Chocolate Cake with Ganache

I almost ended up buying a cake off the shelf for my son’s birthday.  Re is 17 today.  Happy Birthday, my dear!
Whipped up this last-minute cake with a simple ganache for him.

Chocolate Cake with Ganache

Source : Must try chocolate cupcake from my previous attempt (here) adapted from Anncoo Journal.  This recipe has been doubled to make a 9″ square cake.  Chocolate ganache from Joy of Baking.

Makes one 9″ square pan

Ingredients

200g butter, softened ( I used salted butter )

360g sugar

4 eggs

1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup milk

2 tsp baking soda

1 cup boiling water with instant coffee powder

380g flour ( I use cake flour )

1/2 tsp salt (I omitted)

6 tsp baking powder

80g cocoa powder ( I used valrhona cocoa powder )

Method

1. Grease and line the bottom of a 9″ square pan.  Preheat oven at 160 degrees C.

2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder in bowl. Dissolve baking soda in milk.

3. Cream butter and sugar until light. Add essence and eggs, continue beating.

4. Add in the rest of the ingredients (milk, coffee liquid and flour ingredients), beat till smooth.

5. Pour batter into a 9″ square pan.  Bake in a preheated oven at 160C for about 50-55 mins or until skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

6. Leave to cool on rack before decorating.

7. Prepare chocolate ganache and pour over the cake.  Decorate as desired.

Chocolate Ganache : 227g semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces, 180ml heavy whipping cream, 28g butter and 1tbsp brandy/rum.

Method

Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl.  Set aside.  Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. ( Can also heat the cream and butter in the microwave.) Bring just to a boil.  Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand, without stirring, for a few minutes.  Stir gently ( as you do not want to incorporate air into the ganache) with a whisk until smooth.  Add in liqueur (optional).

Strawberry Jellyhearts Cheesecake

Be turns 15 today.  Happy Birthday, my dear!  The birthday girl wanted a strawberry cake, and so I decided on this refreshing no-bake strawberry jelly cheesecake.  Yummy!

Strawberry Jellyhearts Cheesecake

Source : with slight modification from Happy Home Baking

Makes one 8″ round

Ingredients

Base :

170g digestive biscuits

85g melted butter

Fillings :

250g cream cheese, softened at room temperature

50g icing sugar

1 tbsp gelatin powder

40ml boiling water

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 box Jelly crystal ( strawberry flavour )

1 cup boiling water

1 cup cold water

Some strawberries, cut into heart shapes

Method

1. Mix biscuit crumbs & melted butter together and press firmly with the help of a spoon onto the base of a 8″ round cake pan ( I used loose bottom pan ).  Line the base with clingwrap and overhang the excess clingwrap at the edge for easy removal.

2. Place gelatin powder and boiling water in a bowl. Heat a pot filled with some water until just simmering and place the bowl inside the pot. Dissolve gelatin and boiling water in the bowl. Keep warm.

3. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese , icing sugar and vanilla essence until smooth & creamy. Blend in gelatin solution and mix well.

4. Pour the cheese mixture into the cake tin. Layer the strawberries on the cheese mixture. Chill for at least 3 to 4 hours.

5. Dissolve the jelly crystal in the cup of boiling water, followed by the cold water. Pour the jelly on the cheese mixture. Let it set before removing from the cake tin.

Strawberry Chocolate Chips Cupcake – Bake-Along 2nd Anniversary

May is a month of celebrations, my daughter’s and son’s birthday, Mother’s day and last but not least, Bake-Along anniversary.  Happy 2nd Anniversary to Bake-Along!

I haven’t been baking regularly owing to hectic work schedule, however, I have to set aside some time to bake birthday cakes for both of my teenage children.   Be is turning 15 tomorrow and she mentioned she wanted a strawberry cake on her birthday while Re who will be turning 17 four days after his sister has no special request (boy’s nature).   I was looking for a cupcake recipe to bake for Be to treat her school friends tomorrow, and I’m glad to have found this awesome recipe from Aspiring Baker ‘Enjoy Cupcakes’.

A simple and easy recipe with awesome taste.  Sweetness is just right.

I’m publishing this post for Bake-Along # 44 : Celebration Cupcakes.  This is a blog hop organized by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours, Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids.

Strawberry Chocolate Chips Cupcake

Makes 10-12 cupcakes

Source : with slight modifications from Jessie – Cooking Moments, Evan’s Kitchen Ramblings

Ingredients

120g strawberry, remove stem and slice into half

85ml milk

150g cake flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder, sifted

75g unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

140g caster sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1/4 cup coarsely cut strawberry

Some chocolate chips

Method

1.  Place cupcake liner in muffin tin.  Preheat oven at 170 degrees C.

2.  Milk mixture : In a blender, blend milk with 120g strawberry until smooth.

3.  Flour mixture : In a mixing bowl, combine cake flour and baking powder.

4.  Butter mixture : In a mixer, beat butter, caster sugar and vanilla extract till light and fluffy.  Add in the egg and beat till well combined.  Scrap down the side whenever is necessary.

5. Add milk mixture and flour mixture  alternatively into butter mixture.   Start and end with flour mixture ( sequence :  flour mixture —>milk mixture —> flour mixture —> milk mixture —> flour mixture ).  Beat well to combine after each addition.

6. Add in cut strawberry and chocolate chips. Stir well to combine ( do not beat ).

7. Pour batter into cup liners to about 80% full.  Bake in the oven at the center rack for about 20 minutes or till cooked.

 

THB : Essence of Orange – Chocolate Wafer Cake

I’m in immense pleasure to host THB #17 bake in my blog.  Joyce from Kitchen Flavours is the founder of The Home Bakers.  Currently we are baking the recipes in ‘Coffee Cakes’ by Lou Seibert Pappas and we welcome you to join in the fun to bake along if you own a copy of the book. You may contact Joyce at kitchenflavours@yahoo.com for more details. Members of The Home Bakers will take turn to select a recipe and be the host of the chosen recipe.  I shortlisted a few recipes from the book to read in details, and finally decided on Essence of Orange Chcocolate Wafer Cake as the use of whole orange has whetted my appetitte.  Something unusual,  it’s the whole orange minus the seeds pulverized with raisins in a food processor and it looks like a sticky paste.

Just to sidetrack a little.  Amazingly, my blog has reached its second year on April 11.  I would like to thank you, my friends, readers and followers for the support throughout my blogging journey.

Coming back to the cake.  This Orange Chocolate Cake is moist and the sweetness balances well with the orange and chocolate chips. The raisins which have been pulverized with the orange give it a nice crunch though they are no where to be seen.  The texture of the cake is soft and dense.

I made the full recipe with some modifications in one loaf pan and one mini fluted tube pan.  Modifications include

• 3/4 cup sugar
• Raisins soaked in rum
• Fresh milk plus 2tbsp lemon juice to substitute yogurt/buttermilk
• Semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1tsp rum

Essence of Orange Chocolate Wafer Cake

Source : Coffee Cakes by Lou Seibert Pappas

Makes one 10-inch cake

Ingredients

1 large orange, scrubbed

1 cup golden raisins

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup low-fat plain yogurt or buttermilk

1 cup (6 ounces ) bittersweet chocolate wafers or chocolate chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan or 9-inch square pan.

Remove a thin slice from the stem end of the orange and cut the fruit into eighths, leaving the peel on.  In a food processor, combine the orange segments and raisins and process until finely ground.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Mix in the orange mixture.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Stir to blend.  Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the yogurt or buttermilk in 2 increments, beating until blended.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the chocolate for the topping and mix the remainder into the batter.  Spread evenly in the prepared pan.  Sprinkle the reserved chocolate evenly over the top.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove the pan sides.  Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, cut into wedges.

Do check out all the bakes on this cake by other awesome home bakers here.

Chocolate Oreo Pudding

I’m actually not a fan of cookies mixed pudding but the combination intrigues me when I saw it at Tested and Tasted by Doris. I like the flavour and I would say that mango pudding is still my favourite.

Pls click here to refer to recipe posted by Doris of Tested and Tasted.

Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Yes, this cake is baked in a cold oven.  I’ve never done this before.  Does this method work well?  The result is amazing,  the cake rose high and the aroma of the cheese permeated the house when the cake was only 15 minutes into baking.

Source : Kitchen Flavours, I Love. I Cook. I Bake.  Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman.  Recipe below has been modified to my preference.

Makes one 12 cup bundt pan

Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Ingredients

3 cups cake flour, sifted ( minus 3 tbsp )

3 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

226g salted butter, softened

250g cream cheese, softened

160g caster sugar ( I will increase to 200g next time )

6 eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Method

1.  Place the oven rack to the lower-middle position.  Do not preheat oven.

2. Grease a 12-cup bundt pan and dust with flour.

3. Combine flour, baking powder in a medium mixing bowl.

4. Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, beat for about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary.

5.  Turn the mixer on medium speed, add in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.

6. Turn the mixer to low speed and add in the flour mixture from (3), 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  After the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.

7. Take 1/3 of the batter and mix with cocoa powder.   Pour half of the remaining plain batter into the bundt pan, pour the chocolate batter and then top with the remaining plain batter.

8. Place the cake in a cold oven ( non preheated oven ).  Turn the oven to 165 degrees C and bake, without opening the oven door, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean,  about 55-60 mins.

9. Cool the cake in pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto rack.  Cool completely before slicing and serving.

Strawberry Ogura Cake 草莓相思蛋糕

Continuing the strawberry powder episode, here’s another attempt tweaked from Pandan Ogura Cake to Strawberry flavour.

Source : Own experiment tweaked from Pandan Ogura Cake with slight modification

Makes one 8″ square cake

Strawberry Ogura Cake 草莓相思蛋糕

Ingredients A

45ml corn oil

80ml milk + 2tsp strawberry powder – mixed and set aside

5 egg yolks

1 whole egg

1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients B

65g cake flour

Ingredients C

5 egg whites

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

55g caster sugar

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.

2. Grease the bottom of a 8″ square tin and line with baking sheet.

3. Beat (A) until frothy ( using KA mixer at medium speed, beat for 4-5 mins )

4. Remove mixture into a large mixing bowl.   Sift in (B) and mix well.  Cover wit cling wrap and set aside.

5. In a mixer, whisk whites with tartar till foamy.  Slowly add in sugar a little at a time, and whisk to stiff peak.

6.  Mix 1/3 of the egg whites to egg yolk mixture. Then, fold in the remaining egg white.

7. Pour batter into cake tin and bake for 40-45 mins or until cooked.

8. Invert cake and let it cool.