Cakes Archives - Bread'N Butter Kids

Oat florentine and how to adapt it

I based this nuts and oat florentine on oats and on a variety of nuts. There is lots of space for accommodation around your taste.

Those tips were posted in a post I placed on this blog and you may not have seen them. Consider them, they are convenient. Now feel free to add other ingredients than oats to your base, for example you can add silvered almonds or corn flakes.

Tip 1 – the “glue” of your oat florentine

In the end, I realised it doesn’t matter too much what you want in it, it is important to make sure you have a good “glue”. I looked at a number of recipes for that binding mix and opted for my own made with simple ingredients (butter, honey and brown sugar), so no glucose syrup or other fancy items.

Tip 2 – you need salt in your florentine

One thing I did wrong was having a little too much salt. So put salt but go slowly, once added you can’t remove it

Tip 3 – solid ingredients: let yourself go! There are no limitations there. You need to think of the flavours you are combining together, this is crucial but not too hard. if not sure, stick to a few nuts, seeds or dry fruits in addition to the oats.

Mine was a little extravagant as I went through the pantry nuts jars: brazil nuts (cut), shredded coconut, pepitas, walnuts, roasted hazelnuts, macadamia pieces. And some dry cranberries.

Now for he new tips:

Tip 4 – bake your florentine until nice and brown, do not hesitate to go to a nice coloured brown as it means the florentine will be more solid. The caramel is what binds the ingredients together. If it is too light, it will not hold.

Tip 5 – the slice shape is so much easier to handle, but the florentine round shape is pretty. My round shapes are enormous, too big really but fun!

Ingredients:

250 g of rolled oats
175 g of brazil nuts, cut in pieces
50 g of shredded coconut
100 g of pepitas
100 g of walnuts broken
150 g of roasted hazelnuts, cut in pieces (quarter size roughly)
100 g of macadamia, also cut in pieces
1 tsp of salt
Wet mix:
- 100 g of melted butter
- 120 g of honey (you may need to heat up the honey if it is solidified)
- 150 g of brown sugar (or up to 200g if you like them quite sweet)
180 g of dark cooking chocolate gently melted for the top

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a baking tray or slice tray with baking paper.
Prepare the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix them. Prepare the wet ingredients in another bowl.
Mix dry and wet ingredients.
if using a slice tin, press the mix to a thickness of 1.5 cm to 2 cm. If doing florentines, use a tablespoon of mix minimum and press down to a 1.5cm thick disc. The width will depend on the amount of mix.
Bake in the middle of your oven for 1/2h to 40 minutes until nicely brown (the time will depend on your oven)
Cool down before covering with melted chocolate. If doing a slice, cut when the chocolate has almost hardened.

Salted chocolate and walnut caramel slice

This salted chocolate and walnut caramel slice is adapted from Delicious magazine. The slices taste amazing. Since they are quite filling, there is here for a fair number of serves. I made mine in a 20×30 cm slice tray. The recipe originally called for a 23 x 23 cm tray.

There are a few steps to make the salted chocolate caramel slice but all are pretty easy. To make it even easier, I advise using the caramel version of sweet condensed milk.

Ingredients:

BASE

220 g plain flour
50 g icing sugar, sifted
180 g unsalted butter, melted, cooled slightly

FILLING

380 g sweetened caramel condensed milk (this is the volume of a can of condensed milk in Australia)
50 g dark brown sugar
100 g dark corn syrup or glucose syrup
100 g unsalted butter
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
one teaspoon worth of good quality vanilla extract

TOP

200 g dark 70% cooking chocolate
15 g unsalted butter
40 g roasted walnuts (roast them 15 minutes in a 160°C oven)
1 tsp sea salt flakes (if using a 23×23 cm tin, you will need to use slightly less)

