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    Showing posts with label ganache. Show all posts
    Showing posts with label ganache. Show all posts

    Saturday, December 18, 2010

    Double Choc Cake

    This is one of my long overdued post on the double choc cake that I baked on 14 Nov 10. Trying to play catch up you see. I really enjoyed making this cake, the process may be a tad long but just methodically go through the steps and you will get there. Best of all, the resutls are fantabulous! My frens and family simply loved it. Plus it keeps well for about 1 week in the fridge so no worries about baking in advance! *wink*

    The recipe is gotten from my beloved Rose's Heavenly Cakes.

    Recipe
    A
    42g Unsweetened (alkanized) cocoa powder - I used Varlhona
    118g boiling water

    B
    74g large egg yolks, at room temperature
    3 tbsp water
    3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

    C
    156g cake flour or unbleached all-purpose flour - I used plain flour
    200g superfine sugar - I used 180g caster sugar from SIS
    2.5tsp baking powder
    1/2 tsp salt

    128g unsalted butter softened at room temperature

    Heart shaped pan was stipulated. But I substituted with a 21cm round aluminium pan. Butter, cover with parchment paper cut to shape, butter and flour it.

    1. At the start, preheat the oven at 175 deg C.
    2. Mix A till smooth. Cover with cling wrap (I bought mine, bulk volume from Phoon Huat which comes with a great cutting edge) and put in fridge for about half hour. I find that using a pot is helpful as it is easier to pour and scrap into the batter later. To bring to room temperature before using.
    3. In a bowl, whisk B till combined.
    4. Using your mixer fitted with K beater, mix dry ingredients, i.e. C at low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and A. Continue to mix at low speed till incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 1.5 minutes. Scrap down.
    5. Add in egg mixture B in 2 parts to item 4 mixing well after each addition for about 30 seconds each time on medium-low speed. For steps 4 and 5, I mixed by hand using a whisk so it was a good workout!
    6. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Mine was smelling lovely from 25 minutes and I took it out at the 30th minute so test to make sure your skewer comes out cleanly and watch carefully.
    7. While baking, prepare the ganache glaze.
    Ganache Glaze
    85g dark chocolate,chopped - I used Varlhona 58% cocoa and serrated  knife to chop
    174g heavy cream - I used 200ml President's Whipping Cream

    1. Over low heat, heat the whipping cream in a saucepan will bubbling at the sides. Off the heat and sprinkle the dark chocolate over. Cover and wait for 5 minutes before mixing thoroughly.
    2. Poke holes with cake in the mould with wooden skewer. Patiently (and I mean it to have optimal results.), using a pastry brush, paint about half the ganache over the surface till absorbed into the holes. Turn the cake over and unmould the cake onto a plate covered with cling wrap and poke holes all over with. Be careful that it does not break! Mine broke as you can see from the photos below. But still delicious! Repeat and paint for the other side. Set aside 10 to 15 minutes per side. I know, I know, it sounds like a lot of work. But trust me, the results are worth it!
    3. Chuck the whole thing into the fridge overnight and when the next day comes, you will have a delicous cake waiting!
    4. Enjoy!



    Friday, April 23, 2010

    Wrath of the Weather

    The weather here is a simple but potent combination of either hot and
    humid or cool and humid. Case in point my flu. I had been nursing it
    for about a week before it became full blown last Sat. And this is
    despite my arduous efforts to minimise it. It does not help that I get
    heaty easily and being greedy relish spicy and deep fried food as part
    of my meals off and on. What is one to fight when food is just round
    the corner everywhere.

    Ok, I digress. Yes, the weather is cranky and had been alternating
    mercilessly hot days with intermittent showers. Which brings to
    another point - baking. For the longest time my friends and I had
    groused about how making truffles always end up a mess as the ganache
    melts so quickly once it is out of the freezer. yes, the freezer. Even
    stuff like high fat cookie dough or pie pastry cannot escape this fate.

    Coping methiods abound as we tried to have ice baths ready to chill
    the ganache tray. But... The weather will not be beaten! Right now I'm
    thinking if I have to set up air conditioners at my kitchen just like
    what Lana Cake Shop at Greenwood Avenue did. Sigh!