I Heart This

Flourless Chocolate Cake
'If chocolate be the food of love, munch on', wrote William Shakespeare.......never.
Excuse my play on the Bard's opening line from his play, 'Twelfth Night', but as Valentine's Day is here again, I couldn't resist.
I can't say I get terribly excited about this 'Day of Love', but I do like to mark an occasion by mixing up a treat that I can share with my loved ones.
I did want to try and avoid the obvious chocolate recipe to celebrate this occasion, but this (and I admit not very pretty) cake is so delicious and so special that it was my only choice. Plus, I was actually craving it. Therefore, based purely on my greed, I hope you love this cake as much as I do and it becomes a staple in your repertoire for when you need a truly celebratory dessert. This is no delicate, light sponge, but rather a very rich, dense, fudgy pudding, which simply melts in the mouth. Think of the richest, darkest chocolate truffle you have ever eaten, and it is like that. But in cake form.
As in the recipe, you can cover the cake with crème fraiche or cream, before piling the berries on top, but I prefer to serve it separately. A mixture of strawberries, redcurrants and raspberries would be lovely in summer, and in the autumn, blackberries and blueberries. But whatever fruit you choose, the only rule is to not be shy. This is a decadent pudding so be decadent.
When I made this cake I used just raspberries, and replaced the crème fraiche with double cream simply because they are my personal favourite. The sour tang of crème fraiche would of course cut through the richness of all of this cake, but call me old fashioned, I do like a bit of cream with my chocolate. The Cajuns have their 'holy trinity' of bell peppers, onions and celery, and I have my classic 'holy trinity' of chocolate, raspberries and cream.

For the Cake
(adapted from Sophie Dahl's Voluptuous Delights)

300g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, (plus extra to decorate, but this is optional)
225g golden caster sugar
180ml boiling water
225g salted butter, cubed
6 medium eggs, at room temperature and separated
1 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

To Decorate
250g of your choice of berries
200ml crème fraiche, or double cream

You will also need an 8in / 20cm square, or a 9in / 23cm round cake tin

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4.
2. Grease and line the base and sides of the tin with baking parchment.
3. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a food processor with the sugar and pulse until fine.
4. Add the boiling water, butter, egg yolks, coffee powder and vanilla extract and give it another mix. The chocolate and butter should melt so that you have a molten chocolate mixture. Transfer into a large bowl.
5. Whisk the eggs whites in a glass bowl until stiff and fold a quarter into the chocolate mixture using a metal spoon, to slacken it. Fold in the remaining egg whites until they are thoroughly mixed in. You will need to do this gently in order not to knock the air out of the egg whites.
6. Pour the mousse like mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45 - 55 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
7. The top of the cake will crack and the centre will collapse. This is entirely normal, so don't worry.
8. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin and place in the fridge for a few hours, or better still, overnight.
9. When you want to serve the cake, remove from the tin and take off the paper. At this stage I would also put the cake on the serving plate before decorating.
10. If you are using the double cream give it a bit of a whisk so that it has thickened up enough to hold its shape, but is not stiff, and dollop on top of the cake. The crème fraiche doesn't need whisking so you can just spoon that on top as is.
11. Put the fruit on top of the cream or crème fraiche, and grate over some extra chocolate if you fancy it.
12. Devour. Greedily.

Baking Notes
For this cake use the best chocolate you can afford, and do make sure it contains 70% cocoa solids. If you don't want to make such a dark, bitter cake and want something is a little sweeter, use a mixture of dark and milk chocolate, but with the dark being the in the greater proportion. 
 

 

Spring has Sprung

Spring has sprung, the grass is ris,

I wonder where the birdies is?

Some say the bird is on the wing,

But that's absurd
The wing is on the bird. 

(anon, or Spike Milligan, depending on which Google entry you want to believe)

This little piece of nonsense was taught to me by my father when I was a child, and I have remembered ever since at the onset of Spring. To get the full effect of its silliness though, you have to say it in a faux 'noo yoik' accent. Funny, the things that make you smile.

I digress.

Spring has arrived, and to that, I say, Hurrah! The cold dark days of winter are behind us, there is a warmth in the air, flowers are emerging from their winter hibernation, and Summer is not so far away. And, of course, there is Easter, which is just around the corner.  

To celebrate, why not mix up a Simnel Cake for your tea time table? This is the fruit cake which is traditionally eaten at Easter in England and Ireland, and is often likened to Christmas Cake simply because it contains fruit, and involves marzipan. That, for me, though, is where the similarity ends.





It is lighter than Christmas cake. It doesn't have to be made weeks in advance nor does it have to be doused in alcohol. And, if you are short on time, the recipe below uses the all-in-one method, although at least two hours are needed to bake it.

The cake is made with two layers of marzipan. One is baked into the middle (which gives a gorgeous almondy dampness) and one is placed on the top, and toasted. To decorate, eleven marzipan balls (which represent the twelve apostles of Jesus, excluding Judas) are placed around the top edge of the cake. 
Simnel cake has been around since at least medieval times, and it was made for the middle Sunday of Lent, when on this day the Lenten fast was relaxed. In more recent times however, it became the tradition for young girls in service to make a Simnel cake for their mothers when they visited on Mothering Sunday.
The name 'simnel' possibly comes from the Latin word 'simila', meaning fine, wheaten flour.

