Tag: cake

Chocolate-Pear Tea Bread … Love Baking for Friends

“The key to successful baking is just to enjoy it. Don’t fuss, don’t stress, and don’t try to make it ‘perfect’.”
Kathleen King

Chocolate-Pear Tea Bread A Chocolate-Pear Tea Bread from Baking for Friends by Kathleen King flooded our home with warmth and happiness yesterday! Kathleen’s baby, Tate’s Bake Shop needs little introduction. Iconic in the US, a must stop over in New York. The shop is called a ‘destination … worth putting miles on the odometer’ by the New York Times, and her books a must have on the kitchen shelf!

The creator and owner of the acclaimed Tate’s Bake Shop has an inspiring story. She began her baking career at eleven, selling her all-natural baked goods off a card table on her family’s farm.  Her award winning cookies are now sold at over 5,000 gourmet retailers throughout the US.

I got down to baking the day I received my copy for review! First Milk Chocolate Brownies, then little Chocolate Raspberry Tarts! If the feedback from the teens is anything to go by, the book is a winner!  I connected with Kathleens style of thinking and writing almost instantly. The little snippet before each recipe, the reaction to a test bake, her sons comment on his first bite of the Hurricane Irene Cookies, “Oh, don’t give these to anyone” …  all part of my everyday life as a home baker! It’s a tough {read delicious} cookbook to put down. The very idea of an Apple-Italian Plum Deep Dish Pie had me swooning. Then came  PUMPKIN recipes!!! Sometimes I wish I lived in canned pumpkin country as Kathleen offers a number of winners now that Fall is here. For those who can grab a can, the book is full of delectable options – pumpkin apple cake, pumpkin whoopie pies, two-recipe pumpkin pie, pumpkin mousse pie … and more!

Yesterday I was bitten by the Bread Baking Day bug, and though I had some itty bitty yeasty ideas, they radically changed. It was time for tea bread from my new fave baking book! {Sorry the post is a day late but I have had a plethora of internet issues with the service provider, Firefox etc. Now experimenting with Google Chrome!}   The book has something for everyone. Since I love baking with fruit and since it was Bread Baking Day yesterday, the Chocolate-Pear Tea Bread was my pick! It baked as I furiously punched away at my keyboard, the house filled with the most amazing bakery aromas. Tate’s Bake Shop must feel like home!!

Did I tell you I did everything from scratch that morning? Made a big batch of butter, then saw the recipe had applesauce listed.  Was tempted to substitute but what the heck!! Had a bowlful ready in a matter of minutes and I think that might be the secret of this moist tea bread! Chocolaty, moist and fruity …. it tasted even better the next day!

The Chocolate-Pear Tea Bread is part of the Fetish Fridays at Javelin Warrior.

The book has an interesting chapter on “health & lifestyle baked goods” which includes gluten free and vegan recipes. The book is therapeutic because it connects the baker in me to the bake shop, the beginnings of the success story, touches base with reality and makes you believe in the goodness of natural, home baked comfort food. For me, more so after the rather pathetic recent experience of Rose Cafe. I needed some sense of reaffirmation in bakeries and cafes, and this was it!

Baking for Friends is much more than a book of recipes. It’s about the sweetness of connecting with the ones you love. Kathleen welcomes you into her kitchen in the Hamptons, debuting more than 120 delectable, easy-to-bake recipes—from plump scones and muffins to mouthwatering pies and tarts to scrumptious gluten-free treats. Kathleen shares precious time-saving tips, designed to help you breathe easy in the kitchen without sacrificing taste.

I did a few other bakes which should show up here on PAB soon. The first was a batch of Milk Chocolate Brownies as I was curious to see how they fare since I am a dark chocolate person. I never buy milk chocolate {as a rule} but the hub got me a few bars from HKG and they weighed heavy on my conscience.

Kathleen convinced me to try them, and they were winners in my kids eyes. Fudgy, chocolaty and indulgent, well worth the bake. The lad even inquired if I had added melted chocolate on top {which I hadn’t}, and the continued to unwrap the little parcels like a birthday present! And then I made these absolutely sinful little Chocolate Raspberry Tartlets. The book has one large chocolate tart in a chocolate pastry base. I used another pastry recipe from the same book and made mini tarts. Absolutely divine!! The recipes also include a buttermilk pastry dough which is used extensively through the book. I’ve bookmarked it to try it next! In celebration of the highly anticipated release, Tates has partnered with KitchenAid to sponsor a Baking for Friends Bake-Off on Facebook. Join the Baking for Friends Bake-Off contest on the Tate’s Bake Shop Facebook Page.  Put your own spin on one of Kathleen’s recipes, then supply a photo/recipe for a chance to win $1,000 or a KitchenAid Artisan series stand mixer.

I can also offer readers of Passionate About Baking a  $5 discount on the cookbook from the website. The discount code is BAKEOFF, which entitles you to $5 off a copy of the book .

