Confessions of a Bake-a-holic!

Its about a month since I kickstarted “Bake-a-Cake” event.Given the short notice, I was pleasantly surprised to see good responses to this event.Each cake had a story to tell,it was different,elegant and enticing. However, the underlying meaning conveyed the same sentiments,Cake baked with love for their Valentine’s.Here is the round up of all the entries in the order that I received.

Valentine’s Day Cake by Cakelaw of Laws of the Kitchen (Australia)

Red Velvet Cake by Lily of Dolce e Salata from Oxford,UK

Grace by Kris Ngoei of  Bake in Paris from Bangkok, Thailand.

White Chocolate Valentine’s Gateau by Divya Kudua of Easy Cooking from Chennai,India

Eggless Orange Cake by LK of Palate Desires from Ohio

Chocolate Heart Cake by Sermi Hafiz of As you Like it from Doha,Qatar

Red Velvet Cake Roll by Deeba of Passionate About Baking from North India

Carrot Cake by Nisha of Look who’s cooking too from London,UK

Chocolate Blackout Cake by Nachiketa of The Variable from New Delhi, India

Chocolate Pancakes by Kelsey of  Apple a Day from Phoenix,Arizona

NewYork Style Cheesecake by Vaishali Sharma(Bhutani) of Adding Zest to your Cooking from Austin,TX

Black Forest Cake by Sayantani of A Homemaker’s Diary from India

Chocolate Fudge Cake by Aqua of Served with Love from Singapore

Black Forest Cake(Indian Style) by Smitha of Smitha’s Spicy Flavors from Nashua,NH

As announced earlier , I went about selecting a random winner.And the winner is Smitha of Smitha’s Spicy Flavors Congratulations you’ve won the Perfect Desserts : 55 recipe cards by the editors of Good Housekeeping.

Smitha,I will reach out to you for further information.Thanks all for taking time to participate  in this event!

I made it…Tah-dah!

I have reached a point in life where the idea of home baked desserts is more appealing than the store  bought ones.In this way I also have control over the ingredients I use. My love for Chocolate never ends,infact I try and read a lot about it.There are so many different kinds of chocolates available. If a recipe calls for Dark chocolate, Semisweet or bittersweet can be used compromising a bit in the taste.Ofcourse, White chocolate cannot be substituted with any other chocolate. I came across an interesting read on Cocoa powders - Often we come across recipes asking for Dutch Processed  Cocoa,this actually means that the cocoa has been treated with an alkali such as Potassium carbonate which makes it much darker and less acidic.

As we all know,chocolate can be melted either by using a “microwave” or a “double boiler method” where in two bowls stacked with some water on the lower one and the chocolate on the upper .As the water heats up,it slowly heats the upper bowl and melts the chocolate.Its also said that the upper bowl should never touch the lower one.I always wondered why this would make a difference in melting chocolate,until I got to know that Water and Chocolate are fatal. Chocolate is an oil based product and hence does not combine well with water. When melted chocolate contacts water, it will seize (solidify rapidly).So you should avoid any contact with steam.That’s too much of trivia,lets head to the recipe.

I came across Bridget’s blog Bake at 350 and her event  Flavor of the month – Chocolate and thought my Molten Chocolate was a perfect entry.

Recipe Source – Good housekeeping – All Chocolate recipes

Preparation time – 20mins ; Bake – 8-9 min

Ingredients:

4 ounces semisweet Chocolate(1/3 Cup Chocolate chip)

½ Cup Butter(1 stick)

¼ Cup Heavy or Whipping Cream

½ tsp Vanilla Extract

¼ cup All Purpose Flour

¼ cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

2 Large Egg yolks

Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice cream for serving

Confectioner’s Sugar (for decorating) optional

Method: Preheat 400F.Grease 8 six ounce custard cups/ramekins.Dust with Sugar.In a three quart saucepan, Combine chocolate,butter and cream.Heat over low heat stirring occasionally until butter and chocolate have melted and mixture is smooth.Remove from heat.Add Vanilla with wire whisk.Stir in flour just until mixture is smooth.

