Cake:
Eggs – 8
Powdered Sugar – 200gms
Flour – 150 gms
Cocoa – 6 tbsps
Cornflour – 4 tbsp
Baking powder – 2 tsps
Salt – 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence – 2 tsps
Red food colour – 4-5 drops (optional)

Filling:
Cream – 400ml (35% whipping cream)
Castor Sugar – 5-6 tbsps (to taste)
Vanilla extract – 1tsp

Ganache:
Dark chocolate – 400gms
Cream – 300ml
Marzipan

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Line & grease 2 spring form 10″ tins. ( I made 2 cakes in 2 batches/ 4 eggs each time since I have just 1 tin)
2. Sift the flour + cocoa + cornflour + baking powder + salt 3 times.
3. Beat eggs & powdered sugar for approx 10 minutes till mousse like & thick.
4. Add vanilla essence & food colour & beat.
5. Fold in the flour mix, 1 tbsp at a time, gently so that the beaten air doesn’t escape.
6. Turn gently into tins & bake 25-30 minutes till done. Turn out onto racks & cool.
7. Cut each cake horizontally to get 4 layers ( 2 from each cake)

Filling:

1. Whip the cream + sugar + extract till the cream is thick & holds shape.
2. Sandwich the layers of the sponge with the cream (1/3rd each time).
3. Can be done a day in advance. Keep it covered in the fridge.

Ganache:

1. Break the chocolate into pieces & put it in a pan with the cream
2. Melt it over low heat, stirring constantly.
3. Take off heat. Stir vigorously with spoon. This gives it a gloss.
4. Cool. (The ganache will thicken as it cools).

Assembly:

1. Frost the sides of the cake with the ganache. Sprinkle chocolate shavings etc onto the sides & press gently.
2. Now cover the top of the cake with the remaining ganache.
3. Mark an area for the ‘yin yang’ with a round bowl. Place chocolate flakes around the edges, followed by the marzipan flowers, leaves, bugs etc. (see earlier post for making marzipan)
4. Mix a little black food colour into the reserved ganache for the ‘yin’.
5. Melt some white chocolate with a tsp of cream to make a white ganache for the ‘yang’.
6. Fill in the shapes; remember to mark the dots on either side.
7. Chill until ready to eat. Keep out at least an hour before serving.

Cake:
200g plain flour
200g caster sugar
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda
40g cocoa powder (good quality)
175g unsalted butter (softened)
2 large eggs
150ml sour cream

Icing:
45g unsalted butter
100g dark chocolate (good quality)
180g icing sugar
1/2tbsp golden syrup
75ml sour cream
splash vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Combine cake ingredients in food processor and blend smooth.
3. Split mixture into two buttered 20cm cake tins with removable bases.
4. Bake for 25 mins.

Icing:

1. Melt butter and chocolate together over boiling water.
2. Add golden syrup, sour cream and vanilla extract to this mixture.
3. Blitz icing sugar in food processor and slowly add hot mixture.
4. Add water or icing sugar to tune icing consistency.
5. Build cake.

Cake:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon good-quality vanilla extract
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or morsels

Syrup:
1 teaspoon cocoa
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1-ounce dark chocolate (from a thick bar if possible), cut into splinters of varying thickness, for garnish

Method

1. 2-pound loaf tin (approximately 9 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 3 inches deep), lined with greased foil, pressed into the corners and with some overhang at the top. Alternatively, substitute a silicon loaf tin, no foil lining necessary.
2. Take whatever you need out of the refrigerator so that all ingredients can come room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, putting in a baking sheet as you do so.
4. Put the flour, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream into the processor and blitz until a smooth, satiny brown batter. Scrape down with a rubber spatula and process again while pouring the boiling water down the funnel. Switch it off, then remove the lid and the well-scraped double-bladed knife and, still using your rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips or morsels.
5. Scrape and pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and put into the oven, cooking for about 1 hour. When ready, the loaf will be risen and split down the middle and a cake-tester will pretty well come out clean.
6. Not long before the cake is due out of the oven (when it has had about 45 to 50 minutes), put the syrup ingredients of cocoa, water and sugar into a small saucepan and boil for about 5 minutes, to give a thick syrup.
7. Take the cake out of the oven and sit it on a cooling rack, still in the tin, and pierce here and there with a cake tester. Pour the syrup over the cake.
8. Let the cake become completely cold and then slip out of its tin, removing the foil as you do so. Sit on an oblong or other plate. Sprinkle the chocolate splinters over the top of the sticky surface of the cake.

