaze (below)

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter three 8 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.
Spread out the pistachios in a baking tray and toast in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly coloured. Transfer to a dish and let cool completely. Finely chop the pistachios and set 25g aside for decoration.
Put the remaining 55g pistachios in a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse just enough to grind them finely. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend with the mixer on low for 30 seconds.
Add the butter, milk and vanilla and wit the mixer on low, beat until completely incorporated. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beaten eggs in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only long enough to blend after each addition. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.
Bake for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners and let cool completely.

For the Marzipan - (You can use 500g shop bought marzipan instead)
225g almond paste (not marzipan)
370g icing sugar
180g light corn syrup

Method
Crumble the almond paste into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on low speed to soften the almond paste. Add the icing sugar and corn syrup and beat until smooth. Wrap well in plastic so it doesn’t dry out and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before rolling.


Dark Chocolate Ganache Glaze
450g dark chocolate
225ml double cream

Method
Chop the chocolate coarsely and place in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a bare simmer. Pour immediately over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth, allow to cool slightly to begin to thicken, but use the glaze quite soon after making before it starts to set.


To Assemble
Roll out a third of the marzipan on a work surface dusted with a little icing sugar to about 1/8th inch/3mm thick. Set one of the cake pans upside down on the marzipan and trim around it with a small knife to make an 8 inch round. Repeat twice more with the remaining marzipan. Save your scraps to make roses for decoration if desired.
Place one cake layer on a cake board, flat side up. Spread a third of the apricot jam evenly over the top, leaving a ¼ inch margin all round to allow for spreading. Place one marzipan round on top of the jam and spread 2 tablespoons ganache glaze over the top of the marzipan so that it is completely covered. Repeat with the second cake layer, adding more jam, marzipan and glaze.
Add the final cake layer and top with preserves and marzipan as before. Place the whole cake on a wire rack set over a baking pan. Pour the remaining dark ganache glaze over the cake, spreading it as evenly as possible over the top and sides of the cake. Allow the ganache to set before transferring to a plate. It should be smooth and glossy.
Garnish the top with the reserves chopped pistachios.
Optional: Make some marzipan roses with any leftover marzipan scraps if desired.
Makes one 8inch/20cm cake

The Cake Slice May 09: Mile High Devils Food Cake

Another month has passed and its time for another delicious serving of a triple layer cake. This month the Cake Slice Bakers voted for a Devils Food Cake with a fluffy brown sugar frosting, a decision that was joyfully received in my household. I had been planning on making half the recipe but when I told them what the cake was they begged me to bake the full one and who am I to refuse?

A devils food cake is a deep, dark and slightly dense cocoa rich chocolate cake with either a light or dark icing. It’s quite unusual in that it uses a lot of water in the mix which helps make it moist and a little dense in texture. I had never made a full devils food cake before so was eager to try it. The only alteration I made was to reduce the sugar in the cake batter as it seemed to call for far too much compared to the rest of the ingredients. I’m glad I did as it turned out perfectly sweet enough, especially when topped with mounds of sweet fluffy frosting.

We had a choice of two frostings this time. A brown sugar 7 minute frosting or a brown sugar buttercream. I decided to go with the 7 minute frosting as it sounded lighter as it’s made using mostly egg whites which are whipped into a fluffy meringue using a hot brown sugar syrup. It reminded me distinctly of marshmallows with a slight caramel hint – delicious. The recipe made an enormous amount of frosting and I had lots leftover which we ate with some apple pie to get success.

When icing, the cake looked a bit bland on its own so I peaked the frosting into little peaks and then dusted it lightly with cocoa powder. I loved how the peaks around the sides caught a light dusting. It also hints at what might be lurking beneath that pale creamy mountain of frosting is a dark rich chocolate cake. The contrast in colour and texture when you cut a slice is fantastic. The cake is quite dense and wonderfully fudgy with a soft fine crumb that was slightly truffle like.

Its height and deep cocoa flavour meant small slices were sufficient, but the fluffy frosting prevented it from being too intense. However, if you wanted to go for a chocolate overload I bet it would make a wickedly rich and decadent dessert if you replaced the frosting with a chocolate ganache. Click here to see other Cake Slice Bakers cakes.

