chocolate – Page 6 – Sweet Tooth Experiments

Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake

Posted on October 5, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Marzipan Pear Chocolate and Almond Cake

I have never previously baked successfully with marzipan but absolutely love the flavour. Now this ingredient is one that you either love or hate. Its weird as I love the taste of marzipan and almond essence, but find plain almonds bland and boring in taste.

Marzipan and Almond clearly makes sense (as Marzipan is made from almonds). When thinking of a flavour combo I automatically through almonds and chocolate. On top of this, I was still to make up and post a pear recipe that I am actually really happy with, and chocolate and pear are a great flavour marriage.

Therefore I experimented with these 4 ingredients and just like I had expected they all work in harmony together.

A very different but satisfying, moreish cake indeed.

Ingredients:

250g butter
250g marzipan
150g sugar
½ tsn almond essence
6 eggs
450g pear
120g dark chocolate
150g self raising flour
120g almond meal
½ tsn ground cinnamon
½ tsn ground ginger
½ tsn ground cloves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170c degrees and line a 30cm cake tin with baking paper.
Using electric beaters whisk the butter, marzipan and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the almond essence and beat.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating in between each addition.
Place the flour, almond meal, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in bowl and stir until mixed.
Dice up the pear into small pieces.
Cut up the chocolate into small pieces.
Fold the pear and chocolate through the batter.
Fold the flour mix into the batter until just combined.
Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes then place on a cooling tray until cold.

Notes:

I decorated with extra pear slices and and shaved chocolate.

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Carrot Chocolate and Chai Cake

Posted on September 14, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Carrot Chocolate and Chai Cake

Chocolate and chai just work wonderfully together. Spices give the carrot a beautiful personality and carrots in chocolate cake produce the most moist and satisfying texture. This being said it makes perfect sense to take these flavours and produce a uniquely flavorsome cake.

One of the challenges I wanted to give myself was to try and pack this cake as full of veggies as possible. I wasn’t aiming for a big carrot flavour, I was more after the nutrients the carrot added to the cake and the texture it created with the grated carrot.

After some experimenting I produced an absolutely lovely cake that has a massive 3 cups of grated carrot! How’s that for a kick start to your veg intake for the day.

As you cannot taste or see the carrot (thanks to the chocolates strong colour and taste), it means you can trick the kids into eating some veg.

Ingredients:

1 + ½ cup self raising flour
45g cocoa powder
3 chai teabags
870g grated carrot
2 eggs
150g brown sugar
100ml vegetable oil
125g dark chocolate, melted

Icing:

250g mascarpone cheese
125g dark chocolate
300g icing sugar

Method:

Pre heat an oven to 175c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the flour, cocoa powder and contents of the tea bags into a food processor and blitz for 1 minute on high.
Place the carrot into a bowl and stir through the flour mix until all the grated carrot is completely covered.
Place the sugar, oil and melted dark chocolate into a bowl and beat with a hand whisk until well combined.
Pour the chocolate mix into the carrot mix and stir until well combine with no lumps.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Place the cake on a cooling rack until cold.
Meanwhile to make the icing place the cheese, melted chocolate and icing sugar into a food processor and blitz until the mix is smooth and fluffy.
Spread the icing on the top and sides of the cake.

Note:

I have decorated with carrot praline on top of the cake.

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Carrot Chocolate and Chai Cake recipe

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Potato Chocolate Cake with Passionfuit Icing

Posted on August 31, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Potato Chocolate Cake with Passionfuit Icing

Every now and then I play with vegetables in my recipes. Some favorites have been my Sweet Potato and Orange Cake , Chocolate Zucchini Cake , Beetroot and Chocolate Brownies to name a few; however one vegetable I have not baked with is the plain old fashion potato.

Though not very popular at current this mundane ingredient was once a norm for cake baking (especially mid-1900s to late 1900s).

I believe the original reason potato featured so heavily in baking (mashed to be more specific) was to use up leftovers.

The Irish were quick onto this where they would make savory potato cakes with eggs, flour, butter, onion etc.

However I am told my grandmother’s sister had a signature potato cake and frequently use this ingredient to make cakes light, fluffy, moist and dense.