I hope that you give this cake a try. I think there is something special about eating food that 
has a history and is tied into the feast for which it is made. Try to make and eat it at any other time of year, and it doesn't quite taste the same!

For the cake

(from Mary Berry)

100g glacé cherries
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g light muscovado sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
225g self-raising flour, sifted
225g sultanas
100g currants
50g chopped candied peel
2 lemons, grated zest only
2 tsp ground mixed spice

For the filling and topping

450g marzipan
1-2 tbsp apricot jam, warmed and sieved 

1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 150C / 280F / Gas 2. Grease and line a 20cm/ 8in cake tin with baking paper.

1.Cut the cherries into quarters, and rinse under running water in a sieve. Drain well, and dry thoroughly on kitchen paper.

2. Put the cherries in a large bowl with remaining cake ingredients and beat well until thoroughly mixed. Pour half the mixture into the prepared tin.

3. With one-third of the marzipan, roll it out to a circle the size of the tin and then place on top of the cake mixture. Spoon the remaining mixture on top and level the surface with the back of a spoon.

4. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 2½ hours, or until well risen, evenly brown and firm to the touch. (If you think the top is browning too quickly, cover with a layer of foil or baking paper after one hour). Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out, peel off the paper and finish cooling on a wire rack.

5.When the cake is cool, brush the top with a little of the apricot jam and roll out half of the remaining marzipan to fit the top. Press firmly on the top and using a fork, crimp around the edges.

6. Roll the remaining marzipan into 11 balls.

7. Brush the marzipan with beaten egg and arrange the marzipan balls around the edge of the cake. I like to press down lightly on them with a fork. This not only ensures that the balls are stuck down properly, but I think it adds a nice touch.
8. Brush the tops of the balls with beaten egg and then place the cake under a hot grill until the top is lightly toasted. I would recommend that you watch the cake like a hawk, because this doesn't take long, and lightly toasted can easily become burnt!

The Cake of Love

Passion Cake

Valentine's Day is very soon upon us, and what better way to show someone you love them, than by baking them a cake? Here is a recipe that is not the usual chocolate, Red Velvet, or heart shaped creation offered in the name of love.

This is really a carrot cake by another name, and although I cannot vouch for the (ahem) aphrodesiac properties of a carrot, that it has been made for the object of your desire may bring its own consequences.
To learn more about origins of why carrot cake is sometimes known as Passion Cake I looked online. One reason (and the one that I like because it fits in with the theme) is that Passion Cake was the name given in former times to a cake made for weddings as a symbol of the union and love of the happy couple. It was a cheaper alternative to the traditional wedding 'spice' cake, which used large amounts of dried fruit and spices (such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger), ingredients that could not always be afforded by the ordinary folk of Britain.

This recipe is from the first proper grown up cookbook that I was given for my 18th birthday from Good Housekeeping, named simply 'Cookery Book, the classic cookery book completely revised', and was one of the first cakes I ever made, and still make, from it. 
This carrot cake is unusual in that it is made with butter instead of the traditional oil. The use of oil makes for a very light and moist cake. Personally though, I am not a fan of the taste and mouth feel of oil in cakes and much prefer the taste of butter in my baking. It does give a denser cake, but I have no issue with this provided it is not dry and tastes good. Which this cake does. 
The cream cheese icing is gorgeous with this cake as it is very light, and the taste of the lemon really cuts through the richness of the cake. It is not a stiff creamy icing like you would see on most carrot cakes, but rather a more runny affair. If you prefer a firmer icing though, just use less lemon juice.

For the cake
225g unsalted butter
225g soft light brown sugar
4 eggs, beaten (I used size medium)
225g self raising wholemeal flour, sifted (but do add the remaining bran pieces)
1 level tsp baking powder
350g carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
1 lemon, the juice and finely grated rind 
100g walnuts, coarsely chopped

For the icing
1 tbsp lemon juice
75g full fat soft cheese
50g icing sugar, sifted

To decorate
25g walnuts, again coarsely chopped

You will also need a 20.5cm (8 inch) round cake tin.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / Gas Mark 4.
2. Grease and line the base and sides of the tin with baking paper.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Add the eggs, a little at a time, and beat well after each addition. If the mixture looks like it is curdling beat in a tablespoon of flour after each egg addition. 
5. Sift the flour with the baking powder and fold into the butter, sugar and egg mixture with the bran pieces.
6. Stir in the carrots, lemon rind, 1 tbsp of the lemon juice, and the walnuts.
7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
8. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours until risen and golden brown. To check if it is cooked put a skewer into the centre of the cake and if it comes out clean, it is done. When making the cake for this post I found that the cake was cooked after about an hour and 10 minutes. You can open the oven door after about 3/4 of the cooking time (any sooner and you risk the cake sinking) to check the cake's progress. If it is not quite done, but you think that the top is becoming a little too brown, just cover the cake with foil for the rest of the cooking time. 
9. Leave the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack and letting it go completely cold before icing.
10. Make the icing by beating together the cream cheese, icing sugar and lemon juice until smooth.
11. Using a palette knife spread over the cake and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.
12. Eat with your loved one, and enjoy.

NB. I prefer to use half white and half wholemeal flour as I think that using all wholemeal makes the cake a little too heavy, and a little bit......worthy!