CHOCOLATE DAY (:

i've got PROBLEMS leaving comments on some of the blog. it asked me to type the verification word, then asked me to log in. after that, they asked me to type the verification word again, then asked me to log in again. this process kept repeating! is so frustrating! i tried many times and even tried switching on and off the comp thinking that maybe my comp is spoilt. i dont know if im the only one like that? ):

on a happier note, is a CHOCOLATE DAY! (: my friend's mum love choc fudge cake and requested for one. so, i attempted this. the cake is BLACK MAGIC CAKE. well, the texture of the cake itself is like pound cake but is really moist. i dont find it chocolatey enough. for the fudge, i used the same as what i did for the steam moist cake (: and they goes well together (: i did some simple deco. wait, is that even deco? not very lovely though. resemble SINGAPORE'S ESPLANADE? :D

Black Magic Cake

2 1 cup sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*

1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13×9x2-inch baking pan.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.

*sour milk: Use 1 tablespoon white vinegar plus milk to equal 1 cup.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE

• 35g cocoa powder (i used valrhona), sifted
• 50gm corn flour, sifted
• 1 cup evaporated milk (i used fresh milk)
• 2 egg yolks
• 175ml water
• 120g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g unsalted butter

Method

1. Mix all ingredients well (except the butter. stir over double boiler at low heat till thickened. (takes abt 10mins to thicken)
2. Add butter, turn off fire and stir till the butter melts.
3. Spread the warm fudge over the cake to coat evenly.
4. Chill the cake in the fridge before serving.

next, i baked brownie! this is on my MUST BAKE list for a while. i must say, ZY did an awesome job compared to mine. like how he described, is really rich, chocolatey and fudgey!

 

Rich Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

185g dark chocolate (i used 70% Valrhona), melted and cooled
110g unsalted butter, softened
220g brown sugar
1/2-1 tsp vanilla
200g whole eggs, lightly beaten
75g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
 
Making the brownie:
Preheat Oven - Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
 
Combine flour and cocoa - In a large mixing bowl, sift both plain flour and cocoa powder. Whisk well to distribute evenly.
 
Cream butter - Cream butter and sugar on medium speed for about 3-5 minutes. As there is a larger proportion of sugar to butter, the mixture will not end up being fluffy. Cream the butter until the volume increases noticeably.
 
Adding eggs to creamed butter - Slowly add in eggs by the tablespoon to the creamed butter, beating the mixture well before incorporating the next tablespoon.
 
Incorporating melted chocolate - Beat in melted chocolate and mix well. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often to ensure even mixing.
 
Adding dry ingredients - Stir in the dry ingredients with a spatula or wooden spoon to get a smooth batter.
 
Baking the brownies - Pour batter into a lined 8 x 8 inch square tin and level the surface. Bake for 23 -30 minutes at 180 degrees C. The top should be crusty and dull. When lightly pressed on the surface, the underneath feels semi-firm. Cool baked brownie in tin for 45mins before removing to cool on wire rack. Serve chilled or at room temperature as desired.
 
Notes:
1) Chill to get a firm brownie or eat at room temperature if a soft brownie is desired.
2) Add 80g of chopped walnuts or pecans if desired.
3) This recipe yields fudgy gooey brownies easily due to the low proportion of flour used as compared to the large proportion of chocolate. Most other brownies need to be slightly underbaked to obtain a fudgy texture. 4) Start checking the firmness of the brownie at 20 minutes or when the brownie surface starts to become dull.


Im submitting this two bakes to Aspiring Bakers #7 - Chocolate Delight (May 2011) hosted by Doris from tested and tasted (: