Devil's Food Cake with Seven-Minute Frosting

Happy 15th Birthday Nurul Hanisah! Ummi and Ayah love you!

This entry is long overdue. I bought MS’ latest book entitled Martha Stewart’s Cakes (2013) at MPH three days before my lovely girl, Nurul Hanisah’s 15 birthday. There are more than 150 scrumptious recipes on cakes, frostings, fillings and decorative tips. I enjoy looking at the images of the delicacies Martha has presented in the book.

Since Nurul Hanisah turned 15 on the 29^th October, I decided to bake the Devil’s Food Cake and topped it with the Seven-Minute Frosting. I did not really follow the exact measurement of the recipe. My reason was not wanting to waste the leftovers i.e. the sour cream, which I used the whole tub of 250 gram instead of 1 cup. Since I did not have cocoa powder, I used chocolate powder instead. Whatever it was, the cake was fantastic and undeniably delicious. We really enjoyed it. The Seven-Minute Frosting was gooey like marshmallow. It was a decadent treat!

Devil’s Food Cake (adapted from MS’):

339 g unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup chocolate powder

1 cup boiling water

250 g sour cream

450 g all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

470 g sugar

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.     Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans and line them with parchment paper.

2.   In a medium sized bowl, whisk boiling water into chocolate powder until smooth. Then whisk in sour cream.

3.     Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

4.  Beat butter and sugar till pale and fluffy on medium-high speed of the electric mixer, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each.

5.    Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of chocolate mixture; beat on low speed until combined. Beat in vanilla extract.

6.    Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake (rotating halfway through) until a cake tester comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks to cool completely.

7.     Spread the Seven-Minute frosting in between layers, over the top and sides of cake, using an offset spatula.

Seven-Minute Frosting (makes about 5 cups and enough to frost the cake)

1 ½ cup sugar

5 large egg whites

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

I added:

2 teaspoons strawberry paste

1 drop of red food colouring

1)   In a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water (double boiling method), whisk together sugar, egg whites, and corn syrup until warm and sugar is dissolved. The mixture should feel completely smooth when rubbed between the fingers. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

2)   With an electric mixer on high speed, beat about 7 minutes till stiff, glossy peaks form. Beat in vanilla, strawberry paste and red food colouring.

3)    Use the frosting immediately (it will set onced cool and it will be difficult to spread).

Chewy Chocolate Meringues

This chewy chocolate meringues recipe is inspired by Bakerella.com.

The sinfully chocolaty meringues taste like heaven. This recipe is a keeper.

My recipe is a bit different from Bakerella for I am making full use of the egg whites I have left in the fridge. Plus I use chocolate powder and not cocoa powder. Since I don’t have cocoa nibs, I use chocolate chips instead.

This is a super easy recipe.

Chewy Chocolate Meringues 

150 g large egg whites – about 4
250 g sugar
15 g chocolate powder
70 g finely chopped bittersweet chocolate
70 g chocolate chips

1. First thing to do is preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Then, line the baking sheets with parchment paper. Since I use 2 inches scoop, I bake the whole 28 meringues on 2 baking sheets.
3. Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in a clean, dry heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water in - double boiling method. (I use my cake mixer stainless steel bowl). Whisk until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat.
4. With an electric mixer fitter with the whisk attachment on high speed, beat the eggs until stiff and glossy.
5. Fold together the sifted the chocolate powder, the chopped chocolate and the chocolate chips, and the meringue with a spatula until combined. Scoop the batter onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
6. Bake for about 18 to 20 minutes rotating the pans half-way through (around 8-9 minutes) until the cookies are fluffy and full of cracks. 
7. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool, leaving them on the parchment paper. 
8. Enjoy!

The Best Guacamole

I made a bowl of guacamole for lunch today since I have 4 avocados in the fridge. It reminds me of the trip to Salt Lake City, USA with my SIL and our friend Jamie, last October 2012. Everyday my SIL and I would go to Harmon's to purchase ready made guacamole or hummus, fruits and salad plus some chips and breads. Those were our basic necessities back then... haha. Six days in SLC I lost nearly 4 kg.