It is also used to replace flour is some cases (just like apple puree is to replace butter).

After a few trials I came up with my own potato cake version, which I am quite proud of as it definitely exceeded my expectations!

Think chocolate mud cake, but without the naughty cream and chocolate.

Ingredients:

130g butter
220g sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup mashed potato
1/2 tsn vanilla extract
145g self raising flour
35g cocoa powder
125ml milk

Icing:

1 + 1/2 tbsn fresh passionfruit pulp (this should be 1 + 1/2 passionfruit)
1 cup icing sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 175c degrees and line a 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
In a bowl cream the butter and sugar with electric beaters for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg.
Add the potato and vanilla essence and beat for 1 minute.
Add the milk and sift in the flour and cocoa powder, stir with a spoon until just combine.
Beat with electric beats for 1 minute.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then place on a cooling rack until cool.
Meanwhile make the icing by whisking the ingredients with a hand whisk until combine.
Spread icing on the top of the cooled cake and enjoy.

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Coffee Hazelnut and Chocolate Bread Cake

Posted on July 13, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Coffee Hazelnut and Chocolate Bread Cake

So I have previously made a Kahlua, Nutella and Chocolate very decadent cake that I posted a while back. As these flavors work brilliantly together I decided to mirror these flavors in another cake, however make a non-alcoholic more ‘healthy’ version. To do this I utilised coffee granules, hazelnut meal and organic dark chocolate.

As this flavor mix is not really anything unusual to put my twist on the recipe I used breadcrumbs instead of flour. A very convenient and easy way to use up old bread or the crusts of bread you are only going to throw away.

It makes a beautifully moist cake that is not super sweet and bakes perfectly (remember the yeast is already in the bread)!

Ingredients:

200g butter
200g sugar
1 tsn chocolate essence
6 eggs
55ml milk
1 + ½ tbsn coffee granules
180g dark chocolate
120g hazelnut meal
250g bread crumbs

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c degrees and line a 23cm cake tin with baking paper.
Using electric beaters whisk the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the essence and beat until combine.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time beating in between each addition.
Place the milk in the microwave with the coffee granules and heat until boiling.
Add the chocolate to the coffee mix and stir until well combine and glossy. Leave aside to reach room temperature.
Add the chocolate mix and hazelnut meal to the butter mix and stir until combine.
Add the bread crumbs to the mix and stir until well combined.
Beat the egg whites until peaks form.
Fold egg whites into the mix.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Place on a cooling rack.
Dust with icing sugar and serve with a dollop of ice-cream.

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Spiked Spiced Chocolate Tofu ‘Cheesecake’

Posted on July 7, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Spiked Spiced Chocolate Tofu ‘Cheesecake’

You may recall in the past I have made the most amazing chocolate mousse tart with tofu and a cheesecake with yoghurt and milk instead of actual cheese.

On this same vein of thought I decided to experiment with a tofu ‘cheesecake’.

I am always looking for ways to incorporate unusual ingredients into my recipes as well as create healthier alternatives to the normal sweet treat version.

Once I worked up a base recipe I then came up with an interesting (but scrumptious) flavour pairing.

The end result = silky smooth filling of a low fat and high protein sweet treat.

Ingredients:

Base:

280g Nice biscuits
130g butter

Filling:

80ml milk
1 tsn coffee granules
240g sugar
240g firm tofu
40g butter
40ml orange juice
½ tsn orange zest
2 tsn vanilla essence
25ml bourbon
50g cocoa powder
½ tsn ground ginger
½ tsn ground cinnamon
1 tsn all spice

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 25cm spring form cake tin with baking paper.
Place the biscuits in a food processor and blitz until they resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Melt the 130g of butter and mix through the biscuit crumbs.
Once well combine pour the mix into the cake tin and using fingers press the mix into the base and sides of the cake tin. Place tin in the fridge to firm.
To make the filling heat the milk up in the microwave until boiling.
Add the coffee granules and sugar to the milk and stir until well combine and the sugar has melted.
Place the milk mix into a food processor with all the remaining ingredients and blitz until well combine and smooth.
Pour the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 1h 15mins, or until the top is set completely.
Leave in the tin to cool then allow to firm in the fridge for 3 hours.
Release from the tin, decorate with cocoa powder and enjoy.

