Chocolate Sponge Custard Food

CHOCOLATE SPONGE WITH HOT CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Cover the dates with boiling water and set aside to soften for 30 mins.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and line a 20 x 30cm baking tin with baking parchment. Drain the dates, reserving the liquid, then whizz the dates to a purée with 100ml of the soaking liquid.
• Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric whisk until stiff peaks hold on the end of your whisk. Add half the sugar and beat until thick and glossy.
• In another bowl, beat the yolks and remaining sugar until pale. Whisk in the mashed date mixture, then fold into the egg white mixture until well combined. Mix the flour, baking powder and cocoa with a pinch of salt. Sprinkle over the wet mixture and very gently fold in until well combined. Gently scrape into the tin and spread to the edges. Bake for 35-40 mins until a skewer poked in comes out clean.
• Meanwhile, mix the custard powder, sugar and cocoa together in a saucepan. Stir in dribbles of milk until you get a smooth paste. Gradually add more milk until it's all incorporated with no lumps. Put over a medium heat and warm, stirring constantly, until thick and just bubbling.
• Cut the warm cake into slabs and pour over the hot chocolate custard to serve.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup each sugar and water over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Remove simple syrup from heat; let cool.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter two 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; butter parchment. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs and remaining 1 cup sugar. Whisk on medium speed until quadrupled in volume and mixture holds a 3-second ribbon, about 10 minutes. Whisk in vanilla.
• In a bowl, combine cocoa and flour. Sift over egg mixture; using a large rubber spatula, carefully fold into egg mixture, cutting through center and lifting gently over sides. Divide batter among prepared pans. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is springy to touch, 15 to 17 minutes. Remove from oven. Run a small knife around sides of pan. Invert onto rack; remove parchment, and re-invert onto rack to cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes horizontally to level surface. Halve each cake horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter; generously brush with simple syrup and spread 3/4 cup frosting on top. Set another cake layer on top, and repeat process with remaining simple syrup, frosting, and cake layers. Frost top and sides of cake in a swirling motion. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

CHOCOLATE MAGIC CUSTARD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 320F (160C).
• Grease a 8x8 inch baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
• Separate egg whites and yolks.
• Beat egg whites in a bowl until stiff and put aside.
• Whisk egg yolks, vanilla extract and sugar until creamy.
• Add melted butter and mix for half a minute.
• Add the flour and unsweetened cocoa powder. Mix with a whisk until incorporated well.
• Pour the milk gradually and continue whisking.
• Add in the egg whites, one third at a time and gently stir with a whisk. Don't overmix, just stir until combined.
• Pour this runny batter into the baking pan and bake for 60 minutes.
• The centre of the cake will still be jiggly when removed from oven.
• Let it cool for about half an hour and then remove from the pan. When it reaches room temperature, chill it at least for an hour.
• Slice it in the size you like and dust with powdered sugar right before serving. You can garnish it with fresh fruit too.
• Keep it in refrigerator until you finish it all.

SEHRISH'S OLD-SCHOOL CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Grease and line a 20cm square baking tin.
• To make the cake batter, mix the cocoa powder with 100ml of just-boiled water until smooth.
• In a large mixing bowl or free-standing mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Pour the cocoa mixture into the bowl, followed by the eggs. Sieve in the flour, baking powder and 1 pinch of sea salt, then pour in the milk and mix again until smooth.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until cooked through and an inserted skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes.
• When you're almost ready to eat, make the custard. Warm the milk in a heavy-bottomed pan over a medium heat until just-boiling.
• Mix the sugar, custard powder and cocoa powder together in a large jug.
• Remove the milk from the heat and, whisking as you go, slowly add half to the jug.
• Pour the custard mixture back into the milk pan and return to the heat.
• Cook the custard over a low heat until thick, stirring continuously, then break in the chocolate, remove from the heat and stir until melted. Pour into a serving jug.
• Cut the cake into squares while it's still warm. Serve with a generous helping of hot custard and a few extra shavings of chocolate.

