Deprecated: Hook custom_css_loaded is deprecated since version jetpack-13.5! Use WordPress Custom CSS instead. Jetpack no longer supports Custom CSS. Read the WordPress.org documentation to learn how to apply custom styles to your site: https://wordpress.org/documentation/article/styles-overview/#applying-custom-css in /home2/aditi/public_html/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6078
Chocolate – Addy's Pub

Addy's Pub

Tag Archives: Chocolate

Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream & Chocolate Ganache

 

I have always wondered if a chocolate lover can ever get tired of having too much chocolate. I doubt if that’s possible as I certainly haven’t felt over-choc-ed ever. In fact I gorge on chocolate every chance I get.

What better way to celebrate the love for chocolate than with baking a towering chocolate layer cake for someone you love, right?. So that’s exactly what I did for my dearest taste buds Varun’s birthday. It was a chocolate layer cake filled with 2 frostings- Chocolate italian meringue buttercream and Chocolate ganache frosting.

 

blog

 

The plan was to make the 1st and 3rd layer of the buttercream with chocolate ganache and use chocolate italian meringue buttercream(CIMB) to make the 2nd layer and cover the cake. Now things didn’t really go as planned, mainly due to the lack of my knowledge of the whimsical tendencies of CIMB. I did the grave mistake of refrigerating the remaining CIMB after filling the 2nd layer of the cake.

When I got the CIMB out to cover the cake it was hard as a rock, so I tried to whip it back to life in my stand mixer. To my horror, I ended up with a sloppy mixture which looked nothing like the CIMB I once knew!! Turns out, CIMB or for that matter any IMB doesn’t really appreciate being refrigerated. So I ended up with an unusable gooey batch of buttercream. Luckily the leftover chocolate ganache came to the rescue and I used it to cover the cake.

The cake turned out to be delicious, as chocolatey as intended and a reason for doubling my  non- existent gym hours!

Here are the recipes of the cake and frostings I used to layer the cake. You can reduce the measurements used in the recipe of the cake and frostings for a smaller cake.

Recipe for the chocolate cake 

I have already posted the recipe of the cake on the blog before. Find it here.

This recipe makes 2 cakes. Cut each cake in half and now we have 4 layers to stack up with some delicious buttercream frosting!

 

Recipe of the Frostings:

Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream 

Total Time:20 min
 
Ingredients
  1. Egg Whites – 3
  2. Butter – 270 grams or 1&1/8 cups
  3. Sugar – 171 grams or 3/4 cup
  4. Chocolate – 204 grams or 3/4 cup
  5. Water – 48 ml or 3/4 cup
  6. Pinch of Cream of Tartar*

Instructions

  1. In a pan boil the water and add the sugar to it. Keep mixing till the sugar dissolves completely.Heat the sugar syrup till it reaches 240ºF.
  2. While the water and sugar is heating, in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer start beating the egg whites with a whisk attachment.
  3. Melt the chocolate in microwave or over double boiler and cool it down to room temperature.
  4. Once the egg whites are light and fluffy and the sugar syrup reaches the desired temperature add the syrup to the egg whites while beating them.
  5. Continue beating them for 7-10 minutes until they are able to form stiff peaks.
  6. Mix in butter, little at a time, while beating the egg whites on a medium speed.
  7. Add the melted chocolate to the mixture and beat till everything is combined. Don’t over-beat the mixture.
  8. Store the buttercream at room temperature and don’t refrigerate it.

* You can add a pinch of cream of tartar to the egg whites while beating them before adding the sugar syrup as it has been known to helping stabilize and give more volume to beaten egg whites.

Chocolate Ganache

Total Time:10 min
 
 Ingredients
  1. Semi Sweet Chocolate – 24 ounces / 3 cups
  2. Heavy whipping cream – 1.5 cups
Instructions
  1. Heat the whipping cream in a pan. Place the chocolate chips/ chopped chocolate bits in a heat proof bowl.
  2. Once the whipping cream comes to a boil, pour it over the chocolate and let it rest for 2-3 minutes.The heat from the cream will melt the chocolate.
  3. Mix the mixture thoroughly till it become dark brown and all the chocolate has melted.
  4. Once it comes down to room temperature , use it to layer the cake.
So give the cake and the frostings a try and let me know how it turned out for you.
 
Happy Cooking!! 
 
 
DSC00340
 
[AMAZONPRODUCTS asin=”B002I01TGE”]

Banana & Almond Choco Squares

Banana & Almond Choco Cake

Banana & Almond Choco Cake

 

These Banana almond chocolate cake squares are insanely moist and delightfully flavourful. The fluffy cake is smothered with rich chocolate glaze and topped with finely chopped salted almonds.

The banana and oil in the cake ensure a moist and airy texture & the cake can be refrigerated for upto 2 weeks or more!

