[Baking] Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cake

If there is one person who loves cholocate-y desserts more than me, that would be my husband.  It's his birthday and I thought of baking something extra special... just for him.  We have gained so weight in the past several weeks and it's mostly because of our physical inactivity, being sedentary most of the time.  Yes, I have been baking here and there but it's always "to share" with family and friends.  Well, this Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe is served in ramekins, small enough for one person.  Talk about portion control.

There are many recipes online.  I did my research and came up with my own.

Chocolate Lava Recipe (serves 4, 6oz ramekins)
Ingredients:
2 large whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
3.5 oz Scharffen Berger Bittersweet dark chocolate, cubed
4 oz unsalted butter, cubed

Procedure:
1.   Preheat oven to 450C.  Line ramekins with butter.  The ramekins we have are 8oz and are wide rather than tall - I was able to make 3 portions.
2.   Place butter and chocolate squares in a glass bowl and melt in a double broiler (just because we don't own a microwave).   Mix well.
3.   Beat the whole eggs and eggyolks until pale yellow.  Add the sugar and beat until completely dissolved.  Add the vanila and salt.
4.   Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and combine.
5.   Fold in the all purpose flour.  Mix.
6.   Gently pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins.  The cake will be baked in a water bath (baine marie) so place the filled ramekins in a deep dish filled halfway with hot water.
7.    Bake for 15 minutes.  Your cake is done when the sides are firm to and the center is soft (and jiggly).
8.   Take the cake out of the oven and gently run a knife along the side and place a plate and carefully invert the cake.
9.   Sprinkle powdered sugar and top with your favorite fruit (I used mangoes).

It was delicious and my birthday boy loved it!

Enjoy!  Happy baking!
♥ michelle

[Baking] Mango Chiffon Cake

Mango Chiffon Cake

Spring in Texas means the start of the season for Mangoes.  Woohooo!  I love mangoes especially the sweet ones.  The Mango Chiffon Cake is one of the more popular desserts in the Philippines.  I have several favorite mango desserts:  Mango Pavlova, Canonigo, Conti's Mango Bravo, and Mango ice box cake to name a few.

Ms. Corrinne has a Mango and Cream Cake recipe that I've tried and tweaked a bit to call it my own. I lessen the sugar by 1/2 - 1 tablespoon to lessen the guilt and I add cubed mangoes in the batter on days when I feel extra special.

MANGO AND CREAM CAKE from Ms. Corinne of Heart of Mary

(recipe suitable for two 9" by 2 1/2" round pans, or one 10" by 3" round pan)

Chiffon Cake:

{A}

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup white sugar

{B}

1/2 cup corn/canola oil

7 egg yolks, from extra large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup water 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon or orange extract

{C}

7 eggwhites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

{D}

3/4 cup white sugar

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Line bottom of baking pans with parchment paper.  Do not grease pans.

2. In a large bowl, combine {A} well. Add in {B}. Beat with electric mixer or by hand until smooth and well blended.

3. In a separate bowl, beat {C} on high speed until frothy. Gradually add in the sugar {D} and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Gradually and gently fold in egg whites into egg yolk mixture. Pour batter into baking pans.  If using two 9" pans, divide the batter equally.

4. Bake for about 55 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Invert pan into wire rack immediately and cool completely.

5. To release cake from pan, carefully run a thin knife around sides of pan, then invert. For easier handling, wrap your cake very well in cling film, then refrigerate overnight before frosting.

Mango Whipped Cream Frosting:

2 cups whipping or thickened cream, very cold

1 250g bar of cream cheese, soft but still cold

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

about 3 medium-sized mangoes (more if you love mangoes!)

*Make sure your mixing bowl and beaters for the whipped cream are all well chilled to achieve better volume.

Puree mango meat of one mango.  Set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Set aside.

