Chocolate buttermilk ombre cake
Chocolate buttermilk ombre cake SERVES 12 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 10 MINUTES (+ COOLING AND REFRIGERATION TIME)
This chocolate cake is moist with a not-too-rich chocolate flavour that works well with our three chocolate-flavoured butter creams. If you like, you could opt to make it with only two butter creams – simply quadruple the quantity of either the milk or dark chocolate butter cream. 1 cup (100g) Dutch-processed cocoa 1 cup (250ml) hot water 2 cups (300g) plain flour ¾ cup (110g) self-raising flour 3 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 2½ cups (330g) caster sugar 1½ cups (375ml) buttermilk 3 eggs ¾ cup (180ml) vegetable oil 2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa, extra
WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM
400g unsalted butter, softened 2½ cups (400g) icing sugar 500g white chocolate Melts, melted, cooled
DARK CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM
80g unsalted butter, softened ½ cup (80g) icing sugar 100g dark chocolate, melted, cooled
MILK CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM
80g unsalted butter, softened ½ cup (80g) icing sugar 100g milk chocolate, melted, cooled
1 Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease two deep 20cm round cake pans; line bases and sides with baking paper. 2 Sift cocoa into a medium bowl; stir in the hot water until smooth. Cool. Sift flours, soda and sugar into a large bowl of an electric mixer. Add the buttermilk, eggs, oil and cocoa mixture. Beat on low speed until just combined. Divide between pans. 3 Bake cakes for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cakes in pans for 5 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool.
4 WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM Beat butter and sifted icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in chocolate. Keep butter cream in a cool place until ready to use.
5 DARK CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM Beat butter and sifted icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in chocolate. Keep butter cream in a cool place until ready to use.
6 MILK CHOCOLATE BUTTER CREAM Beat butter and sifted icing sugar in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in chocolate. Keep butter cream in a cool place until ready to use. 7 Trim tops of cakes to level. Split cakes in half. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or plate. Reserve half the White Chocolate Butter Cream for the top and side of the cake. Spread cake layer with a third of the remaining White Chocolate Butter Cream; top with another cake layer. Repeat layering with remaining thirds of White Chocolate Butter Cream and the cakes, finishing with a cake layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. 8 Spread Dark Chocolate Butter Cream around lower third of the cake. Spread Milk Chocolate Butter Cream around middle third of the cake. Spread half the reserved White Chocolate Butter Cream around top third of the cake; spread remaining reserved White Chocolate Butter Cream on top of the cake. Use a large palette knife to smooth side and blend colours slightly. Dust top of cake with the extra cocoa.
Undecorated cakes suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
Raspberry ice-cream brownie stack
SERVES 10 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES (+ COOLING, REFRIGERATION AND FREEZING TIME) This cake is a bit of work, but the stages can be staggered and the reward is high. 600ml cream 2 cups (500ml) milk 6 egg yolks ½ cup (110g) caster sugar 125g frozen raspberries 250g fresh raspberries
BROWNIE
3 eggs, separated 2⁄3 cup (150g) caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), melted, cooled ½ cup (60g) almond meal (ground almonds) ½ teaspoon baking powder 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 50g butter, melted
POMEGRANATE SYRUP
2 cups (500ml) pomegranate juice 2⁄3 cup (150g) caster sugar 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 Place cream and 1½ cups of the milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring almost to a simmer. 2 Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a large heatproof bowl until thick and pale. Gradually add cream mixture, whisking constantly. Transfer mixture to a clean medium saucepan; place over lowmedium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon. Transfer to a heatproof bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Cool, then refrigerate for 4 hours or until cold.
3 BROWNIE Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a 20cm x 30cm rectangular slice pan; line base and two long sides with baking paper, extending the paper 2cm over the sides. Beat egg yolks, ½ cup of the sugar and the extract in a small bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Fold in chocolate. Beat egg whites in a clean small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating after each addition until sugar dissolves and mixture is glossy and firm. Gently fold egg white mixture into egg yolk mixture. Add almond meal, combined sifted baking powder and cocoa, and butter; fold into chocolate mixture. Pour mixture into pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave Brownie in pan for 10 minutes; turn, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.
4 POMEGRANATE SYRUP Meanwhile, combine ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer for 25 minutes or until reduced to 1 cup. Cool. 5 Blend frozen raspberries and remaining milk until smooth; fold into cold custard.. Transfer to an ice-cream machine; churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Line a clean 20cm x 30cm rectangular slice pan with plastic wrap. Spread the ice-cream into pan; cover. Freeze for 4 hours or until firm. 6 Cut Brownie in half lengthways. Place one piece of Brownie on a plate. Cut ice-cream in half lengthways. Place one piece of ice-cream on top of Brownie; repeat layers. Top with fresh raspberries and drizzle with Pomegranate Syrup.
Suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
Triple-chocolate crackle crunch cake SERVES 12 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 40 MINUTES (+ COOLING AND REFRIGERATION TIME)
½ cup (50g) Dutch-processed cocoa ½ cup (125ml) boiling water 185g butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1½ cups (330g) caster sugar 3 eggs 150g dark chocolate, melted, cooled 1½ cups (225g) self-raising flour ½ cup (75g) plain flour ¾ cup (180ml) buttermilk ¼ cup (25g) Milo
WHIPPED GANACHE
2 cups (500ml) cream 600g milk chocolate, chopped finely
CRACKLE CRUNCH
200g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely 100g butter, chopped ¼ cup (40g) icing sugar 3 cups (100g) Rice Bubbles ¾ cup (60g) desiccated coconut 1 WHIPPED GANACHE Heat cream in a small saucepan until almost boiling. Add chocolate; remove from heat. Stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Transfer mixture to a small bowl of an electric mixer; beat ganache for 3 minutes or until fluffy and lighter in colour – do not overbeat or mixture will split. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until thickened and spreadable.
2 CRACKLE CRUNCH Line a large oven tray with baking paper. Melt chocolate and butter in a small, heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Sift icing sugar into a large bowl; stir in Rice Bubbles, coconut and chocolate mixture until combined. Press the mixture onto tray until 1cm thick. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Break half of the crackle slab into large shards for the top of the cake. Coarsely crumble the remaining crackle. 3 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease two deep 20cm round cake pans; line bases and sides with baking paper. 4 Stir cocoa and the boiling water in a small heatproof jug until smooth. Cool. 5 Beat butter, extract and sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then cocoa mixture and melted chocolate until combined (mixture may look curdled at this stage). Beat in flours and buttermilk, in two batches, on low speed, until smooth. Divide mixture between pans; smooth the surface. 6 Bake cakes for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cakes in pans for 5 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto wire racks to cool. 7 Split cakes in half. Place one cake layer on a plate or stand. Spread with one-fifth of the ganache, then a third of the crumbled crackle; sprinkle with a third of the Milo. Repeat layering, finishing with a ganache layer. Spread remaining ganache around the side. Top with large crackle shards.
Undecorated cakes suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
Churros cake
SERVES 12 PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES (+ COOLING TIME)
Our delectable cake is inspired by the flavours of the Spanish dessert churros, fried dough strips dusted in cinnamon and sugar that are customarily dipped in chocolate or thick caramel. The sides of our feather-light sponge are rolled in cinnamon sugar and sandwiched with a thick caramel and cream, then crowned with a dark chocolate ganache. 4 eggs 2 cups (440g) caster sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour ¾ cup (110g) plain flour ¼ cup (35g) cornflour 1 cup (250ml) milk 100g butter 1⁄3 cup (75g) caster sugar, extra 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 40g butter, extra, melted 300ml whipped cream 450g dulce de leche (see Test Kitchen tip)
GANACHE
½ cup (125ml) cream 200g dark chocolate, chopped finely 1 Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan-forced). Grease three deep 20cm round cake pans; line bases and sides with baking paper. 2 Beat eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 30 seconds or until foamy. Add sugar; beat for 5 minutes or until pale and thick. Beat in extract. Transfer mixture to a large bowl; gently fold in triple-sifted flours. 3 Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over low heat until the butter melts. Whisk 1 cup of the cake batter into milk mixture until smooth. Fold milk mixture into remaining cake batter. Divide mixture evenly among pans. 4 Bake cakes for 35 minutes or until golden brown and cakes spring back when pressed lightly in the centre with your finger. 5 Meanwhile, combine extra sugar and the cinnamon in a small bowl; sprinkle half on a large rimmed plate. Sprinkle three sheets of baking paper evenly with remaining cinnamon sugar. 6 Turn hot cakes onto cinnamon-sugared paper; cool for 10 minutes. Brush sides of warm cakes with extra melted butter; roll in remaining cinnamon sugar on plate to coat sides. Sprinkle any leftover cinnamon sugar over top of cakes. Cool cakes on wire racks.
7 GANACHE Heat cream in a small saucepan until almost boiling. Add chocolate; remove from heat. Stand for 2 minutes. Stir until melted and mixture is smooth. Cool for 20 minutes or until mixture has thickened. 8 Beat cream in a small bowl with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Place one cake layer on a cake plate, sugared-side up. Spread with half the dulce de leche, then half the cream. Repeat layers, finishing with cake. Spread Ganache over top of cake, allowing it to drip slightly down the side.
Undecorated cakes suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.
“In Spain and Latin America, churros are eaten for breakfast.”