Tag Archives: Baking

Sep1

Chocolate Biscuit Cake

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How did I miss this chocolate gem for so long? You can create it in variations as well. You can replace the pistachios with pecans, toasted almonds or macadamia nuts. You can replace the figs with raisins, sultanas or dried cherries. Keeps for up 2 weeks, although it seldom lasts that long, once people know that it is there!

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Ingredients

For the cake:
12 ounces butter (3 sticks)
3/4 cup golden syrup
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup cup dark chocolate
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup pistachios
1/2 cup packed soft, plump dried figs
1 pound ‘McVities’ biscuits

To Decorate:
2 cups dark chocolate
2/3 cup white chocolate
Selection of small chocolate sticks and dark and white ‘Maltesers’ or ‘Whoppers’
Special equipment:
One 8-inch round or square cake tin or flan ring, or one 8-inch x 3 1/4-inch loaf tin

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Directions

1. Melt the butter with the golden syrup in a heavy based pan. Do not let it boil. Remove from the heat and add the cocoa powder, dark chocolate and vanilla. Stir until you have a very smooth, glossy mixture.

2.Slice the figs and crush the biscuits. Add the pistachios, figs and crushed biscuits to the chocolate mixture and mix well.

3. Line the base and sides of your chosen shape of cake tin with baking parchment or plastic wrap. Place the mixture into the tin and press it down well into the corners. Leave to cool thoroughly at room temperature before covering and chilling in the fridge. It will take about 2 hours to set completely firm.

4. When set, remove from the tin and place it on a cooling rack. Melt the dark chocolate and white chocolate separately. Spread the dark chocolate all over the cake.

5. Decorate with the Maltesers before the chocolate sets, so that they stick to the cake. Position chocolate sticks as desired and drizzle with the white chocolate. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Aug29

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

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Chocolate Sugar Cookies-so simple yet so good! Enjoy!!

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Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling

Directions

1. Cream together butter and brown sugar with a mixer until fluffy, about 5 minutes.

2. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition, and then vanilla.

3. Combine cocoa powder, flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix well.

4. Refrigerate dough for one hour.

5. Using a cookie scoop, scoop dough and place into granulated sugar, roll around to coat. Place sugar coated dough on lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet, space cookies 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 9-10 minutes.

6. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Aug15

Lunch Lady Brownies

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Brownies are always a good choice, add frosting on top and it’s almost a cake but less (almost no) crumbs. Perfect! These brownies are so moist and rich, and did I mention really good?

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Ingredients

1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla

frosting
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

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Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9×13 pan and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine butter, cocoa and sugar. Mix in flour and beat well. Add in eggs and vanilla, mix just to combine.

3. Spread batter in prepared pan. Batter will be thick so you’ll have to use a spatula to make sure you get to your corners.

4. Bake for 22-25 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Frost while still warm.

5. For frosting, sift together sugar, cocoa and salt. Cream butter in mixing bowl. Gradually add in sugar to butter, alternating with milk. Mix until creamy. Spread over warm brownies.

Aug3

Snickers Cake

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A cake reminiscent of a Snickers bar – chocolate cake with a peanut nougat filling, covered in a salted caramel buttercream and topped with a milk chocolate ganache and chopped peanuts. It’s a fabulous cake – a moist, chocolate cake with a river of cheesecake running through the middle and topped with sugared walnuts. It’s a very worthy birthday cake. I have no doubt that you will be completely smitten with this cake and find every excuse in the world to eat piece after piece.

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Ingredients

For the Cake:
2½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup + 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
1½ cups strong black coffee, hot
¾ cup vegetable oil
4½ teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Nougat Filling:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup evaporated milk
1½ cups marshmallow fluff
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped

For the Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting:
½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup salted caramel sauce
2 cups powdered sugar

For the Milk Chocolate Ganache:
8 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
4 ounces (½ cup) heavy cream

For the Assembly & Garnish:
Additional salted caramel sauce
Chopped peanuts

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Directions

1. Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer (or large mixing bowl if you’re using a hand mixer), sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).

4. Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.

5. Make the Nougat Filling: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and evaporated milk, stirring until dissolved, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and add the marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, stirring until completely smooth. Fold in the peanuts. Let the nougat mixture cool to room temperature before using it in the cake. You can do this leaving it at room temperature or you can pop it into the refrigerator to speed up the process. Be sure to give a stir occasionally as it cools.

6. Make the Frosting: Beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for 5 minutes (I like to use the whisk attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer, but it’s not necessary). Pour in the salted caramel and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it has all been incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional two to three minutes, until light and fluffy.

7. Assemble the Cake: If your cakes baked up uneven or have domed on top, level off the tops. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Cover with half of the nougat filling and then spread a couple spoonfuls of the salted caramel sauce over top to evenly cover the nougat filling. Top with a second cake layer and cover with the remaining nougat filling and top with caramel sauce. Place the final cake layer on top face-down. Frost the cake with the salted caramel frosting, finishing it as smoothly as possible. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour, until the frosting is set.

8. Make the Chocolate Ganache: While the cake chills, make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Begin whisking the mixture in the center, gradually working your way outward until the ganache is completely smooth. Set aside to cool, whisking occasionally, until it has thickened slightly, yet still a pourable consistency.

9. Garnish the Cake: Transfer the ganache to a 2-cup measuring cup. Slowly pour the chocolate ganache into the center of the cake, letting it push itself outward and flow over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes, giving the ganache a chance to set up. To finish garnishing, drizzle some additional salted caramel sauce over the top and side of the cake, and top with chopped peanuts. Keep the cake refrigerated, removing it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes prior to serving.

Jul28

Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

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Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Bars-Buttery Oreo crust, creamy chocolate cheesecake then garnished with rich Chocolate Ganache. When you slice these bars up and put them on a serving plate all you’ll see is elegance.

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Ingredients

2 cups crushed Oreo cookies (about 24 cookies)
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
24 ounces cream cheese (3 8 ounce bars) softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs

for ganache
1/3 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon heavy cream

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Instructions

1. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with foil, lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine crushed Oreo cookies with melted butter until all crumbs are moistened. Press crumb mixture into prepared pan. Set aside.

3. Place 1 cup chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high in microwave for 45 seconds. Remove from microwave and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Heat an additional 15 seconds if needed. Let cool.

4. Cream cream cheese until smooth. Add in sugar and vanilla, beat well.

5. Add cooled chocolate and beat again until combined.

6. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined. Make sure to scrap down sides of bowl.

7. Spoon cheesecake mixture over prepared crust and smooth to edges.

8. Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 40-45 minutes, until only center of cheesecake jiggles. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven with door to oven cracked for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove cheesecake to rack to cool completely before refrigerating. Let cheesecake chill for 1 hour before adding decorative ganache.

9. To make ganache, place chocolate chips and cream in a microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 1 minute. Let chocolate rest for 5 minutes before stirring. Stir until completely smooth. Let cool. Spoon ganache into a pastry bag fitted with a #3 tip or you can use a plastic freezer bag with a small hole cut out of one corner. Drizzle chocolate ganache over cheesecake in any design.

10. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to completely chill before slicing.

Jul16

Chocolate Celebration Cake

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Sharing that someone else knows that chocolate should be celebrated!! Enjoy!

Jul6

Heath Bar Cake

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Just looking at this cake with the sweet vanilla buttercream covered in rich chocolate ganache sprinkled with buttery Heath chips… it just makes me happy. It’s perfection.

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Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee (I use decaf)

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 350. Prepare two 8-inch round cake pans.

2. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.

3. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (it will be very thin) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

5. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Jun29

Chocolate Kahlua Coffee Pound Cake

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Through the years, Kahlua has been my go to Apéritif. Let me tell you, adding it to your baked goods, Ahhhhhmazing! The Kahlua and coffee enhance the chocolate beyond belief in this cake.