Mile High Devils Food Cake
(Recipe by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne from Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes)
Ingredients
100g cocoa powder
280ml hot water
600g light soft brown sugar (I only used 400g)
240g plain flour
80g cornflour
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¾ tsp salt
225g soft butter
3 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla extract
165ml cold water

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C. Grease and line three 8inch/20cm sandwich tins.
Measure out the hot water in a jug and whisk in the cocoa powder. Set aside to cool.
Gently mix together the sugar, flour, cornflour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Add the butter and cocoa mixture and beat well with an electric mixer for around 2 minutes until smooth and well combined.
In another jug, measure out the cold water and then whisk in the eggs and vanilla.
While mixing the cake batter, beat in the egg mixture in three stages, making sure everything is well incorporated.
Divide the batter between the three cake tins (I found a ladle helped divide it up equally).
Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the cakes are starting to come away from the sides of the tin and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack and leaving to cool completely before filling and covering with your choice of frosting.

Brown Sugar 7 Minute Frosting
Ingredients
6 egg whites
300g light soft brown sugar
80g liquid glucose or corn syrup
2 tbsp water
½ tsp cream of tartar

Method
Place the egg whites in a very large bowl and set to one side.
In a small saucepan combine the sugar, glucose syrup and water. Bring the mixture to the boil over a low heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring and allow to boil until it reaches 116C (softball stage) on a sugar thermometer. Then remove from the heat.
Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until its starting to foam but not yet form peaks.
While still whisking the egg whites, carefully drizzle in the hot syrup in a thin yet steady stream. Do not pour over the beaters or else you will create spun sugar!
Continue to beat until all the syrup is incorporated and shiny stiff peaks have formed. Beat for a further minute and then use immediately to sandwich the cakes together and cover the outside.
It makes a LOT of frosting so you can be very generous with it. Best eaten within 1-2 days.
Makes one triple layer 8inch/20cm cake.

Chocolate Five Spice Cupcakes with Easter Egg Nests

We were having some family round for the afternoon and I wanted to make something fun and Easter themed for afternoon tea. Chocolate is always a sure fire hit with everyone and I initially thought of the chocolate rice krisipe nests I made last year, but I decided to make something different this year. I then thought of chocolate cupcakes but these felt a bit boring, so I hit upon the idea of combining the two – a chocolate cupcake topped with mini rice krisipe nests. As I was out shopping for ingredients, I discovered some adorable mini chocolate eggs, miniature mini eggs! They are about the size of a large pea and perfect for sitting in the mini chocolate nests.

As I was mixing together the cupcake batter I decided to add some cinnamon into the mix as a nod towards the traditional spicy hot cross bun, but on opening the spice cupboard my eyes lit on a jar of Chinese five spice. It smelt wonderful, warming and aniseedy so throwing caution to the wind I added some the cupcake mix. As they were baking in the oven, the five spice smelt really strong and I was a little concerned I may have overdone it and people wouldn’t like them, but I carried on anyway. I spread them with a little Nutella buttercream and topped them with the mini chocolate nests.
They went down well with all the family, the colourful cupcake cases and miniature nests and eggs giving them a fun and cheerful appearance and evoking fond memories of childhood Easters gone by. I didn’t mention about the added spice, some of my family aren’t too adventurous, but the cupcakes received mmm’s (whew) and arrrr’s as people tried to guess the secret ingredient. I was really pleased how they turned out and will definitely be experimenting with Chinese five spice again, but I’ve learnt its quite intense – a little goes a long way!

Chocolate Five Spice Cupcakes with Easter Egg Nests
Ingredients – for the cupcakes
110g self raising flour
120g caster sugar
120g softened butter
20g cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp Chinese five spice powder

For the frosting
50g softened butter
100g icing sugar
1 tbsp Nutella
1 tbsp milk

For the chocolate nests
135g plain chocolate
35g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
100g rice krispies
Miniature mini eggs for decorating

For the cupcakes
Preheat the oven to 175C. Line a muffin tin with paper cases.
Beat together the butter, sugar until smooth and then beat in the eggs.
Sift over the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and Chinese five spice and beat until well combined.
Add the milk to slacken the mixture before spooning into the muffin cases, using a tablespoon, filling each case half way.
Bake for 22-24 minutes until risen and springy.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire wrack to cool.
Makes 10-12 cupcakes

For the Nutella frosting
Beat the butter until smooth. Sift over the icing sugar, in two batches, and beat into the butter until well combined and fluffy.
Beat in the Nutella and thin down with a little milk.
Spread generously over the top of the cooled cupcakes.
Makes enough for one batch of cupcakes.

