Triple chocolate cheesecake !

Ah!!! The year end festivities and the gooey cakes! Lovely!

Wanted a decadent cake this time with the chocolate and cheese and that's what I got....

I mixed and matched a number of recipes and this is what I landed up with! And I am not complaining!

Dry Ingredients:

flour--1 and 2/3 cups

corn flour-- 1/3 cup

baking soda--1 tsp

baking powder--1 tsp

cocoa powder--4 tbsp

salt-a pinch

Wet Ingredients:

eggs--2 beaten lightly

brown sugar-1 and 3/4 cup

butter- 10 tbsp

chocolate chunks-1/2 cup

Ganache:

light cream-2 cup

chocolate chip-2cup

butter-5 tbsp melted

Filling:

light cream cheese--2 cup at room temperature

chopped hazelnuts-- to garnish

Mix the dry ingredients and keep aside.

Cream the butter and sugar and to it add the eggs.

Fold in the mixture into the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chunks and fold lightly.Butter a round baking pan and preheat oven at 340 F.

Pour the batter in the baking pan.

Next lightly whisk the cream cheese and add it over the batter. With a flat knife slowly infuse the cream cheese into the batter. Do not whisk.

Bake for 40 -- 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

In a pan heat the cream and butter just under boiling point. Pour it over the chocolate chunks and mix into a smooth paste.

Now freeze the mixture for around 2 hours. and the frosting is ready.

When the cake has cooled with a sharp large knife cut the cake horizontally.

Slather the cooled chocolate frosting inside and also over the top.

Sprinkle a handful of nuts on top.

Now sink into the chocolaty velvetness!

Happy New Year! :)

Run-up to Christmas!!

Christmas is not the same without cakes. With our moving to the new apartment I wanted to test my new oven and what would be better than a lovely Chocolate Vanilla Nut cake! I peeked into my pantry and discovered a packet of chopped hazelnuts and thought it would be lovely to include the nuts....

It was a snowy winter afternoon and even with the heating on, it was quite chilly inside. The warmth of the oven was inviting and even more inviting was the aroma of chocolate and vanilla . So here it is.... make your Christmas a little more delicious...(you are free to add any other type of nut or fruits if you like)

What you need:

For the vanilla batter:

Flour: 1 cup

baking powder:1tsp

baking soda:1/2 tsp

white powdered sugar:1/2 cup

brown sugar:1/2 cup

chocolate chips:1/4 cup

vanilla:1 tbsp

egg:1 lightly beaten

butter:4 tbsp molten

salt:a pinch

For the chocolate batter:

Flour:1 cup

baking powder:1 tsp

baking soda:1/2 tsp

white powdered sugar:1/2 cup

brown sugar:1/2 cup

chocolate chips:1/2 cup melted over slow burner with 2 tbsp milk

hazelnuts:1/4 cup

egg:1 beaten

butter:5 tbsp

salt:a pinch

Vanilla batter:

Mix all the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl cream the butter and sugar. Slowly add the egg . Whisk well.

Now mix the dry and wet ingredients together. Add the vanilla and salt.

Fold the mixture in slowly. Add the chocolate chips.

Chocolate batter:

Same as the vanilla batter.

Mix the chopped nuts and the molten chocolate last.

Take care that the chocolate is at room temperature.

Now line the baking tray with a tin foil .Lightly brush melted butter.

First add the chocolate batter and smoothen it out.

Next add the vanilla batter.

Preheat the oven at 350 F.

Bake for 40 -45 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

Serve warm with a dollop of caramel vanilla ice cream....you will be in heaven!!!

Banana Walnut muffins..... with an added treat

Ripe bananas are a nuisance. I cannot eat them and their final destination is the dustbin. I hate to be wasteful but when that black ugly fruit sits on the top of my fruit bowl screaming , on most weeks I end up disposing 1-2 in the garbage bag.
Yesterday however was different. The banana was ripe and the skin was black as usual and I ventured into peeling the fruit. I discovered the fruit was perfectly alright, just a bit too soft and the fruity smell was a tad too overpowering . And so I could not bring myself to throwing the poor one away. And VOILA! there it is calmly sitting in my warm muffins totally at peace..... I am happy and the banana is too(I hope!).
What you need:

flour---1 tbsp less then 1 cup
baking soda---1/2 tsp
baking powder---1 tsp
ripe banana---1 mashed
chopped walnuts---1/4 cup
chocolate chips---a handful
brown sugar---1/2 cup
sour cream---2 tbsp (at room temperature)
egg---1 beaten
butter---6 tbsp

