“Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity.”
Edwin Hubbell Chapin
This is ‘Couture Cupcakes’ first blogging event, and I think its a great idea.To coincide with Pink Ribbon Day in Australia on October 22, Minko is inviting people to make a pink dish .
I baked this cake for DH’s birthday today,with only PINK in mind!! Though I don’t have a personal story related to the cause, I feel its important to spread the message and lend my support. Pink Ribbon Day aims to raise funds for breast cancer research; offer support services to women affected by breast cancer; and make women ‘breast aware’.
This is a chocolate cake with a whipped cream icing…where the cake is my canvas! This is pure therapy for me, and I love letting the colours flow!! Hope you enjoy doing this as much as I did…
Chocolate Cake
The basic cake recipe is one posted by Dariana on ‘Group Recipes’ for a Heavenly Chocolate Sacher Torte.
Ingredients:
6 egg whites
5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
6 egg yolks
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
6 egg yolks
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Method:
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Let egg whites stand at room temperature in a very large bowl for 30 minutes. Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
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Melt chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over low heat; cool. Stir egg yolks and vanilla into the cooled chocolate mixture. Set mixture aside.
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Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating about 4 minutes or until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).
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Fold about 1 cup of the egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold chocolate mixture into remaining egg white mixture. Sift about one-third of the flour over the egg mixture; gently fold in. (If the bowl is too full, transfer mixture to a larger bowl.) Repeat twice, sifting and folding in one-third of the flour at a time.
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Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake in a 350 degree C oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Completely cool cake in the pan on a wire rack. Remove sides of pan. Brush crumbs from edges of cake. (Top crust will be slightly flaky.) Remove bottom of pan from cake.
For the frosting and filling:
Whipping cream – 400ml
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
Icing Sugar – 3-4 tbs (according to taste)
Method:
- Cool, and then slice horizontally into 2 layers .
- Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla essence till it holds peaks
Adjust the sweetness as required. - Reserve 2-3 tsps for each colour you intend to use in small bowls.
- With the rest, sandwich the cake using 1/3.
- Frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream.
- HERE IS YOUR CANVAS….
Using zipbags with the corners snipped off, paint on whatever you desire with as many different colours. - THIS GIVES PURE THERAPEUTIC PLEASURE…and tastes great too.
- I finished it off with a sprinkling of pink chocolate shavings, which I made with melting white chocolate, and colouring it pink with food colour.
- Chill well before serving!
