Chocolate Cake

When I got up this morning all that was on my mind was what cake I was going to make for my special Birthday.  I am 30 I cant believe it, but I guess I cant be 21 forever. I was wondering to myself where have the years gone? I started to look in the mirror to see if over night I suddenly have more wrinkles or grey hairs! No, but I defiantly feel different, like maybe there is an unwritten rule that you have to wear knee length skirts or use that eye cream my mum has begged me for years to use. I have to pull myself together and get over it. So on with my cooking mission, lets do something real fattening...... chocolate cake it is.

Chocolate Cake

3 eggs

225g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

60g butter

100ml sour cream

210g plain flour

40g almond meal

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder 

100g good quality dark chocolate

Chocolate Icing

60g butter, softened

300g icing sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla sugar

25g good quality cocoa powder

100g cream cheese

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees

Beat together the eggs,  sugar and vanilla until pale and fluffy

Melt the butter, add the sour cream and blend into the egg mixture

Mix together the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder carefully fold into the mixture

Melt the chocolate and add to the mixture

Pour into a lined round springform pan

Bake in the centre of the oven for about 45min or until cooked

leave to cool

Make the frosting by mixing together butter, icing sugar, vanilla sugar, cocoa powder and cream cheese

Spread the frosting all over the cake and decorate with choclate curls and sugar flowers.

Happy 30th to me!

Roasted Almond Shortbread

Just had the most amazing trip to Sydney with my mum, we definitely shopped till we dropped. I loved the quant coffee shops around the Rocks and the superb shopping in Paddington. 
On our last day we went for a stroll around Darling Harbour, and stopped at the Lindt Cafe. Since 1845, Lindt has been producing the worlds finest chocolates. We could not resist buying some of their hand made chocolates,  which we knew would not last the trip home, and they didn't!   

These almond shortbread have been filled with this gorgeous chocolate, they just melt in your mouth.

Roasted Almond Shortbread

100g butter,unsalted

55g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg yolk

70g almond meal

140g plain flour

150g Lindt chocolate

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon milk.

Preheat oven to 170 degrees

Combine butter, sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and mix until pale

Add egg yolk and mix in well

In a separate bowl combine almond meal and flour

On a low speed mix in almond mixture into the butter mix until just combined

Place shortbread dough in cling film and place in the fridge for 10min

Use 100g of the chocolate and cut each square in half and put aside

On a floured surface roll out shortbread to 3mm thick

Cut into rectangles 4cm wide 7cm long

Place one piece of chocolate onto rectangle and wrap with the shortbread. Make sure the chocolate is visible on both sides

Place shortbread on a lined tray and brush with the egg wash and back until golden brown(20min)

Allow to fully cool

To decorate, gently melt the rest of the chocolate and drizzle over the shortbread

Allow to set and will keep in a sealed container for one week.

This mixture can also be used to make plain almond shortbread, just use 1 tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball, place onto the baking tray, use a folk to press down to slightly flatten. 

Blueberry and White Chocolate New York Cheesecakes

I love catching up with friends specially when good food is involved. A gorgeous couple Vanessa and Corey had invited us for dinner. I had offered to make a desert for the occasion, I scanned my cookbooks looking for some inspiration and found the recipe for these individual blueberry and white chocolate New York cheesecakes. 
Cheesecake originated from Eastern Europe and has been adapted by many countries one of those being USA- New York. I adore the denseness of New York cheesecake and with its contrast of the fruit with the creamy white chocolate. They make a fantastic end to a dinner party.

Blueberry and White Chocolate New York Cheesecakes

Makes 24 individual or 1 large cake

Crust

300g digestive biscuits

150g butter, melted

Filling

750g cream cheese

90g caster sugar

50g cornflour

2 teaspoons vanilla sugar

3 eggs

100ml whipping cream

200g white chocolate

80g fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 180 degrees

Put biscuits and butter in food processor till combined

Place cup cake liners in cup cake tray

Press 1 tablespoon of mixture into each liner 

Bake in oven for 10 minutes

Beat together cream cheese,sugar, cornflour and vanilla sugar

Beat in eggs one at a time and fold in cream

Melt white chocolate then stir into cheesecake mixture

Pour filling over each crust and sprinkle blueberries on top

Bake for 40 minutes. To prevent cheesecake from browning, cover with foil when they become golden brown 

Turn the oven off and leave cheesecakes to continue cooking for 30 minutes

Perfect!

Swedish Chocolate Brownies

I am very excited, my good friend Leia is expecting her second child in the first week of September which is going to be a girl! With not long to go she is looking amazing but understandable feeling tiered. So I thought I would cheer her up by baking her some delicious home made chocolate brownies.
This recipe is Swedish and has a slight twist on the traditional chocolate brownie recipe. It is moist but has a lighter texture, more like a cake slice. It has a smooth rich flavour with  gooey chunks of chocolate scattered throughout.

Swedish Chocolate Brownies 

5 organic eggs

350g caster sugar

275g plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 pinch of salt

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

200ml water

250g butter, melted

200g dark chocolate 

100g desiccated coconut

Icing

200ml whipping cream

1 tablespoons coffee granules

200g dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 200 degrees

Beat together the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy

Mix together the dry ingredients and then blend in egg mixture

Add water and melted butter and stir to combine

Line a 40x35cm cake tin with baking paper,pour mixture into tin

Sprinkle coarsely chopped chocolate over the top

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer comes out slightly sticky

Bring the whipping cream to the boil, stir in coffee granules

Turn the heat off, chop the chocolate add the cream and stir until melted

Spread icing over the cake, sprinkle desiccated coconut on top and leave to set

Cut into squares

Yum!