Cooking with Shail

Hey guys I just love baking cakes. Chocolate cake has always been my favorite I mean who doesn’t love chocolates. When I am down or stressed chocolate cake always helps me as a stress buster. Here is a simple and basic recipe for a chocolate cake. Eat this cake when your happy…eat it when your sad…you are sure to fall in love with its simplicity….

Ingredients:

For Sponge:

Milkmaid/Condensed Milk- 200 gms

Unsalted Butter- 75 gms

Baking Powder- 1 tsp

Baking Soda/Soda Bi Carb- 1/2tsp

All Purpose Flour/Maida- 150 gms

Vanilla Essence- 1 tsp

Milk- As required

For icing:

Whipping cream – 250 gms

Dark Chocolate Compound- 200 gms

Dairy cream or unsalted butter- 200 gms

Other items:

Round 8″ baking tin

Oil

Rubber Spatula

Palette Knife

Knife for cutting cake

Piping Bags

spoon chocolate moulds

Method:

For Sponge:

1) In a mixing bowl take the milkmaid and butter and beat well. The butter should be at room temperature.

2) Now add the baking powder and baking soda and mix well. Cover the bowl and leave aside for five minutes.

3) In another bowl sieve the all purpose flour.

4) Add this flour gradually in the milkmaid mixture and keep mixing till there are no lumps. If the mixture feels stiff add milk gradually. The batter should be of pouring consistency and there should be no lumps.

5) Add the vanilla essence and mix well.

6) Take the baking tin and rub some oil in the tin. Now dust the tin using the all purpose flour.

7) Pour the batter in the tin. Take care that the batter should not be more than half of the height of the tin. The batter should be half of the tin or less then half only then it will have space to rise properly.

8) Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 25 mins. Once done check by inserting pin/toothpick in the center if it comes out clean then the sponge is ready.

For Icing:

1) In a deep vessel add the whipping cream. Remember the whipping cream should be chilled. You can use any brand whipping cream.

2) Start whipping the cream using electric beater. Initially start with speed 1 then go to maximum speed. Beat the cream till it form hard peaks. The entire time the cream is whipped it should be chilled. If it is summer season place the vessel in which you are whipping the cream in a wider vessel containing ice cubes and maintain the chilled temperature of the cream.

3) Once whipped the cream will double in volume.

4) In a microwave safe bowl take the dark chocolate compound and cream/butter and microwave for 30 seconds. Do this three time till the chocolate and cream/butter mix well. This is chocolate sauce. Always remember that microwave for 30 secs at a time do not rush this process or else the chocolate will burn.

5) In the whipped cream add  of 1/4 of the chocolate sauce slowly and keep mixing it with the cream. Do not mix the whipped cream vigorously as it will become loose. Mix gently by using a spatula.

6) Take little sauce in a piping bag and keep in fridge.

For Decoration:

1) Cut the cake horizontally in two halves.

2) Add the whipped chocolate cream and sandwich by the other half. Cover the entire sponge from the outer side completely with chocolate cream using palette knife and keep in fridge for 15 mins.

3) After 15 mins pour the remaining chocolate sauce on the cake evenly. If the sauce has hardened microwave again and add 1 tsp of water if required.Once the cake has been evenly coated decorate as desired. I have decorated using chocolate spoons which can be made using a mould of shape.

4) Use the remaining chocolate sauce kept in piping bag to give border or any other desired way.

5) Leave the cake in the fridge for an hour for setting. Serve chilled.