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Ingredients

1 box devil’s food cake mix (16.5 ounces)
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup Kahlua
3/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
for glaze
1/2 cup Kahlua
2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, Kahlua and coffee until smooth. Beat an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into a well greased bundt pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 50-55 minutes. Test for readiness using a toothpick, when inserted in center of cake it comes out clean.

2. Let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes be for inverting onto rack to cool completely.

3. For the glaze, whisk together the kahlua and powdered sugar until smooth, drizzle as much or as little as you like over cake.

Jun24

Midnight Mocha Cheesecake

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Rich, silky and totally decadent, this Midnight Mocha Cheesecake is a chocolate lover’s ultimate dessert. The hint of infused coffee puts it over the top.

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Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour 50 mins
Total time: 2 hours 5 mins

Ingredients

2 cup(s) (from about 8 ounces cookies) gluten-free crispy chocolate cookie crumbs
4 tablespoon(s) butter, melted
2 tablespoon(s) sugar
1 cup(s) sugar
⅛ teaspoon(s) (plus a pinch) salt
8 ounce(s) (60 to 70 percent cacao) bittersweet chocolate, chopped and divided
¼ cup(s) cold strong coffee
1 tablespoon(s) instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
3 package(s) (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
¼ cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
4 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, combine crumbs, butter, 2 tablespoons sugar, and ⅛ teaspoon salt; transfer to prepared pan. Press into even layer that comes up side of pan slightly. Place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Cool completely.

2. Meanwhile, in small microwave-safe bowl, microwave 6 ounces chocolate on high in 30-second intervals or until mostly melted, stirring in between; let cool. In small bowl, stir together coffee, espresso powder, and vanilla. With mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth. Reduce speed to low. Beat in cocoa and remaining 1 cup sugar, scraping down side of bowl occasionally. Beat in coffee mixture. Increase speed to medium. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between additions, scraping down side of bowl occasionally. Beat in melted chocolate just until well mixed. Pour batter into cooled crust. Bake 50 minutes on rimmed baking sheet.

3. Turn oven off and prop door open with wooden spoon. Let cheesecake stand in oven 1 hour. With small icing spatula or knife, loosen side of cheesecake from pan. Refrigerate, uncovered, 2 hours or up to 2 days.

4. When ready to serve, loosen cheesecake once more from side of pan; remove springform ring. In small microwave-safe bowl, microwave remaining 2 ounces chocolate on high 30 second or until just melted, stirring. Drizzle over cheesecake.

Jun20

Chocolate Poke Cake

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The cake itself is decadent and moist with an amazing rich chocolate flavor… even without the pudding on top, it is excellent!! The homemade pudding is super easy and quick and takes this cake to the next level! The whole thing is topped with my absolute favorite “poured frosting”.

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Ingredients

Cake
1¾ cups flour
1¾ cups sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup brewed coffee, cooled
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup milk
½ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Pudding Layer
⅔ cup sugar
⅓ cup cocoa
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
2¼ cups milk
1 tablespoon butter

Frosting
⅓ cup milk
⅓ cup butter, softened
1¼ cups sugar
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

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Instructions

Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease & flour a 9×13 inch pan.
2. Combine milk & lemon juice and set aside. (The mixture will thicken slightly)
3. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda & baking powder in a large bowl.
4. Add eggs, coffee, soured milk, oil and vanilla. Beat medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans. (Your batter may seem runny at this point but it will bake up beautifully.)
5. Bake 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Be sure to check the cake at 30 minutes so it doesn’t over cook.

Chocolate Pudding
1. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and salt, mix well. Add in cold milk, stir until combined.
2. Turn heat to medium high stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil.
3. Allow to boil for 1 minute while stirring, remove from heat and stir in butter.
4. Allow to cool for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Poke the cake all over with the end of a wooden spoon. Pour warm pudding over warm cake. Tap the pan allowing the pudding to seep into the cake. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. (Frost after slightly cooled, about 30 minutes)

Poured Frosting
1. In a saucepan, combine milk, butter, & sugar over medium high heat. Bring to a rolling boil and allow to boil 45 seconds. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Whisk until smooth and shiny and immediately pour over the cake. Refrigerate until set.