In a medium bowl,with mixer at high speed beat sugar,eggs and egg yolks until thick and lemon colored, about 10mins.Add egg mixture ,one third at a time into chocolate, until blended.Divide batter equally among prepared custard cups/ramekins.Place jelly roll pan for easier handling.Bake until edges of cakes are set and center still jiggles,8-9mins.Do not overbake else you will end up with just a moist cake.Cool in pan on rack . Run knife around the cakes to loosen from sides of cups,invert into dessert plates.Serve immediately with whipped cream or icecream if desired. You may also sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on top of it.

Verdict: Each servings is about 281 cal; 22g total fat. As always,chocolate at its best.Its one quick recipe with absolutely no fuss.When you run a fork to take a bite,goey chocolate oozes out from the center,that is the perfect Molten chocolate.Its sinful and delectable.If you are passionate about chocolate like me….this is what you shud bake!

TIRAMISU,the one that can make me smile all the time. I am so crazy about this dessert that I had even named P’s name as TIRAMISU on my mobile phone:). The best one I have had is in Olive Garden’s which is one of my fav restaurant . The word “Tiramisu” literally means “pick me up”.The original recipe was round in shape and had no liquor in it.These days its made in different shapes and sizes. It is made by dipping Savoiardi biscuits(ladyfinger) in espresso and liquor and layering them with Zabaglione ,a custard or pastry cream made with Marsala wine and mascarpone cheese.ie., MASCARPONE + SAVOIARDI  BISCUITS + ZABAGLIONE  = TIRAMISU

A lot of people confuse Ladyfinger to Lady’s finger(the other name for Okra) .Tiramisu has nothing to do with Lady’s finger(okra):-)

The CHALLENGE here was to make everything from scratch.Even in my wildest dreams, I wouldn’t have thought about making Mascarpone Cheese at home .My first attempt with the cheese was a disaster. I kept stirring the cream and didn’t realize that I didn’t have enough water in the vessel below because of which the upper glass bowl filled with cream almost burnt and I ended up with cheese which was yellow in color, with an oily texture.So I had to re do it.Guess practice makes it perfect.The store bought ones can be very expensive too,this is surely an easy option.

Tiramisu can be made with different flavors, one such interesting one that I came across was “Strawberry Tiramisu” in Aparna’s blog.I am not a “coffee/tea” person,so the idea of using espresso was ruled out.I mixed a tbsp of cocoa powder in warm milk instead of the espresso.

The February 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and Deeba of Passionate About Baking. They chose Tiramisu as the challenge for the month. Their challenge recipe is based on recipes from The Washington Post, Cordon Bleu at Home and Baking Obsession.

RECIPE SOURCE:

Mascarpone Cheese – Vera’s Recipe (Baking Obsession) for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese.
Savoiardi/ Ladyfinger Biscuits – Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home
Tiramisu – Carminantonio’s Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007

THE CHALLENGE:

They have chosen Baltimore pastry chef Carminantonio Iannaccone’s version of tiramisu for a couple of reasons.

• Firstly, his recipe is different from most other tiramisu recipes as he makes a zabaglione, an egg custard which is flavoured with Marsala wine (you may use coffee instead). Even more important is that his zabaglione is cooked so there is no risk from using raw eggs.
• He also makes a vanilla flavoured pastry cream which we haven’t seen in other tiramisu recipes.

I started with : Ladyfinger/ Savoiardi Biscuits

Mascarpone Cheese

Tiramisu (includes zabaglione & vanilla pastry cream)

MANDATORY:

It was a MUST to make our own savoiardi / ladyfinger biscuits and mascarpone cheese with the given recipes. Also, to make the zabaglione and pastry cream using the given recipes.
Sponge cake may be not be used as a substitute. After all, a large part of this challenge is making those biscuits.