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease the base and sides of the slice tin and line with baking paper.
Place the flour, icing sugar and 1⁄4 tsp salt flakes in a heatproof bowl and stir to combine. Add the melted butter and mix with your hands to form a sticky paste. Press the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out with an offset spatula.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the base is golden. If any bubbles form under the base while baking, use a skewer to gently deflate them.
Now, for the caramel filling, place all the ingredients in a large heatproof bowl. Place the bowl on top of a saucepan of gently simmering water, stirring well occasionally, until the butter has fully melted and emulsified. The consistency should be thick and gloopy and the colour just a shade darker. Set aside at room temperature. As soon as the base is ready, remove from the oven and immediately pour the caramel filling over the top.
Reduce the oven to 120°C. Return the filled base to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or so. If it starts to brown too quickly, reduce the oven slightly and continue to bake. When cooked, the middle will feel set and a little rubbery and the sides should be starting to blister and turn light brown. Remove and leave to cool for 1-2 hours at room temperature.
Tip – it is important to place the slice at the bottom of the oven at this stage, it allows cooking while avoiding the top to brown and darken too quickly.
It is now time to prepare the topping. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir thoroughly then pour it over the top of the caramel. Smooth lightly with an offset spatula or tilt the pan to distribute the chocolate. Crush the walnuts with your hands and sprinkle over the top with the salt flakes.
Leave to cool a little. It should be fully set after an hour (this depends on the temperature of your kitchen as well). This salted chocolate caramel slice keeps in an air-tight container for a week.

Roasted almond and chocolate slice

This roasted almond and chocolate slice is very easy to make and quick. The difference from the more frequent almond cake base is the amazing aroma that comes from having toasted carefully the almond meal!

You will need a 20 x 20 cm slice tin or brownie tin for this slice.

Ingredients:

180 g of caster sugar
4 large eggs (that means from a box of 12 eggs weighting 700 g min)
200 g of almond meal
A few drops of good vanilla extract
100 g of melted butter (I use salted butter, the choice is yours)
Chocolate top: 150 g of dark chocolate and 70 g of butter

Method:

Heat up the oven to 170°C.
Place the almond meal in a large thick based frypan on medium to high heat (no need for anything else!). While constantly moving the almond meal around slowly with a wooden spoon or wooden spatula, allow it to toast to a nice golden brown. Remove from the heat when you reach the colour and immediately transfer to a bowl (else the almond meal will further darken). Careful, this is hot.
In a food mixer with the whisk (or by hand with a wide whisk!), whisk together sugar and eggs until light and fluffy like a mousse.
Add the vanilla extract.
Slow down the speed of the mixer if using one. Add the melted butter. Then add the roasted almond meal once it has cooled down.
Line the tray with baking paper (use a bit of butter to help it stick well on the sides). Pour the bottom mix into the slice tin.
Bake until light brown (you can insert a skewer to check or simply press the top of the base with the tip of your fingers, it will slightly spring back). Remove from the oven. Leave in the tray.
Melt the chocolate and 70 g of butter. Once melted, mix until smooth, then pour over the base and use a spatula to spread across the base.
Leave to cool until set. If you are short of time, place the tray in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Cut into slices. The slices keep well for a few days in an air-tight container. Do not refrigerate.

Gateau de Mamiche

The Gateau de Mamiche is a rich, textured chocolate cake. Mamiche is my grandmother. This cake was one of her signature dishes, one that us, granchildren, really liked.

This cake needs to be cooled completely or almost before it is unmoulded or it will break. It is very important to have the sugar well melted with the chocolate and butter before proceeding further into the recipe. The oven temperature must be reasonably low to allow the cake to cook slowly and reduce the butter to accumulate too much on top of the cake. I have tried a few methods of mixing the ingredients, it seems that the best one is the most simple one: all in one pot type of approach.

Serve this cake as a mid-afternoon snack, a party treat or an element of dessert.

Serves 8+

Ingredients:

250 g of 70% dark cooking chocolate
250 g of butter
250g of caster sugar
250 g of flour
2 eggs, yolks and whites separated

Method:

Butter and flour a log tin. Heat up the oven on 160°C.
In a saucepan, place the butter and chocolate and allow to melt on low heat, mixing to ensure it does not burn. Add the sugar and mix until fully dissolved.
Add the egg yolks. Mix
It is now time to add the flour, mixing from the middle forming little circles extending.
Beat the eggwhites to snow and fold in gently.
Pour the batter in the tin. Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out without chocolate.
Allow to cool the gateau de Mamiche in the tin before turning on the serving dish.