The recipe is taken from this site posted by Elise Bauer. The recipe is very simple, tasty and to die for. I think it's one of the best dips I've ever made on my own. Thanks Elise for sharing. You only need 10 minutes to prepare it.

You need 7 main ingredients which I list according to their importance from 1 - 7: 
1. Avocado, 2. Salt, 3. Lime/Lemon juice, 4. Chiles, 5. Onion, 6. Cilantro, 7. Tomato.
However, I don't have cilantro in stock and it tastes just great!

Perfect Guacamole Recipe

2 ripe avocados

1/2 red onion, minced (about 1/2 cup)

1-2 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced (I used the normal chiles [lada besar] we have and added 3 bird chiles [cili padi])

2 tablespoons cilantro (leaves and tender stems), finely chopped (I do not add for I don't have in stock)

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

A dash of freshly grated black pepper

1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped

Garnish with red radishes or jicama. (I don't have this too)

Serve with tortilla chips. (I bought Mission brand original flavour)

METHOD

1 Cut avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. (Go to this site to learn how to cut and peel an avocado)

2 Using a fork to roughly mash the avocado. (I don't overdo it because guacamole is best when it is a little chunky.) 

3. Add the chopped onion, cilantro, lemon, salt and pepper and mash some more. (Since chili peppers vary individually in their hotness, you want to start with a half of one chili pepper and add to the guacamole according to your desired degree of hotness.) 

4. Only add the chopped tomatoes to the guacamole when you are ready to serve it.The recipe asks to cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole to prevent oxidation from the air reaching it and refrigerate until ready.

5. Just before serving, chop the tomato, add to the guacamole and mix.

6. Serve with tortilla chips.

Variations

Elise gave some suggestions for a guacamole variation:

1. A very quick guacamole: take a 1/4 cup of salsa and mix it in with your mashed avocados.

2. The simplest version of guacamole: mash avocados with salt. 

3. You can add either sour cream or cottage cheese to your guacamole dip too. 

Yield: Serves 2-4.

Fruit Pocket

Pears and plums... I don't know what this is called though I know that there are people baking this. I call this Fruit Pocket. 

Fruit Pocket

Pears pitted and cubed

Plums pitted and cubed

A dash of cinnamon 

A tablespoonful of brown sugar

Puff pastry

Egg yolk for colour

1. Mix together the cubed pears and plums with cinnamon and brown sugar.

2. Roll the puff pastry.

3. Pour the fruit mixture on top of the rolled puff pastry.

4. Envelope the fruit mixture. Trim its end with fork.

5. Brush the egg yolk on top and make a small slit with a knife.

6. Bake in the oven until it turns golden and crispy.

7. Devour this with ice-cream.

Chocolate Moist Cake decorated with Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Truffles and Dulce de Leche.

Apple Coffee Cake

This recipe is adapted from Stephanie's Jaworski's of Joy of Baking. I substitute plums with apples since I've so many apples left. The recipe:  Apple Coffee Cake: 1 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour 1/4 cup (30 grams) ground almonds 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup (120 ml) flavourless oil (safflower, corn, or canola) 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk (original recipe uses yoghurt) 1/4 cup (60 ml) orange juice 1 tablespoon orange zest (the outer orange skin (rind) of the orange) 1 large egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar 5 Granny Smith's apples peel, cored and cut into slices  Garnish: 2 tablespoons (30 grams) coarse brown sugar

Apple Coffee Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in the centre of oven.
2. Spray pan with non-stick vegetable spray one - 8 inch/20 cm spring form pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
3. A. In a large bowl, stir or whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground almonds.
4. B. In another large bowl, stir or whisk together the oil, yogurt, orange juice and zest, egg, and vanilla extract. Stir in the sugar.
5. Add B to A (the wet ingredients to the flour mixture). Stir until just combined.
6. Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and evenly arrange the sliced apples on top of the batter.
7. Sprinkle with the 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar.
8. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 to 45 minutes or until the cake tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

The recipe makes one - 8 inch (20 cm) cake.

RV for Jane's Farewell Party.

Mas' RV order for her friend's farewell party.

Adrina's Birthday Cake

Adrina Arisya's Barbie Cake.

RV for Nurul Hanisah

Happy Birthday Nurul Hanisah!