For the chocolate nests
Place 25 mini muffin cases on a baking tray and set to one side.
Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup together in large saucepan, over a gentle heat.
Stir occasionally until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.
Turn off the heat and immediately stir in the rice krispies, making sure they all get coated in the chocolate.
Quickly divide the krispie mix into the paper cases using a teaspoon. Top each mini nest with 3 miniature mini eggs.
Allow them to set at room temperature before removing the nests from the muffin cases and using to decorate the cupcakes. Store the extra nests in an airtight container.
Makes around 25 mini chocolate nests.

Chewy Toffee Choc Cookies

These cookies are thin, crisp and wonderfully chewy. When just baked, they have the flavour of butterscotch thanks to the use of the brown sugar and toffee pieces, and are bendy and chewy like toffee too. They loose some of their chew on the second day, so they are best eaten as fresh as possible.

They are very quick to make and the dough only requires blobbing onto baking trays before they spread and crisp up into golden discs in the oven. Their thinness makes them perfect for scooping up softly melting ice cream or other creamy desserts, but they taste equally good nibbled in the afternoons with a cup of tea.

If you can’t find toffee chips then some crushed butterscotch sweets or small cubes of fudge would work well too.

Chewy Toffee Choc Cookies
(Recipe adapted from Leiths Baking Bible by Prue Leith)

Ingredients
110g butter
85g caster sugar
85g soft light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
140g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate or soda
60g chocolate chips
60g toffee chips

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C.
Cream the butter and both sugars together until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.
Sift over the flour and bicarbonate and mix until combined.
Fold through the chocolate and toffee chips.
Place tablespoonfuls of the batter onto ungreased baking trays, leaving a 3inch/7cm gap between each to allow them to spread.
Bake for 8-10minutes until thin and golden in colour.
Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a cooling wire almost immediately as they stick to the baking trays if left to cool.
Repeat with remaining mixture.
Best eaten within 2 days.
Makes 16-18 cookies.

Daring Bakers February 2009 Challenge: Chocolate Valentino

When I saw this months challenge was a chocolate valentine I was highly curious as to what it was as it conjured up images of exploding chocolate volcanoes in my head. It turns out to be a rich, moist and wickedly chocolaty flourless chocolate cake – thankfully involving no volcanoes or explosions of any kind. (Yes I initially misread the title as a chocolate volcano!) It involves just 3 simple ingredients, chocolate, butter and eggs. No flour, no ground nuts and more surprisingly no added sugar! Yes that’s right, the only sweetness in this cake comes from the chocolate, so depending on how bitter or sweet you like your desserts determines on what type of chocolate you should use. Whatever cocoa percentage of chocolate you use, it should be good quality, as the chocolate really is the main flavour and ingredient of this cake – in involves a LOT of chocolate. I usually like my chocolate dark and intense, but the fact the recipe involved no added sugar left me feeling a little daunted, so I decided to go for a nice middle of the range 55% cocoa content, which I feel turned out just right.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

This month not content with just a chocolate cake to contend with but we were also given the choice of two vanilla ice creams to make to accompany the cake. I decided to go with Dharm’s ice cream recipe, as it used an egg yolk custard base and I had plenty of yolks left over from my latest Cake Slice challenge. I also flavoured my ice cream with Amaretto which added an interesting note as it melted on your tongue and I think it always pairs well with chocolate. I couldn’t resist dipping a spoon into the custard base before I tucked it away in the freezer, so creamy and comforting.

I decided to also make a simple warm chocolate sauce to drizzle over the slices of cake when serving, which I think made the dessert complete. The cake puffed up and cracked in the oven but slowly relaxed into a flat surface while cooling. It was moist and very dense, but not heavy. Despite its appearance, it actually had quite a light mouthfeel, similar to a just cooked brownie. The deep, slightly bitter chocolate flavour was really intense, which as a dark chocolate lover I adored, but it may have been a bit too bitter for some people, but I suppose you could always add mostly milk chocolate for a sweeter taste. I wonder if white chocolate would work? It’s definitely more of an after dinner dessert rather than an afternoon tea cake. I kept the cake on the counter but moved it to the fridge on the second day and after that it became more like a giant fudgy truffle – I think it would be great cut into little squares and served with coffee like this.

