Chocolate Easter Cake

For: 6 servings Time: 2 hours + 4 hours rest Difficulty: easy

You need: Biscuit:, 100 g white almond paste, 40 g icing sugar, 40 g caster sugar, 1 whole egg, 2 egg yolks, 2 egg whites, 25 g flour, 15 g cocoa powder, 25 g dark chocolate, 25 g butter, Ganache:, 170 g dark chocolate, 270 g liquid cream (170 + 100), Glazing:, dark glaze Technical Stages:

Prepare all ingredients.

Melt chocolate and butter in a micro-wave. Mix thoroughly.

Mix the almond paste along with icing sugar...

...egg yolks and the whole egg...

...until blanching of the mixture.

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Add the melted preparation of chocolate and butter.

Mix.

And at last, cocoa and sieved flour.

Mix.

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Beat the egg white firm using an electric beater.

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Thicken them with caster sugar.

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Add the beaten whites to the chocolate preparation.

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Pour this mixture in a cake pan. Baking on tray would be ideal.

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Bake 15 to 20 minutes at 180C.

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When finished,...

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...leave to cool.

Ganache: Bring 170 g liquid cream to a boil. Pour the boiling cream on the chocolate cut in pieces.

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Mix well...

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...and leave to cool until the preparation temperature goes down to 30C.

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Beat the liquid cream into whipped cream.

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Add this whipped cream to the chocolate preparation.

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Set aside.

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Cut out disks of dough.

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Place one disk at the bottom of a mousse ring with a minimum height of 4 to 5 cm. If no mousse ring, you may superpose 2 tart rings. (see photo)

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Coat completely with chocolate ganache.

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Cover with the second disk of chocolate biscuit.

Leave to harden in the fridge for about 4 hours.

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When the cake is cold, remove from the mold. Heat a bit of dark glaze in the microwave or in the oven. Smooth it using a whisk and leave to cool a bit.

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Glaze the surface of the cake with the dark glaze taking care to place the cake on a rack above a hollow dish to collect the excess glaze.

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Tap the grid to remove the excess glaze.

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Store in the fridge until serving dessert. You may decorate the surface of the cake with chocolate shavings or candy crumbles such as M&M's.

Tiramisu
Non-illustrated recipe - Illustrated recipe

Printable version

For: 4 servings Time: 50 minutes Difficulty: easy

You need: 40 g sugar, 20 g water, 35 g egg yolks, 1/2 vanilla pod, 4 leaves gelatin, 170 g mascarpone, 50 g sour cream, 65 g whipped cream Syrup : 100 g water, 35 g de sugar, 10 g de dehydrated coffee, 10 g de coffee alcohol Technical Stages:

Prepare all the ingredients.

Prepare the coffee syrup : Bring the water to a boiling point. Add sugar and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes until the sugar has completely melted. Add the coffee powder. Let it cool and add the alcohol. Keep aside.

Mascarpone cream: Soak gelatin in cold water.

Cook the sugar at 121C (250F) (use a sugar thermometer).

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Pour this cooked sugar on the egg yolks, beating at low speed.

Speed up the hand mixer. Beat until the mixture doubles in volume and gets slightly pale.

Drain the gelatin and add it to the warm mixture. Beat until fully cooled.

Blend the mascarpone and creme fraiche to get a homogeneous mix.

Gently mix the first and second mix. Add the whipped cream in which you'll have emptied half a vanilla pod.

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Don't beat too much so that the mixture stays fluffy. If you prefer, you may use a wooden spatula.

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The cream is ready. Use it quickly. Do not keep refrigerated (because of the gelatin).

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Cut the genoise in two layers. You can also use a different sort of biscuit (like here) (ie savoy biscuit, joconde biscuit, etc...).

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Cut a round circle of genoise with a smaller diameter tahn the cake pan.

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Punch the biscuit with the cold coffee syrup.

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Garnish with a layer of mascarpone cream until half-height.

Put a second layer of genoise which will have also been cut to a smaller diameter than the pan. You can also use crumbs like on the picture.

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Punch the biscuit again with the syrup.

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Add the remaining mascarpone cream up to the rim.

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Smooth and keep refrigerated for a few hours.

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Before serving, unmold the cake by passing the blade of a knife between the cake and the pan. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.

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Serve immediately.

Valentine's Cake
Non-illustrated recipe - Illustrated recipe

Printable version

For: 6 servings Time: 1 hour Difficulty: medium

You need: Fondant: 200 g dark chocolate, 1/4 litre liquid cream Syrup: 1/4 litre water, 125 g sugar, Rum or Grand-Marnier Gnoise: 3 eggs, 90 g sugar, 90 g flour Decor: 200 g dark chocolate (coating), icing sugar Technical Stages:

Prepare all the ingredients, including the genoise and syrup.

Chop the chocolate in small bits.

Place in a pan and melt it in a bain-marie or micro-wave.

Meanwhile, beat the liquid cream...

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...into whipped cream.

Cut the genoise horizontally in two or three equal layers. Place one piece on a cake stand with a stainless steel mousse ring.

Flavour the cooled syrup with your favorite alcohol (rum, grand-marnier...)

Soak the genoise with the syrup.

Once the chocolate is melted...

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...stir it until very smooth.

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Add 1/4 of the whipped cream...

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...and mix with whisk until you obtain a smooth preparation.

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Pour this mixture on the rest of whipped cream and delicately mix using a rubber spatula...

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...until you obtain a smooth preparation.

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Fill the mousse ring with this chocolate cream...

...and smooth the surface. Leave to harden in the fridge.

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Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie or micro-wave...

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...and pour it on a very clean and dry pastry sheet.

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Using a curved metal spatula, evenly spread the chocolate over the entire surface of the sheet. Leave it to congeale a few minutes in the fridge.

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Remove the sheet from the fridge when congealed but still soft (above all not cold or it will turn brittle).

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Using a triangular spatula, remove bands of chocolate...

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...and place them on the perimeter of the cake.

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Cover the whole cake.

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Remove other bands...

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...and pinch them with the tips of your fingers to flute them.

Place them evenly...

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...in a round on the cake.

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Continue the same way...

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...until the surface of the cake is completely covered.

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Finish with the center of the cake.

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Just before serving, sprinkle with icing sugar.

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Bon apptit !

Westphalian Cheesecake
Ingredients (10 servings) CRUST: 1 x Shortbread; See Recipe 22 CHEESECAKE: 1 1/2 c Cottage Cheese; Small Curd 4 ea Eggs; Large, Separated 8 oz Cream Cheese; 1 Pk. 6 tb Butter 1/4 c Sugar; Granulated 1/2 ts Vanilla Extract 1 ts Cornstarch Instructions Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Press the cottage cheese through a sieve. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar, do not beat, then add the egg yolks and vanilla. Blend until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, cottage cheese and cornstarch and blend well. In another mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks; then fold them into the cheese batter. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake for about 1 hour or until the top is a golden brown. Leave the cake in the oven to cool for 2 hours then chill.

Crumb-Nut Cheesecake Crust

Ingredients (1 servings) 5 oz Pecans (approx.) 3/4 c Vanilla Wafer Crumbs 1/4 c Confectioners Sugar 1/4 c Melted Butter Instructions Chop nuts very finely in food grinder or food processor (a salad shooter works great, put through twice.) Should have 1 cup of ground nuts. Cookies should also be chopped very finely. Combine crumbs, chopped nuts and sugar, and mix thoroughly; drizzle with melted butter and mix lightly. Press onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of springform pan. Note 1: Requires about 25 vanilla wafers to make 3/4 cups crumbs.

