Extreme Chocolate Birthday Cake

Hello, it’s Nicole here! So, it was my birthday not too long ago…now, my husband hates shopping at the best of times, let alone right now with everything that is going on. So being the thoughtful husband that he is (albeit, with some ulterior motives :P), and knowing how much I love chocolate, and cake, and chocolate cake, and spending time with him…but mostly chocolate cake…he suggested that we bake a big multi-layer chocolate cake together for my birthday. Of course I said yes, and thought I’d share it here too.

 There used to be a restaurant in town that my parents like to go when I was growing up, and they had this delicious 7 layer chocolate cake that my dad absolutely loved. The restaurant shut down, and years later my dad finds out someone he knows used to work there and gave him the recipe! The original recipe was for 12 cakes, but has been cut down for one so that’s why some of the measurements may seem a little funny.  (I also included the measurements we used to make two ¼ sheet pans).

 We decided that this was the chocolate cake we were going to bake, and frost it with my favourite chocolate frosting recipe from my mom (we doubled it), and fill between the layers with Samantha’s chocolate mousse, which we have blogged about here. Since we wanted more than two layers, but only had two cake pans, we decided to do two sheet pans (took 3 single recipes) and cut them both in half for a rectangular four layer cake.

 

Without further ado…here’s our cake:

 

Chocolate Cake

Makes one 10” round cake

(Amounts in brackets, for two 12”x17” sheet pans)

 

Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar (3 cups)

¼ cup + 2 tsp. Cocoa Powder (¾ cup + 2 Tbsp)

½ cup + 2 Tbsp. Oil (1¾  + 2 Tbsp.)

½ cup + 2 tsp. Hot Water (1½ cup + 2 Tbsp.)

2/3 cup Mayo (2 cups)

1¾ cups Flour (5¼ cups)

1 tsp. Baking Powder (1 Tbsp.)

1½ tsp. Baking Soda (4½ tsp.)

2/3 cup Buttermilk (2 cups)

3 Eggs + 1 Egg White (9 Eggs + 3 Whites)

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300°F

In a mixer with the whisk attachment, mix the sugar and cocoa, until blended. Add the oil and blend until smooth, then add the hot water and mix well. Add the mayo and blend until smooth.

Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and buttermilk.

Mix on low until all dry ingredients are wet – make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Now mix on high to get rid of any lumps – do not over mix.

Add eggs and mix on medium speed until well blended – do not over mix.

Pour batter into greased & lined 10” pan put in the preheated oven right away (do not let them sit out). Bake for 50-60 mins.

Let cool before filling and frosting.

Mousse

(We made 1 1/2 recipes)

Recipe here

 

Chocolate Frosting

(We doubled this recipe)

Ingredients:

½ cup Sugar

½ cup Water

¼ cup Cocoa Powder

6 oz Dark Chocolate

6 oz Unsalted Butter

 

Directions:

Heat sugar, water and cocoa in a saucepan, stirring until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add the chocolate and butter to the pan and whisk until both are melted and mixture is smooth.

Chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator. Mix on high speed in mixer until fluffy.

 

Once all the components were ready, we trimmed the edges of the cake then measured and cut them both in half so we had four equal sized layers. We decided to build it on a sheet pan because we didn't have any other plates or trays that were big enough! We split the mousse into three equal parts. Put the first layer of cake down an covered it with mousse, followed by the second layer of cake, then mousse then cake, then mousse, then cake.

    

We then put this in the freezer to harden up the mousse a bit before frosting it. 

We had a bit of a mishap when layering the mousse on. The second layer of cake broke in half when we put it on, and then when we put it in the fridge to harden the mousse up a bit, it slid and the top layers started falling off and getting mousse everywhere. We were able to fix it, but next time we would probably surround each layer with an frosting ‘dam’ along the edges to hold the mousse in. The weather was also fairly warm, so that probably didn’t help. In the end, we put it in the freezer once we fixed it, so that it would be easier to frost. This also made the tray messy, but thankfully that doesn't change the flavour!

