Belgian Chocolate Birthday Cake Food

BELGIAN CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place nuts on a baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; rub to loosen skins. Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan well; coat with cocoa, tapping out any excess.
• In a food processor, grind nuts with granulated sugar until fine but not pasty; transfer to a large bowl; stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In a heat-proof bowl, whisk together cocoa and boiling water until smooth. (Mixture will thicken as it cools.)
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar on high until lightened and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until well blended.
• Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Mixing on low, add half of dry ingredients to creamed mixture; when blended, pour in the cocoa mixture, and add remaining dry mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely. Place cooled cake on a 9-inch cardboard round.
• Place half the ganache in a bowl; place in a larger bowl of ice water; whip with a balloon whisk until lighter in color and spreadable, removing bowl from ice bath and returning it as necessary.
• Spread the whipped ganache smoothly on top and sides of cooled cake, and chill the cake. Gently stir remaining ganache every 5 minutes until thickened and cool.
• Place cake (still on cardboard round) on a wire rack over a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Working with a small ladle, pour ganache over top of cake, moving the ladle in a circular fashion while in contact with the cake, letting the ganache run down sides. Scrape up excess and reserve for another use. Let cake stand at room temperature until set. Garnish with nuts and chocolate curls.

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line a 20cm round cake tin (7.5cm deep).
• Put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a medium pan with 200g butter.
• Mix 1 tbsp instant coffee granules into 125ml cold water and pour into the pan.
• Warm through over a low heat just until everything is melted - don't overheat. Or melt in the microwave for about 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
• Mix 85g self-raising flour, 85g plain flour, ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda, 200g light muscovado sugar, 200g golden caster sugar and 25g cocoa powder, and squash out any lumps.
• Beat 3 medium eggs with 75ml buttermilk.
• Pour the melted chocolate mixture and the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir everything to a smooth, quite runny consistency.
• Pour this into the tin and bake for 1hr 25 - 1hr 30 mins. If you push a skewer into the centre it should come out clean and the top should feel firm (don't worry if it cracks a bit).
• Leave to cool in the tin (don't worry if it dips slightly), then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Cut the cold cake horizontally into three.
• To make the ganache, put 200g chopped dark chocolate in a bowl. Pour 300ml double cream into a pan, add 2 tbsp golden caster sugar and heat until it is about to boil.
• Take off the heat and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool until it is a little thicker but still pourable.
• Sandwich the layers together with just a little of the ganache. Pour the rest over the cake letting it fall down the sides and smooth over any gaps with a palette knife.
• Decorate with 50g grated chocolate or 100g chocolate curls. The cake keeps moist and gooey for 3-4 days.

EASY CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter a 20-25cm cake tin and line with greaseproof paper.
• Place 175g/6oz of the chocolate, plus the butter and sugar in a heavy-based pan and heat gently until melted, stirring occasionally. Leave to cool.
• Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture, then add the flour, nuts and the remaining chocolate.
• Whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then gently, but thoroughly, fold into the chocolate mixture.
• Pour into the prepared tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 35-40 mins until crusty on top. Leave to cool, then run a knife around the sides and remove from the tin. Dust with icing sugar and serve warm with custard or ice cream or cold with cream.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm cake tin.
• Place the butter, caster sugar, brown sugar, chocolate and golden syrup in the pan and melt gently on a low heat until it is smooth and lump-free.
• Remove the pan from the heat.
• Break the eggs into the bowl and whisk with the fork until light and frothy. 5 Add the eggs, vanilla extract or essence, flour, baking powder and cocoa powder to the chocolate mixture and mix thoroughly.
• Put the mixture into the greased and lined cake tin and place on the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for 25-30 mins.
• Remove and allow to cool for 20-30 mins before cutting into wedges and serving.
• Serve with cream or ice cream and plenty of fresh fruit.

MELTING BELGIAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Butter 6 (6 oz) custard cups.
• Lightly sprinkle unsweetened cocoa over interiors; shake out excess.
• Set cups on baking sheet.
• In microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter.
• Microwave on medium 1-3 minutes or until almost melted.
• Stir until smooth.
• With whisk, beat eggs, egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and beer in large bowl until well blended.
• Stir in chocolate mixture.
• Stir in flour until thoroughly blended.
• Divide mixture evenly into custard cups (filled cups can be held in refrigerator for up to 2 hours before baking).
• In another large bowl, beat all cream ingredients at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
• When ready to serve, bake cakes on baking sheet 12-13 minutes or until tops are dry and outside edges just begin to pull away from edge of cups (centers may be slightly sunken but will rise as they sit).
• Place on wire rack; cover loosely with foil.
• Let stand 4 minutes.
• With hot pad or towel, hold each cup and run knife around edges to loosen cakes; unmold hot cakes onto serving plates.
• Serve immediately; pass whipped cream separately.
• Store in refrigerator.