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).

Lychee Cake

A birthday cake for my niece, Alicia, who is celebrating her birthday today!  Happy Birthday, may all your wishes come true!

Source : Sponge cake adapted and modified from Bisous A Toi.   Lychee whipped cream by Hundred Eighty Degrees.

Makes one 8″ round cake

Lychee Cake

Ingredients ( Lychee Sponge Cake )

145g cake flour

15g corn flour

150g salted butter

65g fresh milk

1 egg

5 egg yolk, whisk gently with a fork

1-1/2 tsp lychee essence

5 egg whites,

100g caster sugar ( I used 90g )

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Method

1. Preheat oven at 160 degrees C.  Grease and line 8” round pan.  Wrap the bottom of the baking pan with aluminium foil.

2. Sift cake flour and corn flour, mix well to combine. Leave aside.

3. Heat butter and milk till warm, do not let it boil.  Remove from heat and add in flour mixture.  Mix using wooden spatula.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bigger bowl.  Add in whole egg, egg yolks and lychee essence.  Mix till smooth.

5. Whisk egg white at low speed until foamy, add in cream of tartar and whisk at medium speed.  Add in sugar in 3 additons and whisk till soft peak ( I whisked till stiff peak, just like the way to make chiffon cake )

6. Using rubber spatula, scrape 1/3 egg white mixture into the egg/butter mixture.  Fold in gently. Scrape remaining egg white mixture and continue to fold gently until well combine.

7. Pour batter into baking pan and steam-bake for about 45 mins or until the skewer inserted comes out clean.

Ingredients ( lychee whipped cream )

2 tsp gelatine powder

8 tsp cold water

2 cups whipping cream, cold

1 tbsp icing sugar

1-1/2 tsp lychee essence

1-1/2 tsp vodka

2 drops rose pink colour

1 can of lychee – remove syrup, cut lychee into small pieces and soak with 1tbsp of vodka  for an hour  or overnight.  Drain well before using.  ( You may keep the syrup to make lychee vodka syrup )

Lychee Vodka Syrup :  Mix 1tsp vodka with some lychee syrup from the can of lychee.

Method

1. Chill mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10minutes.

2. Put the cold water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and let it stand for 5 minutes.

3. Place the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon just until the gelatin dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool to room temperature.

4. Remove mixing bowl and beaters from freezer. In the mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, icing sugar, rose pink colour, vodka and  lychee essence and whip  at high speed until slightly stiff.  Fold in gelatine mixture.  If not use immediately, refrigerate the whipped cream for use later.

Assembling

1.Trim top off sponge cake layer to make flat surface.

2. Slice the sponge cake horizontally into two layers.

3. Place one sponge layer cut side up on a cake board and lightly brush the surface with lychee vodka syrup.

4. Spread a thin layer of lychee whipped cream over the cake layer, and arrange cut lychee over it.  Spread another thin layer of lychee whipped cream over the lychee.

5. Brush the cut-side of 2^nd cake layer with lychee vodka syrup, and with the brushed side down, on top of the lychee whipped cream, press gently to make level.

6. Do a crumb coat by frosting a thin layer of lychee whipped cream to seal the cake crumbs.  Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes.

7. Generously coat the chilled cake with lychee whipped cream, frosting the top of the cake first, follow by the sides.

8. Chill in the fridge for cream to set for an hour. Decorate as desired.

Happy Birthday, Remus!

Today is Re’s sixteenth birthday! Happy Birthday, my dear son! I’m always excited when come to baking birthday cakes, I can take as long as a week to pick a recipe and thereafter another few days thinking on how to decorate the cake.  It is no mean feat to ganache a cake.  If I say cream frosting is difficult, then I think ganache frosting is challenging.

Since Re mentioned that he likes to have a chocolate cake, I chose this Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake as it received raved reviews from many who tried.  The ganache shared in the recipe is different from the usual chocolate ganache, no whipping cream and chocolate chips,  but, condensed milk together with cocoa powder being used instead. Interesting, I thought.  Somehow I find the chocolate ganache is not solidified despite being chilled in the fridge overnight, it has the consistency of chilled condensed milk.  Anyone has the same problem? This steamed cake cracked a little in the centre and because the cake wasn’t flat, I trimmed off the uneven top which in turn affected the appearance – cake crumbs underneath the layer of chocolate ganache started to show up. So I made another half portion of ganache and pour over the cake, but still couldn’t cover the cake crumbs – guess the ganache wasn’t thick enough.  Or perhaps I should have placed the trimmed part face down on the cake board and use the cake bottom as the top for a better ganache result.  Nothing can be done now, I can only think of beautifying the cake with some white chocolate swirl chips….haha..

Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake

Source : Neyeeloh, with slight modifications. Click here for Esther’s recipe in chinese.

Makes one 8″ round cake

Ingredients

(Cake Batter)

180g butter

180g caster sugar

200g full cream evaporated milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten with a folk

100g cake flour

50g cocoa powder ( I use valhorna )

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp rum

Method

1. Line and grease a 8” round baking pan.

2. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and butter in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted. Remove from heat, set aside.

3. Heat up the steamer.

4. When (2) is slightly cooled, add in beaten eggs and rum. Stir to combine well. ( I added rum in this step )

5. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda together into a large mixing bowl, then pour egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir to mix well ( the cake batter should be runny ).

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and place it in the steamer, making sure that your cake pan is not touching the water.  Cover the top of the pan loosely with a piece of aluminium foil.

7. Cover the steamer and steam over medium heat for 45 minutes.  Cool the cake in the pan before turning out for further decoration.

Ingredients

(Chocolate glaze)

200g condense milk

½ tsp vanilla extract ( I used 1tsp rum )

2tbsp vegetable oil

20g cocoa powder ( I used valhorna)

1/8tsp salt

Method

1. Combine sifted cocoa powder, condense milk and oil in a bowl and mix well.   Stir over low heat till thicken ( keep stirring all the time).

2. Add in salt and vanilla extract/rum, stir to mix well.

3. Let the chocolate mixture cool a little before spreading onto the cake.

Happy Birthday, Beatrice!

Today, my Bebe turns 14.  Happy Birthday, Beatrice!  We will have a simple dinner at home together with her grandparents, and plan to go for seafood dinner after her mid-term examination.  This morning her phone was flooded with birthday wishes on FB, SMS, What’sApp from classmates, school seniors, ballet dance friends, uncles and cousins.  Birthday wishes are still coming in…I think she has more friends than I have

Her Strawberry Mousse Delight :

Will update recipe soon..

Updated as at 8th July 2012

For Sponge Cake : click here for recipe.

For Strawberry Mousse : recipe from Aunty Yochana

Ingredients

400ml UHT whipping cream ( I used Pour and Whip Non-Dairy )

350g strawberry puree

120g sugar ( I used 90g, you may need to adjust to your taste )

1tsp strawberry paste ( I omitted )

25g gelatine powder mixed with 100g water ( I have only 20g gelatine powder left, so I mixed with 80g water )

Method : Mix strawberry puree, sugar and strawberry paste ( if using ) into a saucepan and warm it over a stove to melt the sugar.  Then add in gelatine mixture.  Leave to cool.  Fold in whipped cream.  Keep in the fridge for use later.

For Sugar Syrup :  Mix ¼ cup sugar and ¼ cup water.  In a saucepan, bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Cake Assembly :  Trim top off cake layer to make flat surface.  Slice the cake horizontally into two layers.  Lightly brush the surfaces (cut sides) with sugar syrup.  Place one cake layer (cut side with sugar syrup face up) on a cake board.  Pour strawberry mousse on top of the cake.  Place the other cake layer (cut side with sugar syrup face down) on top of the mousse.  Brush sugar syrup on the cake layer and pour mousse on top.  Cover the sides with the balance mousse.  Leave in the fridge to let it set for at least 4 hours.  Decorate as desired.  Serve chilled.

 

Green Tea Mousse Chiffon Cake

3.8, Happy Birthday to Melvin!

Green Tea Chiffon Cake, a recipe from my favourite cookbook ‘Okashi Sweet Treats Made With Love’.  Recipe will be updated soon..need to rush out to send this cake to the birthday boy!

Updated 9th March 2012

Cake receivers said this cake was soft and delicious while green tea mousse was light and yummy.   It would be better that the cake was sliced into half and spread with a thin layer of green tea mousse on it.  I think they like the mousse, LOL. 成功!