Cake:
1 (16-ounce) package pound cake mix
3/4 cup milk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
1/3 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
2/3 cup unsifted powdered sugar
1 large egg yolk
3 ounces white chocolate squares, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy cream

Glaze & Topping:
3 ounces dark chocolate (bittersweet or semi-sweet), chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup raspberries
1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Method

Cake:

1. Beat cake mix with milk and 2 eggs as package directs.
2. Mix in pistachios and vanilla extract. Grease bottoms of two small 6-inch diameter (approximately 3 cup) baking dishes.
3. Pour batter into dishes.
4. Bake at 350*F for 40 minutes or until done.
5. Cool 15 minutes in dishes then invert onto wire racks and cool.
6. Wrap and freeze one cake for use another time.

Filling:
Beat butter with powdered sugar and 1 egg yolk until smooth.
Melt white chocolate with cream in saucepan, stirring over low heat, then beat smooth with wire whip. Beat into butter mixture and cool until spreadable consistency.

Glaze:
In saucepan, combine chocolate and cream; stir over low heat until melted.
Cool until it begins to thicken, then spread on top and sides of cake.
(To soften glaze, warm over hot water.)

Assembly:
Split one cake into three thin layers and divide filling between two center layers.
Cover cake with plastic wrap and chill until set.
Spread with Dark Chocolate Glaze, then decorate top with raspberries and chopped pistachios.
Cake is best served when it has been at room temperature at least 30 minutes.
Cover and chill any leftovers.

110 g / 4 oz dark chocolate
115 g / 4 oz or 8 tbsp butter
2 large eggs
60 g / 6 tbsp flour
80 g / 6 tbsp sugar
Dark/white chocolate, cut in small pieces

Method

1. Preheat your oven at 400 F (200C).
2. Melt the chocolate and butter using a double boiler.
3. Greased 6 individual molds (silicone or large muffin pan).
4. Use an electric mixer to mix together the eggs with the sugar, until your preparation has a nice light white colour.
5. Add the flour and mix well.
6. Add the melted chocolate and mix.
7. Pour in the molds and add the extra pieces of crushed chocolate in the preparation.
8. Place in the oven for about 12-13 min and take out.
9. Let cool down a bit before unmolding.

8oz self-raising flour
1oz cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
4oz caster sugar
Pinch of salt
3oz dark chocolate melted
3oz butter melted
4oz raw grated beetroot peeled weight
2 eggs beaten

Method

1. Heat the oven to GM4/180’C/350’F. Grease and line a 2lb-loaf tin or cake tin.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder.
3. Stir in the sugar, beetroot, melted chocolate and butter and the eggs.
4. Turn into the tin and bake for 50 minutes or until firm on top and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

125g butter
100g dark chocolate broken into pieces
300g thin cut marmalade
150g caster sugarpinch salt
150g self raising flour
2 large eggs

Method

1. 20cm springform tin ,buttered and floured
2. Oven 180/gas 4
3. Melt butter and then stir in the chocolate.
4. Mix until smooth and melted.
5. Now, add the marmalade,sugar,salt and eggs
6. Stir with wooden spoon until well mixed.
7. Beat in the flour bit by bit.
8. Pour into tin and bake for approx 50mins.
9. Leave to cool.
10. The icing is a matter of choice, you could pour some melted chocolate and mix with some butter spread over the cake and sprinkle chocolate hundred and thousands.
    Alternatively, buy a packet of cadburys snaps. When the cake is cooling add a single layer of this very thin crisp chocolate on top as the cake cools the chocolate layer hardens and you are left with a delicious crisp topping.