Chocolate Caramel Fudge Cake

Ingredients (12 servings) 2 c Cake flour 2 ts Baking soda 1/2 ts Salt 1/2 c Butter or margarine (1 cube) 2 c Granulated sugar 3 Lg. eggs 1 1/2 ts Vanilla 3 oz Unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled (see note) 1 c Dairy sour cream 1 c Boiling water FILLING: 1/2 c Butter or margarine (1 cube) 1 12 oz package caramels, unwrapped 1 cn Sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated) Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 13 cake pan. Set aside. Sift together the cake flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Blend in the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and melted chocolate. Alternately add the dry ingredients and the sour cream to the butter mixture. Beat well after each addition. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin) Divide cake batter in half. Pour one half into the prepared cake pan. Bake 10 - 12 minutes, or until firm to the touch, and remove from the oven. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Mix butter, caramels, and condensed milk in a sauce pan and melt over low heat, stirring often. Remove from the stove and pour the mixture over the baked half of the cake. Pour the remaining cake batter over the caramel mixture and return to the oven. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. When cool, serve with ice cream, whipped cream or frost with your favorite chocolate frosting. NOTE: melt chocolate in double boiler over simmer (not boiling water) Makes 12 servings.

Lemon Delight Cheesecake

Ingredients (10 servings) 1 1/2 c Graham Cracker Crumbs 1/4 c Sugar 1/2 c Margarine, Melted 1 ea Env. Unflovored Gelatin 1/3 c Cold Water 1/3 c Lemon Juice 3 ea Large Eggs, Separated 1/2 c Sugar 1 ts Grated Lemon Peel 16 oz Cream Cheese, Softened* Instructions * Or use 2 8-oz containers of Philly soft cream cheese. Combine crumbs, sugar and margarine; reserve 1/2 cup. Press remaining onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan. Soften gelatine in water, stir over low heat until dissolved. Add juice, egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and peel; cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat, 5 minutes. Gradually add to cream cheese, mixing at medium speed on electric mixer unitl well blended. Beat egg whites, until foamy; gradually add remaining sugar beating until stiff peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture; pour over crust. Top with reserved crumbs; chill until firm.

Black Forest Chocolate Cherry Cake

2 eggs, separate out yolks 1/2 cup sugar 1 3/4 cups cake flour, sifted 1 cup sugar 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup salad oil 1 cup milk, divided 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled 20 oz. can tart cherries, drained 1/2 cup port wine 1 tablespoon Kirsch 3 drops almond extract 3 3 1 1 2 ounces semisweet chocolate tablespoons Kirsch egg, well beaten cup heavy cream tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter 16 oz pkg confectioner's sugar, sifted 1/4 cup light cream 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate overnight. Drain thoroughly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease and flour 2 nine inch round cake pans. In a large mixing bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add in 1/2 cup sugar, beating until soft peaks from again. In a large mixer bowl sift together flour, 1 cup sugar and salt. Add oil and 1/2 cup milk. Beat for 1 minute at medium, on electric mixer, scraping down side of bowl often. Add remaining milk, egg yolks and chocolate. Beat 1 minutes longer, scraping down sides of bowl frequently. Gently fold in egg whites. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes then remove from pans and allow to cool completely on racks. Split each layer in half, horizontally, to make 4 thin layers. Set aside. In the top of a double boiler, combine Kirsch and chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Slowly stir into egg. In a mixing bowl whip cream with sugar. Fold cream into chocolate. Refrigerate and chill for 2 hours. In a large mixer bowl cream butter and gradually add in half the

sugar. Beat in 2 tablespoons cream and the vanilla extract. Gradually blend in remaining sugar, adding enough cream to make it a spreading consistency. Spread 1/2 cup frosting on the cut side of a cake layer. With remaining frosting make 1 ridge, 1/2 inch wide and 3/4 inch high around the outside of the layer you just frosted. Make another ridge 2 inches in from the outside edge. Chill 30 minutes. Fill the space between the two ridges with the cherry filling. Spread second layer with chocolate mousse and place unfrosted side atop first layer. Chill 30 minutes. Whip 2 cups whipped cream with 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Spread third layer with 1 1/2 cups whipped cream and place atop second layer. Top with fourth layer. Frost sides of cake with 1/4 cup whipped cream. Sift confectioner's sugar over top. Garnish with dollops of remaining whipped cream, maraschino cherries and chocolate curls. Chill 2 hours before serving.