Thursday, May 29, 2008

Delicious Cakes

Cakes. Soft, fluffy, sweet. Everybody loves to eat cake. Here's an adaptation of a recipe i found from smittenkitten.


Double Chocolate Layer Cake
This recipe calls for 2 layers, but 3 or 4 work best, especially with the raspberry filling smittenkitten added! Just make two-thirds of the frosting if you use the filling instead.
equipment: 20cm (10-inch) round cake pans
For cake layers
50g vegan chocolate (try the new sweet william white chocolate)
1 cup hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
no-egg equivalent to 3 large eggs (no-egg, from orgran)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups light soymilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting (for frosting only, use two-thirds the recipe)
450g vegan chocolate (try the new sweet william white chocolate)
1 cup silken tofu (about 300g)
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup (rice syrup, golden syrup or similar work too.)
2
tablespoons cornflour
1/4 cup margarine

Raspberry Filling
450-500g frozen raspberries, thawed
1 cup sugar
4 tablespoons cornflour

Make cake layers:
Preheat oven to 150°C and grease pans. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.
Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat no-egg mix until thickened slightly and bubbly. Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to egg mix, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well.
Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Test after 1 hour, mine took just over 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make frosting:
Finely chop chocolate. In a saucepan bring cream, sugar, cornflour and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut margarine into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.
Transfer frosting to a bowl and chill.
Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days.
Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Make filling:
Puree the raspberries in a food processor or blender. Press the puree through a fine-mesh strainer with the back of a spoon, removing the seeds. Heat the puree in a small pot with the sugar and cornflour until mixture boils, stirring constantly. As it boils, it should quickly thicken.
Let it cool complete before spreading it thinly between layers.




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