Recipe 60, 61 & 62: Black Satin Chocolate Raspberry Cake (My 29th Birthday cake)

Ok, so the reason why I have separated this one recipe into three is because you can use the three recipes in any other individual baking and do not neccasirly have to go together. Recipe 60: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake, Recipe 61: Raspberry Sauce and Recipe 62: Black Satin Raspberry Frosting. Such a complex cake, but my goodness definitely worth it- Especially for those special occasions. I was lucky enough to have my parents over and my mother was relegated to the beater as I do not have a stand  alone mixer (which is a bit of a necessity in this recipe- although if you don't have one, just get a mate over to hold the electric hand beater whilst having a glass of wine!)

Recipe 60, 61 & 62: Black Satin Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Preparation: 2 hours, plus baking, cooling and chilling time...

(best to do Recipe 60 and 61 the night before)

Recipe 60: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
150g unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
125g unsalted butter
1/3 cup copha (vegetable shortening)
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 1/4 cup white sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 large whole eggs, plus 2 large eggs separated (4 eggs in total)
3/4 cup sour cream
1 cup milk

IMPORTANT- all of these items should be at room temperature.

METHOD

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 180c. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of three 9-inch (21cm) round cake pans. Line the bottoms of the pans with baking paper and dust the sides of the pans with flour (tap out excess).
2. In a medium bowl, using a whisk, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt until thoroughly blended.
3. In another medium bowl (this is where the electric mixer comes in handy- if you have one- use that bowl). beat the butter and copha until  creamy. Add the brown sugar and while continuing to beat (where you friend now comes in if you don't have a mixer), gradually add 1 cup of the white sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time over a 6-minute period. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating for 1 to 2 minutes longer, until the mixture is light in texture and off-white in colour. Beat in the vanilla extract.
4. Melt the chocolate in another bowl, whilst the chocolate is cooling. Break the 2 whole eggs into a measuring cup and add the 2 separated egg yolks. Beat with a fork until forthy. At a medium speed while continuing to beat, slowly add the beaten eggs to the batter. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth. Beat in the cooled chocolate (you still want the chocolate runny, but not so hot that it will start cooking the cake).
5. At low speed, one third at a time, beat in the flour mixture, alternating it with milk. Mix briefly just until each addition is barely incorporated into the batter. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula. Mix the batter for 10 more seconds.
6. In a smaller bowl, beat the 2 egg whites at low speed until frothy. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat the whites until soft peaks start to form. One teaspoon at a time, add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue beating the whites until stiff, shiny peaks form.
7. Using the spatula, fold the beaten egg whites into the bater to lightin it. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth it with the back of a soup spoon.
8. Bake the cake layers for 15 minutes. Reposition the cake pans so that the pans at the back of the oven rack are placed in the front. Continute to bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the edge of each cake layer has pulled away slightly from the side of the pan and the center springs back when gently pressed with a finger.
9. Cool the cake layers in the pans set on wire racks for 5 minutes before turning them out.  Cool the cake layers completely (this is why I suggest baking this and then leaving overnight).

Recipe 61: Raspberry Sauce
340g frozen raspberries
2/3 cup white sugar
2 tsp arrowroot
1 tbsp water
1-2 tbsp of black raspberry liquer such as chambord.

METHOD

1. In a noncorrosive medium saucepan, combine the frozen raspberries and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves and the raspberries start to soften. Continue to cook at a gentle simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the raspberries are completely softened.
2. Press the raspberry mixture through a fine meshed sieve into a measuring cup. Discard the seeds and then place the raspberry liquid back into the pan.
3. Put the arrowroot in a small cup. Slowly stir in the water until the mixture is completely smooth. Scrape the arrowroot mixture into the raspberry puree and stir until blended
4. Cook the raspberry puree over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 30 to 60 seconds, until the sauce is transluscent. DO NOT BOIL LONGER THAN 1 MINUTE, or the sauce will become watery. Remove the pan from the heat.
5. Cool the sauce to room temperature and stir in the liquer to taste. Transfer the sauce to a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Recipe 62: Black Satin Raspberry Frosting
570g semisweet (dark) chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup black raspberry liquer, such as chambord
4 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Melt the chocolate.
2. Put the evaporated milk, butter, liquer and vanilla extract into a food processor with a metal chopping blade. Add the melted chocolate.
3. Process for 20 to 30 seconds until the frosting is thick and creamy.
4. Use the frosting immediately.

Assembling the cake:
In between each layer of cake add a slather of frosting and raspberry sauce (you will need to use all the raspberry sauce in the layers- but reserve some frosting as you need to ice the rest of the cake). Put the layers together and then frost the rest of the cake.

Recipe 59: Home Made Ferrero Rocher

For my friend Sarah and her partner... was going to keep my little secret a secret but am twenty recipes behind, so its better if I post it anyway!

Home Made Ferrero Rocher

375g Nestle Milk Chocolate Melts

30g Copha
Nutella
Hazelnuts (approx 24)
Crushed Nuts

METHOD

1. Melt the chocolate and the copha on medium-high in a microwave safe bowl until melted.
2. Pour approximately 1 tsp of the chocolate into the base of the ice cube tray. 
3. Place 1/2 tsp of Nutella on top of the chocolate mixture and press in a hazelnut into each one.
4. Cover with the remaining melted chocolate and sprinkle with the crushed nuts.
5. Set in the freezer for 20 minutes. remove from ice cube trays and ENJOY!

Recipe 58: Mushroom sauce

A basic sauce which goes well with chicken and steak. I use this mainly to jazz up a steak and mashed spuds dinner.

Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4

100g small button mushrooms, sliced
100ml beef stock
50g butter
50g flour
350-400ml milk

METHOD

1. Melt butter in pan, then fry mushrooms until well cooked.
2. Stir in flour and cook further for 2 minutes
3. Slowly pour in stock and milk whilst stirring constantly until all combined (which will take approximately 5 minutes). Add more milk (if needed) to desired consistency.
4. Use salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe 56 & 57: Chicken in a Blanket and Cheese Sauce

Tonight's dinner- have never seen the husbands face so excited when he looked into the oven tonight! Easy to make and definitely a meal. Although you could make each parcel smaller by chopping the bacon and chicken into smaller bite sizes and could use it as a tapas dish.

Chicken in a Blanket

Serves 4

2 chicken breast
4 rashers of bacon (I used middle)
2 sheets puff pastry
200g ricotta cheese (or you could use cottage cheese)

METHOD

1. Slice the chicken breast in half length ways and in a hot pan seal on both sides, remove and allow to cool.
2. Cook the rashers of bacon, remove and allow to cool
3. Once the bacon and chicken are cool, cut the pastry sheets in half diagonally and place 1 slice of bacon, 1 halved chicken breast on top of the bacon and spoon 1 tbsp (50g) of ricotta over the chicken and bacon. Wrap/fold the puff pastry over the chicken and bacon mix.
4. Brush with egg wash  (beat a egg and using a basting brush, brush the pastry with the egg) and bake at 230c for 15 -20 minutes.

Cheese Sauce

50g butter
50g Flour
350ml-400ml milk
300g cheese (about 4 handfuls)

METHOD

1. In a pan, melt the butter and stir in flour - which will make a paste like structure.
2. Slowly pour the milk while stirring constantly until all combined (if you put all the milk in at once you will end up with a lumpy sauce, better to add the milk a little at a time).
3. Add the cheese, again stirring constantly. Add more milk (if needed) to receive the desired sauce consistency.

Recipe 55: Tomato Relish

Definitely one of my favourite relishes so far. I used my home grown chillis and boy, does it give some punch! 

Tomato Relish

makes about 2 litres

2 kg large ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced
750g onions, peeled and sliced
salt
12 small dried red chillis crushed
2 cups malt vinegar
2 1/4 cup Brown sugar
1 tbsp Curry Powder
1 1/2 tsp Mustard
1 tbsp Flour

METHOD

1. Layer the onion and tomato slices in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave over night.
2. Next day, drain and place the vegetables in a saucepan and add chillis and  1 1/2 cups of vinegar. Heat to boiling and boil for 5 minutes.
3. Mix the sugar, curry powder, flour and mustard into a bowl, stir in the remaining 1/2 cup of vinegar to make a smooth paste.
4. Stir the paste into the vegetables, cook for an hour, slowly. Stir often (to stop it from sticking to the bottom).
5. Spoon into hot, clean jars and seal 

Recipe 54: Winter Vegetable Soup

Winter is fast approaching and today, being so extremely cold, called for a warm soup for dinner. Using my slow cooker, I could just pop everything in and after a few hours mashed everything to make this yum soup.

Recipe 54: Winter Vegetable Soup

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 Swede, peeled and chopped
1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled and chopped
1 parnsip, peeled and chopped
2 tsps ground ginger
2 tsps cracked chilli (adjust to your own taste)
1 tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

Method 

1. To your slow cooker (or a pot) add the chopped vegetables to approx 1 Litre of water
2. Cook until the vegetables are soft. (Slowcooker on high for 3 hours)
3. Using a stick blender, blend all vegetables until the soup becomes smooth
4. Add ginger, cracked chilli, smoked paprila and stir
5. Add salt and pepper to taste

You can also add nutmeg for a bit more bite, but as I have used so much chilli in mine, there was no need to. Also, you can add whatever vegetables you like. I use pumpkin as a base as its thick and creamy and goes with most other vegetables.