Chocolate Meringue Cake

Okay, I underestimated the ‘working blogger’ and I overestimated my capabilities as a human being, it seems I was born lazy.  

Mum and I have been scrolling through range cookers from Argos, to replace our clumsy, tepid oven. Ours is a baker’s nightmare - it’s so inaccurate that even oven thermometers are confused by it. Sponge cakes come out with domed tops or they barely rise, and beating butter and sugar until the mixer's on the verge of combustion or a new bag of flour doesn’t always work. Most of the layered cakes on here were lucky escapes (face palm). 

Homemade meringue has always made me feel a bit uneasy because it always comes out just a bit too eggy to stomach. But last week I had a thought, what if I add meringue on top of a cake, purposefully over-baking it by baking the meringue for as long as the dense chocolate cake that will be at the bottom? Perhaps the secret to abolishing the raw egg aftertaste was to over-bake it. It seems, my incompetent oven could finally be put to good use.

By the time the cake is such that a skewer inserted won't be all gooey from the mucus of an egg, you’re left with a crunchy and weightless meringue topping. There’s nothing marshmallow-y about this one, but if that’s what you’re after (and I’m not judging) top the cake with meringue 20 minutes in to the cake’s baking time. 

Chocolate Meringue Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate swirl meringue

• 4 egg whites
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 30g cocoa powder

Chocolate cake

• 200g dark chocolate
• 300g unsalted butter, softened
• 300g light brown sugar
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp coffee extract
• 150g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

Cream filling

• 300ml cream
• Pinch of salt
• Cream of tarter
• A few pomegranate seeds

Lasts for three days if covered. 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C and line two 6” round cake tins with baking paper.
2. Start by whisking the egg whites until froth appears, then slowly add in the sugar whilst whisking. Keep whisking until thick and glossy, then add the cornflour and mix to combine. Spoon two heaped tablespoons into a small bowl and sift over the cocoa, then whisk to combine – don’t worry if the mixture deflates. Set both bowls aside and make the cakes.
3. Melt the chocolate over a pan of simmering water then set aside to cool. Cream the butter and sugar until pale. Whilst creaming, slowly add in the eggs. If the mixture curdles add a tablespoon of the flour, then add the rest of the eggs. Pour in the melted chocolate and coffee extract and stir through. Fold in the flour and baking powder and equally divide the mixture among the pans. Spoon the white meringue over the tops of each raw cake, using the spoon to roughly level the tops. Spoon small blobs of the chocolate meringue all over then take a cocktail stick and swirl both meringues together.
4. Bake for 40/50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle is a little damp. The tops will crack in the middle as they bake and then collapse slightly when cooling. Whip the cream with the salt and tarter to soft peaks, then sandwich the cakes together with the cream and pomegranate seeds. Use a spatula to smooth the sides of the cake and serve. 

I was contacted by Argos to talk ovens. I grew up with this brand, and we use them to buy many, many things (thank god for the store card). 

Love Em 

Nigella's Nutella cake

I feel like I should rename this blog ‘mbakes with chocolate’. 

EVERYTHING has chocolate, I’m sorry if you’re getting sick of it. Am I trying to assert my femininity by using it? Dear god I hope not. 

Sometimes, just sometimes, I have visions of rubbing chocolate into the pores of my face and I fear it may actually be cheaper than my Lancome ‘Tient Idole Ultra’ (what?) – which makes it all the more feasible and non-weird. 

I polished off a poor man’s Magnum and a crème egg half an hour before falling into sleep induced coma yesterday. It may or may not have been my lowest point, albeit the moment I forgot how to write a good sentence.

This cake is definitely an ode to Easter, it would be perfect as an alternative to simnel cake or hot cross buns if you’re gluten intolerant, but I’d risk it for a bite of these fried hot cross donuts. 

The Nutella cake is very rich in flavour and every scant forkful is as decadent as the next. Perfect reasoning for massively underexposing the photographs! You can can taste the darkness, yes?

This is a proper adult’s cake, by the way. We gave a hefty slice to my eight year old cousin and I could almost feel her dismay when she clocked on to the (sweet) bitterness. Oh, to be young.  Happy Easter!  

Chocolate and Coconut Cake with Dulce De Leche and Cashews

A tremendous weight of guilt has been following me around this week because of how dormant mbakes has been recently. Mama and me have just moved into the most spacious flat to ever grace the industrial beast of Bexley known as Slade Green. Moving the contents of a three bedroom house into a flat is not easy, so this ugly cake (which carries with it the most indulgent pairings) was made for the woman who carried flat packs, heavy duty black bags and my ever growing and pointless collection of kitchen ‘bits’ to the second floor. 

And it wouldn’t have been possible without the help of Waitrose, who offered to help me put together a cakey so and so for Mother’s Day. They’ve also put together a collection of lovely sweet recipes, Sophie literally turned their Victoria sponge into a berry tree and it was beautiful, I’m positive her mum would have been proud!

This was the last cake I made and shot beside a huge Victorian sized window (tear). The house itself was literally falling apart, unlike this squeaky clean and cream one. The photos oh here might be darker from now on, but behind it all, I think we’ll be much happier. 

If anyone has any tips for shooting in low light I’d be so grateful! 

I’ve had this hazelnut and dulce de leche quadruple layer chocolate cake indexed from the Aussy Delicious magazine for a good year now, but I was pretty sick of hazelnuts after baking this flourless chocolate cake for the fifth time. So I scattered in a good handful of sweet coconut and it added chewiness and taste to the cake likened to a Bounty bar. 

Yes it is just another chocolate cake, but it is positively spruced up with creamy cashews, generous spreads of dulce de leche and a very buttery chocolate icing. Just promise you’ll do a better job at decorating it for Mother’s Day. 

Chocolate and Coconut Cake with Dulce De Leche and Cashews 

For the cake

230g dark chocolate 

170g unsalted butter, softened 
350g light brown sugar 
3 eggs, separated

500ml buttermilk 
1 tsp vanilla extract
375g plain flour 
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder

100g sweetened shredded coconut, plus extra for sprinkling on top

Icing 

200g dark chocolate 
225g unsalted butter, softened
250g icing sugar

Topping
170g dark chocolate

411g dulce de leche (1 ½ tins)
100g cashew nuts

Note: This recipe actually yields 4 cake layers, I may have muffed up the top layer (hence the slightly questionable appearance) so I had to chuck the top cake. Whatever you do, do not put the widest cake layer at the top because the chocolate will drip all over the place, not all seductively over each layer as it should. 

Make the cakes. Preheat oven to 170 C and line two 7” or 8" cake pans with baking paper, or 4 sandwich tins. Melt chocolate over double boiler and set aside. Beat butter and sugar until pale. Add the yolks one by one, then stir through melted chocolate. In a jug, pour vanilla into buttermilk and stir. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and fluff up with a fork. Add the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the chocolate mixture in thirds, alternating between the two.  Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, fold them into the chocolate mixture and divide the batter among the pans. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean or bake for 25 minutes if using sandwich tins. Let the cakes cool in their tins for 20 minutes then invert on to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Make the icing. Melt 200g chocolate over double boiler. Beat butter and icing sugar in a freestanding mixture on high speed until light and fluffy. Pour the melted chocolate in whilst the mixer is still running and mix until fully incorporated. 

Melt the rest of the chocolate (170g) over a double boiler. 

Assemble the cake. Split the cakes horizontally using a serrated knife and brush away the crumbs. Place the first layer on a cake plate and spread a quarter of the chocolate icing on top, then spread a quarter of the dulce de leche over the icing. Place the second layer on top and repeat, then do the same with the third layer. Place the last cake on top and spread with the melted chocolate, letting it drip to the sides. Sprinkle with cashews and leftover coconut then serve. Lasts for 3 days if kept covered. 

Thank you to mum, Russell, aunties, uncle and cousins for helping us move.

What will you be baking on Mother's Day?
Love Em xx

Salted Caramel Chocolate Doughnut Cake

It was mum’s birthday this month.

Obviously, mums deserve ‘showstopping’ cakes; do you think this covers it? I pretty much copied the style of this cake from Blue Bird Kisses, as you can see, hers looks like it was sent from heaven. 

Mine? It's pushing purgatory. 

I needed the cake to be nothing short of extravagant and mouthwatering down to the last crumb - so it had to be a tried and tested recipe. Something no fail and one I’d used before to ensure an all round success. 

The Sweet ‘n’ Salty Chocolate Cake from Hummingbird Bakery was my first, last and only option. It ticks all the boxes and has about 500 different steps to it so be prepared to spend your evening by the stove. 

To go the extra mile, I soaked the cakes in the homemade salted caramel as soon as they came out of the oven, knowing full well that it would cause me a cake covering disaster. That’s love, eh?