It was delicious, and chocolatey…and GIANT…and heavy! Now I understand why in all those cake shows on TV they talk about how heavy their fancy cakes are!! There was so much cake that we shared some with my family, my husband's family and still had extra that we put in the freezer so we could enjoy it again later.

Mint'd Mojito - Mojito "Recipes"

Sadly, we are getting close to the end of our fun Summer theme. We do have three more posts so that’s exciting. Today our shade is called “Mint’d Mojito” by Fenty and they call it a metallic mint blue.

We’ve decided to break down the Mojito so we’ve found a few interesting recipes featuring the mint and the lime. If you don’t already know, a mojito has both lime and mint flavours in it along with some alcohol. I’ve never had one myself but it always looks so refreshing and bright.

Here’s a recipe for one...

You need 2 ounce of light rum, 2 tsp. of sugar, 6-8 fresh mint leaves, a splash of club soda, and 1 lime cut in half.

Place the sugar, mint leaves, and splash of club soda into a highball glass. Muddle well to dissolve the sugar and to release the flavour of the mint.

Squeeze the juice from both halves of the lime into the glass and drop one half in.

Add the rum and stir well.

Top with club soda and garnish with fresh mint.

If you are in the mood for a different take/approach to a mojito then check these recipes (that we thought represented the lime and mint quite well) out and give them a try.

Here are a couple savoury recipes...

Moroccan Chicken

1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken, cut into bite size cubes

2 cloves garlic

1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 tsp. dried chile de arbol, seeds removed (1/2 - 1 tsp. cayenne pepper)

2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley

1 Tsbp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

1 small to medium lemons grated & juiced

1 ounce jar marinated artichoke quarters

1 bunch asparagus, cut into quarters

Vinaigrette:

1 lemon, juiced & zest

1/2 a lime, juiced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. honey

Goat Cheese Yogurt:

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp. fresh mint, chopped

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 lemon, juiced

salt and pepper, to taste
2-3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Place the chicken in a gallon size ziplock bag or medium size bowl.

In a food processor add the garlic, ginger, dried chile de arbol (or cayenne), cilantro, parsley, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Process 1-2 minutes or until everything is finely chopped.

Stream in 1/2 cup olive oil. Stir in the lemon zest and juice.

Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss well. Place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

To make the vinaigrette... add the lemon zest and juice to a small sauce pot. Bring mixture to a simmer and simmer, about 1 minute or until the zest absorbs the juice. WATCH CLOSELY, you do not want the zest to get burnt to the pan.

Spoon the zest out of the pot and into a small bowl. Add the olive oil, parsley, salt, honey and lime juice. Whisk to combine. Set aside.

To make the minted goat cheese yogurt mix together the Greek yogurt, chopped mint, crushed red pepper flakes, lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir in the crumbled goat cheese. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates. Thread the chicken, asparagus and artichokes onto metal skewers (or wood skewers that have been soaked in water). I alternated with asparagus+ artichokes and then chicken, repeat. Place the chicken on the grill until the chicken is golden and no longer pink in the centre, about 5 minutes each side. You may also cook the chicken in a skillet if needed. Serve the chicken with the the lemon herb vinaigrette and the minted goat cheese yogurt.

Lime Shrimp Avocado Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbsp. honey

2 limes, juiced

½ tsp. chili powder

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 shallot, finely diced

1½ cups sweet corn, frozen and thawed or fresh

1 can black beans

1 avocado, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

½ lb frozen shrimp, defrosted

¼ cup parsley, chopped

Instructions:

Cook your quinoa following directions on the package. Fluff the quinoa with a fork after it’s done cooking and set aside to cool.

Whisk the olive oil, honey, lime juice, chili powder, salt and pepper. Finely dice the shallot and mix in with the dressing. Set aside.

Prepare all the vegetables for the salad.