In your chilled bowl and using clean beaters, beat the whipping cream, sugar and vanilla until the mixture is quite stiff. Gently fold in the cream cheese then beat again at high speed for a few seconds or just until everything is well combined.  Be careful not to overbeat.  Carefully fold in the mango puree.

To assemble:

Cut up the rest of your mangoes into small cubes or thin slices (whichever you prefer) to use for the filling and for garnishing.

Place one cake layer on your cake board, top side up. Use some of the frosting to fill the cake.  Scatter the mango cubes/slices all over the filling.  Place the top cake layer over the bottom layer, bottom side up.  Frost the cake with the remaining whipped cream frosting, decorate as desired and garnish with more mango cubes/slices.

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I love that it comes out fluffy, soft, delicately sweet and is always a hit among friends and family.  Try it soon.

Have a wonderful week!

♥ michelle

[Baking] Pavlova

PAVLOVA

Four years ago, we visited family in Australia where I had my first taste of this delicate dessert:  Pavlova.  It is a meringue-based dessert with a crisp outer shell and gooey, marshmallow-like on the inside.  They say that the dessert was created in honor of a ballet dancer Pavlova, hence the name, during her dance tour in Australia and New Zealand.

The recipe is different from the regular meringue recipe in that it uses cornflour which causes the center to be gooey.  It is also baked for a long time, 90 minutes, and cooled in the oven.  The recipes in the internet are basically the same.  I used this one by Catty.

PAVLOVA (adapted from The Catty Life)

4 large egg whites 1 cup caster sugar 1 teaspoon vinegar 1/2 tablespoon corn flour 300-500 mL whipping cream  1 1/2 cup strawberries 1 cup blueberries 1 piece kiwi 1 mango (pureed or diced)

Pre-heat oven to 120°C/250°F. On a sheet of parchment/baking paper, draw an 8″ diameter circle. Turn over, or place another sheet on top but make sure you can still see the circle. Separate egg whites from the yolk and place in a clean large mixing bowl. Beat at a medium to high speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually add in the sugar while still beating and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Your mixture should now be a smooth meringue. Sprinkle vinegar and corn flour over the mixture and fold in with a spatula. Using a spatula, spoon the mixture onto the prepared baking tray and baking paper keeping the meringue inside the circle. Smooth over and try to make the outside edges slightly higher than the inside edges. Bake meringue in oven on a middle shelf for 90 minutes. After 90 minutes, turn off the oven, leave the oven door slightly open and leave pavlova to cool for 2 hours or over night if possible. When ready to serve, beat the whipping cream in a large bowl until it becomes firm enough so that it can hold itself up. Spread across the top of the pavlova. Wash and prepare strawberries, blueberries and kiwi.  I wanted to use passion fruit but since we don't have any, I pureed a mango and drizzled it on top. It was yummy!! Enjoy! ♥ michelle

[Tuesday Tute] Recipe: Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

Hello friends!  Today's Tuesday Tute is on cooking...

STUFFED GREEN BELL PEPPERS.

We love fresh vegetables... fresh from the garden and grown naturally.  We have a churchmate, his name is Tatay Romulo (Tatay means father) and he always gives me homegrown fresh produce.  Last Sunday, he gave me green bell peppers.

They were smaller compared to the humongous ones that you see in stores but they are sweeter.  Two years ago, I shared a RECIPE that my mother-in-law taught me.  This is a revised edition.

Ingredients:

Green bell peppers, sliced into half and seeds removed.

Ground meat - I used lean

Chopped Garlic, Diced Onions

Diced tomatoes - I used Hunts Basil, Garlic, Oregano

Tomato paste

Salt and pepper

Procedure:

1.  Wash bell peppers and preheat oven to 400 F.

2.  Place meat in a clean bowl and add the garlic and onions.  

3.  Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste.  Season to taste.

4.  Spoon the meat mixture onto the green bell peppers and top with the tomato sauce mix.  Add a little water to the bottom of the pan and bake for 30-40 minutes.  

Enjoy!

♥  michelle