Huge thanks go to Richard Bertinet (herein known to me as the Dough Daddy!) for opening my eyes to a new & much better way of working my bread dough and for allowing me to share his method with you. He has also given me permission to create a small video which I’ll upload to YouTube showing his technique of working the dough.
Chocolate Cake
225g Stork margarine
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
5ml vanilla extract
200g self raising flour
2.5ml baking powder
2.5ml bi-carbonate of soda
30g cocoa
30ml milk
100g dark chocolate
GANACHE
200g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
250ml double cream
DECORATION
Chocolate fingers
Maltesers
Grease & line 2 x 20cm/8″ round tins
2. Add beaten eggs & vanilla gradually. (Add 1tbs of your measured flour if its’s starting to curdle).
3. Add flour, baking powder, bi-carbonate of soda, cocoa & milk. Mix thoroughly.
4. Add melted chocolate & mix well.
5. Divide equally between the two greased & lined 20cm/8″ round pans.
6. Bake in the centre of the oven for 20-25 mins until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Turn onto a wire cooling rack until cold.
9. Finely chop the dark & milk chocolate.
10. Add to a saucepan with the cream.
11. Heat gently until melted & smooth.
12. Transfer to a cold bowl & leave to chill until firm.
13. Sandwich the cakes with 1/3 ganache.
14. Spread the remaining 2/3 around the edges & over the top of the cake.
15. Decorate with chocolate fingers vertically around the outside & Maltesers in concentric circles around the top.
16. Say goodbye to the diet and enjoy a slice (or two!)
World Baking Day 19th May 2013
Are you ready to join me and ‘Bake Brave’?
I’ve been chosen to be one of 100 Ambassadors for this year’s World Baking Day on Sunday 19th May.
Stork are generously sponsoring the event and are giving 100 people all over the UK the chance to host a World Baking Day House Party. Lucky winners will be invited to host an official World Baking Day party and will be sent everything they need for the perfect baking get-together. This will include bunting, balloons, cake decorations and egg timers, not to mention a voucher to redeem for a 500g tub of Stork Margarine; the perfect ingredient to bake your cakes. You’ll also be provided with the official recipes to enable you and your guests to ‘Bake Brave’.
Hosts and their guests will be invited to bring their baked cakes & delights to the party which you’ll then decorate together. What a fantastic way to spend a Sunday; a day filled full of cake, friends and fun!!!
All you need to do to be in with a chance of winning one of these 100 world Baking Day House Party packs is to visit Come Round by FRIDAY 12th APRIL 2013 and complete the online application form. Remember that there will only be 100 lucky winners, so pop straight over there and apply for your pack. As they say – you’ve got to be in it to win it! Please remember to read the conditions of application.
Don’t forget from 1st May, you can join us at the World Baking Day website where you can take inspiration from some truly amazing bakers & see the 100 recipes we’ve shared.
Home Made Cake Release
If, like me, you don’t like aerosols and definitely do NOT want them near your cakes, then this is a simple to make alternative to greasing & flouring your cake tins.
Simply take equal parts of:
Plain flour
Vegetable Oil
Trex (or other hard white fat)
Blitz these all together and then store them in a Kilner jar.
All you need to do is then brush this onto the inside of your cake tins before filling and baking.
When our cake is cooked, allow it to sit in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out.
It’s will keep at room temp for a few months; no need to refrigerate.
It’s has worked for me EVERY time and even my most intricate giant cupcakes come out of the tin cleanly & perfectly formed.
- Simply take equal parts of:
- Plain flour
- Vegetable Oil
- Trex (or other hard white fat)
- Blitz these all together and then store them in a Kilner jar.
- All you need to do is then brush this onto the inside of your cake tins before filling and baking.
- When our cake is cooked, allow it to sit in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out.
- It’s will keep at room temp for a few months; no need to refrigerate.