Green Tea Mousse Chiffon Cake

Source : Chiffon Cake from Okashi Sweet Treats Made With Love ( with modifications )

Makes one 8″ tube pan

Green Tea Chiffon Cake

Ingredients

70g pastry flour ( I used cake flour )

10g green tea powder

5 egg yolks

20g caster sugar ( I omitted )

70g water ( I used fresh milk, warmed )

60g canola oil ( I used  olive oil, warmed )

180g egg whites, about 5 eggs ( I used 5 egg whites )

90g caster sugar

10g rice flour or corn flour ( I used rice flour )

50g chocolate chips ( not included in original recipe )

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees C.

2. Sift flour and green tea powder twice.

3. Combine egg yolks and sugar ( I omitted sugar ) in a bowl and mix well.

4. In a saucepan, warm up water ( or fresh milk ) and oil .  Add the warmed mixture into the egg yolk mixture.  Add in flour and green tea powder mixture and combine well using a hand whisk.  Set aside.

5. Combine sugar and rice or corn flour.  Beat egg whites until foamy.  Add half of sugar mixture and continue beating for a few minutes, then add remaining sugar mixture and beat until egg whites are glossy, with stiff peaks.

6. Add one-third of egg whites into egg yolk mixture and fold in gently, then add the remaining egg whites, chocolate chips and fold in gently to combine well.

7. Pour batter into an ungreased chiffon cake tube pan.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until cooked.  When cake is done, remove from oven and invert the cake, leave to cool.

Green Tea Mousse

1tsp gelatine powder

4tsp cold water

1 cup whipping cream, cold

1tbsp green tea powder

1/2 tbsp icing sugar

Method

1. Chill the mixing bowl and beater in the freezer for 10 minutes.

2. Sprinkle gelatine powder into a bowl of cold water, let it stand for 5 minutes.

3. Place the bowl in a pot, using double-boiling method to dissolve gelatine.  Let the mixture cool to room temperature.

4. Remove mixing bowl and beater from freezer, combine whipping cream, green tea powder and icing sugar and whip until slightly thickened.  While beating slowly, gradually pour in the gelatine mixture into the whipped cream mixture.  Then whip the cream at high speed until slightly stiff.  If not use immediately, refrigerate the whipped cream for use later.

5. Assembly : Cover the chiffon cake with green tea mousse and decorate as desired.

Fresh Mango & Cream Sponge Cake

This is my second attempt on baking sponge cake by using a good recipe.  I literally forgotten about steam baking the sponge cake, and went on a normal baking.  Age is catching up with me, I didn’t realize this mistake until I started writing this post!  I think I have to admit to getting older, LOL! Luckily the blunder I made didn’t affect the taste and texture much.  I prefer the one baked in waterbath, this normal bake was good though.  Both were smooth but the one baked in waterbath was smoother and velvetier.

Click here for recipe.

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

Do you know anybody whose birthday is on February 29?  For those who are celebrating their birthdays on February 29th 2012, IT’s time for a real birthday!  Happy Leap Year Birthday to all leaplings!  Made this for a friend, Jolene who’s celebrating her real birthday today, ‘Wishing you great happiness, a joy that never ends.   Happy Birthday to you!’

I will post the recipe soon…stay tuned…

Updated 6th March 2012 :

I love this sponge cake, it’s soft.  Thanks to Rima of Bisous A Toi for translating and sharing this wonderful recipe. I noticed this cake tends to shrink both from the sides and at the top as it cools down, but it didn’t bother me at all.  After all, it’s unnoticeable upon frosting.

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

Source : Bisous A Toi “Strawberry Shortcake Royale” with slight modifications. Click here for original recipe.

Makes one 8” round cake

Ingredients
( Sponge Cake )

145g cake flour

15g corn flour

150g salted butter

65g fresh milk

1 egg

5 egg yolks – whisk lightly with a fork

1tsp vanilla extract

5 egg white

100g castor sugar

¼ tsp cream of tartar

( Mousse )

Whipped cream

Sugar syrup

250g Strawberries or more ( some to be thinly sliced, balance reserved for decorating the top of the cake )

Method

1. Preheat oven at 160 degrees C.  Grease and line 8” round pan.  Wrap the bottom of the baking pan with aluminium foil ( I wrapped with 2 layers ).

