Chocca Mocha Rum Cake

Wow this is definitely one for grown-ups. Dark rich ganache laced with coffee & rum and whipped cream with a little added dark rum and even more ganache.The cake itself is beautifully moist with a little kick of coffee & rum. I made the truffles from some rum flavoured ganache and rolled them in a little chopped chocolate. I suppose I should have 8 to 10 as that's how many it's going to serve. Now no fighting over these three please.

The Ingredients for the cake.

100 gram bar of 70% solid dark chocolate melted
2 tbsp cocoa powder sieved together with
220gms/ 8oz self raising flour sifted together with
1 level tsp of baking powder and a pinch of salt
220g/8oz softened unsalted butter or margarine (I used Stork margarine)
220g/8oz caster sugar
1 heaped tsp of coffee granules dissolved in
2 tbsp dark rum
4 large eggs beaten.

Ingredients for the Ganache

200g of 70% solid dark chocolate
150ml /¼ double cream
50g/2oz unsalted butter
1 tbsp dark rum (optional)

The truffles were made with a little left over ganache rolled in chopped chocolate
a few optional chocolate triangles broken from a bar were added to my cake

Ingredients for the Mocha Cream

570ml /1 pint of double cream
50gms/2oz sifted icing/confectioners sugar
3 tbsp of the prepared ganache
1 tbsp dark rum

Set the oven to 180c/350f/gas 4
Grease and line an 8inch/20cm springform tin with parchment paper

Method.

Beat the sugar & butter/margarine until light & fluffy
carry on beating adding a little of the egg at a time until all is incorporated.
Add the cocoa & flour mix a few spoonfuls at a time folding in with a metal spoon as you go along.
Add the disolved coffee & rum and the melted chocolate and carefully stir through until beautifully even.
Place in the prepared tin.
Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 50 mins to 1 hr when a skewer placed in the centre should come out clean.
Cool in the tin for around 10 mins
Turn out onto a wire rack and leave until completely cold.

The Ganache.(can be made a little in advance)

Place all the ingredients into a heatproof bowl
Place over a pan of hot but not boiling water making sure the base of the bowl is not touching the water.
Stir occasionally until all is mixed together and becoming smooth & glossy.
Leave to cool naturally. Do not place it in the fridge or the ganache will lose it's sheen.
Do not use until it starts to thicken or it will run all over the place.
If it gets a little too thick just place over a bowl of warm water while stirring contiually until it begins to loosen again

The Mocha Cream

Place the cream, sugar and 3 tbsp of ganache in a bowl and whisk until it begins to thicken. Add the rum and lightly whisk again until soft peaks begin to form It is now ready.

The Truffles

If you have any ganache left over, just add a tiny bit more rum and roll into balls then coat with either chopped chocolate or cocoa.

To assemble the cake.

Please make sure the cake is cold before you start to fill it.
Cut the cake cleanly in half.
Turn the cake upside down so the bottom now becomes a nice flat top to work on.
use around half the mocha cream to fill the centre
Place the other half on top
Using a palette knife smooth over almost all of the remaining ganache just leaving a little if you want to top with a few truffles.
using a large star nozzle pipe mocha cream rosettes around the edges.
Finish off with the truffles and perhaps a few chocolate triangles as I have done.

Basic Victoria Sponge Recipe

                                   A basic jam & cream Victoria Sandwich Sponge

I know you'll find many fancy recipes of mine on here but I know that some of you may prefer an easy recipe to start your adventures into baking.

This is a very basic but still delicious sponge cake.  You can add your own flavours to it,  ...make it lemon or orange with the addition of the zest. Make it chocolate or coffee with a little cocoa or coffee. You can also make around 12/16 fairy cakes with the same mixture.

* For the gluten intolerant
This also works well using gluten-free  self raising flour...Asda stock a really good one. I've also made it using rice flour with the suitable gluten-free baking powder.  

Once you've mastered the basic cake the world's your oyster

Advice :-

Buy yourself a good set of kitchen scales....manual or digital. It's far more reliable than the cup system but if you prefer to measure click onto this link Easy Conversion Chart

Buy yourself a good set of heavy duty sandwich tins.....they'll last you a life time.  Mine are 7½" / 20 cm round  or thereabouts.

This mix will make around 12/16 cupcakes if you prefer to make smaller cakes. 

Grease your tins and line the bottom with a ring of baking parchment

Always let your eggs and other ingredients come to room temperature....makes for a much lighter cake

Check your oven...use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is reading true

Flour....do not use old self raising flour...it loses it's rising power and buy a decent cake flour.   I use Homepride, I can't recommend it highly enough
Make sure that you use fresh Baking Powder not something that's been lurking in the cupboard for months...it loses it's raising capabilities when stale.

Don't think that a mixer is necessary....a wooden spoon and some elbow grease will do nicely.

Ok..... for a regular two layers you will require 6oz/ 175 gms of the main ingredients below

Softened Butter or Baking Margarine ( I always use Stork)

Sifted Self Raising Flour * see above

1 level tsp of baking powder

Caster....superfine sugar +

3 Large eggs...... beaten (must be room temp)

1 tsp vanilla extract   ( leave out if you are using any other flavourings)

maybe a little milk to bring to a dropping consistency but do not add until you test the batter

I filled mine with Raspberry Jam & Piped whipped double cream

Method

Add everything except the milk to your mixing bowl

Mix everything together with a hand mixer or by hand until well combined. Do not over beat

This mix should be of a dropping consistency.  By this I mean that it should drop off your wooden spoon quite easily. Just add little milk if the batter is really thick.

Divide the batter equally between the two prepared tins & level it out.  Tap the tins lightly on your work surface, this will remove any large air bubbles 

Bake in the centre of the oven at 180c/ 350f /gas mark 4 until well risen, golden and springy to the touch

remove from the oven....   leave for a few minutes....take out of the tin....revert them onto a wire rack so that the top of the cake is facing the ceiling.

Leave to cool completely.....remove the parchment paper.

Fill as required

Just dust with Caster or Icing sugar or decorate as you want

Plum jam & almond 

For my almond version.....add 1½tsp almond extract to the batter

and ½tsp almond extract and ½tsp vanilla extract to a butter cream filling

I filled mine with homemade plum jam and sprinkled over some toasted almond flakes to finish

                                     This one has raspberry jam & vanilla butter cream

Lemon Ice Box Pudding

A lovely light and refreshing end to any meal & so very simple to make. 

Recipe to serve approx 6-8
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A regular sized loaf tin or 6/8 mini loaf moulds or something similar
line with cling film
half a packet of ginger nuts crushed to a crumb
6 eggs separated
450ml - 3/4 pt double cream
175g - 6 oz caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
grated rind & juice of 4 regular or 3 large lemons

place half of the ginger crumbs into the base of the tin,
Beat the yolks with the sugar,
beat the whites until stiff but not dry,
beat the cream until lightly whipped
gently mix the cream into the egg yolks & sugar adding the lemon juice & zest
Fold in the beaten egg whites
pour into the loaf tin
cover with the remaining crushed gingernuts
Freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight
remove from freezer about 5-10 minutes before serving