Sacher Torte & baking projects
I made a Sacher Torte for D's birthday last week.
It turned out pretty decent. But instead of apricot or plum jam as suggested by the recipe (to sandwich the cake), I used orange marmalade (spiked with a bit of rum, haha). It gave a little zing to the overall taste (I've always liked an orange-choc combo). But being a purist when it comes to these things, I think I'd prefer it with apricot or plum jam.
Cutting the cake in half was the scariest part. I kept worrying the cake would break. But it didn't. So I'd definitely try this again, because it's yummy. Maybe without the chocolate ganache though, which I found too chocolatey (I hear gasps of disbelief).
Ingredients:
100g dark chocolate, melted with a cup of water (I used milk)
in a glass bowl over simmering water,
125g butter
1 1/2 self-raising flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar
60g almond meal
3 large eggs
apricot/plum jam (or marmalade if you want more zing)
Ganache:
200g dark chocolate
1/3 cup cream
50g butter
Method:
Cream butter and brown sugar in a mixer. Add eggs one at a time. Sift in half the flour and cocoa. Then pour in half the melted chocolate. Sift in remainder of flour and cocoa, then the rest of the melted chocolate. Add almond meal.
Baked in greased, lined 9" pan for 1 hour 15 minutes, 160'C or moderate low oven.
When ready, let stand for 15 minutes before removing from pan, and cool for at least 2 hours.
Make ganache by melting all ingredients together (in a glass bowl over hot simmering water in a sauce pan).
Slice cool cake in half horizontally. Sandwich with jam (heat it for 20 seconds in the microwave first).
Pour half the ganache over cake and spread evenly to cover the sides. Then pour rest of ganache on the top of cake, letting it dribble down the sides.
Serve. Can last in fridge for up to a week.
D brought some left over cake to his colleagues and they enjoyed it.
Yipppeeeddooo!
Next baking project - a Tiramisu for D's apartment-warming this weekend.
And blueberry muffins, for Geekchic's visit this Saturday before she flies off to her much long overdue holiday.
Next week, a durian cake for a colleague's farewell (he loves durians) - I plan to make a durian butter cake, cut it in half (ala Sacher Torte), and sandwich with durian cream, made from whipping cream and durian pulp (more pulp than cream). Bon-bon in Damansara Jaya makes a nice one with sponge, but I find the sponge too dry and the durian cream, more cream than durian.
In June, I'll try the Nigella chocolate espresso recipe, courtesy of Snowie.
And after that a pumpkin pie.
Just because.
All the ingredients are in my kitchen.
So when I'm in the mood to bake, I can.
Whoooohoooo!
It turned out pretty decent. But instead of apricot or plum jam as suggested by the recipe (to sandwich the cake), I used orange marmalade (spiked with a bit of rum, haha). It gave a little zing to the overall taste (I've always liked an orange-choc combo). But being a purist when it comes to these things, I think I'd prefer it with apricot or plum jam.
Cutting the cake in half was the scariest part. I kept worrying the cake would break. But it didn't. So I'd definitely try this again, because it's yummy. Maybe without the chocolate ganache though, which I found too chocolatey (I hear gasps of disbelief).
Ingredients:
100g dark chocolate, melted with a cup of water (I used milk)
in a glass bowl over simmering water,
125g butter
1 1/2 self-raising flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 cup brown sugar
60g almond meal
3 large eggs
apricot/plum jam (or marmalade if you want more zing)
Ganache:
200g dark chocolate
1/3 cup cream
50g butter
Method:
Cream butter and brown sugar in a mixer. Add eggs one at a time. Sift in half the flour and cocoa. Then pour in half the melted chocolate. Sift in remainder of flour and cocoa, then the rest of the melted chocolate. Add almond meal.
Baked in greased, lined 9" pan for 1 hour 15 minutes, 160'C or moderate low oven.
When ready, let stand for 15 minutes before removing from pan, and cool for at least 2 hours.
Make ganache by melting all ingredients together (in a glass bowl over hot simmering water in a sauce pan).
Slice cool cake in half horizontally. Sandwich with jam (heat it for 20 seconds in the microwave first).
Pour half the ganache over cake and spread evenly to cover the sides. Then pour rest of ganache on the top of cake, letting it dribble down the sides.
Serve. Can last in fridge for up to a week.
D brought some left over cake to his colleagues and they enjoyed it.
Yipppeeeddooo!
Next baking project - a Tiramisu for D's apartment-warming this weekend.
And blueberry muffins, for Geekchic's visit this Saturday before she flies off to her much long overdue holiday.
Next week, a durian cake for a colleague's farewell (he loves durians) - I plan to make a durian butter cake, cut it in half (ala Sacher Torte), and sandwich with durian cream, made from whipping cream and durian pulp (more pulp than cream). Bon-bon in Damansara Jaya makes a nice one with sponge, but I find the sponge too dry and the durian cream, more cream than durian.
In June, I'll try the Nigella chocolate espresso recipe, courtesy of Snowie.
And after that a pumpkin pie.
Just because.
All the ingredients are in my kitchen.
So when I'm in the mood to bake, I can.
Whoooohoooo!
Wandernut was hungry on 10:02 AM
1 Comments:
*slurp* wow, that's a lot of baking! happiness, eh?!
for ganache, i like to use equal quantities dark chocolate and cream - say 80g choc and 80ml cream. just melt together over double boiler. used straight (pour onto cake), or beat with mixer for fluffier but less shiny effect.
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