Gateau battu

The gateau battu is a local specialty from the Somme area. Apparently it originated from the township of Abbeville, a place not far from where I grew up. My mother always said that it was a good cake to use the extra eggs you may have. Assuming you have hens and up and downs of egg supplies!

The gateau battu tastes a little bit like a brioche, not as sweet and not as buttery. It is great for mid afternoon tea (especially for the kids!) or at breakfast, toasted or not with a little jam. This cake is much less work than a brioche and quite easy to do. You will need a special tin for it.

The cake’s name has been translated to “whipped cake”. As you will see on my photos, I cut slices, while traditionally it is to be cut from top to bottom.

Preparation time: about 20 minutes, rising : up to 2 hours, cooking : 20 minutes

Ingredients:

4 egg yolks
1 egg white
150 g flour
25 g white caster sugar
15 g of fresh yeast or 7 g of dry yeast
100 g of butter
1/4 glass of cognac (or milk)

Method:

If you have a dough mixer, use it, it is always easier. If not, use a large bowl.

Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the middle (i.e. a hole). If using dry yeast, add it and mix it to the flour now (then make the well).
Add in the well, the melted butter, sugar, cognac or milk, and a pinch of salt (omit is using salted butter)
Dilute the fresh yeast in warmlike water and add to the well.
Add the egg yolks
Mix the dough slightly for a minute or so.
Beat the white to snow and add the eggwhite to the mix. If using the dough mixer, mix until the dough forms a smooth dough and separate from the wall of the bowl. If mixing by hand either use a “pull the dough and punch in the middle technique” or pour the dough on the work bench and knead it for about 10 minutes or until it forms a nice smooth dough which doesn’t stick to your fingers.
Tip: it is quite a wet dough and will not have the strength a brioche dough would have.
Butter and flour the tin. Place the dough in it and allow to rise until it reaches the top (a bit more than double).
Heat the oven to 170°C. Brush the top with egg yolk wash (a yolk beaten with a tablespoon of water).

My brownie, chocolatey, gooey, not too sweet

This is my recipe for a brownie, chocolatey, gooey, not too sweet. I made it one day when friends were visiting between the very short time of ending a bushwalk and them getting back on the road with what was going to be an empty stomach. I have read a number of good posts about brownies, wondering when I would finally find a recipe I would really like. This blogger went on a mission of recipe testing, others (there is a good post I read a couple times, just can’t find it now) discuss the different versions: with cocoa (which I must say I have not yet tried) vs with chocolate, more cake-like, more fudge-like. As for me I tend to like a brownie with some texture and a melting centre.

The brownie must be not too sweet, this is important as many brownies recipes have enormous amounts of sugar. Note that it is not sugar free either. One of the keys of a good brownie is using brown sugar. It holds moisture better than white sugar due to the molasses. Another important ingredient is the chocolate you use. I like using 70% dark cooking chocolate. For some of you, it may be a bit strong, you can then use a bittersweet chocolate or 60% dark chocolate of good quality. If you are going to use milk chocolate for the choc chip in this recipe, decrease the white sugar by 40 g. Now if you want a brownie for the children, try this brownie recipe with dulce de leche (i.e. caramel sweet concentrated milk) , my children love it!

My gooey brownie recipe

My gooey brownie is not hard to prepare, the secret is more in the cooking. To have a crust and gooey centre you must not cook it long but high enough that the outer parts are baked. I opt for a hot oven. Some may opt for placing the uncooked brownie in the fridge, then baking it. It is probably more controlled way to get there, however it requires more time.

For the nuts, it is completely up to you if you want to use some and which you want to use: plain or toasted hazelnuts partly cut, walnuts, almond, sliced almond, pecan, brazil, sunflower seeds, …the choices are multiple. I tend to use what I feel like and also always what I have handy.

