Chocolate coffee mousse cake - mocha cake

This cake comprises of chocolate sponge, chocolate chantilly, coffee mousse and chocolate ganache.

make a sponge cake see the link for method

chocolate sponge
4 eggs
115g caster sugar
90g self raising flour
25g cocoa

Chocolate Chantilly
200ml cream
40g dark chocolate
20g caster sugar

Stir the caster sugar into the cream in a little pot. Place over a medium heat.
Put the chocolate into a bowl
When the cream comes to the boil, pour it over the chocolate.
Place the mixture in the fridge to cool completely
When it is completely cool, whisk as you would cream.

Coffee Mousse:
165g milk
30g instant coffee approx or to taste OR use 'IREL' coffee or other coffee flavouring
60g caster sugar
2 egg yolks (40g)
6g gelatine (2 leaves) use one 7g sachet if using powdered gelatine and soak in 20g of water, then use as per this recipe

Soften the gelatin in some water (see the link for gelatine use)
Stir the caster sugar into the milk in a little pot.
Put the yolks in another bowl and give them a gentle whisk, just to break them up.
Bring the milk mixture to the to the boil and then pour about half onto the yolks. Whisk the yolks and milk mixture just to combine.
Add the yolk mixture back into to the milk in the pot and stir over a low heat for about a minute or two.
Then remove from the heat and pour into a bowl (if you leave it in the pot it will continue to cook and may curdle)
Stir in the coffee or Irel coffee to the milk mixture and adjust according to taste, then stir in the  softened gelatine.
Set aside and leave to cool

Meanwhile, whisk the cream to soft peaks (don't over-whisk or the cream will remain in lumps in the mousse) and set aside.
When the milk mixture has cooled to about 30C (or when the mixture is just starting to set around the edges), fold in the cream.

Chocolate Ganache 
Use the ganache recipe

Assembly:
Line the cake ring/tin with paper or plastic acetate strip and place on plate or tray.

Split the sponge into 3 using a bread/serrated knife

Place on layer into the cake ring and pour in the coffee mousse

Top with another layer of sponge, and top with the chocolate chantilly

Top with the final layer of sponge

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours

Sit the cake on a cake rack and set this over a tray or some clean parchment paper.

Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake and refrigerate for a few minutes, then remove from the rack and place or a plate/cake board and decorate.

Birthday party food for my beautiful baby

For my little girl's party I made mini burgers, mini chicken kiev (homemade), cocktail sausages, chips, mini pizza, lemon buns, white and dark chocolate mousse for the cake, chocolate cookies (I'll put these on the blog soon), macarons.

Mini Pizzas / Pizza dough and tomato sauce

Makes 25 mini pizzas but you can use this for larger pizzas-cooking time will be longer

600g strong flour
7g dried yeast or 14g fresh
12g sugar
10g salt
260ml water
80ml oil
herbs of choice

Mix all ingredients in a mixer fitted with dough hook on low speed. Once all ingredients have come together mix 5 minutes, then increase speed to medium and mix for further 5 minutes

Cover with cling touching the surface for about 45 minutes.

Cut into 25 pieces of approx g

Allow dough to rest 10 minutes before shaping into rounds - follow mini burger instructions for details

When round, the next step is to roll into flat rounds.

Leave dough rest about 20minutes, then cover well with tomato sauce and topping of choice. (Add cheese just before taking out of oven-it usually gives a nicer result)

Cook about 15minutes in oven at 170 fan

Tomato Sauce
1onion peeled and finely chopped
approx 6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 table spoon honey
1 tin chopped tomato

Lightly fry the onions til transparent, add garlic towards the end
Add honey and tomatoes to the pan and bring to boil then simmer until reduced  sufficiently

Buns/cupcakes/fairy cakes for girls birthday

This lemon cake makes buns without a dome finish, ideal for when you want a flat surface for decorating. Alternatively use the buttermilk recipe on this blog.

Makes 24 individual buns

250g butter at room temp.
zest and juice of 1 lemon
400g caster sugar
6 eggs
270g self raising flour
200ml cream

Preheat oven to 160C fan.

Beat butter, sugar and zest until soft.
Add the juice of the lemon to the cream, stir
Add the eggs gradually, if the mix starts to curdle add some of the flour
Add half the flour, blend
Add half the cream and lemon mix
Add remaining flour
Add remaining cream and lemon

Spoon into cases which sit in a muffin/bun tin and cook for approx 30 minutes

buns pictured with macarons

Decoration 1:

The decoration here uses just one scalloped/frilled/fluted cutter to make pretty flowers.  A red background and white flower is just as pretty-use any colour you like!

Cut out some roll out icing and stick to the bun with jam

Roll out some coloured icing and with the same fluted cutter cut a shape
Cut the round in half and with a knife cut as shown in the picture

pick up the 'flower' and close the sides together at the base gently 

Attach to the bun with some jam

Press some marzipan or coloured icing into a sieve, remove and gather into a round, stick on to the flower with jam

Decoration2:

This is made with the same bun but topped with greek yoghurt cream (the one in Lidl if you can get it is delicous) and decorated with piped jam (see cream bun recipe)

Chocolate and chestnut cake

The break down of this cake that I made for my sister (for her Christmas dessert) is as follows:

Chocolate sponge
Chocolate mousse
Chantilly cream mixed with chestnut puree
Ganache
Decoration: macarons, gold leaf and chocolate fan, chocolate squares 'plaques' and chocolate 'cigarettes' (I'll post how to do these chocolate pieces soon)

21st birthday cake

21st birthday cake for my niece.

• Three tier Chocolate dark and white chocolate mousse cake
• Covered in ganache
• Macarons in shape of 21 covered in Gold leaf. 
• Macarons and chocolate plaques on side of cake
• Chocolate orb and macarons for decoration

Mini burger buns for mini burgers

Its my baby girls birthday soon and one of the birthday treats for her older cousins will be mini burgers.

Here is a recipe for 20 mini burger buns/baps/blaas-whatever you want to call them!
see also the post on yeast goods for more on bread making

375g strong flour
14g dried yeast (28g fresh yeast)
40g butter at room temperature
170g water
8g sugar
5g salt


Add all ingredients to mixer fitted with dough hook.

Mix on low speed, when all come together increase to medium speed for 7 minutes.

Leave covered with plastic touching surface for 45ins-1 hour

after, divide into 20 pieces of 25g approx

Leave 15 minutes then shape

take piece of dough

flatten out the dough

Fold in half

turn the dough around....

and fold in half again

now turn the dough so it is facing as pictured

fold in half

turn around

fold in half again

flip over so that seam side is down

cup the dough in you hand and turn clockwise while keeping light pressure on the dough

Place on  tray and flatten top slightly with your hand.   Allow to prove until double in size appox.

You can brush with egg wash and sprinkle with seasame or poppy seeds if desired.

Bake in oven for about 20minutes at 170C fan


Allow to cool before  slicing in half

Make small burgers and assemble burgers with fillings of choice