Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

¼ cup vanilla

2/3-cup water

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1-pound sweet butter, at room temperature

2 1/3 cups sugar

12 large eggs

11 ½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 ½ cups cake flour

1-tablespoon baking soda

Equipment

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Flour sifter

One 4 ½ -quart mixing bowl

Beater attachment

Wire whisk

Small saucepan

One small bowl

Rubber spatula

Parchment

Two 8 x 3 inch baking pans or one 12 x 3-inch round or square pan

How to make The Chef's Kitchen-Chocolate Cake

This is delicious, and will stay fresh and moist for up to 6 days. The key to this cake is the double hit of chocolate, a cocoa-powder fudge, and additional melted chocolate. This cake will bake at 300 degrees for a long time- it is dense and requires a slower oven. Make sure the fudge mixture is at room temperature before you add it to the rest of the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Butter the baking pans and line them with parchment. In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Pour the boiling water into a bowl and add the cocoa powder and the vanilla, whisking vigorously until the mixture is smooth and no lumps remain. Set aside and let mixture cool to room temperature. In a standing mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add sugar and mix for another 3 minutes, or until the batter is light in color and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula. Add the melted chocolate and mix on medium speed for 1 minute, until all the chocolate is incorporated. Sift the flour and baking soda together. Reduce the mixer speed to low, and alternate adding the flour and the cocoa mixtures. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake an 8-inch cake for 60 to 70 minutes at 300 degrees; a 12-inch cake may take two hours. This cake is dense and bakes more evenly in a slower oven. Test for doneness with a skewer inserted in the center of the cake- it should come out clean.

Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1 20-ounce can pineapple, crushed, chunks or tidbits
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 24 maraschino cherries
• 18-19 ounce yellow cake mix (prepare batter as directed on box OR use these ingredients)
• 1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled or vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• water*

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 24 muffin cups. Drain canned pineapple, reserving liquid in a glass measuring cup. Combine butter and brown sugar. Evenly spoon mixture into muffin cups. Place one cherry in the center of each cup. Top with 1 tablespoon pineapple. (If using pineapple chunks or tidbits decoratively arrange pieces in each cup.) Place cake mix and eggs in large bowl. To reserved pineapple juice *add enough water to make a total of 1-1/3 cups of liquid. Pour liquid in bowl. Beat for 30 seconds on low. Continue beating for an additional 2 minutes on medium. Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to rest in pan for 2 minutes and then invert onto serving platter.

Sour cream banana cake

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 125g butter, softened
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 cup mashed banana (you will need 2 large, very ripe bananas)
• 2 1/4 cups self-raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

• Icing 

• 180g white chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease base and sides of a 7cm deep, 19cm square cake pan and line with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in sour cream and bananas. Sift flour and bicarbonate of soda over batter and gently fold through.
3. Spoon batter into cake pan. Smooth surface. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.
4. Make icing Place chocolate and sour cream in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Heat, stirring constantly with a metal spoon, for 3 minutes or until smooth. Remove from heat. Stand for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour icing over cake, allowing it to drizzle down sides. Serve warm.

Notes

• Sour cream banana cake (without the icing) can be made a day in advance. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. To warm, place un-iced cake on a microwave-safe plate lined with baking paper. Heat, uncovered, on MEDIUM-LOW DEFROST (30%) for 4 to 6 minutes or until warm to the touch. Ice while warm.

Step-by-step chocolate cake

                                                     Ingredients (serves 12)

• 125g butter, chopped
• 2 tsp instant coffee powder
• 3/4 cup (185ml) water
• 100g good-quality dark cooking chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (75g) self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
• 1/4 cup (30g) cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup (30g) almond meal
• 1 egg, lightly whisked
• Pink and silver cachous, to decorate

• Chocolate ganache icing

• 200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup (125g) creme fraiche

  Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line the base and side of an 18cmround (base measurement) cake pan.
  2. Place the butter, coffee, water, chocolate and sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until butter and chocolate melt and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly.
  3. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Sift the combined flours and cocoa powder over the chocolate mixture and add the almond meal. Use a balloon whisk to gently fold the flour into the chocolate mixture. Add the egg and stir to combine.
  4. Pour cake mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven and set aside for 30 minutes before turning on to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. To make the chocolate ganache icing, place the chocolate and creme fraiche in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Cook, stirring with a metal spoon, for 3-4 minutes or until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.
  6. Use a large, serrated knife to split cake in half. Place bottom half on a serving dish. Spread half the ganache over the cake. Replace other cake half and spread remaining ganache over the top. Sprinkle with cachous to decorate. Set aside for 30 minutes to set. Cut into wedges to serve.

  Notes

• It is important to cool the warm chocolate mixture before adding the remaining dry ingredients and egg. Adding egg to a hot mixture can cook it before it has been mixed through - the result is a cake containing scrambled egg.
• It is best to use a bamboo skewer to check if a cake is ready - the mixture will easily stick to the bamboo if the cake is not yet cooked, or slip off if ready. A metal skewer can be too slippery for raw cake mix to stick to, so you won't be able to tell if the cake is cooked through.
• This cake is best left in its pan to cool before turning on to a rack. Densely textured cakes, such as this, are more delicate when hot and can easily split if turned out too early.
• Make sure the cake is completely cooled before splitting. Use a ruler to mark an even line at regular points around the middle of the cake, then use toothpicks or kitchen string to mark this line. Use a large, serrated knife to split in half, using the toothpicks or string as a guide.

Berry and almond cake

Ingredients (serves 8)

• 2/3 cup (100g) plain flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 1 1/3 cups (300g) caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 eggwhites
• 150g butter, melted, cooled
• 120g punnet raspberries
• 150g punnet blueberries
• 50g flaked almonds
• Icing sugar, optional, for dusting
  

  Method

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Place flour, ground almonds, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat eggwhites and a pinch of salt in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold eggwhites into almond mixture then gently stir in butter.
  2. Grease and line a 20 x 30cm slice tin. Spoon cake mixture into prepared tin. Scatter with combined berries, followed by flaked almonds. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool and transport in tin. Dust with icing sugar just before serving. Cake is best made on day of eating.

  Notes

• Hint: You could make this cake using 270g mixed frozen berries.
• Variation: For an apple, cinnamon and walnut cake, follow the recipe but omit berries and flaked almonds. Peel and core 1 golden delicious apple then cut into thin slices. Place over cake batter then sprinkle with a little caster sugar, ground cinnamon and 2 tbs chopped walnuts.

Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Chocolate Cupcakes:

1/2 cup (50 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1 cup (240 ml) boiling hot water

1 1/3 cups (175 grams) all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Fudge Frosting:

4 ounces (120 grams) unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup (150 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups (160 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

 

Chocolate Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly butter, or line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a small bowl stir until smooth the boiling hot water and the cocoa powder. Let cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Then in the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat only until incorporated. Then add the cooled cocoa mixture and stir until smooth.

Fill each muffin cup about two-thirds full with batter and bake for about 16-20 minutes or until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. You can either spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a small spatula or if piping, use a large Wilton 1M open star tip to make lovely swirls.

Chocolate Frosting: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and beat until it is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the chocolate and beat on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is smooth and glossy (about 2 -3 minutes).

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe

Mexican Wedding Cakes Recipe:

2/3 cup (65 grams) toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts)

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup (30 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar

1 teaspoon (2 grams) pure vanilla extract

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:

1 cup (110 grams) powdered (icing or confectioners) sugar, sifted

 

Mexican Wedding Cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool. Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste).

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about one hour or until firm. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Form the chilled dough into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar on the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar).