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 34, 35, 36 - Friendship Cake

It gets to a stage where simple cookies and slices from the supermarket just does not cut it when you want to something special for your friends. On Friday I was invited over to a friends place, who always puts on a spread for me and others when we are over. I feel bad when I show up there empty handed all the time and so decided on Thursday night that I would bring something to her instead (Also helps when I am a few recipes behind in the blog as well!).

So here is Recipe 34, 35 and 36. Friendship Cake, Mock cream and White icing. My friendship cake is based very loosely off the lemon madiera cake - this is my own recipe!
(I deem this my "Friendship cake" as I had no idea how this would turn out and only a friend would eat it- regardless of how bad it was. But in truth it came out very well!)

Friendship Cake

Friendship Cake 1st Stage - cooked!

200g butter softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp lemon rind
2 tsp lemon juice
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp Baking powder


METHOD

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in lemon rind.
2. In a separate bowl beat eggs until thick 
3. Sift flour and baking powder together
4. Add the flour mixture and egg mixture into the creamed mixture alternately. Just as you are about to add the final amount of egg, also add the lemon juice.
5. Stir to mix.
6. Spoon the mixture into a greased lined 20 cm square cake tin. Bake at 180c for 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched (sometimes depending on the oven this may take a bit longer - mine takes closer to 50 minutes)
7. Take out of oven and leave in its tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

After the cake has cooled for a couple of hours, slice into two horizontally and add the mock cream

Mock Cream

100g butter, softened
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence (or 1 tsp grated lemon rind)

METHOD

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. 
2. Add milk and vanilla (or lemon rind)
3. With an electric beater beat until thick and pale like cream (this took close to 10 minutes to get the right thickness)

After the mock cream has been made, spread evenly over the bottom half of the cake and with care, place the top back on the cake. It is now ready to have the final touches!

White Icing

2 cups icing sugar
1/4 tsp butter, softened
2 tbsp water (approx)
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

1. Sift icing sugar into a bowl. Add butter.
2. Add sufficient water to mix into a spreadable consistency. Flavour with vanilla essence.

This icing comes out white, so you can add any food colouring to it to get a pretty colour. I used yellow for my cake. This recipe for icing is so basic you can just replace the vanialla essence and add something else to get different flavours. e.g. cocoa for chocolate icing, instant coffee (dissolved in the water) to get coffee flavour, orange rind, the list goes on.

Finally to add to the look of the cake, I used marshmallows and yellow M&M's to creat flowers. By cutting one marshmallow horizontally 4 times (once in half and then those halves in half again) you get beautiful petal shapes. Then add a yellow M&M in the middle and Voila! You get the first and completed image :)
 

Fail!!

I don't want to put this on my blog, but as I mentioned in my first ever post for this challenge - all recipes tried regardless of how they turn out, will go up here.
The one thing I can be proud of is that I can bake. I can cook excellent cakes and cookies, in fact a lot of the time I make my own recipe up. So to have a cake FAIL as badly as this one did has me completely stumped as to what went wrong.

Marble Cake

3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
50g butter melted
2 tbsp boiling water
1 tbsp coca
2 to 3 red food colouring.

METHOD

1. Beat eggs until thick. Gradually beat in sugar until mixture is very thick and white.
2. Sift flour and baking powder together and then fold into egg mixture.
3. Fold in butter and boiling water.
4. Divide mixture into three equal parts. Into one-third stir the cocoa, to the another third the red food colouring and leave the last third plain.
5. Spoon the mixture in diaginal stipes into a greased and lined 20cm square cake tin. 
6. Using a knife twirl together the three mixtures. 
7. Bake at 190c for 20-25 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave in tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. 

It's such a simple recipe so I am completely baffled as to why it failed like it did. I did try a new tin (one of those silicone ones) this time- wondering if the heat of a normal tin dissipates with these silicone ones so it doesn't get so hot? Going to have to try my neverfail cake and then at least I will be able to work out what went wrong.

Recipe 14: Lemon Sour Cream Cake

I readily admit that sometimes I give blondes a bad name and  today might be one of those days. For the past fortnight I have been wondering why my husband has been sitting there saying that perhaps I should only do one recipe a week, other than the fact that he is one who dreads coming home to see what concoction I have come up with that day. I seem to be okay at making sweets and cakes, but the main dishes are failing me - something I clearly need to work on.

So what do I do for recipe number 14? I go back to a tried and true cake recipe I use numerous times, because a) it lasts in the fridge for weeks as well as freezes beautifully and b) its citrus so my husband actually eats it.

This is another adaptation from the Edmonds Cookbook  I add more sour cream than the original recipe, as well as use the whole lemon (original recipe calls for only 2 tsps of lemon rind), as I hate wastage.

Lemon Sour Cream Cake

125g softened butter

1 lemon

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup sour cream (approx 250ml)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160c (I use 140-150c on bake, as I find that my cakes tend to get a burnt bottom when left for a while to cook at greater temperatures, no matter how high I put the cake in the oven!)
2. Grate half the lemon finely, beat butter, lemon rind, sugar and eggs together until light and fluffy. 
3. Squeeze all of the lemon into the egg mixture stirring quickly to avoid any curdling.
4. Sift baking powder and flour together and fold the ingredients into the egg mixture alternately with the sour cream so you get a nice smooth mixture.
5. Pour mixture into a greased and lined 20cm round cake tin. Bake at 160c for 45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
6. Leave in tin for 5 to 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

The cookbook recommends for this cake to just be dusted with icing sugar, but I like to ice it with Cream Cheese Icing (Recipe for that can be found on the 3rd of January).

Now I should really start focusing on Main dishes again, as much as my husband dreads it, I really need to learn how to cook!

So many Carrots... Recipe 3&4

Every week, due to my inability to leave the house and go grocery shopping with a 3 month old, I get the local milkman from Aussie Farmers Direct to deliver fresh veges, milk, bread and sometimes meat to my house. Aussie Farmers Direct is a free home delivery service providing fresh products that are 100% Australian owned and produced. Their main goal is to help the Australian farmer win the battle against the large multinationals by delivering a broad range of products direct to the consumer, cutting out the middle man like Coles and Woolworths, means products are delivered faster, fresher and straight to me making the humble farmer win in the long run.

It's the best decision I have ever made and now there is absolutely no excuse now not to cook food everyday.

Every Thursday and Friday I receive my deliveries. Friday is generally milk, cheese and meat, but Thursday, well, I am always excited for Thursday deliveries as I get a box of seasonal vegetables.

Carrots and Zucchini's apparently must be in season at the moment! As the last few weeks I have received so many of both that literally its the first thing I see when I open my fridge door, leading to inspiration for my first recipe for 2011 - Carrot Cake.

The below recipe is adapted from the Edmonds Cook Book - a Classic New Zealand recipe book that has been around for 90 years. There are some quantities I have changed and ingredients I have added and omitted after a bit of research. The original recipe stated you needed pineapple as well, but I did not have it in the house.

Jossy's Carrot Cake

3 Eggs
1 cup of Oil (I used virgin olive oil- nothing too pungent)
2 cups of Flour (NOT self-raising)
1 cup Sugar
3 tsps Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
3 cups of Carrots
1/2 cup chopped Walnuts
1 tblsp grated Orange rind

I used more than 3 cups of carrots- as I had so many... grated 6 big carrots- which would have been most probably been 5 cups, so I had to add more oil into the mixture (the original recipe states only 1/2 a cup).

METHOD
First of all, peel and grate the carrots so you have them on hand, Grease and/or line a tin approximately 23cm round AND Pre-heat oven to 160 C (They say 180 C in the recipe, but my oven seems to run a bit hotter as its fanforced)

1. Beat eggs until thick, stir in half a cup of the oil.
2. Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg into the egg mixture and combine.
   
3. Fold in carrots, walnuts and orange rind. Add the rest of the oil if the batter is really stiff, the batter shouldn't be runny, but shouldn't be so dry that its powdery either.
4. Spoon mixture into tin
5. Bake for about 40 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave in tin for 10-15 minutes (take it OUT of the oven!) before turning out into a wire rack .

The recipe recommends to ice with cream cheese icing... so already I am off to a flying start for the week! 2 recipes in one day.

Cream Cheese Icing

Direct from the Edmonds Cook Book

2 Tblsp butter, softened
1/4 cup Cream cheese
1 cup Icing sugar
1 tsp grated lemon rind

METHOD

1. Beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Mix in icing sugar and lemon ring, beating well to combine.

I'm a huge fan of citrus and so is my family, so I also added a bit of lemon juice into the icing mixture and then added a bit more icing sugar. I worked out that you can't have it too runny otherwise it falls off the cake!

So the final result

- Jossy's Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Icing -

The cream cheese icing is a bit yellow due to the amount of lemon rind and juice I put in!