Cake:
3/4c (1 1/2 stcks) unsalted butter (or “I Can’t Belive It’s Not Butter” spread)
6oz Bittersweet chocolate. (6 bakers chocolate squares)
4 eggs, separated
pinch of salt
3/4c sugar
1/3c all purpose flour

Glaze:
5 tbsp butter (or spread again)
10oz (10 squares) bittersweet OR semi-sweet OR dark chocolate cut coarsley into chunks.

Method

1. Pre-heat oven to 350*F. Grease 9-inch round cake pan, then line with parchment or wax paper.
2. Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepanover low heat on stove. Stirring ocassionally untill smooth. The set it aside. (You can melt it together in the microwave just be careful and stir often)
3. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the 4 egg whites with a pinch of salt untill stiff peaks form and set aside.
4. In another medium sized bowl, beat the yolks and sugar untill light an ribbony(long strands when beaters are lifted).About 2 minutes.
5. Continue to beat, while slowly adding the melted chocolate mixture untill juts blended.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Do not insert a toothpick into the center because it will not come out clean even when done.
   remove the pan to a wire rack and run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen.
8. Cool for 15 minutes then remove the cake from the pan to cool completely. Be careful since it’s very moist and delicate.

Glaze:

1. Melt the butter (or spread) and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir occasionally.
2. Spread warm glaze over cake and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

1 package of desired chocolate Moist cake. (follow cooking recipe)
4 special dark chocolate Hershey bars
1 can of maraschino cherries
1 jar of black cherry or bing cherry jam
2 cups of chocolate pudding
1 tub of whipped cream

Method

1. Bake your cake in a bread pans.
2. Cut chocolate bar pieces to a couple centimeters.
3. When partially cooled, cut into 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch thick slices.
4. Spread the Cherry jam on each slice and place on the bottom (with jam side up) of a large bowl. Sprinkle about 3 1/2 of the chopped up bars on the jam. Place the cherries also on the jam but leave some for the top.
5. Cover with more cake slices with jam facing downward. Don’t try to make it perfect.
6. Poor the cherry juice all over the cake.
7. Cover with about 1/2 inch thick of pudding (optional) and about 3/4 inch thick of whipped cream. Serve.

Cake:
120g almond meal
200g dark cooking chocolate (couverture)
100g softened butter (not margarine)
100g castor sugar
2 eggs
touch of vanilla essence

Chantilly Cream:
Thickened cream
Castor sugar
Brandy (just a tablespoon would do, or Baileys or Kahlua … take your pick)
Vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C (140°C fan forced)
   Prepare cake tin. 8” Spring form tin: grease, then flour to prevent sticking. 8” Normal tin: line with baking paper.
2. Melt the chocolate and add the almond meal, combine well. Set aside and keep warm, so it doesn’t set before the next bits are added … or work quickly!
3. Cream the sugar with the butter until it is utterly combined with the butter. Add the eggs one at a time to the part 2 mixture, incorporating each one fully before adding the next. Add vanilla essence.
4. Fold this combined mixture very gently into the chocolate base mixture, keeping it light and fluffy. Pour into the prepared cake tin and level.
5. Cook for 45 minutes, or until skewer inserted into centre comes out clean (timing depends on the oven consistency). Cool in tin. Turn out, slice and serve with Chantilly Cream or a scoop of ice cream.

Chantilly Cream:

1. Whip to desired consistency. The ‘dollop’ method would require less whipping than that required for piping.
2. Can also be topped with brandy soaked strawberries or cherries to make a ‘pseudo’ Black Forrest torte and dusted with pure icing sugar. Possibilities are endless. Use your imagination and enjoy!