VARIATIONS:

Tiramisu is usually made in square dishes and cut into squares to serve. If you want to be different, please feel free to give full rein to your creativity as to how you want to present, decorate and serve your tiramisu. Make it square, round, as individual servings, or whatever! However, your version of Tiramisu must contain the mascarpone cheese and the savoiardi/ ladyfinger biscuits you made.

PREPARATION TIME:

Tiramisu is made up of several components which can be made separately and ahead of time and put together the day before serving.
Making Tiramisu from scratch requires about 2 to 3 days (including refrigeration) from when you start making the mascarpone to the time the tiramisu is served. So this challenge requires some prior planning.

TIRAMISU

(Recipe source: Carminantonio’s Tiramisu from The Washington Post, July 11 2007 )
This recipe makes 6 servings

I first started with the biscuits.The below mentioned recipe was just perfect,I ended up with 46 small biscuits.

LADYFINGERS/ SAVOIARDI BISCUITS
(Source: Recipe from Cordon Bleu At Home)

Ingredients:

3 eggs, separated
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
3/4 cup cake flour, sifted (or 3/4 cup all purpose flour + 2 tbsp corn starch)
6 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar,

Method:Preheat your oven to 350 F , then lightly brush 2 baking sheets with oil or softened butter and line with parchment paper.Beat the egg whites using a hand held electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Gradually add granulate sugar and continue beating until the egg whites become stiff again, glossy and smooth.In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks lightly with a fork and fold them into the meringue, using a wooden spoon. Sift the flour over this mixture and fold gently until just mixed. It is important to fold very gently and not overdo the folding. Otherwise the batter would deflate and lose volume resulting in ladyfingers which are flat and not spongy.

Fit a pastry bag with a plain tip (or just snip the end off; you could also use a Ziploc bag) and fill with the batter. Pipe the batter into 5″ long and 3/4″ wide strips leaving about 1″ space in between the strips.Sprinkle half the confectioner’s sugar over the ladyfingers and wait for 5 minutes. The sugar will pearl or look wet and glisten. Now sprinkle the remaining sugar. This helps to give the ladyfingers their characteristic crispness.Hold the parchment paper in place with your thumb and lift one side of the baking sheet and gently tap it on the work surface to remove excess sprinkled sugar.Bake the ladyfingers for 10 minutes, then rotate the sheets and bake for another 5 minutes or so until the puff up, turn lightly golden brown and are still soft.Allow them to cool slightly on the sheets for about 5 minutes and then remove the ladyfingers from the baking sheet with a metal spatula while still hot, and cool on a rack.

Store them in an airtight container till required. They should keep for 2 to 3 weeks.( It might be a good idea to decide the size of the dish in which you intend to set the dessert, and make the fingers to a size which would fit that dish. This makes it easier when assembling the tiramisu later. Do remember that ladyfingers/ savioardi puff up a little while baking.)

MASCARPONE CHEESE

• (Source: Vera’s Recipe for Homemade Mascarpone Cheese)
  This recipe makes 12oz/ 340gm of mascarpone cheese,though we need 1/3 Cup for this recipe.

Ingredients:
474ml / 2 cups whipping (36 %) pasteurized (not ultra-pasteurized), preferably organic cream (between 25% to 36% cream will do)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method: Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a wide skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the water is barely simmering. Pour the cream into a medium heat-resistant bowl, then place the bowl into the skillet. Heat the cream, stirring often, to 190 F. If you do not have a thermometer, wait until small bubbles keep trying to push up to the surface.It will take about 15 minutes of delicate heating. Add the lemon juice and continue heating the mixture, stirring gently, until the cream curdles. Do not expect the same action as you see during ricotta cheese making. All that the whipping cream will do is become thicker, like a well-done crème anglaise. It will cover a back of your wooden spoon thickly. You will see just a few clear whey streaks when you stir. Remove the bowl from the water and let cool for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, line a sieve with four layers of dampened cheesecloth and set it over a bowl. Transfer the mixture into the lined sieve. Do not squeeze the cheese in the cheesecloth or press on its surface (be patient, it will firm up after refrigeration time). Once cooled completely, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (in the sieve) overnight or up to 24 hours.