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Chocolate Coconut Mousse Rum Cake

Posted on June 29, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Chocolate Coconut Mousse Rum Cake

Rum and Coconut are a very common cocktail pairing which I have previously baked with (see my Pina Colada Cake) so when I needed to use up some Rum and Coconut milk I had to think outside of pineapple and glaze cherries.

For something really different I set myself a task of making a Tiramisu cake but replace the cream and cheese filling with chocolate mousse and replacing the masala with rum. Lastly I then replaced the expresso coffee with coconut milk.

Now I am a massive massive traditional tiramisu fan (my mum’s recipe is the best I have ever tasted), so this recipe had big shoes to fill and OMG it delivered with flying colors.

You would think chocolate and rum would clash, however it very much works a treat.

Ingredients:

Cake:

500ml coconut milk
110g sugar
115ml rum
22 sponge biscuits
700ml thickened cream
210g dark chocolate
3 tbsn cocoa powder

Topping:

150g thickened cream
1 tbsn icing sugar
1 + ½ tsn Rum

Method:

Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper.
Place the coconut milk, sugar and rum in a saucepan and simmer on a low heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Pour the mix into a bowl and leave aside to cool.
Place half the biscuits into the coconut milk mix, one at a time until each has absorbed some mix.
Place these biscuits on the bottom of the lined tin and trim to fit.
Place 600ml cream in the microwave until simmering.
Add the dark chocolate and stir until mix is glossy and smooth. Place in the fridge to cool.
Once the cream is cooled add the cocoa powder and whisk with electric beaters until peaks form.
Spoon the mousse mix over the biscuit layer and flatten with the back of a spoon.
Place the remaining biscuits into the coconut milk mix, one at a time until each has absorbed the mix (there should be only a little amount of the mix left).
Place the biscuits on the top of the mousse and trim to fit.
Push down the biscuits slightly and place the cake in the freezer to set for 3 hours.
Remove the cake from the tin by inverting onto a plate.
Remove the baking paper, whisk with electric beaters the remaining 100ml of cream until peaks form and spoon over the top of the cake.
Dust with cocoa powder.
Whisk the cream and icing sugar until well combine.
Stir in the rum and dollop the cream on the top of the cake.
Dust with cocoa powder and enjoy.

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Novelty Chomp Bar

Posted on April 9, 2015 Posted in Unique .

Novelty Chomp Bar

While on holiday at the start of the year a friend professed her love for the chocolate bar Chomp. We were in the supermarket and she saw the Chomp bar, which is quite a rare find and had to have not one but two.

Somehow we got onto the subject of me making a ‘chomp cake’…A few bars later and an analysis of the key ingredients that go into the chocolate bar and I was pretty sure I could replicate the bar on a large scale.

Therefore introducing my Novelty Chomp Chocolate Bar.

Ingredients:

125g pack of vanilla cream waffers

Chocolate ganache:

50g thickened cream
150g milk chocolate

Caramel layer:

160g brown sugar
95g thickened cream
35g butter

Method:

Line a 15cm x 8cm loaf cake tin with baking paper.
To make the chocolate ganache heat the 50g cream in the microwave in a bowl until boiling.
Add the chocolate to the cream, wait 1 minute then stir the chocolate until a thick and glossy consistency has formed. Place the mix aside in the fridge to cool.
To make the caramel place the sugar and 95g of cream in a pan on the stove and heat on medium stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Turn the heat up to high and boil for 5 minutes.
Remove the pan off the heat, add the 35g of butter and stir until the mix is glossy and combine. Place in the fridge until the caramel is cooled.
To assemble pour 2/3rds of the chocolate mix into the tin, ensuring you spread the chocolate along the sides as well as covering the bottom of the tin. You need to have all the metal of the cake tin completely covered in chocolate. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes or until set.
To add the caramel layer you need to pour half the mix into the base on top of the chocolate mix.
For the wafer layer place 2×2 waffers in the tin horizontally (long ways). Cut 4 extra wafers to size to ensure complete coverage of the caramel with 2 layers of wafer thickness.
Pour the remainder of the caramel on top of the wafers and spread to ensure even coverage.
Place the tin in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Remove the tin from the freezer and pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the top of the caramel, ensuring even and full overage of the caramel.
Place in the freezer for 20 minute.
To serve turn the tin upside down onto a plate and remove the baking paper from the Chomp Bar.
Cut horizontally and enjoy.