Ingredients:

20 x 20 cm brownie tin (or slightly less but not larger)
200 g of 70% chocolate (see note above on choice of chocolate)
200 g of butter (I used salted butter, if not using salted butter, add a good pinch of salt)
100 g of brown sugar
50 g of white sugar
3 eggs
150 g of flour
150 g of a mix of nuts
100 g of chocolate chips or chunks of chocolate (optional)

Note: I tried with and without raising powder, there is no difference here, so I opt now for none.

Method:

Preheat the oven on 210°C. Line your brownie tin with baking paper. If the one you have is longer than 20 cm, fold upwards the baking paper at 20 cm length and make a rough wall support with the extra length of paper.
Melt the butter and chocolate together.
Mix in the sugars
Then add the eggs one at the time.
Add all at once the flour, nuts and chocolate chips. Mix until just combined.
Tip: ensure the dough is cold enough for the chocolate chip, else they will just melt.
Now the baking: cook for 15 minutes no more. Sometimes, 15 minutes may be too much, depending on your oven. The cooking time is somewhere between 11 and 15 minutes. As soon as the brownie starts showing little cracks on the top, you know it is time to remove it from the oven and cool it down. What happens if you go too far is that the oils in the chocolate and the butter split from the rest and appear on top and the chocolate tends to burn. The brownie will be dry.

It is best to wait for the brownie to cool down, not that this is what we necessarily will do!

chocolate and nuts soft brownies — It didn’t last long until some claimed a piece!

Churros

Churros, what a treat! If only I had come across a churros recipe before, we would have adopted this staple a long time ago in our home.

In Australia, you can find churros at some specialised cafe. It will cost you an arm and a leg. My advice: make them home, it is really simple and super cheap! Churros originate somewhere in the Iberian Peninsula (Spain & Portugal). They were brought in every port around the world by the Spanish.

Churros are made from a dough made over the stove consisting essentially of water, butter, egg and flour. The making bears strong similarity to choux pastry, however requires less elbow oil! Churros dough is then put in a piping bag with a star tip at the bottom. A good squeeze and hop it goes in the oil for cooking!

You can use a deep fry pan if you do not have an oil deep fryer. I got mine, which is quite small, some years ago from Aldi. It is fine for a small family.

This recipe is adapted from Cooking Classy, a US food blogger.

Makes the quantity on the photo, about 15.

Ingredients:

250 mL of water (1 cup)
55 g of unsalted butter, diced into small cubes (tip: if you only have salted butter, this is fine, just omit the salt)
1 tbsp of white sugar
1/4 tsp of salt
150 g of plain flour (1 cup)
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

You will also need:

A star shape piping tip, piping bag and coupler
Note: you can do without the coupler if using a plastic disposable bag, you may have to reset your bag a few times. The dough is quite stiff and under the pushing pressure the bag tends to pop out or break. I now use the coupler.
Vegetable oil, for frying (I use sunflower oil, it is more suited for high temperature)
Icing sugar (about 50 g)
1/4 tsp of cinnamon powder
60 g of dark chocolate to be melted with 2 tbsp of milk and 15 g of butter

Method:

Place the butter, salt, sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once . You should use a wooden spoon here. Mix until a tough dough is formed. Allow to cool down for 5 minutes or so (to avoid the egg cooking directly when adding it).
Add the egg and mix well with a wooden soon until fully absorbed.
Heat up your deep fryer or vegetable oil in a thick bottom based deep frypan or saucepan.
Tip: If not using a fryer, you will know the oil is ready if you insert a drop of dough in it and it starts sizzling around it.
Place your dough in a piping bag. Start piping over the workbench and transferring to the oil or piping straight in the oil (whichever you feel safe doing) length of dough 10 cm long or so. Some will bend naturally when falling over the previous ones. You will certainly need two to three batches of frying to avoid the pieces stuck on each others.
When the right colour is obtained remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.
Mix the icing sugar and cinnamon together, either use a small mesh colander to dust over the churros or toss the whole in a large bowl.
Serve with the hot chocolate sauce.

Raw raspberry and coconut slice

This raw recipe of raspberry and coconut slice is out of a magazine I bought at the airport before a short flight. There were a number of interesting recipes including this one. I am not particularly an advocate for raw food, although I have nothing against it overall. This recipe is straight out of Donna Hay, I am adding to it some comments and tips which mat come in handy during the realisation of these bars.