Vera’s notes: The first time I made mascarpone I had all doubts if it’d been cooked enough, because of its custard-like texture. Have no fear, it will firm up beautifully in the fridge, and will yet remain lusciously creamy.
Keep refrigerated and use within 3 to 4 days.

For the zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup Marsala wine (or port or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Method – Heat water in a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, place a pot with about an inch of water in it on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl in the pot making sure the bottom does not touch the water.
In a large mixing bowl (or stainless steel mixing bowl), mix together the egg yolks, sugar, the Marsala (or espresso/ coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture looks smooth.

Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/ pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 8 minutes or until it resembles thick custard. It may bubble a bit as it reaches that consistency.Let cool to room temperature and transfer the zabaglione to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the vanilla pastry cream:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup whole milk

Method: Mix together the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. To this add the egg yolk and half the milk. Whisk until smooth.
Now place the saucepan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from curdling.
Add the remaining milk a little at a time, still stirring constantly. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, free of lumps and beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don’t worry. You can push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.) Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic film and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream:
1 cup chilled heavy cream (we used 25%)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method: Combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat with an electric hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Set aside.( Placing the bowl (in which cream is to be whipped) and the beaters of the hand held electric mixer in the fridge for about 1/2 to 1 hour before hand makes the cream whip up very well.)

For dipping the Savoiardi:

1.5tbsp Cocoa powder

2 cups of warm milk(I used 2% milk)

2 tsp rum extract

2 tbsp sugar

Mix all the above ingredients in a shallow dish and set aside to cool.

To assemble the tiramisu:

Line an 8”round pan with plastic wrap. In a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon to break down the lumps and make it smooth. This will make it easier to fold. Add the prepared and chilled zabaglione and pastry cream, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set this cream mixture aside.

Now to start assembling the Tiramisu.
Workings quickly, dip 12 of the ladyfingers in the sweetened dipping mixture, about 1 second per side. (Do not dip the ladyfinger/ savoiardi into the coffee solution for more than ONE second, or they might become very fragile & disintegrate. Extra soaking is likely to spoil the end product, making it soggy). Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. You may break a lady finger into two, if necessary, to ensure the base of your dish is completely covered.Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover the top evenly, all the way to the edges.
Repeat to create 2 more layers, using 12 ladyfingers and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.(Keeping it overnight didn’t help me much,I ended up freezing it which worked well)

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer. Cut into individual portions and serve.

Verdict: Tiramisu was out of the world.Its one of the finest Desserts I’ve ever made.If not for DBC ,I wudn’t have thought about making this from scratch.It was very moist,creamy and delicious.Using cocoa instead of expresso din’t make much of a difference.I had some friends home for dinner and served this for Dessert and everyone loved it.I adore this  dessert and can die for this one

You might also like:

Dobos Torte

Cannoli

Six more days for the Bake-a- Cake event,hurry up with your entries.You don’t want to miss the gift…what say?

I have reached a point in life where the idea of home  baked desserts is more appealing than the store  bought ones,this way I also have control over the ingredients I use. If I had to ever choose the best cake,Black Forest Cake would win the first place . The cake combines the soft texture  of chocolate cake with loads of cream. It is one of the most tender and moist cakes.

It’s a creation of the German’s.Originally called the “Schwarzwaelder Kirschtorte”.It typically consists of several layers of chocolate cake with whipped cream and cherries sandwiched between each layer.Whipped cream is also used for frosting,maraschino Cherries and Chocolate shavings are used for decoration.Traditionally,the Kirsch syrup(cherry liqueur)is added to this cake,I just ended up using lil bit of brandy.I believe in Europe the cake almost always contains Alcohol and would probably not be considered authentic without it.