[print_this]Recipe: Chocolate-Pear Tea Bread

 

Summary: Delicate pears, brown sugar and butter come together with dark chocolate chips to make a specially delicious  moist and flavourful quick tea bread. A delightful fall special from ‘Baking with Friends‘ by Kathleen King.Serves 10

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 210g {1 3/4 cup} plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 100g {1/2 cup} unsalted butter
  • 115g {3/4 cup firmly packed} brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup applesauce {recipe follows}
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 400g pears {about 2 cups diced} or 2 large {or 3 small pairs}, chopped
  • 150g {1 cup} dark chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Lightly butter a (9 X 5 X 3 loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together the plain flour, baking powder and salt. Reserve.
  3. With an electric beater, whisk the butter and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one by one, followed by vanilla  extract and applesauce
  4. On low speed beat in the flour mix.
  5. Fold in the chopped pear and chocolate chips with a spatula, and transfer batter to prepared tin.
  6. Even out the top and bake for about an hour until tester inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
  7. Let it cool in pan for ten minutes. Then gently invert onto cooling rack and remove parchment paper. Gently turn right side up and leave to cool completely before slicing {we couldn’t resist it of course!}

Recipe: Applesauce

Summary: Basic applesauce recipe. Makes about 1 cup.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 Apples, cored, peeled and sliced
  • 1-2 tbsp water {as required}
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp lime juice

Method:

  1. Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan and cook until tender, about 20 minutes. {I cooked it for 3 minutes in the microwave and then another 2 minutes. Did not add any water}
  2. Mash the mixture using a potato masher or an electric mixer until it is smooth.
  3. You can add a dash of cinnamon if you like. I didn’t

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This recipe featured on Huffington Post – Dark Chocolate Recipes

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Petite Iced Cakes … Coffee Cream, Raspberry Cream & Chocolate Cream

“I loved their home. Everything smelled older, worn but safe; the food aroma had baked itself into the furniture.”
Susan Strasberg

Petite Iced Cakes for an event I enjoyed creating for. I had a blast making these, experimenting with different flavours and layering mini cakes.  Had I the time, I would have made a second batch because the first one turned out to be such fun! The event? An Interflora challenge for the baking blogger community to create a delicious treat for ‘Grandparents’ Day Baking Challenge’ on Sunday 7th October.It’s got a nice feel to it . All you need to do is bake a recipe that’s been handed down to you from generation to generation, or something you have fond memories of baking with your grandma in the kitchen or simply a delicious sweet treat to celebrate the occasion. Bake it, blog about it and mail a link to these good florists in London who are hosting the challenge. A public vote will decide the winner!I have a confession to make. My Grandma never baked, an oven in a remote Indian house unheard of at the time. She cooked a LOT, my paternal grandma that is. I still remember her sitting all hunched up in a brick and stone kitchen, cooking over a low wood fire, blowing air through an iron pipe when the flame needed some help! The aromas from that almost extinct Indian kitchen still dance in my head, and come alive each time I smell a wood fire oven!So much for connect and food memories. She even had a dark room where she stored HUGE jars of Indian pickles and preserves, the room kept locked to keep pesky kids from sticking their fingers in. We visited once every year as my father was in the Air Force and we were always posted far away. The little dark room was always open for us, much to the other kids chagrin!Thankfully my mother did bake ‘some’, in the sense that she baked an annual Christmas Fruit Cake {with garam masala} that we waited for eagerly every December, the high point of our curious little lives. The funny thing is that it always got so late that in many ways it became a New Years Fruit Cake! I’ve blogged about her Garam Masala Chritmas Cake  and am thankful the kids can remember her as baking something, anything! She used to bake a mean roast once upon a time … about 30 years ago!

So here we go … I have created little somethings to help spread the awareness about Grandparents day, a day to recognise the contribution that the older generation gave to their families and wider society. These little iced cakes may not look perfect but they hold something for everyone! There’s Coffee Cream {my personal favourite}, there’s Chocolate Cream that everyone loves, and there’s Raspberry Cream, reminiscent of the favourite British Victoria sandwich cake.Once again ingredients laid out, the mind began experimenting. I had a genoise sponge in mind, using melted butter in the batter. Thoughts of the Del Monte contest on IndiBlogger made me reach out for Del Monte Olive Oil instead! The sponge came out moist and pillowy soft! The petite iced cakes are on their way to WorldFoody as there is some raspberry fruit filling from Del Monte in one of them too.

When I started off I had just  a layered coffee cream cake in mind. As I mixed the batter, my mind went towards many little cakes, and then the possibilities exploded in my mind. I was a baker in a hurry! I narrowed down to Coffee Cream, Raspberry Cream and Peaches ‘n’ Cream.  Then ‘normal life happened’. While one terrible teen demanded to be dropped to a friends place, the other had to be picked up, some more deadlines had to be met … blah blah blah! The peaches lived happily ever after in their tin, and I made a Chocolate Cream cake instead as I had a small portion of chocolate pastry cream in the fridge. So come, put your best baking skills forward and bake something sweet to celebrate Grandparents Day … a desert that might be a family speciality, a dessert that might be just the thing to bring a smile to their face, or one that you can surprise them with. When I looked at these little almost crooked cakes,  I heard the junior teens voice deep in my head, ” Why does Nana always keep laughing so loudly at everything, I mean EVERYTHING?”