The recipe has tw main steps and requires a few hours to set after each of the main step,

Makes about 20 slices.

Ingredients:

The base:

120 g (1 cup) rolled oats
80 g of dry desiccated coconut (1 cup)
120 g of almond meal (1 cup)
65 g coconut oil (1/3 cup) melted- alternatively use a vegetable oil such as sunflower (olive oil may have a flavour too strong for this recipe)
200 g of pitted dates
25 g (1/4 cup) of raw cocoa

Note:I prefer using the weight rather than volumes as depending how pack the ingredient may be in the cup, you will achieve different outcomes. Here, it would be of little consequence though.

The raspberry layer:

750 g of frozen raspberries (you can also use mixed berries if you run out of raspberry like me in this version)
1/2 cup of maple syrup (125 ml)
50 g white chia seeds (1/4 cup) – I only had black ones, it did not change anything really
25 g of coconut oil (1/4 cup)

For decorating (optional) : 7 g (1/4 cup) freeze dried raspberries, crushed

Note on the use of coconut oil here: I wandered about the use of coconut oil in this part of the slice, I can only think that it is used to support the structure of the slice as coconut oil solidifies quite easily. I did not have any when I made my slice, I used some cocoa butter buttons instead. They also solidify at lower temperature. If you are going to use those, be mindful to wait that the jam temperature is no more than 50 °C as coconut butter burns at higher temperature

The coconut pannacotta layer:

60 mL of water (1/4 cup)
1 1/2 tsp powdered gelatine (you can use the gelatine in sheets as well, use the amount suitable to 400 mL of liquid)
310 mL of coconut milk (1 1/4 cup)
2 tbsp honey

Method

The order below is first for the slice base. Then, while the base is cooking, you can work on the jam filling. The pannacotta is done a few hours later to allow the first two layers to cool down and settle.

Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). To make the coconut cacao base, place the oats, coconut, almond meal, coconut oil, dates and cacao in a food processor and process for 1 or 2 minutes or until the mixture comes together.
Press the mixture into a lightly greased 20cm x 30cm slice tin lined with non-stick baking paper, smoothing the top with a spoon. Cook for 20 minutes or until firm. Set aside to cool slightly.Tip – no more than 20 min cooking.
Place the raspberries and maple syrup in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15–18 minutes or until softened and liquid has reduced. Remove from the heat and add the chia seeds and coconut oil. Stir to combine and set aside for 20 minutes to cool.
Pour the raspberry chia jam over the cacao base, smoothing with a palette knife. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until completely cooled and firm.

Tip – use the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula if you don’t have a palette knife.
To make the coconut pannaccotta, place the water in a small bowl and sprinkle over the gelatine. Stir to combine and set aside for 5 minutes or until the gelatine has been absorbed.
Place the coconut milk and honey in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to just below the boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatine mixture until dissolved. Strain and set aside to cool completely.
Pour the pannacotta mixture over the slice and refrigerate for 2 hours or until completely set. Cut into bars. Top with freeze-dried raspberries to serve.

Tip for cutting: you will need to clean you knife after each slice to retain crispy white and avoid crumbs sticking to the next line of slices.

Tip: Keep well in the fridge for 4 days. The pannacotta will start turning pink . Don’t throw it away. This does not affect the taste so much.

Hazelnut chocolate torte (GF)

This is simply divine! This recipe of hazelnut chocolate GF torte is from Nadine Ingram, the owner of the Flour and Stone bakery in Woolloomooloo. As the title suggests it is gluten free . The cake is quite filling and will feed a little crowd! This recipe has been published before, but if you like it, there is a book coming at the end of 2018 I was told by Nadine herself.

It is important that you use good quality chocolate. See the tips given all along the recipe, they will help a lot.