Spoon the cooled quinoa into 4 bowls and divide up the vegetables placing them on top of the quinoa. Next, add your shrimp to the bowls. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and sprinkle chopped parsley over top.

For something sweet...

Mint Butter Cream Icing

4 cups of Powdered Sugar

1 cup Butter

1 Tbsp. Milk

1/2 tsp. Peppermint Extract

Yellow and blue food colouring

Add powdered sugar to mixing bowl.

Add softened sticks of butter

Add 1 Tbsp. of milk.

Beat on low until powdered sugar is incorporated. Then move mixer up to medium-high speed.

Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When completely mixed the frosting may appear dry.

Add more milk, a little bit at a time until frosting is the proper consistency.

Add Peppermint Extract.

Mint Chocolate Popsicles

2 2/3 cups full fat coconut milk

3/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 tsp. salt

peppermint extract (optional, and to taste)

food colouring (optional)

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Combine coconut milk and fresh mint leaves in a saucepan over medium heat. Heat for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear around the edge of the pan. Remove from heat and let steep 20 minutes. Strain infused coconut milk through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the mint with the back of a spoon. Whisk in sugar, salt, peppermint extract, and food colour (2 drops green, 1 drop blue) until smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature, then cover and chill for 6 hours in the refrigerator.

Stir chopped chocolate into mixture and fill popsicle molds, leaving a 1/2-inch of space at the top of each mold. Freeze for about an hour, then insert popsicle sticks and freeze overnight. To unmold, let popsicles stand at room temperature for 5 minutes. Carefully remove from molds and serve.

Key Lime Chex Mix

Ingredients:

9 cups Rice Chex cereal

1 1/4 cups white chocolate baking chips

1/4 cup butter

4 tsp. grated key lime peel

2 Tbsp. fresh key lime juice

2 cups icing sugar

Instructions:

Measure cereal into a large bowl, set aside. 

In a microwave safe bowl put chips, butter, peel and juice uncovered on High for 1 minute; stir.   

Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth.

Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.

Add icing sugar. Seal bag; gently shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container. 

Cinnamon Buns

Ok, this flavour by Brusters is definitely one I haven’t tried before, but I love the flavour...cinnamon bun. You don’t really think of ice cream when you think of cinnamon buns. I mean sometimes you can imagine how things would translate into an ice cream flavour but I wasn’t quite sure about this one anyways, it’s the perfect excuse to make some warm gooey icing topped cinnamon buns in the middle of July!

I love this recipe because the buns are super fluffy and you don’t need any yeast to make them.

For the dough you will need:

2 cups of flour

2 Tbsp. of sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. of salt

3 Tbsp. of butter

¾ cup of milk

I always double up the recipe because I tend to bake for a lot of people so that’s why it looks like a lot.

In a large bowl, mix all of your dry ingredients.

Cut in the butter. I use my hands.

Then stir in the milk to form a soft dough.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into a ¼ inch thick rectangle.

For the filling, you don’t have to be exact. I just wing it. Melt some butter and brush a nice layer over the dough. Be sure to leave a little bit of a border with no butter around the outside of the dough rectangle.

Sprinkle on however much brown sugar and cinnamon that you like (I like lots) and then this is the point where you would sprinkle in raisins if you want them.

Roll and cut and then place them in a buttered 9x9 inch pan if you are making a single recipe, but use a larger pan if you double it.

Now lightly butter the tops of the buns and sprinkle on more brown sugar and cinnamon.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

While the buns are baking, you can make a frosting. You will need 4 ounces of cream cheese, beaten. Then add ¼ cup of butter, 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar, 1 ½ tsp. of milk, ½ tsp. of vanilla. Whip it all up so that everything is mixed and there are no lumps and put in the fridge until you are ready to eat.

After the buns come out of the oven, let them cool slightly and then cover with glaze or icing and serve warm!

*We were all wrapped up in making the buns that we forgot to take a photo of the finished product so next time we make them, we’ll do that!