Thanks Wendy and Dharm for a tasty chocolate challenge. Click to view their creations along with the other Daring Bakers Cakes.

Flourless Chocolate Valentino

(Recipe from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan)

Ingredients
455g semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped (around 55%)

145g unsalted butter

5 large eggs separated

Method

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often. Remove from the heat once melted.

2. While the chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Grease an 8inch/20cm deep springform cake tin and line with a parchment circle. Preheat the oven to 190C.

3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.

4. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks until thick and slightly pale.

6. Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate.

7. Fold in a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and gently fold in the remaining two-thirds until no white remains. Do not over mix or the batter will deflate.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 60C, or until the top of the cake looks like it has a thin sugary crust and a soft interior, similar to a brownie. A cake tester will appear wet.

9. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.


Dharm's Ice Cream Recipe - Classic Vanilla Ice Cream

(Recipe from the Ice Cream Book by Joanna Farrow and Sara Lewis)Ingredients

1 Vanilla Pod (or substitute with 1tsp vanilla extract)

300ml Semi Skimmed Milk.

4 large egg yolks

75g caster sugar

1 tsp corn flour

300ml Double Cream
(I added 1 tbsp Amaretto)

Method

1. Using a small knife slit the vanilla pod lengthways. Pour the milk into a heavy based saucepan, add the vanilla pod and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and leave for 15 minutes to allow the flavours to infuseLift the vanilla pod up. Holding it over the pan, scrape the black seeds out of the pod with a small knife so that they fall back into the milk. Set the vanilla pod aside and bring the milk back to the boil.

2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn-flour in a bowl until the mixture is thick and foamy.
3. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle hear, stirring all the time.

4. When the custard thickens and is smooth, pour it into a clean bowl and stir in the Amaretto. Allow it to cool before refrigerating.

5a. By Hand: Whip the cream until it has thickened but still falls from a spoon. Fold it into the custard and pour into a plastic tub or similar freeze-proof container. Freeze for 6 hours, beating the mix every 2 hours to ensure a smooth and creamy texture or else the ice cream may be icy and coarse. Freeze until firm enough to scoop.

5b. For Ice Cream Maker: Stir the cream (not whisked) into the custard and churn the mixture until thick (follow instructions on your ice cream maker).

Simple Chocolate Sauce

Ingredients
100ml double cream
60g dark chocolate
2 tsp runny honey

Method
Heat the cream until small bubbles begin to appear. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and honey until smooth.
Serve warm.

Trio of Miniature Chocolate Desserts

As promised, here is the chocolate trio for the choice of desserts made for my mums birthday. It comprised of a rich chocolate, orange and Cointreau tart, a moist chocolate brownie and a velvety smooth chocolate mousse served in espresso cups, complete with cream ‘foam’ and tuile biscuit ‘stream.’

I tried to choose desserts which would look good as individual miniature desserts as we wanted everyone to have their own complete dessert rather than a slice of one. I know the brownies were served as a slice, but I think that’s allowed. I deliberated over exactly what to choose for some time, I wanted each dessert to have different tastes and textures, no two things with pastry or no two spongy things etc.

The brownies were moist and tender and full of chocolaty flavour. Served slightly warm with a small blob of ice cream they are heavenly. This is my go to recipe whenever the need for brownies arises.

I had recently found some gold food dust that said you could dilate a little in water to make into a paint. I was longing to try it out and so used it to add some shiny dots to the top of the chocolate and orange tart, which I think really finished it off and made it look special. The tart had a wonderful rich chocolate flavour and as the chocolate melted on your tongue the fresh orange flavour came through and finished with a subtle boozy note. I’m not a fan of orange flavoured chocolate, but the mix of dark chocolate with fresh orange is divine.

The chocolate mousse is silky smooth if eaten straight away but firms up slightly after a few hours in the fridge. It dissolves seductively on your tongue, filling your whole mouth with a chocolate intensity, so good quality chocolate is a must. I think this was my favourite dessert of the bunch and I loved the look of it in the espresso cups.

Chocolate Brownie
(Recipe from Leiths Baking Bible)

Ingredients
140g butter

200g dark chocolate

180g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 eggs

85g plain flour

¼ tsp baking powder

80g white chocolate

Method

Preheat the oven to 175C. Grease and line the base of a 8inch/20cm square tin.

Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place into a large bowl along with the butter. Melt gently over a pan of simmering water until smooth. (The water should not touch the base of the bowl)

Remove the bowl from the heat and beat in the vanilla and the sugar.
Beat the eggs in one at a time, until thick and glossy.

Sift over the flour and baking powder and beat until no flour streaks remain.

Chop the white chocolate into small chunks and fold in the brownie batter.

Pour the batter into the tin and bake in the oven for 30 – 35 minutes until slightly risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs, rather than wet batter, sticking to it.

Allow to cool almost completely in the tin. Remove from the tin and cut into 9-12 pieces.

Store in an airtight container lined with greaseproof for up to three days.
Great when served slightly warm with a blob of ice cream.


Chocolate, Orange & Cointreau Tart
Ingredients
250g sweet shortcrust pastry
150ml double cream
150g dark chocolate
1 orange
1 tbsp Cointreau
Gold food dust/dye or white chocolate for decoration

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Cut out circles of pastry and press into miniature tart tins. Trim off any excess. Chill for 30 minutes.
Lay a small square of clingfilm on top of the pastry tins and fill each cavity with baking beans or rice. Gather the clingfilm around it to use as a weight.
Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, then remove the rice weight and bake for a further 8-10 minutes until golden and crisp.
Set aside until cool.
Pour the cream into a small saucepan and grate the zest from the orange on top. Heat gently until small bubbles begin to appear.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and place into a bowl. Pour the hot cream over the top of the chocolate and stir gently until smooth.
Stir in the Cointreau and immediately fill the pastry cases with the chocolate mix.
Leave until set.
Dissolve a little of the gold food dust in water and paint dots over the surface of the chocolate tart. (Use melted white chocolate in place of dust if you prefer).
Makes 12-15 miniature tarts.


Chocolate Espresso Cup Mousse
Ingredients
40g caster sugar
2 tsp honey
3 tsp water
3 egg yolks
175g dark chocolate
350ml double cream

Decoration
Tuile squiggles
150ml double cream
Dark chocolate for grating

Method
Place the sugar, honey and water into a small saucepan and heat to simmering point, then allow to bubble for 3 minutes until syrupy but still clear in colour.
Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks with an electric whisk until pale, thick and more than doubled in volume.
While still whisking, slowly drizzle the hot sugar syrup into the egg yolks. Continuing to beat until the mixture has cooled, around 3-5 minutes.
Brake the chocolate into pieces and add to a small saucepan along with 50ml of cream. Heat gently, stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted and it looks smooth and shiny. Remove from the heat and pour into a separate bowl to cool slightly.
Whip the remaining cream until soft peaks form. Take a third and beat it into the melted chocolate to slacken the mix. (It may take a while to fold in, but keep mixing and it will suddenly turn).
Add the chocolate mix to the egg yolks and fold in using a spatula.
Fold in the rest of the cream until no streaks remain but do not over mix to try and keep it as light as possible.
Spoon the chocolate mousse into a piping bag fitted with a large plain nozzle.
Pipe into espresso cups, filling almost to the top. Store in the fridge until required.
Just before serving, lightly whip the double cream and pipe on to create the ‘foam.’ Grate over a little dark chocolate and top with squiggly ‘steam’ tuile biscuits.
Makes 10-12 espresso cup mousse

Festive Fruit and Orange Choc Chip Mini Panettones

Sorry for my absence over the last few days, what with winter flu and colds, family gatherings, uni work and general holiday hectic-ness I haven’t found the time to sit down and blog. However I have been keeping my camera at my side and so now have a little backlog of recipes to post about, so if you see a few festive recipes here in the next couple of weeks don’t be confused – I know its nearly the middle of January, but its still cold and icy outside and I’m trying to catch up.

Over the Christmas and New Year I baked a range of goodies for friends and family, both as gifts and as sweet treats to have on hand should any visitors call in. One of the festive treats I love over Christmas is panettone. A real Italian panettone is a baking masterpiece, light and buttery, and studded with fruits, nuts or chocolate and I’ve yet to meet someone who doesn’t like one variety or another.

This year I decided to try and make my own miniature panettones to give away as gifts as I had been given some pretty card muffin cases which reminded me of the small panettone cases I have seen in bakeries. I couldn’t decide on what flavour to do and so I made a plain dough with just a hint of orange zest and then divided it in half and made one batch dark chocolate chip and the other a mix of colourful festive fruits.