Some cakes are so good looking that they can be decorated with endless possibilities. For added attention and extra flavor sprinkle grated chocolate generously on the cake.Looks matters the most,don’t they? A cake that tastes so fresh deserves a spectacular presentation….isn’t it? Here I present the famous Black Forest Cake.

Basic Chocolate Cake:

2 Cups – All Purpose Flour

10tbsp Butter( I used melted butter )

5  Large Eggs

1 Cup Milk (I have tried using buttermilk instead of milk)

1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder

2 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Baking soda

Salt  a pinch

1 tbsp Chocolate Extract or Vanilla Extract

1 ½ Cup Sugar

Filing:

8 oz Maraschino cherries (with the syrup and the stem)

A tbsp Brandy

A tbsp cornstarch

3tbsp sugar

½ tsp Vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1 pint heavy whipped cream

¼ Cup sugar

A tsp Vanilla extract

Decorating the cake:

Chocolate curls – a few(optional)

Grated chocolate – a cup

Cake -  Preheat oven at 350F . Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round pans with parchment paper circles. Grease and flour the pans.Sift  together flour,cocoa,baking powder ,salt and baking soda. In an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.Beat in the eggs and the extract. Mix in the flour alternating with 1/2 cup of milk. Pour into the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean,approximately e about 35mins. Cool the cake on rack. Unmold the cake and remove the parchment paper very carefully.Using a cake leveler or a serrated knife level the cake,this is very important whenever we make a layered cake. Most of the cake pans are about 2” in height. I got the perfect two inch height so I cut the cake horizontally into two,ending up with four round layers. You may even go ahead without cutting the cake and make a two layered cake.

Filling – Drain the cherries(reserve 5-6 cherries for decorating the cake) and reserve the syrup in a saucepan. Combine the brandy,sugar,Vanilla and brandy.Discard the stems of the cherries.Stirring constantly, add the cherries and cook over low heat until thickened.  Cool completely before use. I had chopped the cherries into two before cooking them.

Frosting –  Just before frosting , whip the cream, sugar and extract until it forms stiff peaks.This will be used for frosting as well as filling. Reserve ½ cup of whipped cream to decorate the cake.

Assembling the cake – Place one cake layer on a cake board/plate. Spread some whipped cream,topping it with some cherry filling.Place another cake layer and repeat the same until all cake layers are used.Frost the top and sides of the cake evenly.Using a knife or any flat spatula gently cover the cake with grated chocolate.Spoon the reserved frosting into a pastry bag fitted with any decorating tip of your choice and decorate the cake.Place the remaining cherries and chocolate curls on top of the cake.Enjoy!

Verdict - This was one of the best cakes I have ever made….super moist and rich.Perfect for chocolate lovers like me

This is off to Bake-a-Cake event hosted by me:)

The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate ? Oprah Winfrey.

In childhood we longed to grow up but now we want to be kids.Looking back at good old days, birthday’s wasn’t jes about the gifts…. it was more about celebrating it with my loved ones and yes how can I forget the yummilicious food that Mom made all the time.She used to give me a box full of chocolates to be distributed at school and neighbourhood.No uniform day-that used to be the best thing.Oh, I just wonder where those wonder years melted away?

Regardless of however it is now,Birthdays are special. And it was a special time for me too,as it was P’s birthday.I baked the cake as per his liking.He prefers plain simple cakes to anything chocolaty.So I ended up with a Vanilla Cake with Pineapple Cream filling and whipped cream frosting.I haven’t seen him like any frosting other than Whipped cream, so it was cream all over the cake.Since it had to be a special cake I made a 10 inched three layered heart shaped cake and decorated it with Basket weave technique which I learnt while doing my Wilton course.This is one of my fav techniques and works best with buttercream frosting.I knew it was gona be challenging working with whipped cream coz of the texture,however it came out surprisingly well and was appreciated by everyone.I tripled the quantity of the mentioned recipe.

