Chocolate Cake

This is by far the best moist chocolate cake I have baked. The recipe is adapted from "The Art Of The Dessert" by Ann Amernick.

The above cake we made was for giving a surprise birthday celebration to Liesel. Riya, Liesel and Narin were coming to our place to have a small reunion after almost a decade. Liesel's bday was coming on the following week so we had this surprise bday celebration for her. We even called Diya and Lakshmi on skype to complete the group :) And it is Diya on the phone screen in the below photos. We were all roommates during our college time. And we used to have this surprise b'day celebration in our room for all birthdays.Those hostel days were some of the most beautiful fun days in my life. And to meet Riya, Liesel and Narin after so long was so much fun!

In the above picture I have filled and frosted the cake with Raspberry mousse and chocolate ganache

The same cake recipe was used to make Anjan's Birthday cake last year. Chocolate ganache was used for cake filling and frosting.

Ingredients:

1. Sugar - 2 cups
2. Cake Flour - 1+2/3 cup
3. Cocoa powder - 1 cup
4. Baking soda - 2 tsp
5. Baking powder - 1 tsp
6. Salt - 1/4 tsp
7. Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Buttermilk/ Yogurt - 1 cup
9. Water - 1 cup
10. Eggs - 3 large
11. Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
12. Melted butter - 1 stick

Note:

• All ingredients must be in room temperature

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F heat
2. Line 2  9inch round cake pans with parchment paper and butter the paper and sides
3. Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and coffee powder into a large mixing bowl
4. Whisk buttermilk, water, eggs and vanilla extract until just combined
5. Whisk the egg mixture with the dry mixture till the batter is smooth, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula.
6. Add the melted butter now and stir with the whisk until well combined. The batter will be somewhat thin
7. Divide the batter evenly among the 2 pans and bake it for 16-18 minutes until the cake tester comes out clean when inserted
8. Let the cake cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert them on to the rack to remove parchment paper. 
9. Invert it again and cool till the cakes reach room temperature
10. The cakes can be filled and frosted now or can be wrapped tightly in a cling wrap and frozen for upto a month.

Halloween Special: Chocolate Banana Muffins

Are you planning to throw away those over ripe bananas?? Please don't, instead make this banana chocolate muffin... It tastes so good that i regret giving away those pretty 9 muffins to my husbands office friends... :D
And yes, Happy Halloween to all!! Today is 2015 Halloween, and my very first Halloween. I wanted to make something special for Halloween and cookies were in my mind for few days.. But I ended up making this banana muffin as i had some over ripe bananas at home and also some left over buttercream frosting too.
The recipe is adapted from Joy of Baking 

Ingredients:

1. Flour - 1 3/4 cup
2. Baking powder - 1 tsp
3. Baking soda  - 1/2 tsp
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup
5. Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
6. Cocoa powder - 3 tbs
7. Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup
8. Salt - a pinch
9. Egg - 3 (small or medium size)
10. Butter, melted - 1/2 cup
11. Banana, mashed - 3 large, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups
12. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
13. Buttercream frosting - 1 1/2 cups (optional)

Note:

• I have used mini chocolate chips
• You  may mash banana manually or use a blender to do the same. I used a blender for mashing bananas
• Since i had problem with mixing baking powder and baking soda with flour last few times, i have put extra effort to make sure it is mixed very well with flour and other dry ingredients by putting all dry ingredients into a canister and giving nice shakes and stir :)
• I have used a 12 cup muffin tray and 4 silicone cups for baking

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F heat
2. Prepare a 12 cup + 4 cups muffin tray with paper cups
3. Mix all dry ingredients from 1 to 8 very well. Make sure there is no lumps
4. Mix all wet ingredients from 9 to 12 in another bowl
5. Fold in dry ingredients mixture to wet mixture until they are combined and not many lumps in the batter left
6. Spoon the batter in to each muffin cup to fill 3/4 or little more than that of the cup
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or unitl skewer comes out clean when dipped at the muffin center
8. If you are frosting your muffins, you may do it after the muffins are cooled to room temperature. I have used blue color and white color frosting with star tip and round tip. And top it with wilton  sugar eyes. 

I am linking this post to Fiesta Friday

Chocolate torte - no flour and no butter

Here is a delicious chocolate torte recipe which has no butter and flour in it.. You really wont miss the butter in this torte as it tastes so yummy and really moist even without the butter.. A must try for all chocolate lovers.