To enter the competition simply email your photos, recipe and a link to your blog article to blog@interflora.co.uk by Friday 21st September.The winner will receive a luxury arrangement of flowers of their choice plus a Grandparents’ Day Gift Basket which will be delivered to your chosen recipient in time for Grandparents’ Day. 5 runners up will also receive a Grandparents’ Day Gift Basket for their nominated grandparent.

[print_this]Recipe: Petite Iced Cakes

Summary: Dainty little iced cakes lavished with a vanilla buttercream. Each good to serve four, they are made with different flavours – coffee, chocolate & raspberry. The flavour possibilities are endless … and the fun, infinite!

Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1hour 30 minutes
Ingredients:

  • Sponge
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 60g {1/2 cup} all purpose flour
  • 110g {1/2 cup} raw sugar {or Castor}
  • 20g {1/4 cup} almond meal
  • 1tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 10gm / 2 tsp Del Monte Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1.5tsp 2% fat mil
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean powder {or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract}
  • Classic Vanilla Buttercream
  • 100gm unsalted butter, not too soft
  • 40ml low fat cream {Amul}, chilled
  • 150gm icing sugar {it was a little oversweet for me, but fine with the kids}
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
  • Flavourings
  • 1 tsp coffee for the coffee cake
  • Dark chocolate ganache, chocolate chips
  • Del Monte Raspberry Fruit Filling

Method:

  1. Sponge
  2. Line the bottoms and sides of three small 4″ baking tins. Preheat oven to 180C.
  3. Sift the flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt together. Reserve.
  4. Mix the olive oil and milk in a small bowl Reserve.
  5. Beat the eggs and sugar over simmering water on high speed for about 10 minutes until the mixtures becomes thick and mousse like, tripling in quantity {Thermomix, Speed 4, Butterfly insert, 37C, 10 minutes or more}
  6. Take off water and continue beating for 3-4 minutes until it cools down a bit. {Thermomix, Speed 4, Butterfly insert, 3-4 minutes}
  7. Gently fold in the flour mixture in 3-4 goes. {Thermomix, Reverse Speed 2}, followed by the olive oil and milk mixture. Blend in gently but uniformly, divide batter between tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until the sponge springs back when touched lightly, ora tester comes out clean.
  8. Cool on racks for 5 minutes, remove from tins and cool completely.
  9. Classic Vanilla Buttercream
  10. Beat the ingredients together until smooth and light. Taste and adjust sugar if required.
  11. Assembling
  12. Reserve a little buttercream for piping on top if desired.
  13. Cut the little cakes horizontally into 2-3 layers each. Sandwich one with the buttercream, add a few chocolate chips within if desired, and top with a chocolate ganache. Pipe some plain buttercream if desired.
  14. Sandwich the second with some buttercream and raspberry fruit filling, topping that cake with some buttercream and a dollop of filling.
  15. Whi the remaining buttercream with 1 tsp of coffee and sandwich and frost the little cake with it. Pipe some plain vanilla rosettes if desired and add a chocolate lace border if you have the time and/or inclination!
  16. Chill until ready to serve.
  17. ENJOY

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Oven Roasted Plum & Almond Cakes … Happy 100th Birthday Julia

“Find something you’re passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it.”
Julia Child