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Cream the butter and sugar together and keep aside.
Lightly beat the egg and add to the butter and sugar. Add the sour cream.
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together with a pinch of salt and slowly add to the egg mix.
Lightly fold in the mixture.
Next add the ripe banana and gently mix.
Add the chopped walnuts and a handful of semisweet chocolate chips.
Line a muffin pan with the greased pastry sheets.
Scoop out equal portions of the batter.This batter makes about 8 medium sized muffins.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is puffed and golden brown. Take them out and cool for 10-12 minutes.
Lovely yummilicious treat..... just pop it into your mouth and enjoy the softness! :)



And P.S..... The added treat as indicated in the header is the "chocolate chip".... which is totally optional...... but then you know my desserts are never really desserts without a hint of chocolate..... so then..ENJOY!

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte ---Black Forest Cake

Black Forest Cake is one of the best cakes I have ever had......
It was an unbelievably cold and rainy July afternoon and we were waiting for our train at the Freiburg station. And the cold had numbed my nose and my exposed fingers. So i decided to go for a stroll and then I saw the yummiest Black Forest Cake in the station bakery. i bought two pieces and while on our way back home we savored the cake with full gusto!

And so this Monday with a holiday I decided to give it a try(very skeptically) and it turned out quite ok.
I browsed through many recipes and settled on one basic easy one.C had been peeking in and out and perhaps wondering...." What is she up to?!"(I decided to surprise him... you see)
I had all the things handy..... but decided to make a few alterations:

I did not use cherry liquor
I did not use chocolate shavings
I did not use heavy whipped cream

OOoooooooh! I am a health freak.....:)

For the cake:

flour-1 and 1/2 cup
cocoa-1/2 cup
baking powder-2 tsp
sugar-1 and 1/2 cup
eggs-2 large
low fat butter/margarine -5 heaped tbsp
milk-1 cup


For Frosting:
light low fat whipped cream(Cool whip): 1 can
fresh cherries:de seeded and halved
chocolate chips:a handful

First sift the flour ,baking powder and cocoa powder together.Mix evenly.
Next beat the eggs and add the sugar. Beat until the mixture is light and frothy. Do use a beater.
Soften the butter over low heat and cool.
Then add the butter to the egg-sugar mix and beat again.
Next add the flour mix and gently fold the mixture.
Beat for 10 -15 minutes.
Line a baking pan with greased baking sheet and preheat oven at 350F.Pour the cake mix.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. This may vary. insert a toothpick/knife to check if the cake is done.
Take the cake out and cool for 1 hour.

Frosting:
After the cake has cooled properly cut horizontally with a broad knife. You can cut 2-3 layers according to the height of your cake.
Spread the layers on a flat plate.
Now generously cream the layers with the whipped cream.
Spread evenly with a knife.
Sprinkle the chopped cherries and the chocolate chips.
Repeat with all the layers.
Carefully re arrange the layers on top of each other .
Now cream frost the outer layers.
Spread evenly with knife.
Decorate with cherries and chocolate chips.
Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Serve cold with hot black coffee...... and enjoy a good book! :) ( I did that!)

Fun times....Desserts and all that!!

I love desserts... what is a meal without one? Be it ice creams or cakes or sweets or the typically bengali amshottwer chutney or doi or ... oh god... I could go on and on and on.....So for New Year I baked a simple chocolate cake and it was heavenly.....
Here's how I did it...

Baking tray
Milk Chocolate chunk-150 gm
Cocoa powder-4-5 tbsp
All purpose flour-1cup
Baking powder-2-3tsp
Eggs-2 large
Sugar-1 and 1/2 cup
Margarine or low fat butter-5 tbsp

In a shallow pan heat the butter/margarine and just as it melts away add the chocolate chunk. All this while keep the flame on low. Be careful not to burn the mix.As the chocolate melts and the syrup thickens slowly add the sugar and the cocoa powder and let it melt away .
Grease the baking pan and preheat the oven to 180C.
In a separate bowl sift the flour and baking powder.
Beat the eggs and slowly fold the flour mix in it. Mix thoroughly.
Meanwhile take the chocolate syrup off the flame and let it cool.
Then mix the syrup in the flour-egg mix and beat for 2-3 minutes.
Pour the mix in the baking tray and set it into the oven for 40 -45 minutes.
Bake until the cake is set and test with a knife or tooth pick.
Cut and serve with a hot cup of coffee or just like that!!!!