Sinful Devil’s Food Cake

Are you smacking your lips together already looking at this beauty? If not, you will be (I have to admit, I did eat a few spoonfuls of the batter). I made this sinful little cake for my father’s birthday and it was gobbled up! Serves 10.

Ingredients:

• 240g (8.5 ounces) butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cups caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup of cocoa powder
• 3 teaspoons instant coffee granules
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon red food colouring
• 300 ml (1/2 pint) whipped cream
• 60g (2 ounces) dark cooking chocolate, chopped
• Block of white chocolate for shavings to top (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C (350F) and grease two 20cm (8 inch) round cake tins. Line the bases with baking paper.
2. Beat 180g (5.5 ounces) of the butter and the sugar in a large bowl with an an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in one at a time.
3. Fold in sifted flours, baking soda and cocoa into the bowl in two batches.
4. In a small bowl, combine the coffee, water, milk and colouring. Stir through and add to the large bowl, mixing in.
5. Pour the mixture equally into the pans and bake for 45 mins. Stand cakes for 5 minutes before removing from the tins and allowing to cool.
6. Meanwhile, combine chocolate and 60g (2 ounces) of the butter in the bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring until just melted. Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.
7. Once the cakes are cooled, place the whipped cream on the top of one cake and sandwich the other cake on top. Top cake with chocolate frosting.
8. Using a vegetable peeler or knife, use the back of the block of white chocolate to create shavings. Place shavings on top of the cake.

This recipe is adapted from the Australian Women’s Weekly big cakes book.

Happy Eating!

– Sweet Cinnamon Sin

Learning to make Macarons

Macarons

If you’ve ever tried making macarons you probably know how frustrating it feels to spend a lot of time in the kitchen labouring over these tiny things and feeling underwhelmed at the result. Today a friend and I went to the Paris International Cooking School here in Sydney to go and learn a little more about the art of macarons and try some of their creations.

Our chef for the morning was Laurent Villoing, a Parisian trained chef, with over 20 years experience teaching cooking. Laurent walked us through the essentials and started the demonstration off with some beautiful American orange Coconut Macaroons with Swiss Meringue. Thankfully, he told us that these are no easy feat and I could rest assured I wasn’t just a terrible cook.

Piping macaroons

We ran through several other macaron recipes including Amaretti Italian Macarons, Macarons of Amiens, Chocolate Macaron de paris with French Meringue (my personal favourite since these were made with Nutella!) and Macarons de Paris with Italian Meringue. After each demonstration he let us do a quick taste test and all of the recipes were absolutely beautiful!

Amaretti Italian Macaron

I can’t wait to try these recipes next weekend and I highly recommend the classes at the Paris International Cooking School: http://picssyd.com.au/

– Sweet Cinnamon

 

Brownies with what?!

Brownies are always a favourite in my house. Who could resist a little chocolatey goodness, after all? However, traditional brownies can sometimes turn out dry and flaky when overcooked. Adding a little something extra can fix that though…

And before your imagination runs away from you and you think of all the naughty things I put in this brownie, the special ingredient is actually beetroot! Who would have thought adding a little beetroot into the mix could deliver soft, gorgeous and moist brownies!

Ingredients:

• 1 medium Beetroot
• 100g Dark Cooking Chocolate
• 2 Eggs
• 20g Butter
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup Plain flour
• 1/2 cup Caster sugar
• 1/3 Cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• Pinch of icing sugar (for serving)

Method:

1. Chop off any stems attached to the beetroot. Wash under water to remove excess dirt and then wrap completely in foil.
2. Bake the beetroot in the oven at 200 C degrees (390  F) for 30 minutes. Check and if softened, carefully remove from foil and remove skin with a knife.
3. Chop the beetroot roughly and process in a blender to make 1/2 cup of puree.
4. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F). Greece and line a a 20 cm square baking tin with baking paper.
5. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring at 30 second intervals until smooth.
6. Whisk eggs and vanilla essence into the chocolate mixture and gradually add the beetroot puree and continue whisking until combined.
7. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl. Add the sugar and chocolate mixture and stir through until combined. Add walnuts and gently stir through again.
8. Pour into the cake pan, Bake for 20 minutes (top should look firm) and then remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
9. Lightly sprinkle the icing sugar on top, slice and serve.

These brownies went in minutes at the office and nobody was able to taste the ‘secret’ ingredient! Such a nice way to add a few ‘antioxidants’ to your brownie mix and to deliver moist goodness. Definitely worth a try!

– Sweet Cinnamon