Recipe Source – Serena Bass’s Book (only for the cake)

Prep Time – 25mins

Baking time – 40min

Ingredients:

A cup Sugar

Two tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Three Large eggs

a Cup Heavy cream

1 1/2 cup Cake Flour

1 1/2tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 C Granulated Sugar for dusting at the top(I skipped this one as my cake was well frosted)

Method: Preheat Oven at 350F.Grease a 10 inch cake pan.Beat Vanilla Extract,Egg and Sugar until its pale and thick.Separately beat cream in a bowl until soft peaks form.Turn this onto the egg mixture.Sift Flour,Baking Powder and salt,fold these together in the batter.Scrape the batter to the prepared pan ,sprinkle sugar on top and bake for 40mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.Once done,cool the cake on rack.

For the filling & frosting:

Ingredients:

Whipped cream – 1 1/2 pint

Crushed Pineapple – 4oz

Vanilla Extract – a drop

Powdered Sugar – 5tbsp

Method: Beat the cream along with the extract until soft peaks form.Just take 1 cup of this mixture and mix in the crushed pineapple,this would be used as filling .To the remaining cream add in the sugar and beat again till you end up with peaks(when u run it thru a spatula the peaks shud stand,thats the ideal consistency).

Assemble the cake: Cut the cake into two halves(using a cake leveler is the best way to do it,if not you can also use a serrated knife).Spread the filling generously on top of one of the halves.Place the second half on top of it and frost the cake using the cream.If you are good at decorating the cake,you may use your pastry bags and nozzles to do the same.Adding food colors to the cream is also an option.

A closer look at the Basket weave technique

Verdict: It was a well crafted cake,which tasted as good as it looked. Perhaps my best attempt in frosting so far. Instead of using any techniques jes a simple layer of frosting wud be great too.

This is off too Mahimaa’s Contribute your Cakes and Cookies event.

Yet another month for the Daring Baker’s Challenge.This time it has been a complete new dessert for me,something that I have never tried,infact never heard of too.I have never tasted a “Dobos Torta” which is actually a Hungarian speciality,infact even the name sounded very new to me.When I went through the challenge,I thought am gona give up this time.But the thought of making something chocolaty kept me motivated.I halved the quantity of each ingredient as this cake was only for the two of us.I must say this was quite a challenge!

This was one of the “not so easy” cakes that I have baked so far,but must admit the end result was awesome.It is actually a five layer sponge cake,sandwiched between chocolate buttercream and surrounded by nuts and topped with caramel….ummmm ain’t this sounds delicious????? I believe the Dorbos Torta are circular in shape,since in the challenge the shape wasn’t a constraint I ended up with a square one.

The August 2009 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful
of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos
Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers’ cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite
Desserts from the Classic Caff?s of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague. ,

Equipment

* 2 baking sheets
* 9? Square Cake tin, for templates
* mixing bowls (1 medium, 1 large)
* a sieve
* a double boiler (a large saucepan plus a large heat-proof mixing bowl which fits snugly over the top of the pan)
* a small saucepan
* a whisk (you could use a balloon whisk for the entire cake, but an electric hand whisk or stand mixer will make life much easier)
* metal offset spatula
* sharp knife
* a 7 1/2? cardboard cake square, or just build cake on the base of a sprinfrom tin.
* piping bag and tip, optional

Prep times
* Sponge layers 20 mins prep, 40 mins cooking total if baking each layer individually.
* Buttercream: 20 mins cooking. Cooling time for buttercream: about 1 hour plus 10 minutes after this to beat and divide.
* Caramel layer: 10-15 minutes.
* Assembly of whole cake: 20 minutes

Sponge cake layers

* 3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
* 1 cup confectioner’s (icing) sugar, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoons sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together)
* pinch of salt

Chocolate Buttercream

* 2 large eggs, at room temperature
* 1/2(200g) caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
* 2oz (55g) bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
* 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature.