Here is the video Recipe-

Banana & Almond Choco Squares
Yields 20
Write a review
Save Recipe
Print
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time
Prep Time
Cook Time
Total Time
184 calories
23 g
23 g
10 g
2 g
4 g
54 g
87 g
16 g
0 g
6 g
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
54g
Yields
20
Amount Per Serving
Calories 184
Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g
16%
Saturated Fat 4g
21%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 5g
Cholesterol 23mg
8%
Sodium 87mg
4%
Total Carbohydrates 23g
8%
Dietary Fiber 1g
6%
Sugars 16g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A
3%
Vitamin C
1%
Calcium
3%
Iron
4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your Daily Values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Does this look wrong?
Ingredients
  1. All purpose flour - 1 cup
  2. Granulated Sugar - 1 cup
  3. Cocoa Powder - 1/3 cup
  4. Baking powder - 3/4 teaspoon
  5. Baking soda - 3/4 teaspoon
  6. Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
  7. Milk - 1/4 cup
  8. 1 teaspoon Instant coffee mixed in 1/2 cup warm water
  9. Large Egg - 1
  10. Oil - 1/4 cup
  11. Pure Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
  12. Ripe Banana - 1
  13. Chopped Salted Almonds - Handful (About 20-25)
  14. Semisweet Chocolate - 1 cup
  15. Cream - 1 cup
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line a baking pan with parchment/wax paper.
  2. In a bowl sift and combine all the dry ingredients including half of the chopped almonds. Mix thoroughly till well combined.
  3. In another bowl, mash the banana with a fork and beat in the egg, oil, milk and vanilla extract. Add warm coffee to the mixture and mix well.
  4. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and combine them well with the help of a whisk or spatula. Don't over mix the batter.
  5. Add the batter to the prepared cake pan and give it a tap to get rid of any air bubbles.
  6. Place the pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  7. While the cake is baking, heat a pan and add cream to it. Let it come to a boil.
  8. If you have chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips, chop the bar roughly into small pieces.
  9. Add the chocolate to a bowl and pour the boiling cream over it. Cover the bowl immediately and let it rest. The heat will gradually melt the chocolate.
  10. After about 5 minutes remove the lid from the bowl and mix the cream and molten chocolate together to form a smooth ganache. Let it cool down to room temperature.
  11. Once the cake is baked, remove the cake pan from the oven and set it on the cooling rack until it comes down to room temperature.
  12. Place the cake on a plate and pour the chocolate ganache over it to coat it evenly.
  13. Refrigerate the cake at least for an hour.
  14. To serve, remove the cake from the fridge and top it with the remaining chopped almonds. Cut the cake in squares and serve.
Notes
  1. 1. Ensure that the ingredients for the cake are at room temperature.
  2. 2. Make sure not to over bake the cake as it may result into a dry and tough cake.
  3. 3. Better chocolate makes a better ganache so try to get your hands on the best chocolate available to you. I used Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips.
  4. 4. You can use plain almonds instead of salted ones.
beta
calories
184
fat
10g
protein
2g
carbs
23g
more
Addy's Pub https://www.addyspub.com/
Banana & Almond Choco Squares

Classic Chocolate Cake!

(Recipe of Classic Moist Chocolate Cake)

In my experience of amateur baking, I have come to the realization that recipes to some foods yield different results every single time. There are times when it turns out perfectly fine and then there are others when it can finds its way to the trash can.

These whimsical recipes are the ones I prefer to stay away from, especially if I’m cooking/baking for guests.

 
Then there is this other category, the dependable one, the nice one.
Like that one player which the team can always count on!
The one that will never let you down! Ok..I got a lil emotional there.

One such recipe is of this deliciously moist chocolate cake I came across a while ago.
Makes the most wonderful cake/cupcakes every single time and most importantly the recipe is way too simple.
 
I guess my obsession with ridiculously chocolatey cakes can be traced back to one of my favorite movies of all times, Matilda.
The chocolate cake which evil Ms. Trunchbull forces down poor Bruce’s throat is so damn gooey and mouth watering that I have fantasized about digging into it a million times ever since, always wondering what it must have actually tasted like.
(Excuse Cookie’s extremely filthy and unsanitary looking apron, I can assure you that it’s just …chocolate….isn’t it??)

 

 
Victory is mine!!!…Burrrrpp!!

 

 
 
Now back to this cake I was talking about, well I have baked it as a birthday cake every now & then or the occasional ‘it’s been a while since I last baked and I don’t mind gaining a few pounds’ cupcakes and the result was always the same- the most moist, decadent, chocolatey cake ever.
 
Another great thing about this chocolate cake is that it stays fresh and in perfectly moist condition for several days and by several I mean even a month or more.
Isn’t that incredible! So you can bake it ahead of time and no one can tell if it’s right out of the oven or has been baked a week ago. 
 
So without further ado I will dive right into the recipe of the chocolate cake and the yummy chocolate buttercream frosting that goes with it.
 



Chocolate Cake:

All you need is-

  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cups cocoa powder
  • 2 tsps baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil(secret ingredient which makes the cake so moist:))
  • 1 cup buttermilk(substitute- mix 1 tbsp lemon juice in 1 cup milk and set aside for 10 minutes)
  • 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup hot coffee(freshly brewed is preferred)

 


This is how we do it–

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F(180 degrees C). 
  2. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans. 
  3. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and mix until combined.
  4. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs(lightly beaten), and vanilla. 
  5. Make a well in the dry mix and slowly add the wet ingredients to it.
  6. Add the coffee,at the very end, and stir just to combine.Avoid over-mixing the batter.The consistency of the batter should be runny.

Pour the batter into the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the pans before turning them and releasing the cakes.


Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

All you need is-
  • 8 ounces semisweet chocolate 
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
  • 1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature 
  • 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners'(icing) sugar 
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 
  • 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder, just for the flavor(optional) 
  • For best results, you will need a stand/hand mixer for the frosting. 


This is how we do it-

  1. Chop the chocolate and place it in a double boiler or microwave. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled.
  2. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. 
  3. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and continue beating for about 5 minutes. 
  4. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the confectioners’ sugar.
  5. Once the entire sugar is added, beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy. 
  6. Dissolve the coffee powder in hot water. 
  7. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended.
  8. Spread on the cooled cake. If it becomes too soft to work with, refrigerate the frosting for some time.

 


Try this recipe, I guarantee you will enjoy it right from mixing the ingredients till devouring the cake!!

Happy Cooking!!