CUSTARD POWDER SPONGE (NO FAIL SPONGE CAKE)

Steps:

• Beat whites of eggs until stiff.
• Add yolks and sugar.
• Sift all flours together & fold into mixture.
• Divide into 2 greased & lined sandwich tins
• preheat oven to 190c
• place on middle shelf
• reduce heat to 170c & cook for 20 minutes
• this is for fan forced oven.
• for oven not fan forced, preheat to 200c then reduce to 180c.
• when cooked cool on rack fill with jam and fresh cream and enjoy.

EASY CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Beat eggs and vanilla extract together in a medium bowl until combined; set aside.
• Whisk milk, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, brandy, and salt together in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until boiling and thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Slowly pour 1/2 of the milk mixture into the beaten eggs while stirring; pour mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not boil.
• Let custard cool to room temperature, at least 10 minutes. Refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CUSTARD

Steps:

• In small mixing bowl at high speed, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff but not dry, just until whites no longer slip when bowl is tilted.
• In small mixing bowl, at high speed, blend or beat yolks, milk, syrup, flour, and vanilla until smooth.
• Gently, but thoroughly, fold into beaten whites.
• Place 6 (6 ounces) lightly greased custard cups in large baking pan.
• Pour egg mixture into cups.
• Place pan on rack in preheated 350ºF oven.
• Pour very hot water into pan to within 1/2 inch of top of custards.
• Bake until puffed and cake tester or wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes.
• Remove promptly from hot water.
• Cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
• Top with a dollop of marshmallow fluff or whipped cream.
• Makes 6 servings.

SOKOLATINA - CHOCOLATE CUSTARD CAKE

Steps:

• Add the flour and cocoa to a mixing bowl, and stir to combine. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• Place the eggs in your electric mixer's bowl. With the whisk attachment on, start beating over medium-high speed. Start adding the sugar, by dusting one tablespoon at a time into the eggs. If you toss the sugar all in at once the eggs won't get as foamy as we want them to get.
• Once you've incorporated all of the sugar into the eggs, keep beating until they get whitish in color, very foamy, and thickened. It takes about 10 minutes overall for the eggs to get to that stage.
• Then turn off your mixer and using a pastry spatula and a flour sifter (I prefer using one of these as it's much easier) start incorporating the flour and cocoa mixture into the eggs. Add 1-2 tablespoons at a time into the sifter, dust them into the eggs. Then give a very gentle-overlapping stir with the pastry spatula, to help the flour mixture combine, without pressing the air out of the eggs. Keep doing this until all of the flour mixture gets combined with the eggs. The mixture should look like a chocolate mousse.
• Grease a 35 x 25 x 8 cm pan (15 x 10 x 3-inch) with a bit of vegetable oil all over, or cooking spray.
• Transfer the cake batter into the pan and spread gently with the pastry spatula.
• Bake for 15 minutes. Do not open the oven in the first 10 minutes because the cake will collapse. You may prick the cake with a knife to check if it's baked after the first 10-12 minutes of baking. If it comes out clean, remove it from the oven and let the cake rest at room temperature. NOTE: Since this is a very soft sponge cake, it is best to make this cake 1 day before using it. This way it is much easier to handle and work with. Otherwise, let the cake rest for at least 8 hours before assembling it with the cream.
• Keep 500 ml out of the 2 liters of milk, into a mixing bowl and combine with the cornstarch and cocoa powder using a hand whisk.
• Add the remaining 1,5 liters of milk into a large cooking pot along with the sugar and vanilla extract. Heat this mixture over medium-high heat. Stir to help the sugar to dissolve.
• Once the milk gets to a steamy hot point (just before boiling) start pouring the milk-cocoa-cornstarch mixture into the milk while stirring constantly with a whisk. Keep stir occassionally until the cream starts to thicken. It takes about 1-2 minutes from the time you see bubbles forming on the surface of the cream.
• Remove from heat and transfer the cream into a large mixing bowl. Take a piece of plastic wrap and press it on the cream in order to cover it. This will prevent skin from forming on the surface of the cream. Let the cream cool down for at least 2 hours at room temperature.
• NOTE: If you are making the cream the day before then let it cool completely at room temperature and then refrigerate. When it's time to assemble the cake, take the cream out of the fridge and work it either with a hand whisk or electric mixer over low speed for a few minutes. Because the cream will thicken when refrigerated, this will help make it smooth and creamy again, so you can easily spread it on the cake.
• Pour the heavy whipping cream in your electric mixer's bowl and with the whisk attachment on, start beating first on low speed and gradually raise to medium speed. Slowly add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Once the cream starts to get a bit thicker start adding the cocoa in bits at a time. Once the cream gets really thick to the point you see traces of the whisk on the surface of the cream, turn the mixer off and place the bowl in the fridge while you start assembling the cake.
• Turn the cake pan on your kitchen counter or working surface and pat a bit if needed for the cake to come out of the pan.
• With a large chef's knife or a cake knife, slice the cake in half.
• Take the first piece and place it back in the pan. Spread almost 2/3 of the custard cream evenly all over. Then cover with the remaining half of the cake. Press it lightly to stick together.
• Spread the remaining custard cream all over. Then take the whipping cream out of the fridge and spread 2/3 of it over the custard cream. Smooth the surface with a spoon or icing spatula. Save the remaining whipping cream in the fridge to decorate on top.
• In a saucepan add the butter and cocoa. Heat over low heat and stir until the butter has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the honey. Wait for 2 minutes for the mixture to become warm (not too hot) and then pour all over the cake. Spread carefully with a spoon wherever needed.
• Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour for the glaze to set. Then cut and divide into 20 square pieces. Add the remaining whipping cream into a piping bag and decorate each piece on top. Ready to serve!

