M&M’s Cake

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: “Bolo de M&M’s”

This cake is very easy to assemble. All you need is a little patience to place the M&M’s. You can also use Smarties if you prefer. Prepare the “Onda Chocolate Cake”, (follow the link). Push a straw through the middle of the cake and cover it with chocolate. Place the M&M’s on the cake and up the straw. Finally place an empty M&M’s bag on top of the straw “glued” with a dab of chocolate.

Children just love it!

Onda Chocolate Cake

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: “Bolo Onda de Chocolate”

Cake:

450ml/2 cups water

100g/1 cup cocoa powder

225g butter

560g/2 ½ cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

360g/2 ¾ cups flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp baking powder

Frosting:

350g/2 ¼ cups chopped chocolate

3 cups icing sugar

¼ cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder

160g butter at room temperature

200g cream cheese at room temperature

250ml/1 ⅓ cups heavy cream at room temperature

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

Prepare the cake:

Heat water until it begins to boil and remove from heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until dissolved. Leave to cool at room temperature.

Grease and flour two round pans.

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC/350ºF.

Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla for 8 to 10 minutes until creamy and fluffy. In another bowl mix flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture and cocoa liquid to the egg mixture alternating between the dry and liquid and mixing only as needed to incorporate all the ingredients. Divide batter evenly between both pans. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let it cool for 10 minutes, remove from pan and place on a rack and leave to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the frosting:

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, stirring occasionly. When completely melted remove from heat and leave to cool a bit. In a small bowl mix the heavy cream with the lemon juice and leave to rest for 10 minutes. It will thicken and curdle. In a small bowl mix sugar and cocoa powder and set aside. In a bigger bowl (so many bowls!) beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar with cocoa and mix well. Add melted chocolate, heavy cream with lemon juice and vanilla and mix only as much as necessary to blend all the ingredients. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before using.

To assemble the cake:

Cut each cake in half so you have 4 layers. Place one of the layers on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup of frosting over the layer and top with another layer. Spread another cup of frosting over the second layer and repeat until all 4 layers are assembled. Frost the top and sides of the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cake

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: "Bolo Red Velvet"

¾ cup milk
1 tbsp vinegar

2½ cups flour
2 cups sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp/28ml red liquid food colouring

"Cream Cheese Buttercream” (click on link or search blog files)

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC. Grease and flour 2 round 20cm in diameter baking pans. Line bottom with parchment paper.

In a small bowl mix vinegar and milk and leave to curdle for 5 minutes. In a large bowl place all dry ingredients and mix well with a wire whisk. In another bowl place the eggs and beat lightly with a wire whisk.

Add all wet ingredients, including milk and vinegar mixture, and mix well. Pour mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Divide batter between both pans. Drop pans on counter twice in order to help release air bubbles trapped in the batter. Place pans in the oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove cakes from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Leave to cool completely. Place one of the cakes on a serving platter and top with some “Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting”. Place the other cake on top and frost completely with the buttercream. With the back of a spoon make peaks all over the cake.

Chocolate & Coffee Mousse Duo by Onda

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: "Duo Mousse de Café & Chocolate da Onda"

For the coffee mousse:

400ml/2 cups heavy cream

1 can/397g sweetened condensed milk

4 gelatin sheets (1.8g each)

100ml/ ½ cup cold water

3 tbsp instant coffee granules

For the chocolate mousse:

4 eggs

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp butter

125g chocolate roughly chopped

Whipped cream and chocolate powder for decorating

Prepare the coffee mousse: Whip the cream until stiff. Add the condensed milk and mix well. In a small bowl soak the gelatin sheets in cold water for about 5 minutes. Place the bowl in the microwave for a few seconds until gelatin is dissolved. Add the coffee granules and mix. Add this mixture to the condensed milk and combine thoroughly. Pour the mixture into goblets filling only half way. Lie the goblets slightly slanted in a tray. Place in the refrigerator to set for about 4 hours.

Prepare the chocolate mousse: Whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar until it’s pale in colour. In a double-boiler over medium heat place the chocolate and butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Fold chocolate into egg mixture and combine well. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Take 3 tbsp of the egg whites and add to the chocolate mixing well and vigorously. Then fold remaining egg whites very gently. Finish filling the goblets with the chocolate mousse and return the goblets to the refrigerator for about 4 hours to set.

Before serving top the mousse with some whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate powder. 

Brownie Magic Cake

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: "Bolo Mágico com Chocolate e Nozes"

Another Magic Cake recipe! Last month I published the tangerine version (follow the link "Tangerine Magic Cake" for recipe), and had promised to be back with another version. This "Brownie Magic Cake" shows 3 very distinct layers. I hope you have fun baking it! Enjoy!

