Slice
Well winter is officially here, well not here, here exactly (as lamented previously there is no winter in Brisbane) but it is a heck of a lot cooler. It makes for great tea + cake + book weather.
{I would love to add a roaring fire into that picture}
A rich chocolate cake is the perfect afternoon tea buddy, with a hot cup of English Breakfast, it just makes you feel warm and cosy. Even without that roaring fire.
Plain old messy? Nope, that’s “rustic”.
Tea + cake time is also a perfect opportunity for some musings. This morning I was thinking about this year. The big 2013. It feels like this last six months has absolutely fecking disappeared into a giant black hole flown by. Last I checked it was February, I’d just had a month off work and I felt totally invigorated. Ready to get stuck into blogging whilst working. What happened to that girl? Looking back over my blogging record over the past few months it has been bloody abysmal! But it hasn’t been due to a lack of cooking, oh no. There have been these absolutely delightful teacup and teapot sugar biscuits for Australia’s Greatest Morning Tea, an old fashioned golden syrup pudding and chocolate patty cakes; but time has always got the better of me and the desperation to EAT. Nothing is lasting long enough to be photographed, let alone blogged!
So I have a new tactic…instead of baking at the end of the weekend/beginning of the week, I am going to try some end of week baking. Goodness knows by the end of the week I need a bit of baking to take my mind off things!
This week it worked out perfectly. I have these cute 6 x 3 inch cake tins which are great when A) there is only hubby + I and B) we eat too much cake/dessert/pasta/salami/wine. So I put them to good use.
chocolate rose cake
As I have previously discussed here there is a little part of my brain which is still completely in love with Miette bakery in San Francisco. This recipe is adapted from Miette’s Double Chocolate Cake. Now whilst I do love their recipes, they are looooong and have a very delicate hand applied to them. I am too impatient for this approach. I want cake, like, now. Or better yet, yesterday. And you know what, it turned out fine. Better than fine actually…it was still moist and just god damn delicious.
Chocolate Rose Cake
- 1½ cups plain four
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ {or a pinch} salt
- 1¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder {I use the callebaut brand}
- 60 grams 70% cacoa chocolate buttons {also callebaut}
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 cup buttermilk {If you don’t have buttermilk, use regular milk with about a teaspoon of lemon juice added}
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2¼ cups caster sugar
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and line two 6 x 3 inch tins with baking paper.
- In a large bowl sift all your dry ingredients; flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
- At this stage, if you don’t have buttermilk, measure out milk and add a teaspoon of lemon, stir. This is a really great substitute for buttermilk.
- Measure out the chocolate buttons in a small, heat proof bowl and pour the boiling water over the top. Whisk until the buttons melt.
- In a mixer whisk the eggs on high until foamy.
- For the next part keep the mixer on low, otherwise you will have a HUGE mess.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the oil slowly until combined, then add the melted chocolate/water mixture.
- Now add the buttermilk {or alternative} and vanilla. Combine, by this stage the mixture will be very, very liquid. So time to make it into a batter.
- Add caster sugar and mix until combined.
- With the mixer still on low gradually start adding the sifted dry ingredients in three lots. Mix until combined. There will be a few lumps, but don’t worry about these. As long as any large lumps are broken up.
- Divide the cake batter equally between the two cake tins and bake for 45 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched.
- When they’re done I guarantee your kitchen will smell amazing. Just let the cakes cool in their tins for 20 min before taking them out an leaving them to cool completely on a rack.
finishing touches
To convert this cake from a plain rich chocolate cake into a fabulous Chocolate Rose Cake is ridiculously simple using old fashioned icing. This is the style of icing I grew up with; so sweet with a hint of vanilla and butter.
ingredients
- rose water
- pink food gel
- 200g icing sugar + a little extra for dusting
- 1 tablespoon margarine
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- warm water
- edible dried rose petals
method
- Melt margarine in the microwave, approximately 20 seconds.
- Add 100 g icing sugar, mix until combined.
- Add an additional 100g icing sugar, adding water a tablespoon at a time until the icing has come together and is molten in consistency.
- When the icing is quite thick add three drops of rose water, a drop of pink food colouring and the vanilla. You’re looking for a blushing rose color with a hint of rose flavour, nothing too strong. Be careful here, rose water can very quickly become overpowering.
- Cut the cake in half with a sharp bread knife.
- With a pallet knife apply a good lashing of icing to the bottom half, it will ooze delightfully out the sides when you place the other half of the cake on top.
- Grab a sieve and gently dust icing sugar over the top and place a small amount of edible, dried rose petals.
Ring-a-ring a rosy