Salted Caramel Chocolate Doughnut Cake 

Adapted from Hummingbird Bakery's Sweet n Salty Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

For the caramel 

• 200g caster sugar 
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp golden syrup (or corn syrup)
• 120ml double cream
• 60ml soured cream
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt 

For the chocolate icing

• 200g caster sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 360ml double cream
• 450g dark chocolate, roughly chopped 
• 450g unsalted butter, cubed and softened
• 1 tsp sea salt, for sprinkling
• Sainsbury's mini iced doughnuts, or any tiny doughnuts you can get hold of

For the cakes

• 300g unsalted butter, softened 
• 300g caster sugar
• 140g light soft brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 100g cocoa powder
• 160ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 330g plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Note: You can halve the recipe for a 6 inch cake.

Recipe

1. Start with the caramel. In a medium saucepan add the sugar, golden syrup and 60ml water. Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes until lightly browned. In another saucepan bring the double cream, sour cream and salt to a boil and then immediately remove from the heat and carefully pour into the caramel. Stir until smooth, pour into a jug, cover with cling film and set aside.
2. Make the chocolate icing. In a small, clean saucepan add the sugar, golden syrup and 60ml water. Heat gently for 10 minutes until golden and syrupy. In another pan, bring the cream to a boil and then immediately remove from the heat and carefully pour into the caramel. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool slightly. Put the chopped chocolate in the slightly cooled caramel and stir until the chocolate has melted. Whisk the mixture with an electric whisk for 5 minutes, until it cools down. Carry on whisking and add the butter piece by piece, keep going until the icing takes on the consistency of softly whipped cream. Transfer the mixture into a bowl, cover with cling film and place in the fridge to set. 
3. Preheat the oven to 170 C, grease and line two 8 inch cake pans, I used 6 inch pans for a taller cake. In a freestanding mixer or with an electric whisk, cream the butter and sugars for 4 minutes.  Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each. In a measuring jug add the cocoa powder, buttermilk, vanilla and 60ml water, stir with a fork to form a thick and smooth paste. In large bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, whisk to combine. Add half the cocoa paste to the butter and sugar mixture and stir to combine. Fold through all of the flour and then add the rest of the cocoa paste. Divide mixture among the pans and bake for 35/40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. 
4. As soon as the cakes are baked pierce them several times with a sharp knife and pour a thin layer of salted caramel over each. Transfer the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To assemble the cake, spread 2 heaped tablespoons of icing between each layer and cover the sides and top using a cranked knife. Top with iced doughnuts and serve.

 Sweet 'n' Salty Chocolate Doughnut Cake 

Love Em xx

No Bake Chocolate Fridge Cake

Chocolate Fridge Cake

It has taken snow to fall on England for me to prepare a post for this blog – awful, I know, I’ll slap myself on the wrists later!  The past week has seen my laptop crashing with countless tabs open containing brownie upon brownie. Brownies with golden syrup, with Ferrero Rochers, brownies with white chocolate, and even Oreos - you name it, I’ve drooled over it. Although these (regal) fridge cakes are not brownies, they were born out of a desire to incorporate chocolate into something that kind of resembled one; sadly, at 1 AM the brownie necessities were not at arm’s length L.

I’m not exactly sure why there are eggs in this fridge cake, my conclusion is that the addition adds a binding quality to the cake/bars which subsequently meant that they were much, much easier to successfully cut with a hot knife. 

The bars were adapted from The Chocolate Hog – I am more inclined to bake from people sharing recipes that have been passed down their family, I get a sense of trust from it and that it will hopefully produce a better product.

Next time (if ever), I might stick to the more basic recipe of ‘fridge cake’. Maybe throw in a few digestives… and leave out the raw egg. Also, the use of icing sugar gave the cakes a buttercream quality; I think using caster sugar instead would add a bit more texture to them. Overall - a tasty snack. BUT stay away from these chocolate fingers if you are expecting, nobody wants a salmonella bebe! 

The much needed teeny sieve 

The Recipe
450g icing sugar
2 eggs
110g dark chocolate
225g un/salted butter
2 level tbsp brute cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
305g Rich Tea biscuits

The Method

Over a double boiler gently heat the chocolate and butter until silky smooth.

Meanwhile, in a little bowl whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract and set aside.

Put the Rich Teas in a heavy duty plastic bag and bash away with a rolling pin until you get a mixture of fine crumb and rocks of Rich Tea.

Take off the heat and pour in the icing sugar and cocoa powder, then stir until thick and consistent.

Stir the egg mixture into the slightly cooled chocolate and then add in all of the biscuits and mix until evenly distributed.

Line an 8 inch square tin with parchment and pour in the mixture. With a hot palette knife, smooth over the top until nice and level.

Cover the fridge cake with foil and place in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours and/or overnight.

Enjoy with a cup of tea and a generous dusting of cocoa atop.