The dough is quite straightforward, although you need to plan in advance for making these as you have to make a biga, a sort of starter, which has to ferment overnight before you can begin work on the main dough. So it’s a slightly lengthy but fun process. The dough itself was a little sticky but smooth and supple and very easy to work with. I was so pleased when they came out of the oven with their golden tops and soft buttery interiors. I wrapped most of them in cellophane and attached little labels and gave them away as gifts, but I made sure to keep some back for myself. I found the texture to be slightly heavier and denser than a true Italian panettone (and how do they get it that wonderful golden colour inside?) but it was soft and buttery with a lovely flavour so I was by no means disappointed.

Festive Fruit and Orange Choc Chip Mini Panettones
(Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour Company)

Biga
180g plain flour
115ml water
¼ tsp instant yeast

Dough
3 eggs
115g butter cut into chunks
300g plain flour
60g caster sugar
5 tsp instant yeast
1½ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
Zest of 1 orange

Extras
125g dried fruit (figs, raisins, apricots & cherries)
125g dark chocolate chips
40g butter for brushing

Method – for the biga
Sieve the flour into a bowl, mix with the yeast and pour over the water. Mix together with your hands until a dough is formed. Knead for a few minutes until soft and springy.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave to rise in a fairly cool place for 12 hours or overnight until light and bubbly.
To make the dough, simply place all the dough ingredients and the bubbly biga into a food mixer and mix with the dough hook until it forms a soft yet sticky dough. You can do this by hand, but it takes a lot longer.
Divide the dough into two equal portions place in greased bowls to prove for an hour until slightly risen.
Turn out onto a work surface and knead the chocolate chips into one half and the fruit (roughly chopped) into the other half.
Tear off chunks of the dough and roll into balls. Each ball should weigh around 100-120g in weight.
Place the balls into sturdy card muffin cases. (I got 6 balls of each variety from the mix). Place the muffin cases on a large tray and leave to rise in a warm place for a further 2hours until well risen.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Bake the panettones for 15 minutes until golden brown, then quickly cover with a sheet of foil and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and transfer the panettones in their cases to a wire rack.
Brush a little melted butter over the top of each panettone and leave to cool before either serving or wrapping in clingfilm and storing in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Daring Bakers December Challenge: Frozen French Yule Log

This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand

What is a French Yule Log and how is it different from the Yule Log I made last December with the Daring Bakers? In France you can buy two kinds of Yule log, either a Genoise and Buttercream log shaped cake , or a frozen Yule Log containing many different layers including Dacquoise Biscuit, Chocolate Mousse, Ganache, Praline Crisp, Crème Brulee and Chocolate Icing. That’s right 6 components and the mousse and dacquoise biscuit can make more than one layer! I’m sure you can understand how I sank to the floor in a daunted state of disbelief upon reading the 18 page document that made up the recipe. Thankfully nearly half of that were options on flavour variations for the components but it still results in the most multi stage/component recipe I have ever made. That being said, once I had sorted out the recipe in my head I found each component to be relatively straight forward and apart from the chocolate icing (which is best made the day you serve it) I got the challenge completed in one day without any disasters. The log is frozen overnight before being turned out and covered in a glossy chocolate icing before being returned to the freezer for a few hours before serving.

We could choose what shape to make our ‘logs’ but I decided to go with a loaf tin instead of a cake tin to try and resemble the thinner shape of a log. We were given many options for flavours but I decided to keep things quite simple as I was serving the dessert on Christmas day and wanted to make something I knew everyone would eat. My dacquoise biscuit was made with ground almonds and is similar to a genoise you make for a swiss roll. Once baked, I then cut around the base and top of my loaf tin to get the correct sized layers. The mousse and ganache were half milk, half dark chocolate, the praline crisp hazelnut and the crème brulee vanilla and I love the resulting pale streak in the middle of the log. The chocolate icing and mousse both call for gelatin, but as I’m Vegetarian I left this out. We were told that we could use agar agar if we didn’t want to use gelatin, but I read the recipe and couldn’t see a reason why gelatin was needed in the first place, especially as the whole dessert is frozen so I skipped that part completely and my dessert didn’t suffer in the slightest. If anything I suspect it turned out smoother and creamier than if I had used gelatin as this would have given it a slight gelatinous consistency, which I don’t like.