Caramel topping

* 1/2 cup (100g) caster (superfine or ultrafine white) sugar
* 6 tablespoons (90 ml) water
* 4 teaspoons (20 ml) lemon juice
* 1/2 tablespoon neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, rice bran, sunflower)

Finishing touches

* a 7? cardboard square
* Original reciped called for Hazelnuts but I used a mixture of roasted(cashewnut,hazelnut,pecans)

Directions for the sponge layers:

NB. The sponge layers can be prepared in advance and stored interleaved with parchment and well-wrapped in the fridge overnight.

1.Position the racks in the top and centre thirds of the oven and heat to 400F (200C).
2.Cut six pieces of parchment paper to fit the baking sheets. Using the bottom of a 9″ (23cm) springform tin/cake tin as a template and a dark pencil or a pen, trace a circle/square on each of the papers, and turn them over (the circle/square should be visible from the other side, so that the graphite or ink doesn’t touch the cake batter.)
3.Beat the egg yolks, 1/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner’s (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes. (You can do this step with a balloon whisk if you don’t have a mixer.)

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining confectioner’s (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.
5.Line one of the baking sheets with a square-marked paper. Using a small offset spatula, spread about 3/4cup of the batter in an even layer, filling in the traced circle on one baking sheet. Bake on the top rack for 5 minutes, until the cake springs back when pressed gently in the centre and the edges are lightly browned. While this cake bakes, repeat the process on the other baking sheet, placing it on the centre rack. When the first cake is done, move the second cake to the top rack. Invert the first cake onto a flat surface and carefully peel off the paper. Slide the cake layer back onto the paper and let stand until cool. Rinse the baking sheet under cold running water to cool, and dry it before lining with another parchment. Continue with the remaining papers and batter to make a total of six layers. Completely cool the layers. Using an 8″ springform pan bottom or plate as a template, trim each cake layer into a neat square. (A small serrated knife is best for this task.)

Directions for the chocolate buttercream:

NB. This can be prepared in advance and kept chilled until required.

1.Prepare a double-boiler: quarter-fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.
3.Fit bowl over the boiling water in the saucepan (water should not touch bowl) and lower the heat to a brisk simmer. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.
4.Scrape the chocolate mixture into a medium bowl and leave to cool to room temperature. It should be quite thick and sticky in consistency.
5.When cool, beat in the soft butter, a small piece (about 2 tablespoons/30g) at a time. An electric hand mixer is great here, but it is possible to beat the butter in with a spatula if it is soft enough. You should end up with a thick, velvety chocolate buttercream. Chill while you make the caramel topping.

Lorraine’s note: If you’re in Winter just now your butter might not soften enough at room temperature, which leads to lumps forming in the buttercream. Make sure the butter is of a very soft texture I.e. running a knife through it will provide little resistance, before you try to beat it into the chocolate mixture. Also, if you beat the butter in while the chocolate mixture is hot you’ll end up with more of a ganache than a buttercream!

Directions for the caramel topping:

1.Choose the best-looking cake layer for the caramel top. To make the caramel topping: Line a jell
yroll pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Place the reserved cake layer on the paper. Score the cake into 12 equal wedges. Lightly oil a thin, sharp knife and an offset metal spatula.
2.Stir the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved into a smooth syrup, turn the heat up to high and boil without stirring, swirling the pan by the handle occasionally and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the pan with a wet brush until the syrup has turned into an amber-coloured caramel.
3.The top layer is perhaps the hardest part of the whole cake so make sure you have a oiled, hot offset spatula ready. I also find it helps if the cake layer hasn’t just been taken out of the refrigerator. I made mine ahead of time and the cake layer was cold and the toffee set very, very quickly?too quickly for me to spread it. Immediately pour all of the hot caramel over the cake layer. You will have some leftover most probably but more is better than less and you can always make nice toffee pattern using the extra to decorate. Using the offset spatula, quickly spread the caramel evenly to the edge of the cake layer. Let cool until beginning to set, about 30 seconds. Using the tip of the hot oiled knife (keep re-oiling this with a pastry brush between cutting), cut through the scored marks to divide the caramel layer into 12 equal wedges. Cool another minute or so, then use the edge of the knife to completely cut and separate the wedges using one firm slice movement (rather than rocking back and forth which may produce toffee strands). Cool completely.