Those lines by Julia Child defined my spirit of blogging from day one. To celebrate Julia’s 100th birthday on the 15th of August, 2012, I chose and adapted this beautiful everyday dessert –  Oven Roasted Plum & Almond Cakes from Baking With Julia. There was an energy about her, the chef who changed the way America cooked and baked. Food bloggers worldwide woke up to a new identity after Julie & Julia. People looked at us differently, suddenly recognising the band of foodies who passionately belted out deliciousness online day after day.The ever sweet Suma @ Cakes & More sent me Dorie Greenspans amazing book Baking With Julia as a gift. The book is packed with sweet and savoury recipes from the PBS series that Julia hosted, and doubles up as a baking encyclopedia too. The commentary is warm and friendly, puts you at ease instantly as Dorie talks to you through each recipe. Baking With Julia now shares place of honour on my bookshelf with both volumes of Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking!Bread is what I wanted to bake, a Fougasse, but I didn’t plan well in time as the dough needed to sit for 24 hours to get bubbly and squeaky! I love the way Dorie writes that because even the bread dough has ’emotions’! My next natural choice was a simple everyday dessert. With plums in the fridge, these little Oven Roasted Plum & Almond Cakes were but going to happen!I changed the recipe a little bit, and pretty soon realised that I might have to ‘grin and bear it‘ soon. The batter was runnier than required. Into it went some almond meal, and since the eggs were small I went for 3 knowing pretty well that 2 whole + 1 yolk should do the trick! Should have used ramekins, threw caution to the wind and used dessert rings. I knew I was in trouble when the plums on top sank right in; with them my heart!!I fixed it though, topped the cakelets with more plum halves {and slices} halfway through baking, safe in the knowledge that maybe an invisible Julia peered over my shoulder. This is the untold joy of baking with a good book. It keeps you company, the characters pop up all over the place giving you tips, hints, telling you all is well, yelling at you when not! My time in the kitchen is always virtually in good company!I am fortunate to have some good company in reality too – a little plum thief that I have raised. Coco, our cocker spaniel took a shine to plums when she came to our home in the summer of 2011! Nothing’s changed! She didn’t notice me looking at her, and soon nicked a ‘plum prop’ and made a meal out of it, the little blighter! It was really tart!! She has great taste and will be any Mums delight! Loves her greens {beans, spinach, purslane, peas – raw or cooked}, loves her protein {eggs, cottage cheese, chickpeas} and even loves fruit {banana, mango, kiwi , plums, peaches, cherries, strawberries!}That’s just how well my time in the kitchen is spent! I love it! Creating food is almost an obsession and I love the culinary adventures that great chefs like Julia Child encourage. “This is really good you know!” exclaimed the 16 year old aka the dieting diva. {She couldn’t resist my ‘maybe you’d like to try some’ nonchalant reference to a plum cake in the oven !} “YUM! Can I have another?” was the more excited response from the junior teen who was hoping for a yes but got a NO instead! The little cakes were indeed delicious. Well balanced, beautiful light crumb and just right with the sweetness too. The plums gave up their juices and became delectable part of the cake. Topped with vanilla ice cream or even some low fat unsweetened cream … mmm! Dorie suggests a chocolate sauce … that must taste divine!

[print_this]Recipe: Oven Roasted Plum & Almond Cakes

Summary: Tiny little delicious dessert cakes that celebrate summer, stone fruit and plums! They are light and delightful, the almond meal adding beautiful texture to the crumb! Recipe adapted minimally from Marsel Desaulniers, Baking With Julia. {Makes 8 3″ cakes}

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup raw sugar {khand}
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 3 small eggs
  • 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
  • 1 scant cup flour
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 4 large ripe plums, halved and pitted
  • Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or dark chocolate sauce if desired

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 180C.
  2. Grease 8 3″ dessert rings or 12 2″ ramekins with melted butter {I used clarified butter} and place on a foiled lined rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Sift the flour, almond meal and baking soda. Reserve in a bowl.
  4. Combine raw sugar and 2 tbsp of brown sugar in a bowl with butter. Cream for 2-3 minutes on medium high speed.
  5. Add the eggs, vanilla bean and cream on high for another 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add the flour mix and beat in on low speed until just combined, followed with the buttermilk. Mix in on low speed until uniformly mixed, 30 seconds.
  7. Divide batter equally between prepared rings / ramekins, sprinkle over the remaining brown sugar and bake in oven to 15 minutes. Once the top is somewhat set, quickly place half a plum, cut side up into each cup. Continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes until light golden brown and done {toothpick inserted into middle should come out clean.}
  8. Cool the tray on the rack for at least 15-20 minutes, then gently ease out using a blunt bitter knife. Serve warm or at room temperature as is, or with low fat unsweetened cream or vanilla ice cream.

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Fresh Peach Streusel Coffee Cake …. getting stoned in season

“Everything you own should have value, either because it’s functional or beautiful or you just love it.”
Peter Walsh

You can’t have too many kitchen & table accessories if you  are a food lover. Add food blogger to that, and accessories magically double up as props, even if your house is bursting at the seams with things you love! This footed platter is something I love, the simplicity and classic appeal just perfect to show off this Fresh Peach Brown Streusel Coffee Cake. Neelam from Urban Dazzle asked a few days ago if I would like some accessories to showcase on my blog! How could I say no? One look at her online venture and I was smiling. So much to choose from! Whats not to love about this Palladio 4-in-1? A multi-functional dining set, this spectacular creation from Borgonovo can double up as a punch bowl set, cheese dome as well as a footed cake platter.

She was sweet enough to send me an Ego Alter Banquet Footed Platter which is great on a tea table or as a cake platter. Smooth lines, stylish, clean contemporary appeal … things that gel with me! Here’s the last remaining slice of the Rustic Peach ‘n Plum Summer Galette on it … I love how beautifully it showcases the colours. Elegant!

That morning I made wild Indian java plum {jamun} sherbet that morning inspired by Chinmayies beautiful post @ love food eat. Chinmayies memories woke mine up … and soon I was stirring some gorgeous purple sherbet! Mine had jamun, sugar, water, rock salt and some sour kokum water. The colours had me fascinated…In the parcel from Urban Dazzle was a Bottle Indro from the house of Borgonovo. With it’s tulip-like sculpting and blue top, it’s just what was missing from my collection. …  I reshot the sherbet in the new ‘Indro‘! {The sherbet is an acquired taste as these wild plums are quite astringent in taste}.Next I shall make pure vanilla extract in this sweetly shaped aesthetic bottle! Other ideas … spice vinegar, chili oil, garlic herb infused vinegar …. or maybe a peach liqueur! So much to do, so little time! Online shopping is rapidly becoming the convenient way to shop in India, especially in the hot summer. How fun is it to sip a glass of cool ‘sherbet’ in a cool room and shop online in glad rags!! All the time to browse, compare, and then have everything neatly shipped to your doorstep!

Urban Dazzle was one such experience … and for bakers in India, it’s a must visit. Bakeware, dessertware, bottles, cake plates, decanters, kitchen essentials, table essentials, tumblers, carafes … a huge variety under one roof! Be it Drinking, Dining, Decor or Gifting, it’s the one-stop shop for all such items. While most of their current selection is made of glass, they intend to diversify into other items going forward.This is the season to be jolly stoned! The monsoons have arrived, it’s hot and now humid too. It’s raining peaches, plums and cherries here and I am rapidly becoming a peach monster. Daily oat-mango-peach smoothies, poached peaches, crisps, just peaches, frozen peaches, now some bottled in an attempt to make peach schnappes,  and then the Rustic Peach ‘n Plum Summer Galette … we certainly are getting stoned this season! Here a peach, there a peach, everywhere peach peach is the song I sing, constantly looking for new peach ideas! I adapted an apple streusel bars recipe from a beautiful cookbook ‘Frame-by-frame baking‘. Light, tender crumb, a beautifully flavoured streusel with undertones of almond, clarified butter and brown sugar marrying well.The peaches were wonderful in there. I left the skin on, and the cake just melted in the mouth while warm. It was really good chilled too. It’s an easy straightforward tray bake, and you can dress it up a little bit with a drizzle of lime glaze, fresh peach slices and mint if you like. Use ripe but firm peaches  … Enjoy!

Monthly Mingle is the brainchild of the lovely Meeta @ Whats For Lunch Honey, and this month it celebrates Barbara’s spirit at the wonderful Jeanne @ Cook Sister with a Taste of Yellow. I am sending this to the MM for July 2012.

[print_this]Recipe: Fresh Peach Streusel Cake

Summary: A melt in the mouth coffee cake that uses fresh in season peaches.  A light, tender crumb, a beautifully flavoured streusel with undertones of almond, clarified butter and brown sugar that come together well.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:

  • Cake
  • 125g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 125g demerera sugar
  • 1t pure vanilla extract
  • 2 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 150g plain flour
  • 1 1/4 t baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 4-5 peaches, pitted, chopped and tossed in juice of 1 lime
  • Streusel
  • 30g almond meal
  • 50g plain flour
  • 40g demerera sugar
  • 30g clarified butter {or unsalted butter}, melted

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line an 8 X 8 square tine with baking parchment.
  2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract until pale. Gradually add the eggs, beating well.
  4. Stir in the flour mix and fold evenly, then add the peaches and mix lightly. Spread evenly in the tin.
  5. Mix the topping ingredients gently with a fork to make a crumbly texture, and sprinkle uniformly over the batter.
  6. Bake for approx 45 minutes until firm and golden / till a tester comes out clean.
  7. Allow to cool for about 20-30 minutes before slicing

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Coffee Vanilla Chocolate Chip Battenberg … Daring Bakers go ROYALE!

“A great empire, like a great cake, is most easily diminished at the edges.”
Benjamin Franklin

“My tongue is smiling”, ‘Only good can come out of this”…. some of my favourite food quotes tumbled through my head as I mixed the batter. I was up early looking at the pile of sweet home made butter. The time had come for the Daring Bakers Batternberg, the Queen of Englands favourite cake. My take for her birthday celebrations – Coffee Vanilla Chocolate Chip Batterberg! It was delicious; pretty too, but an uphill task given the terrible weather!!

This cake has grand beginnings. It was actually created as a wedding cake for royalty. The first Battenberg cake was made to celebrate the marriage of Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, Princess Victoria, to husband Prince Louis of Battenberg. It’s traditionally flavoured with almond and has the signature Battenberg markings, that is, the yellow and pink squares, said to represent the four princes of Battenberg. The strips of sponge are glued together using jam (normally apricot) and the whole cake is covered in marzipan. Sometimes the edges are crimped and the top is patterned with a knife. This traditional Battenberg recipe comes from Mary Berry’s “Baking Bible”.

Flavours danced in my head, the possibilities seemed endless but the incessantly high temperatures and rampant power cuts held me back … until 4 days ago. The time had come as it was a now or never. Vanilla and peach, coffee walnut, cherry vanilla, dark cherry chocolate, chocolate orange, vanilla pistachio … the colours now dancing too.