Note:

You will only need 8 waffers for this recipe so if you can find a smaller packet (70g) of waffers it would be ideal.

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Parmesan Cheese Chocolate Slice

Posted on March 10, 2015 Posted in Slice .

Parmesan Cheese Chocolate Slice

While researching interesting flavour combos to experiment with I came across a reference to chocolate and parmesan cheese. This sparked my interest as (1) that just sounds so wrong and (2) it could be an interesting experiment considering baking with ricotta, mascarpone and cream cheese is so common.

Parmesan does have a very different texture and a much stronger taste than its creamy associates listed above; however, this would just skew the way I will need to incorporate the cheese and the volume placed in the recipe.

Therefore to complement the texture of the cheese I opted for a slice and undertook a lot of taste testing until I hit the volume of parmesan that I felt was the perfect ratio to chocolate.

Now, I do realise this flavour combo does sound weird but the output of this slice is perfection. The slice cuts like a dream and tastes like one to, seriously!

Ingredients:

Base:

190g flour
30g cocoa powder
80g brown sugar
150g butter

Filling:

330g icing sugar
120g grated parmesan cheese

Topping:

200g dark chocolate
20g vegetable oil

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180c and line a 20x20cm cake tin with baking paper.
Place the flour, cocoa powder, sugar and butter into a food processor and blitz until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.
Place the mix into the base of the tin and flatten down with your fingertips.
Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until the top is firm.
Set the slice aside to cool.
Make the filling by placing the icing sugar, parmesan cheese and 50ml of water into a saucepan and stir on a medium heat until the mix is combine and the cheese is melted.
Pour over the top of the chocolate biscuit base and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set firm.
Place chocolate and oil into a saucepan on low heat and stir until melted and smooth.
Pour the chocolate topping over the filling and place back in the fridge for 1 hour to set.
Cut and enjoy.

Notes:

I used grated packet cheese. If you are using fresh and grating yourself you may want to add 2/3 of the cheese that I have and taste test as the fresh Parmesan (depending on brand) could vary in taste strength.

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Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake

Posted on February 9, 2015 Posted in Cakes .

Kahlua Nutella and Chocolate Cake

It’s been a while since I have baked with alcoholic spirits. As I had party coming up I though now was a good time as any to make a decadent alcoholic cake. It had to be something sweet that would complement typical cake flavors as this cake was for an event and not just for me (not everyone is quick to jump at my unusual baking style 🙂 ).

Decisions, decision. It was down to Frangelico (hazelnut) or Kahlua (coffee). As I have made a Frangelico cake in the past (it’s not on this blog as it just didn’t quite make the cut), I decided Kahlua it is.

What goes with the flavour of coffee? Well chocolate and hazelnut of course!

All I can say for this recipe is decadent, amazingness, flavour explosion and a must to try!

Ingredients:

Cake:

125g butter
160g brown sugar
1 tsn vanilla essence
2 eggs
330g plain flour
4 tsn baking powder
½ tsn bi carbonate of soda
½ tsn mixed spice
2 tsn instant coffee
90ml Kahlua, 10ml extra

Nutella frosting:

60g butter
75g thickened cream
225g Nutella

Chocolate frosting:

75g thickened cream
50g icing sugar
25g cocoa powder

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 160c degrees and line a 23cm baking tin with baking paper.
Using electric beaters beat the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla and eggs, beating in each addition.
In another bowl sift the flour, mixed spice, baking powder and soda then add to the butter mix.
Add the instant coffee to ¼ cup of warm water and whisk until the coffee is dissolved.
Add 90ml of Kahlua to the coffee mix and pour into the butter mix.
Mix the ingredients with a spoon then whisk with electric beaters until just combine.
Spoon the mix into the cake tin and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the tin for 5 minutes than place on a cooling rack until the cake is cold.
To make the Nutella frosting beat the cream until soft peaks.
Whip the butter for 2 minutes until creamy.
Add the nutella and cream to the butter and beat with electric beaters for 1 minute. Place the frosting in the fridge.
To make the chocolate frosting beat the cream until soft peaks, sift in the cocoa and icing sugar and beat for a further 30 seconds until combine. Set mix aside.
Once the cake is cooled cut in half horizontally and brush both cut sides with the extra 10ml of Kahlua.
Place the bottom cake layer on a plate, spread with the chocolate frosting.
Place the second cake on top of the chocolate frosting then spread the Nutella frosting over the top of the cake and sides.
Decorate with hazelnuts and shaved chocolate.

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Novelty Nougat Summer Roll

Posted on January 12, 2015 Posted in Unique .

Novelty Nougat Summer Roll

You many recall a while back I made a cake sized novelty Chomp Chocolate Bar. After a friend recently went though my website index and saw the Chomp Chocolate Bar recipe of course I had another challenge thrown at me fairly swiftly.

Not one to disappoint, the next day I was in the kitchen with a belly full of summer rolls that were a must to devour to ensure I was 100% all over the ingredients, taste and texture.

This experimental session was my first endeavor at making nougat (multiple times to get the texture spot on) and did include many modifications along the way, however in the end the outcome was amazing!

Ingredients:

50g peanuts
15g desiccated coconut
140g sugar
125g glucose syrup
1 egg white
¼ vanilla essence
40g cream
125g milk chocolate

Method:

Place the peanuts into a pan and on low heat roast the peanuts on the stove until a slight golden colour forms. Set the peanuts aside.
Place the coconut into the same pan and again roast until the coconut has a slight golden colour. Set aside.
Place a piece of baking paper on a tray with oil spray on both sides of the paper.
To make the chocolate place the cream in a saucepan on a low heat on the stove and add in the chocolate chip pieces. Once the chocolate begins to melt you can remove off the heat and stir the mix until the chocolate is smooth and glossy. Set aside for later.
Place the sugar, glucose syrup, and 20ml of water in a saucepan and stir on a medium low heat for 10 minutes.
In the meantime place approx. 10cm of water in an empty the sink to cool down the bottom of the saucepan immediately for later.
Beat the egg white with electric beaters until firm peaks have formed.
Increase the heat of the stove for the sugar mix to high until the mix boils, then place a sugar thermometer in the mix and keep an eye on the temperature.
Once the temperature hits 150c degrees remove off the heat and place the bottom of the pan in the sink of water for 5 seconds or until the bubbles subside. This will stop the temperature climbing past 150c.
On a medium speed of the electric beaters whish the egg whites again while you carefully pour the sugar syrup into the egg white mix in a slow and continuous flow. NOTE It is important not to pour the sugar syrup on the side of the bowl or on the beaters as the syrup with seize before it is incorporated into the mix.
Once the syrup is all added in continue beating for an additional 3 minutes.
Add the vanilla and the peanuts to the mix, stirring to combine.
Spoon the nougat mix onto the baking paper in a log shape and roll the baking paper, twisting the paper at both ends to ensure the nougat is tightly enclosed in the log shape. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes to set.
On another piece of oiled baking paper spread out the chocolate mix from earlier in a fat log shape, big enough to cover all sides of the nougat log.
Remove the log from the freezer as well as the accompanying paper and place on the spread chocolate.
Roll the baking paper with the log in the center ensuring the log is completely covered in chocolate.
Again twist the ends of the baking paper to enclose the log with chocolate and carefully with your hands place some pressure on the log while rolling to ensure a full distribution of the chocolate on the nougat. Place in the freezer again for 5 minutes.
Remove the roll from the freezer and carefully unravel the paper completely.
Sprinkle the coconut all over the baking paper and roll the log along the paper, pushing the coconut into the roll as you roll it.
For the last time re-roll the log in the baking paper and twist the sides.
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to set, following cut to enjoy.