Mocha buttercream cake

This will be my last post before we head off to Greece!

Have to say I'm happy with these pictures, and most of all with the cake! Even if you are not a coffee drinker, I think you might still like this cake. And of course you can adjust the amount of the coffee syrup you use. I like mine strong, so sometimes I cook up more coffee syrup, than in this recipe. :)

Again I'm in bed writing. We had a fun day yesterday. A proper country fair party in on of the neighborhoods near us. I really like the countryside. Makes me happy seeing horses and other farm animals almost every day. But if I want to go shopping, I just cycle 10 minutes to the center. I find it quite perfect.

Next time I write, I hope I have nice pictures of Samos and their food!

Vanilla cake

200 g butter

200 g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract or sugar

4 large eggs

150 g flour

150 g self raising flour

Preheat the oven to 160 C. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at the time, mixing after each one. Add the vanilla. Sieve the flours and mix with a spatula until combined. Don't over mix. Pour into a greased and lined springform tin. Bake around 30 minutes. Check with a toothpick - when it comes out clean the cake is ready.

Custard filling

1 vanilla pod

500 ml milk

4 egg yolks

150 g caster sugar

2 tbsp flour

Halve the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Bring the milk to boil with the vanilla seeds and the pod. Stir the egg yolks with the sugar, add the flour and stir smooth. Pour the hot milk on the egg mixture, pour back into the pan and keep mixing until smooth, wait until it thickens on a low heat. Remove the vanilla pod and let the custard cool.

Mocha buttercream

70 ml of espresso, or very strong coffee

30 g caster sugar

250 g butter

60 g icing sugar

(vanilla extract)

Cook the espresso (or strong coffee, double in strength) with the sugar until there is about 2 tablespoons of coffee syrup. Beat the butter with the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooked espresso to the butter and stir until the butter is even in color. You can also add vanilla extract if you like.

Decorations

Chocolate shavings

Chocolate covered coffee beans (shop bought)

Assembling the cake

Cut the cake into three even discs. Spread the bottom slice of cake with custard. Place the next slice of cake on it and spread it with mocha buttercream. Finish with the third disc and spread buttercream all over the cake. Pipe rosettes on the cake with the rest of the buttercream, and sprinkle chocolate shaving in the middle. Finish the rosettes with chocolate coffee beans.

Triple chocolate mousse cake

Good morning!

Would you guess I like chocolate?! It's another cake post about chocolate! But I know I am not alone with my chocolate obsession.

I made this mousse cake a while  ago now, and this post has just been waiting for me to actually publish it. And as I'm on my summer holiday now, I have relaxed mornings like this to lay in bed and write my blog. It's cloudy and rainy outside, so I don't mind.

Next week we are going to Samos, Greece to enjoy the proper summer weather. And I am little embarrassed to say it's my first ever beach holiday - I have only ever traveled here in the Northern Europe. So I don't really know what to expect. It's going to be around 40 degrees C, so I'm expecting it to be bloody hot at least. 

I have to say writing is not my thing really. And I don't like to write "nonsense" just for the sake of writing something. So I go straight to the "business". Or maybe I'm still a bit sleepy. Haha.

Mousse cakes are simple to make, the most challenging part is when you take the cake form off - you have to be careful you don't split the cake, so go slow. I always go between the mousse and cake form first with a hot sharp knife so it already loosens the cake from the tin. This way you get a neat finish.

You can use milk chocolate too, if you prefer. And for the best flavor, it's best to use high quality chocolate.

Chocolate cake

16 g pure cocoa powder

2 tbsp boiling water

1 egg

1,5 tbsp milk

58 g flour

1 tsp baking powder

30 g butter

100 g caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 20-22 cm springform tin and line with baking parchment.

Put the cocoa powder and boiling water into a large bowl and mix well to make a smooth paste.

Add rest of the ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake until well risen and shrinking from the sides, about 15 minutes.

Cool the cake on a cake rack. When completely cooled down, even out the top with a serrated knife, and put back in the same, cleaned springform tin.

Dark chocolate mousse

3 dl heavy cream
175 g dark chocolate
105 g full fat milk
2 gelatin leaves
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place the gelatin leaves into a bowl of cold water, and soak for 10 minutes until soft. Meanwhile whip the cream until fairly thick. Leave it little bit sloppier than you would normally whip cream. This way you will get a nice soft mousse. 
Melt the chocolate in a water bath or microwave. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. 
Bring the milk to boil, and take it off the heat. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatin leaves, and mix with the warm milk. 
Pour the melted chocolate and vanilla extract into the whipped cream, and gently fold in until even color. Pour the milk+gelatin mixture slowly, mixing the cream at the same time. At last, pour over the chocolate cake, and put in the freezer until set.

White chocolate mousse

100 g heavy cream
100 g white chocolate
60 g full fat milk
1 gelatin leaf

Prepare the white chocolate mousse just like the previous, and pour over the dark chocolate mousse. Place back in the freezer.


Dark chocolate glaze

55 g dark chocolate
40 g heavy cream
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Melt the chocolate. Mix with rest of the ingredients. Pour over the set white chocolate mousse, leave to set in the fridge.

Decorate with sweetened whipped cream stars.

Summer berry & chocolate pavlova

I'm back. With the ultimate summer pudding, light and delicious pavlova!

I made this for my sister-in-law's birthday. I wanted to make something quite light (as we are both trying to watch our weight, haha). And even better, this dessert doesn't have any flour or butter! It's made of chocolate meringue, topped with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Yam.

These pictures were taken in a hurry with my phone, not the best ones but at least I have something to show! 

I've felt so bad lately not writing my blog. This is my problem - I start a project, get super excited about it, and then sort of forget it. I need more discipline with everything. Like with exercise and studying, and eating. I'm trying to get better.

But back to this pudding. It's quite easy to make. As long as you get the meringue stiff enough, you are OK. I found the recipe from Nigella's site, but I changed the berries and just added some extra vanilla into the meringue. I was a happy bunny.

Chocolate meringue

6 large egg whites

300 g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp cocoa powder, sieved

1 tsp balsamic vinegar (or red wine vinegar)

50 grams dark chocolate, finely chopped

Topping

500 ml whipping cream

+sugar and vanilla to your taste

fresh strawberries and cherries

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a baking tray with baking parchment.

Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny. Sprinkle over the cocoa, vinegar, vanilla extract and the chopped chocolate. Then gently fold everything until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. 

Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat circle approximately 23cm / 9 inches in diameter, smoothing the sides and top. Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 150C and cook for about one to one and a quarter hours. 

When it's ready it should look crisp around the edges and on the sides and be dry on top, but when you prod the centre you should feel the promise of squidginess beneath your fingers. 

Turn off the oven and open the door slightly, and let the chocolate meringue disc cool completely.

When you're ready to serve, invert on to a big, flat-bottomed plate. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter over the berries.