Angela’s note: I recommend cutting, rather than scoring, the cake layer into wedges before covering in caramel (reform them into a round). If you have an 8? silicon round form, then I highly recommend placing the wedges in that for easy removal later and it also ensures that the caramel stays on the cake layer. Once set, use a very sharp knife to separate the wedges.

Assembling the Dobos

1.Divide the buttercream into six equal parts.
2.Place a dab of chocolate buttercream on the middle of a 7 1/2? cardboard round and top with one cake layer. Spread the layer with one part of the chocolate icing. Repeat with 4 more cake layers. Spread the remaining icing on the sides of the cake.
3.Optional: press the finely chopped hazelnuts onto the sides of the cake.
4.Propping a hazelnut under each wedge so that it sits at an angle, arrange the wedges on top of the cake in a spoke pattern. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can pipe rosettes under each hazelnut or a large rosette in the centre of the cake. Refrigerate the cake under a cake dome until the icing is set, about 2 hours. Let slices come to room temperature for the best possible flavour.

Verdict:

Though the process looks elaborate,it was not that difficult.Baking each layer separately is the main thing.My layers were not as thin as I expected them to be.However,the taste was jes perfect.Now am gona look around for this cake here.In three words,”Dorbe Torta rocks”!.

After a much needed break?am back again, but I wonder where the long weekend disappeared???

When it comes to Christmas?.the main ?must eatable? stuff would be the ?Christmas Fruitcake?.The amazing combination of loads of nuts and cherries in the spongy cake makes it all the more tempting. To ensure I don?t miss much of Christmas here?I baked a Fruitcake too.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour/Maida ? 1 ? cup
Granulated Sugar ? 1 Cup
Dark Brown Sugar ? 3/4th Cup
Baking Soda ? 1 tsp
Eggs ? 5 ( medium )
All spices grounded ? 1 tsp ( 2 Cloves, Cinnamon and 3 cardamon)
Pecans ? ? cup (small pieces)
Candied fruit ? 1 ? cup (This is nothing but preserved fruit that has been dipped in sugar syrup for long ? this is similar to the Tutty Fruity that we get in India)
Cashewnuts ? 1/4th cup
Raisins ? 1/2 cup (I used California seedless raisins)
Vanilla Essence/Almond Essence – 3 tsp
Milk ? ? cup
Unsalted Butter ? ? cup/1 Stick
Rum ? 1/4th cup (optional)

Method ?

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter ,sugar (both)and eggs till fluffy. Sift Flour,Baking Soda & Spice powder(I jes grounded all the spices together to a fine powder) and add it to the mixture. Stir until well combined.
2.Being heavy, the candied fruits might settle down in the bottom of the cake??to avoid that sprinkle 1 tbsp of Flour onto it & toss well.
3.Add all other ingredients except for the candied fruits and nuts. Beat at low speed until blended;beat at high speed for 3mins ,scrapping the bowl occasionally.
4.Gently fold in the fruits & nuts.Stir well.
5.Scrape the mixture onto a well greased pan. Bake in a preheated 250F until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.It took close to 40mins for me.
6.Cool for few minutes before removing from the pan.

The authentic Fruitcake as far as I know does have some form of Alcohol. If using Rum(this is optional),mix the candied fruits along with it and leave it for about 3 hrs before using it. I also dusted powdered sugar on the top, this is again optional.You can also add more milk to get the batter like consistency.