For 10-12 people. You will need a 22 cm diameter round cake tin (springform for easy removal if available to you).

gluten free chocolate hazelnut — I took this photo at a local festival where I sold a few cakes, baguettes and ceramics of my production

Ingredients:

For the torte:

250 g of good quality dark chocolate minimum 60% cocoa solid (if in Australia, the only choice is the Nestle 70% Plaistowe from supermarkets)
200 g of full hazelnuts
50 g of hazelnut meal (you can use almond meal as a substitute, I use hazelnut meal in my cake)
225 unsalted butter, soft
200 g of caster sugar
6 eggs (referring here to eggs of 60-70 g size each)

For the chocolate ganache and topping:

150 g of good quality dark chocolate minimum 60% cocoa solid, roughly chopped
150 mL of pure cream (or sour cream)
60 g toasted hazelnut, skins removed (use the same method than described below to obtain those)

Tip: if using couverture chocolate for the ganache, only use a 55% cocoa content, there is high risk of seizure with a 70% couverture chocolate. NB: chocolate like Nestle Plaistowe are compound chocolates and will not size.

Method:

For the cake

To roast the hazelnuts, place them in a tin and in the oven at 160°C for 20 minutes. THen place in a clean tea towel and rub until all skins have fallen off. Set aside.
Line a 22 cm tin base and sides with baking paper.
Using a food processor, place the chocolate in the food processor and process until as fine as possible. You should get little pieces of about 3-5 mm.
Do the same with the roasted hazelnuts (only those for the cake).
Combine the chopped chocolate and hazelnuts with the hazelnut meal.
Using an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and 2/3 of the sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes. Continue to beat and add the egg yolks one at the time.
Now add the hazelnut-chocolate mix on low speed and mix for a minute to combine. Transfer the mix in a large bowl.Tip: Use an oversized bowl, it will make mixing the egg whites much easier here.
Beat the egg whites to snow (either clean AND dry very well your previous food bowl or use another one). Only beat until soft ribbon form, then add still beating the rest of the sugar. The meringue should be thick and glossy, however not than thick that is becomes solid, it should still be fluid. You should be able to fold it around with a spatula.
Using a large spatula, fold the meringue through the hazelnut starting with 1/4 of the quantity first, then adding the rest in 2 or 3 parts. Each time, don’t overdo it. This is important or the batter may separate (the hazelnuts are quite oily). It is fine if there are some white meringue streaks as they will be mixed up with the next insertion. The last time needs to be fully mixed.Tip: the first part of the meringue you insert will be more “mixed” than “folded” through as the mix is quite dense to start with. Use the width of the large bowl to spread the meringue over the mix before folding the mix on itself.
Pour the batter in the prepared tin. Tap the tin a couple of time on the kitchen bench to remove any potential air bubbles. Bake for one hour or until the centre of the cake is stable when pressed with your fingertip (i.e. no longer wobbly).
Remove from the oven, allow to cool down in the tin. When ready to dress, unmold gently and place directly on the serving dish (top up).

For the ganache

Prepare the ganache by cutting the ganache chocolate in small pieces. Place in a larger bowl. Bring the cream to a boil. As soon as it is boiling, pour over the chocolate and cover (with a plate for example). Allow to melt on its own for a few minutes and stir to homogeneise.
The ganache should be thick paste-like consistency. Using a small spatula, spread roughly over the cake and put the remaining roasted full hazelnuts on top.

Do not place this cake in the fridge (except if it is really hot and the ganache is melting, generally cakes become hard and much less tasty when put in the fridge). This cake keeps well for a couple of days.

Standing pear chocolate cake with its sauce

For this standing pear chocolate cake, you will need some small pears, preferably ripe, although not so much they crumble in your fingers. If your pears aren’t ripe, you should cook them partly in a sugar syrup . Note, there are many ways with sugar syrups for pears, for example, if you don’t have any wine for the poaching, you can use orange juice. The flavour will be different but still beautiful.

As for the nutmeg, I was experimenting and probably put a little too much (1/2 teaspoon) which was not overbearing but maybe not to everyone’s taste. I have reduced it in the recipe. You could also put a pinch of cayenne pepper or medium chilli powder.