Chocolate Fridge Cake Bars

Chocolate Fridge Cake Bars

British snow fiends, were you disappointed with the snow too?! I wanted MORE!

The almighty British snow 2013 

Do you have any fridge cake recipes to share? I'm on the hunt! Love Em xx

The New (Pudding) Age Christmas

Jamie Oliver's New Mince Pies 

I have always hated this part.

We are currently in that mid-holiday bit of December. 

Slap bang in the middle of post-Christmas blues and NYE pre party planning. Not much really happens, if you’re like me, you might be receiving uni feedback left right and centre and constantly doubting you’re ability to perform as a student. 

But put those worries aside for now because I am here to present you with very very dodgy lit photographs from the puds and pastries I made on Christmas Day! You can understand why, surely.

Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Pudding

We had your not-so-traditional mince pies where the mincemeat was rolled into puff pastry, scattered with flaked almonds and bursting with rinds of clementine (thanks Jamie Oliver). 

Shortly after came your not-so-traditional Christmas pudding. Darling, it daren’t contain any pruned grapes! In fact, the only traditional feel our Christmas pud had was the fact that it was steamed – which is surprisingly simple to do by the way. It was a chocolate cake, shaped as a pudding (kind of) and prepared like a Devils Food. Atop lay the richest most decadently thick AND creamy chocolate sauce (thanks Nigella Lawson).

Jamie Oliver's New Mince Pies Assembly Job

Jamie Oliver's New Mince Pies 

Now to wish everybody all the best in the New Year, and a very merry post-Christmas mid holiday awkward bit of December! What are your plans? Love Em xx

PS. Click on the links above for both of these amaaaaaaaazing recipes.

Spiced Chocolate Cupcakes with Gingerbread Buttercream

Who has started their Christmas baking test-runs yet? Does anybody even do tests for such things? If you’re an inexperienced cook and you’re having the ol’ lot over, I’m guessing you’ve currently got a test-run turkey in the oven. That’s perfect because it’s a Sunday as well, just replacin’ the chicken for a turk really.  Here are my Christmas test run cupcakes, in unnecessarily copious amounts of pictures that I wish to share with you. Yes. You obviously wanted to look at every single picture I took that day. Obviously.

I’d otherwise slate the test-runner…what’s the point? Do you not have anything better to do with your time? Just chance it! But alas, I have become one of those weird test-run people. And boy, AM I GLAD. This chocolate cupcake slightly resembled a brownie (now would be a good time to mention that it was still delicious)! It was by no stretch of the word a light and fluffy cupcake, but a  kind of dense and dry topped brownie! Crossing THAT one off my Christmas baking list… next time I’ll go for a bitta stout in my liner, maybe even a bitta treacle, plus A LOT more spice in the batter. Don’t be afraid to be generous with the festive spices in a chocolate cake, it has a tendency to be masked by the intense flavours of chocolate you see.

Some good news – the buttercream was lovely, spicy and not too sweet. Rich, coming from a crusting buttercream recipe aye. But with a distinct lack of vanilla extract, and TONS of cinnamon and ginger, there is just this amazing balance of sweetness. The spices really do cut through all of that icing sugar! Still, I’ve got my eye on a mascarpone frosting, who knows how many more test-run’s my kitchen will see before the big day! 

The Recipe:                                   Makes aproximately 16 cupcakes 

The Cakes

100g dark chocolate, minimum 50%

4 eggs

100g self raising flour

2 and a half tsp cocoa powder

pinch of salt

225g caster sugar

175g soft butter

1 tsp vanilla extract 

Quertar tsp cinnamon
Quarter tsp ginger (optional)

The Buttercream

300g icing sugar

150g unsalted butter, soft

1 and a half tsp ginger 

2 tsp ground cinnamon 

1 tsp milk

The Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C and line a muffin tray.

Over a ban-marie, heat the butter and chocolate together till melted.

Take off the heat, add all of the sugar, mix together and then set aside to cool.

With a whisk, mix for 3 minutes until slightly fluffy, add the eggs in one at a time.

Fold all of the dry ingredients (including the spices if you wish) until just incorporated.

Lastly fold in the vanilla. Fill the cupcake liners two thirds full and bake for 25 minutes.

For the frosting, beat the butter in the bowl of a freestanding mixer for half a minute.

Add the icing sugar bit by bit, lastly the spices until well incorporated.

Pipe and frost. I used a small french tip for these cupcakes.  

Expect a *possible* birthday cake  on the blog this week, as I'll be turning the big 20 on Wednesday. But let's not mention that again, just comment below and make me feel sane by telling me you also had a Christmas baking test-run today, please! Love Em xx