Mandy of What The Fruitcake?! came to our rescue last minute to present us with the Battenberg Cake challenge! She highlighted Mary Berry’s techniques and recipes to allow us to create this unique little cake with ease.

So many choices, so much more confusion! We have a mini Queen of England at home, the dieting diva who has a strong dislike for walnuts and pistachios much to my dismay. The newly turned 13 teen is simpler to handle in food matters as he is more adventurous with his palette. MasterChef helps! Thankfully coffee is something we all agree on, so coffee was in!Pairings? The teens love for dark chocolate {last wished for in this Dark Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake} had my flavours were sorted out. Next? Covering the Battenberg! India is not a marzipan country, and with the heat these days {45C feeling like 47C}, it’s a bother to make from scratch. In fact, you could easily bake the Battenberg on the sidewalk! I chose the plastique as I have wanted to try it ever since I spied it on sweet Allesios blog Recipe Taster ages ago.The time had come for plastique adventure; thats when the cookie crumbled! It was the hottest day of the season, a hot wind blasting its way through the city … and then a massive 7 hour power cut!  Oh, the HORRID HEAT! “If it hadn’t been your birthday, your Majesty, wild horses couldn’t have dragged me to make a Battenberg, buttercream, chocolate plastique and all, given the conditions.”How my buttercream curdled and wept! The plastique behaved beautifully for a while. I LOVED IT; then I hated it. The camera was now thrown away! Rolled the plastique out to line the cake. That was the easy bit. A blast of hot summer wind and contact with buttercream kind of paved it’s plastic-y fate. Everything flowed and disintegrated in different directions. I patched up what I could and shoved it into a fridge already under stress.I tried to pretty it up and camouflage the tattered edges with cocoa, and dunked a plastique rose on top {beautiful tutorial here for chocolate roses}. The stalk wilted in the heat, but at least I managed something. It tasted darned good though, so here you are – Coffee Vanilla Chocolate Chip Batterberg thanks to Mandy …. and her Majesty of course!About the cake Mandy said, “It’s an all in one cake method, so very simple, quick and very few dirty dishes! Although there are specialised Battenberg cake tins available, you don’t need one. This can be baked in a square baking tin and a divide made with foil to separate the two batters. This recipe really is all about simplicity.” TRUE!

Thank you Mandy, and thank you as always Lisa of La Mia Cucina and Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice for hosting this fab kitchen!! Do stop by here to see the delightful Battenbergs our other daring bakers have squared up!!

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Recipe: Coffee Vanilla Chocolate Chip Batterberg

Summary: A simple, stunning and delicious traditional British cake. Adapted from Coffee and Walnut Battenberg from Mary Berry on the BBC Food website

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Serves: 8+
Ingredients:

  • Cake
  • ¾ cup / 175gm unsalted butter, softened & cut in cubes
  • ¾ cup / 175gm caster sugar
  • 1¼ cups / 175gm self-raising flour {see notes on how to make your own}
  • 3 large eggs, room temp
  • ½ cup / 65gm ground almonds {or ground rice}
  • 3/4 tsp  baking powder
  • 3 tsp / 15 ml milk
  • ½ tsp / 2½ ml vanilla extract
  • 1½ tsp / 7 gm instant coffee powder
  • 3 Tbsp / 25gm mini dark chocolate chips
  • Coffee Buttercream
  • ½ cup / 115gm  unsalted butter
  • 2 cups / 225gm powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp / 2 gm instant coffee
  • 1½ tsp milk or cream
  • Dark Chocolate Plastique To Finish
  • 200gm Good Quality Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa content)
  • ¼ cup / 60ml Light Corn Syrup / Glucose Syrup

Method:

  1. Cake
  2. Preheat oven to moderate 180°C
  3. Grease an 8”/20cm square baking tin with butter
  4. Line the tin with parchment paper, creating a divide in the middle with the parchment (or foil) – Tip: See photos or watch video above for detailed instructions
  5. Whisk together dry ingredients (except chocolate chips and coffee) and combine with the wet ingredients in a large bowl (except vanilla and milk) and beat together just until the ingredients are combined and the batter is smooth
  6. Spoon half the mixture into a separate bowl and stir in the vanilla, 1½ teaspoons milk and chocolate chips.
  7. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the one side of the prepared baking tin
  8. Dissolve the coffee in the remaining 1½ teaspoon milk and add to the remaining batter, stir until just combined
  9. Spoon the coffee batter into the other half of the prepared baking tin
  10. Smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula, making sure batter is in each corner
  11. Bake for 25-30mins until the cake is well risen, springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean (it should shrink away from the sides of the pan)
  12. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes before turning out to cool thoroughly on a wire rack
  13. Because it’s such a thick batter I find that if you spread the batter so that it’s higher at the edges, when it bakes it helps rise without as much of a curved surface
  14. Once completely cool, trim the edges of the cake with a long serrated knife
  15. Cut each sponge in half length ways so that you are left with four long strips of sponge
  16. Neaten the strips and trim as necessary so that your checkered pattern is as neat and even as possible.
  17. Coffee Buttercream
  18. Combine the buttercream ingredients together and mix until combined.
  19. Dark Chocolate Plastique
  20. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, stir occasionally. {I used the microwave}
  21. Once completely melted, remove from heat and allow to cool a bit
  22. Stir in corn syrup / glucose syrup, it will seize up almost immediately, just keep stirring until mixed and it comes away from the side of the bowl
  23. Transfer chocolate into a seal-able bag, spread the chocolate out then seal the bag. Leave overnight or refrigerate for about 2 hours until completely firm
  24. Turn out from the bag and knead on a surface dusted with powdered sugar, at first it will just break , but as you knead, it will warm up and start to become pliable
  25. Knead until it’s pliable enough to roll out or mould, 5 – 10mins
  26. To Finish
  27. Spread a thin layer of buttercream onto the strips of cake to stick the cake together in a checkered pattern
  28. Dust a large flat surface with icing sugar then roll the plastique in an oblong shape that is wide enough to cover the length of the cake and long enough to completely wrap the cake
  29. Spread the top of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream
  30. Place the cake on the plastique, buttercream side down
  31. Spread buttercream onto the remaining three sides
  32. Press the plastique around the cake, making sure the join is either neatly in the one corner, or will be underneath the cake once turned over
  33. Carefully flip the cake over so that the seam is under the cake and score the top of the cake with a knife, you can also crimp the top corners with your fingers to decorate
  34. Neaten the ends of the cake and remove excess plastique by trimming off a small bit of cake on both ends to reveal the pattern.
  35. Note: How to make your own self raising flour: 1 cup Self Raising Flour = 1 cup / 115g All Purpose Flour + 1 ½ tsp Baking Powder + ¼ tsp Salt (omit salt if there is salt in the recipe) sifted together

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Dark Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake #lovestonefruit

“Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world’s perfect food.”
Michael Levine

Days come and go, and amazingly years gallop by. The charming little poppet turned 13, entering into a much awaited phase of his life, scary for the parents in us us we lie in exhausted heaps having battled the other teen and her trying years. For his special birthday, celebrated at the height of the dreaded Indian summer, a Dark Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake.I used to listen on in disbelief when ‘been there‘ experienced Mums would tell me that angelic little boys begin to become ‘something else‘ once they cross the 10-11 years milestone. Not mine I’d think, no question. Never seen a more charming lad, so thoughtful, so loving … one that planted little kisses on my knee when he was little!All that changed a year ago. Good heavens … where did the ‘angelic’ son go? At times I found him hidden in a monster, behaving in the most unbelievable manner; at other times as good as gold. June baby? Gemini = twins? While I battle the Jekyll & Hyde situation, heeding now to shared experiences and  words of wisdom, it was time to bake … again!We’re in the throws of an awful Indian summer, relentless heat, getting worse by the day, power-cuts galore, water shortages … and then we decide to get the house painted. The work carries on, woefully long, taking its toll on our energy levels. Just the kids seem fine … and the dog of course, brimming with boundless energy, racing in and out of rooms. In a house full of ladders, boxes piled high, buckets of paints and masking tape, some pretty summer flowers, I set off on the 10th to bake cake! The lad had said it was OK. “No need for cake, I understand Mama“. But cake there had to be the “dieting once again“ diva declared. ‘She’ who is over 16 doesn’t seem to hold the magical spell over the younger sibling any longer, yet still calls the food shots! Cherries and chocolate was the royal call, and I was happy I had a theme, a dream to play with. Always a good idea to dream up some yumminess!The base was intended to be a sponge until I added melted chocolate to it. I panicked since it wasn’t light as air and soft … so it got a good sugar syrup soaking. Was the right medicine for the cake. It giddily drank up the juices on offer and was just right a base for the balsamic cherries and mousse filling!The mousse filling was adapted from a simple chocolate mousse recipe in my Thermomix cookbook. By the time I had the machine on, I was in panic mode again. Something told me that it was too hot for it to set as a cake topping. Goblets are different; chocolate mousse will always be delicious in any form, barely set in goblets too.I had to do better and couldn’t take a cake chance and eventually added a spoon of gelatin.  It worked a charm and I was thrilled to see it had set beautifully when I demolded it the next morning. The birthday boy was packed off with Mr PAB for a film and lunch, so I got adventurous and decided to pretty up the cake a bit!Noel Cowards began playing in head “Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun“. Boy was it HOT at 43C! A lace collar in the heat might well have been the silliest of ideas but there you are. That’s what I decided to do … and that worked too. Some more balsamic and fresh cherries on top, a sprinkling of pistachios, chocolate flakes and we were set for the lads 13th!!

We had a sinfully delicious cake by the evening, one that looked as good as it tasted. 5 star quality declared the hub! The kids absolutely LOVED it down to the last chocolaty crumb, the birthday boy quite happy. I was glad I set  2 goblets of mousse too to make sure that the mousse would hold; a runny mousse cake would have been a mid summer disaster! So glad I got it right!