The chocolate mousse component in its unfrozen state is just divine. I was initially a little concerned as my mousse was very thick and stiff but as I mixed, it suddenly transformed into a rich and creamy mousse that was velvety smooth. I couldn’t help eating a few spoonfuls before it even got near the tin. I plan to make this again and serve it in little espresso cups, it was so good.

I pleased to say it went down very well with everyone on Christmas day, the only thing I would change if I made it again is to try and flatten my praline crisp into a thinner layer as it was rather thick, but this wasn’t particularly a bad thing. Once again, I’m so pleased the Daring Bakers made me make something I wouldn’t normally have attempted, as the results were well worth the effort. Don’t forget to check out the other Bakers Yule Logs and click here for the recipe.

The Cake Slice Novembers Cake: Sweet Potato Cake with Orange & Chocolate Frosting

I was very excited when this sweet potato cake was voted as Novembers cake for The Cake Slice. I had never tried baking sweet potato into a cake before and hadn’t even tasted one so I was so intrigued about how it would turn out.

The recipe provided makes a 9inch triple layered cake which I thought was too much for just me and a flatmate and so I halved the recipe and baked it in a swiss roll tin instead. I then cut the cake into three equal sections, sandwiched it together with the orange filling and covered it with the chocolate frosting to create a triple layer oblong cake.

I loved the texture of the sponge. It is very light, springy and studded with tiny air holes. It also has a slight chewiness to it (in the good way), whether this was down to the sweet potato or whisking the egg whites separately to the yolks I’m not sure, but whatever the cause it produced a delicious cake. It was pale golden in colour and lightly speckled with streaks of orange, hints at its secret ingredient. Incidentally, the recipe says to roast the sweet potato for an hour in the oven to make it soft but I was pushed for time and found a quick blast in the microwave to be just as effective.

The cake also used as assortment of spices, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves which complemented the cake perfectly. Other bakers have described it as tasting similar to carrot cake and I totally agree. It’s got the same earthy spiciness, only without the fruits and nuts. I think chopped pecans would be a fantastic addition though. I was a little worried how sweet potato, chocolate, orange and spices would all taste together but I am pleased to say they really do work. It’s the perfect cake for autumn.

Click here to see the other Cake Slice cakes.

Sweet Potato Cake with Orange & Chocolate Frosting
(Recipe from Shy High Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman & Peter Wynne) Makes a 9-inch triple layer cake

Ingredients

2 medium or 1 large sweet potato (pumpkin or butternut squash)

360g cake flour*

3 tsp baking powder

1½ tsp cinnamon

¾ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cloves

5 eggs, separated

450g and a separate 55g caster sugar

125g butter

1½ tsp vanilla

280ml milk

(*The recipe calls for American cake flour and if you only have plain flour on hand, you can use 300g plain flour plus 60g cornflour)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Prick the sweet potatoes in 2-3 places, place on a small baking dish and bake for 1 hour or until the potatoes are very soft. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.Reduce the oven temperature to 180C.

Butter the bottoms and the sides of the pans and line with parchment paper. Butter the parchment paper also.

When the sweet potatoes are cool peel off the skin and remove any dark spots. Cut the potatoes into chunks and puree in a food processors. Puree until smooth. Measure out one cup (210g) of potato puree and set aside.

Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Set aside.In the bowl of electric mixer add the egg whites and attach whip attachment. Beat on medium speed until egg whites are frothy. Raise the speed to high and gradually beat in the 55g of sugar. Continue to beat until the egg whites are moderately stiff.

In another large bowl with the paddle attachment, combine the sweet potato, butter, vanilla, and remaining 450g sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl after each egg yolk is added. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and milk in alternately in 2-3 additions. making sure to begin and end with the dry ingredients.

With a large spatula, fold in one fourth of the egg whites into the batter to lighten. Then fold in the remaining egg whites until no streaks remain. Making sure to not over mix or this will deflate the batter.

Divide the batter among of the three pans.Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn out the cake layers onto a wire rack and cool completely at least 1 hour.

To assemble the cake, place one layer flat side up on to a cake stand. With a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round tip and filled with chocolate cream cheese icing, pipe border around the edge of the cake.