4 eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla

150g/ ¾ cup sugar

125g/ ½ cup butter, melted

115g/ ¾ cup flour
30g/ ¼ cup cocoa powder

500ml/2 cups milk, lukewarm

80g/ ½ cup chopped nuts
50g chocolate chips

  

Preheat oven to 160ºC/325ºF. Grease an 8in x 8in/20cm x 20cm baking pan. Spread the nuts and chocolate chips on the bottom of the pan. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in butter and vanilla. Sift flour and cocoa powder together and mix it into the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Slowly add milk beating until well mixed together. The batter will be very liquid. Beat egg whites until stiff. Gradually fold egg whites into the mixture. Batter should be lumpy. Pour batter into baking dish and bake for 40 minutes until lightly golden. Skewer should come out clean, if not, leave another 10 minutes. Let cool completely before turning out onto a serving plate.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: “Tarte de Mousse de Chocolate”

300g plain chocolate cut in pieces

200g butter

200g/ ¾ cup sugar

7 eggs

40g/ ½ cup flour

½ tsp baking powder

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC. Grease a springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper.

Melt chocolate with butter over a double boiler until smooth and silky. Separate eggs and beat yolks with sugar until light in colour, about 10 minutes. Add the melted chocolate to the yolks and sugar and mix well. Beat egg whites until stiff and add to chocolate, gently folding it into the mixture. Place half the mixture in a bowl and set aside. To the other half add sifted flour and baking powder and mix just enough to combine. Pour mixture into the pan and place in the oven for 12 minutes, turn the heat off and leave it in for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, remove from pan and place on a serving plate. Pour mousse mixture over the cake spreading it well. Refrigerate for about 4 hours to firm up before serving.

Chocolate Marble Cake

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: Bolo Mármore

This marble cake is very easy to make. I make it in the thermomix 31, but you can simply mix it by hand.

120g milk

4 eggs

100g softened butter

250g sugar

1 tsp vanilla

300g flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp chocolate powder

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease and flour a bundt or ring tin (with a hole in the middle). Place butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs and milk into the TM bowl and combine 1min/speed 6. Add flour and baking powder and mix 15 sec/speed 3. Pour half of the batter into a separate bowl and set aside. Add the chocolate to the remaining batter and mix 15 sec/speed 3.

Spoon the batter into the tin beginning with the white batter. Alternate with the chocolate until all the batter is in the tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Let it cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin.

My kitchen smells so good!

Chocolate Syrup

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: Molho de Chocolate

This syrup is great over pancakes, waffles or ice-cream.

125g/1 cup cocoa powder

220g/1 cup sugar

375ml/1 ½ cups boiling water

1 tsp vanilla

a nut of butter

Sift together cocoa powder with sugar. Place in a saucepan with boiling water and butter and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes stirring constantly. Cool, then stir in vanilla.

The Onda Chocolate Layered Merengue Cake

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: Onda de Suspiro com Chocolate às Camadas

The crispy layers of the merengue together with the soft chocolate mousse makes this dessert absolutely unforgettable!

Begin by drawing three 20cm diameter circles on parchment paper. Lay the paper on baking trays. The circles will be the guidelines when piping the merengue.

For the merengue you will need:

250g icing sugar

200g/1 cup granulated sugar

40g/4 tbsp cocoa powder

8 egg whites

Sift the icing sugar together with the cocoa into a bowl and set aside.

Beat the egg whites. When they begin to whiten, add half the sugar and keep beating. When they begin to form soft peaks, add the remaining sugar and keep beating until they are stiff. Add the cocoa mixture to the egg whites and mix carefully just enough to blend the mixture.

Heat the oven at 120ºC.

With the help of a piping bag, fill the circles with the merengue making 3 large discs. Place the trays in the oven and let bake for an hour. Lower the temperature to 100ºC and leave them for a further 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven door and let the merengue cool inside for about 2 hours.

For the mousse:

460g plain chocolate cut up in small pieces
400ml cream
80g/1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp vanilla
4 egg whites

Melt the chocolate in a double-boiler and set aside. Whip the cream until stiff. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla to the whipped cream and mix well. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites until they start getting white. Slowly add in the sugar beating continuously until they are stiff. Place ⅓ of the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture and mix well. Then add the remaining egg whites and gently but thoroughly mix, getting a well blended mixture. Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes. 

To layer the cake, place one disc on the serving platter and cover with the chocolate mousse. Place another disc on top and spread more chocolate. Place the third disc and cover generously with the chocolate mousse covering the sides also. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 

Enjoy!

Chocolate Mousse

Para versão Portuguesa clique aqui: Mousse de Chocolate

4 eggs separated

½ cup sugar

2 tbsp butter

125g dark chocolate roughly chopped

Whisk the egg yolks together with the sugar until it’s pale in colour. In a double-boiler over medium heat, place chocolate and butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Fold chocolate into egg mixture and combine well. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Take 3 tbsp of the egg whites and add to the chocolate mixing well and vigorously. Then fold remaining egg whites very gently. Place in a serving bowl, or individual bowls, and refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

Who can resist a delicious chocolate mousse?!