Ingredients:

For Torte:

1. Baking chocolate, - 120 gm
2. Avocado, pureed - 1/2 cup
3. Sugar - 2/3 cup
4. Egg - 3
5. Almond powder - 1 cup
6. Bread crumbs, finely ground dry- 1/4 cup
7. Orange zest - 2 tbs

For Glaze:

1. Baking chocolate - 40 gm
2. Condensed milk - 3 tbs

Method:
For Torte:

1. Preheat oven to 375F heat
2. Butter and place a parchment paper in an 8 inch cake tin
3. Melt 110gm of baking chocolate in a double boiler or microwave taking care not to burn them 
4. Beat pureed avocado in a mixer for 1 minute
5. Add Sugar and beat again for 2 minutes until mixed
6. Add eggs one by one beating in between to mix well
7. Add almond flour, melted baking chocolate in room temperature, bread crumbs and zest and mix slowly in the mixer until mixed. Don't over mix here
8. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for 25 minutes
9. Cool the cake tin on a rack for 30 minutes or until cool

For Glaze:

1. Melt 40gm of baking chocolate in a double boiler or microwave taking care not to burn them
2. When chocolate is warm mix with condensed milk and pour cover torte which is in room temperature and spread them

Note:

• Cut the torte into wedge after cooling them in fridge till they are set well. 
• It is good to serve them with bananas or berries and whipped cream or ice cream and some roasted chopped nuts or granola
• It is important to preheat the oven for atleast 20 minutes

Chocolate cupcake

 

 

 

This cupcake is by far the best chocolate cupcake I have made. It is really chocolaty with very nice texture. Each bite on it gives you a mouthful of chocolate flavour. It tastes really good even without any frosting.

Ingredients:

1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
2. Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
3. Cocoa powder  - 1/2 cup
4. Salt - a pinch
5. Butter - 1/4 cup
6. Sugar - 1 cup
7. Melted chocolate - 100gm
8. Egg - 2 full eggs + 2 egg yolks
9. Canola oil - 1/2 cup
10. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
11. Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Greek yogurt/Sour cream - 1/3 cup
13. Water - 1/3 cup

Note:

• All ingredients must be in room temperature. 
• Use big eggs

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 175 deg Celsius for atleast 20 minutes(imp)
2. Prepare 16 muffin size cup cake tin or 40-45 mini cupcake cups
3. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, coffee powder and cocoa powder in a bowl and keep aside
4. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix butter and sugar well until it looks like wet sand
5. Add melted chocolate in room temperature to butter mixture and mix well, about a minute using hand mixer
6. Add eggs one by one, mixing in between each addition
7. Add oil, vanilla and yogurt and mix again for a minute
8. Add half of the flour mixture and mix for 30 sec
9. Add water and mix well
10. Add rest of the flour mix and mix for another 30 sec
11. Fill 2/3 of cake cup with the batter and bake for 20 minutes if muffin size cupcake or 12 minutes for mini cupcakes or until the skewer inserted at cake center comes out clean. 

Enjoy it frosted or as it is. 

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

1. Semi sweet chocolate chips - 3 cups, 18oz
2. Thickened cream - 300gms

Method:

1. Heat cream till it starts to bubble from the sides of the pan
2. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and keep it closed for 5 minutes
3. Gently stir the chocolate chips in cream till it is smooth and shiny
4. Keep it in room temperature overnight so that it is thick enough to be applied as frosting on the cake.

Note:
Chocolate Ganache can be stored in fridge for future use.
Let it reach till room temperature before using it

Brownie

Satisfy the chocolate lover in you with this fudgy brownies with crusted top!

Ingredients

1. All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
2. Eggs - 3
3. Butter - 1/2 cup
4. Cocoa powder - 2 tbs
5. Salt - a pinch
6. Dark baking chocolate - 150g
7. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
8. Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Chopped nuts/ chocolate chips - 1 cup (optional)

Method 

1. Preheat oven to 175 deg Celsius 
2. Prepare a baking tray with butter paper in it, size can be 30 cm x 15 cm or similar
3. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or microwave, stirring in between
4. Once the chocolate mixture is smooth, and back to room temperature, add cocoa powder, coffee powder, sugar and mix well
5. Add one egg at a time and beat after each addition
6. Add vanila extract and mix it
7. Now, add flour and mix well
8. Add nuts or chocolate chip and stir minimum to mix it
9. Pour into prepared tray and bake for 30 min( tooth pick inserted for checking the cake will not come out too clean, but don't over bake )

Note

• All mixing is done with spatula or whisk manually
• The brownie can be prepared with milk chocolate or dark chocolate. It tastes equally good!!!

Oats chocolate muffin

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1 tbs sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup black current jam( any jam)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sweet or semi sweet chocolate chips/shavings
• 1/4 cup canola oil

For topping

• 1/2 cup melted sweet/semi sweet chocolate
• 1tbs butter
• 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
• Icing sugar if chocolate is not sweet
• Milk (adjust milk and icing sugar to get the right consistency)

Procedure

• Mix all the dry ingredients.
• Beat egg , oil and jam.
• Mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients with a spoon or spatula. ( You need not beat it for long)
• Pour the batter in to muffin cups.(Use paper cups within to get clean muffins) Do not fill the batter to the top as the muffin will rise. Fill only 3/4 cup.
• Microwave for about 2 min.(Depends on your microwave, so check in between so that muffins don't burn)

For topping

• Melt chocolate and mix butter and coffee powder to it.
• Add icing sugar if you have used bitter chocolate.
• Add milk to get the consistency of cream.
• Dip the top portion of muffin in the chocolate cream.