CHOCOLATE SPONGE PUDDING

Steps:

• Thoroughly grease the inside of two x 2 pint pudding basins. Put half of the syrup into the base of each pudding basin and put to one side. In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar with the cocoa powder. Beat in half the eggs, then half the flour. When the mixture is well combined, add the rest of the eggs and flour. The mixture should just reach a dropping consistency, but if it's too thick, add a little milk. Share the mixture between the pudding basins until each is three quarters full. Use the back of a spoon to smooth the top. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, leaving space for the wrap to inflate as the mixture rises. Place in the microwave and cook on full power for 5 minutes. Insert a skewer into the middle of the pudding - if it comes out clean then the pudding is ready. Allow to cool in the basin for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

RETRO CHOCOLATE SPONGE PUDDING WITH CHOCOLATE CUSTARD

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and line a 20 x 20cm cake tin with baking parchment. Beat the butter, sugar and a pinch of salt together in a large bowl using an electric whisk for 5 mins until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between each addition until incorporated and the mixture is a mousse-like consistency.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa over the wet ingredients, then tip in the milk and fold everything together with a spatula until there are no floury streaks remaining.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface with the spatula. Bake for 40 mins, then check the sponge is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre. If it comes out with any sticky cake mixture attached, return the sponge to the oven for another 5-10 mins and check again. Leave to cool slightly in the tin. To freeze, leave to cool completely, then wrap well and freeze for up to two months. Defrost at room temperature, then reheat as stated in the tip below.
• Meanwhile, make the custard. Heat the cream and milk in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat - don't let it boil. Combine the cornflour, sugar and cocoa in a large bowl, then whisk in the eggs and yolks, one at a time, until you have a smooth paste. When the cream mixture is hot and steaming, pour a splash into the cocoa paste to loosen it, then tip this back into the cream mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring continuously until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon - you should be able to draw a line through the custard on the back of the spoon using your fingertip. Remove from the heat and sieve the custard into a jug to remove any lumps. Cover the surface with a circle of baking parchment to prevent a skin forming. Cut the warm sponge into squares and serve with the custard for pouring over.