SIX LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE : COUSIN BIRTHDAY
A few weeks ago my little cousin Theo turned 11 years old! He asked his mother if she could ask me to make his birthday cake. Of course I said yes! I got the freedom to make whatever I want - with the tip that Theo likes chocolate and football!
I chose to make a dark layer cake with a lot of chocolate, in a good balance with something fresh and something crunchy. I like to incorporate different textures in desserts, to enhance the experience, as well as acidity, sweetness and bitterness. It is all about balance. (This I have learnt from my favourite TV program Masterchef Australia!)
Theo's little sister Hanna is allergic to eggs so the cake had to be egg free - and nut free since another cousin is allergic to nuts. It is a bit of a challenge to make an egg free cake - that is basically the main ingredient for a soft, fluffy and light tart case. I read a couple of recipes about brittish chocolate cakes and egg free cakes and put together my own recpie. It turned out great! A bit fudgy and dense - which was how I wanted it - and still easy to cut into layers.
As filling I made a ganache (or as I call it: fluff) with caramelized white chocolate (delicious! I will definietely experiment more with that!) and one with milk chocolate. To get acidity I made a fresh lemon fromage frosting out of cream cheese and crème fraîche (not a real fromage I know, but it had to be egg free and fromage means cheese in french, so I figured creame cheese would classify it as a fromage mixture). Sugar Honeycomb would give an air-light crunch, and tying together the caramelized flavour of the white chocolate. (More about sugar honeycomb experiment in next post!)
Main ingredients.
AND NOW SOME PICTURES FROM THE PARTY
RECIPES
Egg free extra dark chocolate base
for 20-22 cm tin, makes 3 layers
50 g butter
100 g dark chocolate (70%)
4 dl flour
2 dl sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
0,5 tsp salt
1,5 dl milk
1 dl black, strong coffee (depending on how much coffee flavour you want)
1. Melt the butter. Put the chocolate into the butter and let it melt together.
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk and coffee and mix into a sort of batter.
3. Pour the melted chocolate/butter into the large bowl and mix everything properly to a smooth batter.
4. Bake in the 175°C for 40 minutes. DO NOT open the oven door the first 30 minutes! The middle will form a deep hole. Let cool completely under a kitchen towel and cut in three layers. (It is easier to cut if the cake has been in the freezer for an hour or two).
Caramelized white chocolate
Break white chocolate into pieces (100 g is enough for one batch of ganache) and put them on a baking tray with baking sheet. Let it melt in the oven in 120°C for 10 minutes, then stir and/or flip the chocolate a bit. Continue to melt and eventually caramelize the chocolate for about 60 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. When it is done it should have a golden colour and taste of caramel. Let it cool and store in a glass jar in room temperature.
Chocolate ganache (fluff)
enough for two thin layers in a cake
best made night before it is suppose to be used
2 dl heavy cream
100 g chocolate (for example caramelized white chocolate or milk chocolate)
1. Bring the cream to almost boil. Avoid actual boiling.
2. Add the chocolate and let it melt.
3. Cool completely and whip to a fluffy ganache.
4. Use to fill a cake or eat as dessert!
Fresh lemon fromage frosting
enough for two layers in a cake + thin covering
some whipped cream works fine to make it airy or if you need to increase the amount of frosting
4 dl crème fraîche
300 g cream cheese
lemon zest
2 dl icing sugar
1. Whip the crème fraîche and cream cheese. First it will go liquid and then it will get a texture similar to whipped cream.
2. Continue whipping on low speed, add the lemon zest and icing sugar, little at a time. Do not add any lemon juice, it ill make the frosting go liquid. Lemon oil or lemon zest works fine.
3. The mixture should be stiff and very fluffy. Store in the fridge or spread on the cake immediately.
Sugar honeycomb
It took me five tries to get this recipe right. There should be large air bubbles, a subtle caramel flavour - not too bitter - and it should be light on the bite just melting in you mouth.
1 dl sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp baking soda
1. Prepare a baking sheet to pour the caramel on. Use a tin if you want to make it thicker.
2. Put the sugar and water in a pot and bring to boil. DO NOT STIR, or the sugar will crystalize.
3. When starting to turn golden take the pot off the heat. Be careful: if it turns too dark the caramel taste will be very bitter.
4. Now you need to be very quick! Add the baking soda and quickly mix it with the caramel and pour up on the baking sheet. It will create a lot of bubbles, which is what will make the character of this candy. If you stir too much the bubbles will break and it will go flat. So try not to mess with it and work fast.
5. Let it cool in room temperature and break into pieces or cut with a sharp knife. Store in an airtight container in room temperature. (If you leave it too long in the open air it will soak up moist from the air, especially now in the summer time).
Enjoy! /agnes elisabeth