Ingredients:

For the cake

5 small ripe pears, peeled and cored from the bottom, stem on
4 eggs (about 60 g each)
160 g of sugar
200 g of butter, melted
30 g of hazelnut meal
140 g of plain flour
1 tsp of raising powder
1/4 tsp of freshly grounded nutmeg
60 g dutch cocoa

For the chocolate sauce (from Pierre Herme):

250 ml of water
125 ml of cream
130 g of dark 70% chocolate
70 g of sugar

Preparation:

Line the bottom and side of a springform pan, about 25 cm wide (it can be less but no wider).
Preheat oven to 170°C.
Mix the eggs and sugar until quite moussy. Add in melted butter, nutmeg, cocoa powder and hazelnut meal.
Add in the flour and raising powder.
Pour the batter into the lined mould, placing on pear in the middle and the other pears evenly as a ring. Make sure there is batter underneath each pear.
Bake until just set (about 30-40 minutes, it varies between ovens), the cake will show a few cracks on the sides and the top does not appear wobbly when the cake tin is slightly pushed. Allow the cake to cool down a little (or more if time allows) before transferring to a serving plate. The cake will collapse in the middle as it should still be gooey.
To prepare the chocolate sauce, cut the chocolate in small pieces. Place in a thick based saucepan the water, sugar, cream and chocolate. Slowly heat up and stir until smooth with a wooden spoon. Bring to boiling point and simmer while stirring constantly until the sauce becomes unctuous and covers the back of the wooden spoon. Use the sauce hot, or allow to cool at room temperature and use warm. The excess sauce keeps in the fridge for two weeks.

Tip- transferring the cake can be a little tricky. I use the removable metal bottom of a tart tin as a very large spatula.

Tip – Keep the cake at room temperature if leftovers (i.e. not in the fridge).

The sea swim birthday cake

This sea swim cake was designed to be for a hot day, that means, nothing that will melt or perish from the heat: no whipped cream, no buttercream, no chocolate top, no creamy filling, etc.

The cake is a simple Reine de Saba (Queen of Sheba) chocolate cake adapted to a tall cake tin. The cake was covered with a chocolate ganache to make it flat and smooth and facilitate the use of fondant icing. Added to the decoration are coral reef made of macaroon paste and an open macaroon for a clam.

The macaroon and the clam require added work and although it is not that hard, it is technical. Feel free to replace by lollies or biscuits and adapt the scene. I will upload a recipe.

Serves 15 easily

Ingredients:

You will need a cake base (or you can make one out of thick cardboard and aluminium foil) of diameter slightly larger than your mould.

For the cake

150 g of white or caster sugar
100 g of plain flour
2/3 sachet of raising powder or 2/3 teaspoon if using it from the box
150 g of dark cooking chocolate (if you are using a 70% cocoa chocolate, decrease the chocolate quantity to 120 g, it would be too strong for children).
120 g of butter
4 egg yolks and 4 egg white beaten to snow.

For the chocolate ganache:

200 g of dark cooking chocolate
200 g of cream

For the decoration:

1 kg of fondant icing (from the supermarket)
corn flour
Food colorants + latex or nitrile food prep gloves
Pearls and other decorations
1 macaroon and some of the dough piped in the shape of coral on baking paper – alternatively use lollies and biscuits.

Method

The cake:

Heat the oven to 180 °Celsius.
Butter and flour a tin, or butter and line.
Melt the butter and chocolate together.
Mix in the sugar, then the egg yolks one at the time.
Add the flour and raising powder together, being careful not to create any lumps.
Fold in the egg whites (in snow) gently.
Transfer to the baking tin and insert in the oven.
Cook until dry in the center (20 to 30 min depending on ovens and thickness of the cake in the tin)
Remove from the oven, transfer onto a cooling rack.
When the cake is cold, cut the bumpy top part using large bread knife: Use as delineation the top edge of the sides and follow this to remove the “bump”. Don’t throw it away, it will make a great dessert with a little bit of the ganache!

The chocolate ganache:

Cut the chocolate in small pieces (use a strong knife and make pieces of about 1/2 cm width.
Bring the cream to boil in a saucepan, remove when the first bubbles appear and pour over the chocolate pieces.
Allow to stand for a couple of minutes, then mix until smooth. Place in the fridge to firm up. To use it you want it peanut butter consistency, if it got too hard, allow to stand at room temperature.

