It is always preferable to give present that is age appropriate, but when it come to give a 70 years old, it's best to think out of the box. Giving clothes or book will be too boring. Why not give them a colorful balloons, or a movie ticket, or a pass to Disney World? That would be like giving injection of some fun into their life. Or, better still, why not whip up a chocolate cake and their favorite dish. Home made present always give a touch of love and never fail to impress. Now don your apron, and head for kitchen to make your grand mother or grand father a beautiful, unforgettable birthday party. You can also make a double storied chocolate cake with cherries on the top.
Ingredients
½ cup (110 g) butter, softened
1+¼ cup (275 g) sugar
2 eggs
1+¼ cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (1.8 dl) buttermilk
Ingredients for filling
¼ cup Kirschwasser (Kirsch/cherry brandy), optional
2 cans (14 oz or 400 g) cherry pie filling or pitted cherries
3 cups (7.2 dl) heavy whipping cream, chilled
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
Milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish
Maraschino cherries or sweet cherries, for garnish, optional
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
2. Line a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with greaseproof or other non-stick paper.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with sugar until white and fluffy.
4. Add one egg at a time, mix well between each egg.
5. Add sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and buttermilk, and mix until the batter is smooth.
6. Transfer to a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees just until set in the middle, approximately 45-60 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Do not over-bake!
7. When cake is cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. It is easier to cut if kept in a refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.
Filling:
1. Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.
2. Beat the whipping cream with confectioners' sugar until it thickens.
3. Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until the cake is assembled.
Assembling:
1. Sprinkle each layer of the cake with Kirschwasser.
2. Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
3. Spread about one fifth of the whipped cream on the layer, and strew half of the cherries on top of the whipped cream.
4. Add the second cake layer.
5. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on the second layer and the remaining cherries on top.
6. Add the third cake layer.
7. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on top and one fifth on the sides. Gently press chocolate curls on the sides and/or on top of the cake.
Cocoa beans, sugar and emulsifier are the basic ingredients in dark chocolate cake. The emulsifier that used the most is soy lecithin to preserve texture. To enrich flavor vanilla is added for its subtle aroma that will not overpower the sumptuous chocolate aroma. Dark chocolate is often distinguished by the percentage of cocoa solids in the bar. In the commercial chocolate bar usually the content of the cocoa is 30%, sometime up to 70% or even 80% for the extremely dark bars. There are certain terms to describe this dark chocolate such us bittersweet, semi-sweet and sweet dark chocolate cake, depending on the sugar level and cocoa solids in the bar.
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| I Love You Chocolate Cake |
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| Love Chocolate Cake |
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| Chocolate Cake With Liquid Centers |
I Love You Chocolate Cake Recipe
If you want to make your own chocolate cake, here is the recipes with picture of your chocolate cake:Ingredients
½ cup (110 g) butter, softened
1+¼ cup (275 g) sugar
2 eggs
1+¼ cup (140 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, natural
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (1.8 dl) buttermilk
Ingredients for filling
¼ cup Kirschwasser (Kirsch/cherry brandy), optional
2 cans (14 oz or 400 g) cherry pie filling or pitted cherries
3 cups (7.2 dl) heavy whipping cream, chilled
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
Milk chocolate curls or shavings, for garnish
Maraschino cherries or sweet cherries, for garnish, optional
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (Gas mark 4 or 180 deg C).
2. Line a 9 inch (23 cm) cake pan with greaseproof or other non-stick paper.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the softened butter with sugar until white and fluffy.
4. Add one egg at a time, mix well between each egg.
5. Add sifted flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and buttermilk, and mix until the batter is smooth.
6. Transfer to a cake pan and bake at 350 degrees just until set in the middle, approximately 45-60 minutes. A wooden pick inserted in center should come out with just a few moist crumbs on it. Do not over-bake!
7. When cake is cool, use a long serrated knife to cut the cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. It is easier to cut if kept in a refrigerator for a few hours before cutting.
Filling:
1. Drain cherry pie filling in a colander to remove most of the thickened juices.
2. Beat the whipping cream with confectioners' sugar until it thickens.
3. Using a vegetable peeler, shave chocolate; refrigerate until the cake is assembled.
Assembling:
1. Sprinkle each layer of the cake with Kirschwasser.
2. Place one cake layer on a serving plate.
3. Spread about one fifth of the whipped cream on the layer, and strew half of the cherries on top of the whipped cream.
4. Add the second cake layer.
5. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on the second layer and the remaining cherries on top.
6. Add the third cake layer.
7. Spread one fifth of the whipped cream on top and one fifth on the sides. Gently press chocolate curls on the sides and/or on top of the cake.
Dark Chocolate Cake
Most chocoholic would prefer Dark Chocolate. Because there is no milk solid added the flavor is much more pronounced than that of Milk Chocolate. Because of lack of milk solids, the dark chocolate tends to get dry, the texture become chalky and there is a bitter aftertaste, but the aroma of chocolate will entice you as the milk added will be very less that there will be no trace of milk aroma in dark chocolate. |
| Dark Chocolate Cake |
Cocoa beans, sugar and emulsifier are the basic ingredients in dark chocolate cake. The emulsifier that used the most is soy lecithin to preserve texture. To enrich flavor vanilla is added for its subtle aroma that will not overpower the sumptuous chocolate aroma. Dark chocolate is often distinguished by the percentage of cocoa solids in the bar. In the commercial chocolate bar usually the content of the cocoa is 30%, sometime up to 70% or even 80% for the extremely dark bars. There are certain terms to describe this dark chocolate such us bittersweet, semi-sweet and sweet dark chocolate cake, depending on the sugar level and cocoa solids in the bar.