#lovestonefruit

[print_this]Recipe: Dark Chocolate Cherry Mousse Cake

Summary: A dark, rich chocolate cake layered with deep balsamic fresh cherries and  satiny smooth dark chocolate mousse. A chocolate celebration dressed up in a lace chocolate collar, more cherries,  dark chocolate flakes and slivered pistachios. Makes one 9″ cake. Serves 15.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:

  • Chocolate cake
  • 4 eggs
  • 50g clarified butter {or unsalted butter, melted}
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 100g vanilla sugar
  • 90g plain flour
  • 30g cocoa powder
  • Pinch salt
  • Sugar Syrup
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Squeeze of lime
  • Balsamic cherries
  • 500g cherries, pitted
  • 2-3 tbsp vanilla sugar
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • Dark chocolate mousse
  • {adapted from the Thermomix cookbook}
  • 5 eggs, separated {or 4 large}
  • Pinch of cream of tartar
  • 80gm powdered sugar, divided
  • 1/2 vanilla bean scraped
  • 1/2 t vanilla bean powder {or paste}
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • 40g low fat cream, room temperature
  • 220g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 400g low fat cream, chilled, beaten to medium peaks
  • 5g {1t} gelatin powder dissolved in 1 1/2 tbsp of water
  • Chocolate border
  • 100g dark chocolate, melted
  • Fresh cherries, chocolate flakes, slivered pistachios for garnish

Method:

  1. Chocolate Cake
  2. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the sides and bottom of a 9″ baking tin.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa and salt. Reserve.
  4. Melt the chocolate with clarified butter in the microwave. Reserve.
  5. Place the egg and vanilla sugar in a big bowl and beat over simmering water until light and moussey, and doubled in volume. About 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and continue to beat until cool, 3-5 minutes more.
  6. Gently fold the flour mix into the beaten yolks in 3-4 batches.
  7. Quickly yet gently fold in the melted chocolate with butter and pour the batter into the prepared tin.
  8. Bake for about 25 minutes until a tester comes out clean/ or the top is springy to touch.
  9. Cool on rack and then slice into 2 layers.
  10. Sugar Syrup
  11. Place sugar and water in a pan and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Add lime and cool.
  12. Balsamic Cherries
  13. Place ingredients in a non reactive pan and simmer until the cherries release their juices and begin to get soft and hold their shape, about 4-5 minutes. {Don’t overcook or the cherries will break down and lose shape}
  14. Remove the cherries to a bowl. Place pan with the liquid on medium high heat and reduce to about a third, nice and thick. Add back to the cherries. Cool.
  15. Dark chocolate mousse
  16. Recipe is for the Thermomix. I reckon it can be adapted with the  same proportions for regular top of the stove cooking, like a creme patisserie.
  17. Heat empty TM bowl for 2 minutes at 50C, speed 2.
  18. Insert Butterfly. Place egg whites in TM bowl with cream of tartar and beat for 4 minutes on speed 4 with MC off.
  19. Through hole in the lid, add half the sugar, 1 tsp at a time during the last minute. Set aside in a large bowl. remove butterfly.
  20. Without cleaning, place yolks, remaining sugar, vanilla bean powder and scraped seeds, butter, 40g cream and chocolate into TM bowl. Cook for 4 minutes at 70C on speed 3.
  21. Add a third of the beaten egg whites back into the bowl and stir for 10 seconds on reverse +speed 3. Add to the remaining whites.
  22. Fold everything gently together, including gelatin. Use immediately or chill for about 30 minutes until required.
  23. Assemble:
  24. Place a large piece of foil on a flat platter. {The cake can be transferred to a serving platter later}. Place one layer of the cake on the base and moisten it with sugar syrup. Place a dessert ring around it and bring the foil up around firmly as the mousse is yet to set and will be rather runny.
  25. Reserve 3-4tbsp of the balsamic cherries for the topping. Spoon half of the remainder over the cake base. Pour half the mousse over the cherries.
  26. Moisten the next layer of cake with the sugar syrup and place gently over mousse followed by remaining balsamic cherries, and then the remaining mousse.
  27. Cover and leave to set overnight. Gently demold and transfer cake to serving platter with a cake spatula or large flat spoon. Dress it up with a chocolate border {instructions follow}, remaining balsamic cherries, fresh cherries, chocolate flakes and slivered pistachios.
  28. Chill until ready to serve. Let it stand outside for 10-15 minutes before serving to allow for easy slicing of the border.
  29. Chocolate border
  30. Cut out parchment paper borders to fir around the cake. Place the melted chocolate in a ziploc bag and snip of a corner. Doodle designs all over the borders and when just about to set, place snugly around the cake, pressing into place ever so gently.
  31. Leave the cake in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes for the chocolate to harden, then gently peel off the parchment. {It was very hot here, so I placed the strips of melted chocolate in the fridge to firm up a bit first}

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