2. Sift cake flour and corn flour, mix well to combine. Leave aside.

3. Heat butter and milk till warm, do not let it boil.  Remove from heat and add in flour mixture.  Mix using wooden spatula.

4. Transfer the mixture to a bigger bowl.  Add in whole egg, egg yolks and vanilla extract.  Mix till smooth.

5. Whisk egg white at low speed until foamy, add in cream of tartar and whisk at medium speed.  Add in sugar in 3 additons and whisk till soft peak ( I whisked till stiff peak, just like the way to make chiffon cake )

6. Using rubber spatula, scrape 1/3 egg white mixture into the egg/butter mixture.  Fold in gently. Scrape remaining egg white mixture and continue to fold gently until well combine.

7. Pour batter into baking pan and steam-bake for about 45 mins or until the skewer inserted comes out clean.

Whipped Cream
2 tsp gelatin powder

8 tsp cold water

2 cup whipping cream, cold

1tbsp icing sugar

2 tsp kahlua or 1tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Chill mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10minutes.

2. Put the cold water in a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface of the water and let it stand for 5 minutes.

3. Place the saucepan over low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon just until the gelatin dissolves. Remove the saucepan from the heat and cool to room temperature.

4. Remove mixing bowl and beaters from freezer. In the mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, sugar, and kahlua or vanilla and whip until slightly thickened. While beating slowly, gradually pour the gelatin into the whipped cream mixture. Then whip the mixture at high speed until slightly stiff.  If not use immediately, refrigerate the whipped cream for use later.

Sugar  Syrup
1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Method

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and water. Bring the water to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Assembling

1.Trim top off sponge cake layer to make flat surface.

2. Slice the sponge cake horizontally into two layers.

3. Place one sponge layer cut side up on a cake board and lightly brush the surface with sugar syrup.

4. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the cake layer, and arrange sliced strawberries over it.  Spread whipped cream over the strawberries.

5. Brush the cut-side of 2^nd cake layer with sugar syrup, and with the brushed side down, on top of the whipped cream, press gently to make level.

6. Do a crumb coat by frosting a thin layer of whipped cream to seal the cake crumbs.  Refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes.

7. Generously coat the chilled cake with whipped cream, frosting the top of the cake first, follow by the sides.

8. Chill in the fridge for cream to set for an hour or so. Garnish with the reserved strawberries.  Decorate as desired.

Pandan Chiffon Birthday Cake

Today is hubby’s birthday.  Happy Birthday to my dearest husband!  It’s a simple pandan chiffon cake coated with pandan kaya ^_^

Click here for pandan chiffon cake recipe.

Chocolate Butter Cupcake for Natasha

BeBe requested me to bake a birthday cake for her classmate cum friend and we both decided on cupcake.  When she came to know that I will settle on chocolate cake, the first thing she told me is ‘No Bananas’.  This indeed helps me in narrowing down the search for recipe. I adopted a recipe from Rose Levy Beranbaum which has been higly recommended by Jean of Noms I Must.  This fine texture, and not so overly rich yet chocolatey chocolate cake is an ideal cake for me.   Awesome!

These cupcakes were specially decorated by BeBe for her friend, Natasha (Nut) on her 13^th Birthday today.  Happy Birthday to You!

Chocolate Butter Cupcake

Source :  Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Rose’s Heavenly Cakes via Jean of Noms I Must

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

42g unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder (I use Valrhona)

118g boiling water

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 tbsp water

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

166g cake flour

200g caster sugar  ( I used 190g )

2 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

170g unsalted butter, room temperature

Some Chocolate Chips ( not included in original recipe )

Method :

1. Preheat oven to 175°C and line muffin pan with paper liners.

2. Whisk cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation and cool to room temperature

3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, 3 tbsp water and vanilla until lightly combined.

4. In a bowl of stand fitted with a flat beater, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt on low speed for 30 seconds.

5. Add butter and chocolate mixture and mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.

6. Raise speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 mins. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

7. Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in 2 parts, beating on medium speed for 30 secs after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure.

8. Use a no. 30 ice cream scoop or spoon to place the batter (50g) onto the prepared cupcake liners, abt 3/4 full.  ( I sprinkle some chocolate chips on top )

( I did not weigh, just pour to fill up the cases to about 3 /4 full )

9. Bake for 20 to 25 mins or until a wire cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean and cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly in the center.