Assembling:

Place the cake on the cake base. Some people recommend using a dollop of the ganache to secure the cake to the cake base.
Place a few spoons of chocolate ganache over the top and with a dough scraper, spread evenly over the cake (no need to refine your work at this stage). Place one spoon of ganache on your scraper and with movements from the bottom of the cake to the top, roughly spread on the vertical side.
Clean you dough scraper . If you have a cake wheel, it is time to use it! Hold the scraper at 45 degrees angle from the cake. Turn the cake keeping your hand position. This will spread evenly the ganache along the edge. Reset and repeat as needed. If it is getting messy and the ganache is getting soft, place the cake in the fridge for ten minutes and resume.
In the end you want the ganache (you will have extra) neatly spread around the cake and on the top creating a flat top and a flat side. Place in the fridge to harden.
Prepare your fondant icing. You want to make 3 types of blue and keep a little of white. Break apart 1/2 of the fondant in a ball, use the food colorants adding blue and possibly a touch of green to get the colour of your choice. This piece of fondant will be used to cover the whole cake. Break the other ball in three pieces. Set one aside, this will be your white one, and colour the other two.
Tip: Use gloves or your hands will get coloured
Tip: Use cornflour to present the fondant sticking top much or sticking on things, especially if you add a fair bit of liquid food colouring.
Tip: Cover the fondant you don’t need with cell wrap, it tends to dry very easily and cannot be used if dry.
Using a rolling-pin, corn flour and either a rolling matt or baking paper, roll the large ball to a thickness of 3-4 mm. It will be large enough to cover the top and skirt the sides. Transfer gently over the cake. With the palms of your hands apply the fondant on the sides. You should not have to fold it, rather extend it slightly. Cut the extra at the bottom.
Roll the other icing fondant pieces. Using a glass, cookie cutter or any other items to cut pieces to make the tiles for the waves on the side. The waves on the top are simply cur with a sharp knife randomly.
Before applying a piece of icing fondant on another one, dampen the area with your finger or with a kitchen brush.
Complete the decoration to your taste.
Keep the cake in a cool area until you need it. The cake can be left out for a few hours before serving if required.

Le Cake

“Le Cake” is a cake, yes, but the fun bit is that in French that cake is called “un cake”. It is close to what it referred to as a butter cake I guess. It is firm, yet not dry, has crunchy edges, is simple in taste and delicious.

Le Cake allows for different flavours: lemon, sultanas (soaked in tea or rum) or candied fruits. My favourite us the lemon version.

Preparation: 15 minutes, cooking: about 45 minutes

Ingredients

200 g of soft butter
250 g of caster sugar
pinch of salt
lemon zest (about 1 teaspoon) – if you prefer sultans or candied fruits, use 100 g of them
3 eggs
300 g flour
1/2 tsp of baking powder

Method

Butter and flour a log tin. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Cream the butter (use the flat beater of your kitchenAid or a spatula and elbow oil).
Add the sugar progressively while mixing.
At this stage, it is probably better to mix manually or some of the mix wil remain on the side of the bowl. Add the egg one after the other one mixing in between. Then, add the lemon zest and salt (if adding sultanas or candied fruits, add them with the flour to ensure they do not sink at the bottom).
Add the flour and baking powder (and sultanas /candied fruits if doing that version). Mix well starting from the middle of the bowl and extending to the outer edge.
Transfer to the prepared tin
Bake for about 45 min until cracked on top and golden. A baking needle inserted through the crack should come out dry.
Remove from the oven and turn over a wire rack, allow to cool down before serving.

This cake keeps for a few days easily. It makes a great treat for lunch boxes.

I posted this recipe some time ago. I recently did this cake with a lemon icing. To make the icing mix about 1 cup of icing sugar with a little lemon juice, adjust lemon juice or icing sugar (use a whisk) until you get a slightly runny paste. Then pour on the top of the cake.

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My gooey brownie recipe

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For the cake

For the ganache

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