Quick & Easy! Chocolate Almond Cream Cake

My darling Julius turned 2 months not a couple of weeks back. I suddenly felt the urge to bake to mark the occassion so I baked a really quick and easy simple Chocolate Almond Cream Cake. But poor Julius, he won't be getting any of it (I didn't want to encourage him to have a sweet-tooth although his mistress is already one). Chocolates are bad for dogs anyway...

To make the cake, combine 2 cups of water, 600g of sugar, 35g cocoa powder, 1t baking soda and 250g chopped butter in a heavy-bottom pot and heat without boiling till all the sugar is dissolved. Then, bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer for about 5 mins. Turn off heat and let it cool a bit. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in about 450g of sifted self-raising flour and 4 eggs. Beat till mixture is smooth. Pour into a greased and lined 8" pan and bake at 175c for about 45-50 mins or when cake is done when tested with skewer. Cover top with foil if it browns too fast. Cool for about 5 mins in pan before removing it and transferring to the rack to cool completely before frosting. Once completely cooled, slice into 2 layers before sandwiching them with buttercream.

For the buttercream, beat 125g softenend butter, 125g margarine and 80g icing sugar together till light and fluffy. Add in about 100g melted cooking chocolate (cooled) and mix till even. Frost cake and sprinkle with chocolate rice and toasted almond flakes.

First Birthday Cake of the Year

Pandan Coconut Almond Cake

Baked my first birthday cake of the year. It was actually for my maid. I was in the kitchen on Saturday baking a Sweet Corn Jelly Layer Cake to bring to a dinner that night when my SIL told me that our maid's birthday was just 2 days away. As I still had some time to kill till dinner, I thought that I will bake her a birthday cake.

As it was a spontaneous decision, I had no idea on what to bake for her. A quick scan on what ingredients I had available in my pantry and I finally decided on a Pandan Coconut Almond Cake.


Very simple to make and it was rather light yet delicious.

Ingredients:
1 prepared pandan-flavoured sponge cake (or vanilla flavoured).
1 cup dessicated coconut, toasted and mixed well with 2T castor sugar
1 cup almond flakes, toasted
1 to 1+1/2 cup whipping cream (I used Whipee)
2 -4T superfine sugar
1/2t Pandan paste

Method:
1. Slice cooled sponge cake into 3 even layers.
2. Whip cream to soft peaks. Add sugar and pandan paste and whip till stiff.
3. Put one layer of sponge onto a cake board. Spread a generous layer of whipped cream onto it.
Sprinkle toasted almonds and dessicated coconut on top of it.
4. Repeat with another layer and top with the 3rd layer of sponge cake.
5. Cover the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate the sides of the cake with
the remaining coconut or as you wish. Keep cake chilled.

Have A Break, Have a Biscotti (Cashew Nut Almond Biscotti)

Perfect combination for a coffee lover like myself. This recipe is fat-free and so easy to make. Supposed to be Almond Biscotti but since I wanted to finish some leftover cashew nuts, I made Cashew Nut Almond Biscotti. So crispy and crunchy. I made it with the intention to keep all for myself and savour them slowly over coffee breaks, thinking that no one at home would enjoy this type of dry and somewhat hard biscuits (I sliced them about 2-3mm thick and intentionally over-baked them slightly). Kept them in a jar and left it in the kitchen but surprise, surprise, when I went to get it the next day, half of it was gone! Till today, I have no idea who the "secret admirer of the biscotti" was. (???)