10. Let cupcakes cool in pans on a wire rack for 10mins. Remove from pans and set them on a wire rack to cool completely.

Genoise Crème Mousseline Cake

This is a birthday cake I prepared for my FIL.  It is a 2 layers of genoise cake brushed with kirsch, filled with vanilla cream mousseline, cut strawberries, and complete with strawberry glaze. I wanted to make a thicker strawberry glaze but because I have used up most of the strawberries for the centre and sides, I have to make do with the remaining ones.  As a result, the strawberry glaze was thin and imperfect.  Luckily, the chocolate shavings and strawberries have helped to hide the flaw.  I am really no good at decorating cakes, still needs a lot of practice to perfect my decorating skills.  The cake tasted good despite being ‘dressed up’ uglily. 

  

 Sources : Genoise Sponge from Okashi Sweet Treats Made with Love, Crème Mousseline from The Pleasure Monger. 

Genoise Crème Mousseline Cake

Genoise Sponge (Makes one 6” cake)

Ingredients

98g cake flour

145g eggs

110g sugar ( I find it a little sweet, will try to cut down to 90g )

13g glucose

25g unsalted butter

38g milk

¾ tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat overn to 170C.  Sieve flour twice, then line baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Using a clean bowl, beat eggs with a whisk.  Add sugar and glucose, then place bowl over a double boiler and mix well.

3. When egg mixture is warm, beat on high speed until light and fluffy.  Reduce speed to low and continue beating for about one minute.  Gently fold in flour with a spatula.

4. Combine butter, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl and place over a double boiler.  Once butter has melted, stir through to mix.

5. Add one-sixth of egg batter to the butter mixture and mix well.  Add butter mixture to egg batter and fold through evenly.

6. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for about 40 minutes.

7. Once cake is done, remove from the pan and place on a wire rack in a plastic bag to cool. 

Tips : Cooling the sponge in a plastic bag helps to retain its moisture.

Crème Mousseline                           

( I’ve omitted lychee juice, lychee liquer and essence of rosewater and replace with 2tsp kirsch)

Ingredients

235g milk

1tsp vanilla paste ( I used vanilla extract )

3 egg yolks

75g caster sugar

20g plain flour

5g corn flour

135g unsalted butter

1tbsp canned lychee juice * ( omitted  )

1tbsp lychee liquer * ( omitted )

1tbsp essence of rosewater * ( omitted )

2tsp kirsch ( not in the original recipe, I added kirsch to replace * )

Method                    

1. Bring milk and vanilla extract to boil in a saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.

2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar till mixture is thick and pale yellow.  Add flours to this and mix well.

3. Pour the hot milk from step 1 to the egg mixture,and fold to mix thoroughly.  Return this to the saucepan and bring to boil on high heat ( I will use low or medium heat on my next attempt as the mixture burns easily ). Stir continuously.  This forms the pastry cream.  Beat the pastry cream, whilst in the saucepan, until smooth, thick and glossy.  It should resemble the gloopy filling you see in cream puffs.   Remove the saucepan from the heat, and transfer the pastry cream to a clean tray.   Cover the tray with cling film and let it cool in the freezer.  Do not allow it to freeze. 

4. In a clean bowl, beat butter until creamy.  Add the cooled pastry cream and beat until combined. At this point, beat in the lychee juice, liquer and essence of rosewater ( I omitted and beat in kirsch instead ).  This is your crème mousseline. 

Sugar Syrup

1tbsp kirsch mixed with 2tbsp of water – for brushing onto the cake

Strawberry Glaze

100g strawberry puree

30g caster sugar ( suggest to add gradually and taste to suit your preference )

1tsp gelatine powder, soaked in 2tbsp ice water to soften

Place strawberry puree and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to boil.  Add softened gelatine and mix well.          

Cake Assembly

Slice the cake horizontally into half.  Place one piece of genoise cake on the cake board, brush each layer of cake with kirsch mixture, spread or pipe crème mousseline evenly. Arrange cut strawberries.  Place the remaining piece of genoise cake on top.  Cover the sides of the cake with crème mousseline.  Chill in the fridge for awhile until it is set.  Prepare strawberry glaze and spread evenly to cover the top of the cake.  Decorate as desired.