Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Dreamy Soft Chocolate Cake (巧克力相思蛋糕)

I have been pretty inconsistent with my blogging lately....not that anyone has noticed it or anything. I can sometimes post up 3 posts in a week or I can totally disappear for close to 10 days. I guess it's just a matter of my poor time management and busy schedule. ;P Nevertheless, my love for baking never dampens no matter how busy I am. Believe me, I am always thinking of what to bake up for my family...plus using up all those stocked up ingredients, hahaha! And since my better half is currently on oversea assignment...I can't bake too much....have to control.. :D
Today I am again posting up another favorite, well at least it has just become my family's favorite. (^.^) It's the same recipe as the Dreamy Soft Pandan Cake I made awhile back, but a change in flavoring. This time I made slight changes here and there, so I figure it's best I just post it up for future references. :)
If you are wondering how come the colour of the cake is kind of dark...well I have to blame it on the Chocolate Emulco! I didn't realise it until it was out of the oven. :P I am so gonna omit it the next time. ;P I also saw Jane's version which I believe it's very good, so I tried to adapt some of her steps.

(Recipe adapted from SiewWei & Jane)
Ingredients for Dreamy Soft Chocolate cake (巧克力相思蛋糕) -fills a 8x8 square pan
Egg yolk batter
65g vegetable oil
50ml chocolate milk
40g dark chocolate, chopped small (I used 70% cocoa)
1/4 tsp salt
100g egg yolks (~6 egg yolks)
1 whole egg
55g superfine cake flour
10g Valrohna cocoa powder
1/2 tsp chocolate emulco (optional)

Egg white Batter
~200g egg white (I used however much of the egg white extracted from the above 6 eggs)
70g caster sugar
1 tbsp corn flour
  • Heat up the milk just before it starts to bubble and add the chopped chocolate. Stir well and mix. Set it aside for use later.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, whole egg, salt, vegetable oil, chocolate milk mixture together till well combined.
  • Sift in the flour and mix well till no visible lumps. (set aside and cover)
  • Preheat the oven to 160C. Prepare water bath in the oven. Grease and line parchment paper a 8x8 square cake pan.
  • In the mixer bowl, add in egg white and beat till foamy. Then gradually add in the sugar and continue to beat till soft peaks. Then add in the corn flour and continue to beat till stiff peaks.
  • Gently flour in the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture in 3 separate portions and do not deflate the batter.
  • Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven for 50 mins in water bath. (Fill a 9x9-inch square pan with water until the halfway mark and place it in the oven to create the water bath.)
  •  
  • Remove from oven when the tester comes out clean and let cool on rack before slicing.
Bare in mind that it's normal that the cake will deflate a little once it starts cooling down. If you compare the above pictures, you will notice that mine did shrink a little. So don't panic okay...let the cake relax. ;)
I have again spread a layer of Vanilla Swiss Meringue buttercream in between. My kids love it to bits! Besides that one slice I ate in the beginning, the rest is all polished off by them! After they finished the last slice, they are already asking when will I be baking it again. :P 

I then baked another batch and filled it with Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream, also a winner! For easier reference, I shall share the Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe here:

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream (makes ~4 to 5 cups)
5 oz egg whites (~140g)
5 oz caster sugar
(~140g)
1/4 tsp salt
bean scrapings from 1/2 of a vanilla bean
1 tsp quality vanilla extract
500g unsalted butter, cut into 2” chunks, room temperature
100g 80% cocoa chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature
 
Chocolate shavings for extra texture and decorations
 
Method:
  • Prepare a double boiler with a gentle simmer. In a heat proof bowl, combine egg whites, sugar and salt into it. Mix well but no beating is required. Place the bowl over the double boiler and placing a candy thermometer to monitor the temperature.
  • Stir once in awhile to prevent the egg white from curdling at sides. Aim to to have the temperature reached at least 146F / 63C for food safety reasons.
  • Once the temperature is reached, remove from heat and beat it till it is silky white. Add vanilla extract and mix well. If the mixture is still hot, place it over a bath of ice water to cool it down.
  • Add the butter chunks one piece at a time and continue to beat while doing so. Continue to beat till all the butter has been added and the buttercream is smooth and silken.
  • Mix the melted chocolate into the buttercream till it is well combined. Chill in the fridge till it is needed.
But I have to admit this recipe is one of the softest cake I made...definitely a keeper. ;) You have to try it for yourself, you won't regret it. :P
Hopefully my next post will be my submission to this month's MFF... hosted by Lena of Frozen Wings. Do show your support! :D Until then, have a good week ahead my friends!

15 comments:

鲸鱼蓝蓝蓝 said...

好柔软的组织:)
呵呵,只要自己开心
随心而写,那就已经足够了
反正
我都在那里等你的好料啊
哈哈:)

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

I have yet to attempt again this cake after the last attempted , the colour look more like a coffee cake for me, hehehe ..

ann low said...

Your chocolate cake looks so soft, feel like having a bite...yummmy!

Unknown said...

perfect cake recipe, book-marking it and i adore your rose cake for your mom :D stunning

Priya
Cook like Priya




Jaques said...

I hv bn seeing this cake in many blogs n most raved abt it. I m v tempted to try but concerned abt the no of eggs involved. Yours look v lovely ;)))

Yummy Bakes said...

Yes, I noticed you have 'disappeared' for a while. haha ... I havent had chance to try this dreamy cake yet .... keep a slice for me tea ok?

Edith said...

I done this cake (using another recipe) for my kiddo's birthday but I under estimated my pan. Turned out to be the ugliest bday cakes that I dare not even to show. Will try your recipe real soon. Yours so perfect!

Joceline Lor said...

Very Good Leh。。。。。。。柔柔嫩嫩的,很想吃哦!

Mich Piece of Cake said...

Your cake texture looks really beautiful... So soft and pillowy...

ReeseKitchen said...

Nice nice nice! Wish I can try as you can see I hardly bake nowdays unless there is some occassions...;p
No eaters and I'm not so keen of sweet things now. Getting old I think...wakakaka!

lena said...

good evening bee2, of course i remember your dreamy pandan cake, that makes me feel like dreaming, i also bookmarked that. this one lagi easy, dont have to purposely extract pandan juice. not really dark wat, but add choc emulco is more tastier ..hehe..

lena said...

oh, i'll be looking out for your submission to MFF!!thanks for the shout out!

CQUEK said...

I am always amazed when browsing through blogs how much I have to accomplish in the world of food.

Unknown said...

for the cake, you bake one or 2 cakes?

Honey Bee Sweets said...

One. Slice half horizontally.