Fill the center with the orange cream filling smoothing it to the edge of the border. Place the second layer on top and repeat the process. Place the third layer on top and use all the chocolate cream cheese frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Cream Frosting

280g cream cheese at room temperature

100g butter at room temperature

450g sifted icing sugar

40g dark chocolate melted and slightly cooled

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar to cream cheese butter mixture. Making sure to scrape down the sides the sides of the bowl. Then beat until light fluffy 2-3 minutes.Measure out one-third of frosting and set aside.Add the melted chocolate to the remaining icing in the bowl and beat until well combined.

Orange Cream Filling

The reserved cream cheese icing from above

2 tablespoons of frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (or grated zest of one orange)

¼ tsp orange extract

Stir together all the ingredients until well mixed.

Chocolate Overload Cake

I have quite a few backdated recipes that I need to post about and as today is the start of National Chocolate Week it seems fitting that I start with this one. Back in August it was my brothers birthday. He is a huge chocoholic and will only eat chocolate based cakes and desserts. Often when I make him something chocolaty he says it’s good but it could have done with more chocolate. This is usually followed by groans and rolling of eyes by everyone else at the table. So for his birthday I was determined to make him a cake that was absolutely choc full of chocolate and this chocolate overload cake was the result.

It’s comprises of a chocolate sponge which is filling, topped and covered in a rich chocolate fudge icing, surrounded by a wall of piped chocolate candles and decorated with all the chocolate goodies I could get my hands on, including, maltesers, chocolate buttons, fudge, coins, minstrels, flakes and rolos! Needless to say he loved it and insisted on another one the following week for when he had his mates over – success :)

I love this chocolate fudge icing because it doesn’t rely on icing sugar, unlike a lot of fudge icings, which I find can make them taste a bit grainy. Instead it involves boiling evaporated milk with some sugar to produce a thick caramel and then whisking it a lot of chocolate to produce a rich, smooth fudgy icing. It tastes like a sweeter version of a chocolate ganache and has the added bonus that it doesn’t need to be kept in the fridge.

Chocolate Overload Cake
For the cake
150g self raising flour
175g butter
175g caster sugar
30g cocoa powder
3 eggs
1½ tsp baking powder

For the fudge filling and topping
125g butter
300g dark chocolate
410g can evaporated milk
275g light soft brown sugar

For the chocolate candles
50g dark chocolate
100g white chocolate

For the decoration
1 bag maltesers
1 bag minstrels
Chocolate coins
1 finger of fudge
1 packet rolos
1 bag chocolate buttons
1 flake bar

Method – for the cake
Preheat the oven to 175C. Line two 8inch/20cm round cake tins with greaseproof paper and grease the sides.
Beat together the butter and sugar together until smooth. Add the eggs and sift over the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Beat well until everything is incorporated and the batter has lightened in colour slightly.
Divide the cake mix between the two tins and bake for 24-28 minutes until risen and springy to the touch.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire wrack to cool.

For the fudge icing
Meanwhile make the fudge topping. Heat the milk and brown sugar together in a pan, stirring continuously until all the sugar has dissolved.
Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer and leave on the lowest heat for 5 minutes stirring every minute to prevent from burning on the bottom. It should be barely bubbling.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and once melted, beat in the butter.
Allow to cool for an hour before transferring to the fridge for 20 minutes before you want to use it, to stiffen.
Once fully cooled, beat briefly before using a third to sandwich the caked together. Spread the rest over the top and sides of the cake.

For the chocolate candles
Find an outline of a tall straight candle and copy it many tiny on a piece of paper. Lay the paper onto a baking tray and over the surface with a layer of clingfilm, ensuring it lies smooth.
Melt the dark chocolate and put into a piping bag fitted with a small writing nozzle. Draw round the outline of the candle and flame using the dark chocolate. Leave to set before continuing.
Once the outline has set, melt the white chocolate and filling in the rest of the candle keeping within the dark chocolate outlines.
Leave to set for 2 hours in a cool place or preferably overnight.
Carefully peel off the cling film when ready to use and attach to the outside of the cake. Try not to handle them too much or they will start to melt and break.

For the decoration
Chop up the chocolate flake and finger of fudge into small pieces. Scatter over the top of the iced cake along with the rest of the chocolate goodies.
Serve and enjoy.
Update: I am submitting this cake to Not Quite Nigella's Ultimate Chocolate Cake Challange.
The delicious round-up can now be viewed here!