Donuts for Dad

 

It’s almost Father’s Day and if you have a Dad that loves a sweet treat, then this is the place to be because we are making mini donuts for Dad. You can wrap some up on a plate and bring them to Dad for his Father’s Day treat this weekend.

You can use one of those donut baking pans and do them in the oven, but these recipes will work best if you have a mini donut maker like this.

We are making three types of donuts, sour cream (plain), chocolate, and buttermilk spice.

I mixed all of the dry ingredients in separate bowls and then their corresponding wet ingredients in other separate bowls. It makes it a lot easier when you start doing all of your mixing.

The following are the ingredients and instructions for each of the batters.

Sour Cream Donuts:

1 ½ cups of flour

1/3 cup of sugar

1 Tbsp. of baking powder

½ tsp. of salt

½ cup of milk

¼ cup of vegetable oil

¼ cup of sour cream

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir all of the dry ingredients together and in a separate bowl mix the wet. Add the dry ingredients to your mixer’s bowl and then beat in the wet ingredients until smooth. Make sure you don’t over mix. 

Set aside.

Chocolate Donuts:

1 ¼ cups of flour

½ cup of cocoa

½ cup of sugar

1 Tbsp. of baking powder

1 egg

¾ cup of buttermilk or see buttermilk recipe below

¼ cup of vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

Stir all of the dry ingredients together and in a separate bowl mix the wet. 

If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, then you can make some up really quick. Just add 2 ¼ tsp. of lemon juice or white vinegar into a glass measuring cup and then add enough milk to equal ¾ cup. Let it stand for 5-10 minutes.

Add the dry ingredients to your mixer’s bowl and then beat in the wet ingredients until smooth. Make sure you don’t over mix. Set aside.

Buttermilk Spice Donuts:

1/3 cup of vegetable oil

1 cup of sugar

2 eggs

1 ¼ cups of buttermilk

½ tsp. of vanilla

2 cups of flour

4 tsp. of baking powder

½ tsp. of baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

Once again mix all of the dry ingredients together. Beat together the oil and eggs and then stir in the buttermilk (follow the above recipe for homemade buttermilk; even though it calls for 1 ¼ cups still make the above amount seen in the Chocolate Donut recipe).

Now add the wet into the dry ingredients and mix until smooth being careful not to over mix.

After making your batter(s), you can now start cooking the donuts. If you have a mini donut maker, be sure to follow the instructions for cooking that comes with it. I preheat mine as according to the instructions and then I brush on a little oil so they don’t stick. I scoop in about a tablespoon of batter into each of the molds and cook for 3-4 minutes. 

Cool the donuts on a wire rack as you continue to bake the rest.

While all the donuts are cooling down, you can make the glazes.

You can put whatever glaze on whatever type of donuts you want. We put a vanilla glaze on some of the sour cream donuts and a chocolate glaze on some too and then we put a chocolate glaze on the chocolate donuts and dusted the buttermilk ones with cinnamon and sugar.

Vanilla Glaze – Melt ¼ cup of butter and then add 1 1/3 cups of icing sugar and stir until well blended. Stir in the vanilla and blend in 1 Tbsp. of hot water.

Chocolate Glaze – Whisk ¾ cups of icing sugar with 2 Tbsp. of cocoa, 2 Tbsp. of half and half, and 1 tsp. of vanilla until well mixed.

To ice/glaze the donuts, we just dipped the tops in the glaze that we wanted so that the tops got completely covered. Depending how thick you make the glaze, you could spread it on with a knife also.

Cinnamon Topping – Just mix 1 cup of sugar with 2 Tbsp. of cinnamon and mix well. We made the buttermilk donuts last and while they were still warm, we brush them with a little bit of melted butter and then dip the tops in the sugar mixture. If you want the entire donut covered, brush the donuts all over with butter and then put your sugar mix in a brown paper bag and toss the donuts in there so that they get covered.

The finished products...

If you don't have a donut maker, but still want to make some donuts for your dad, then try this recipe for mini Snickerdoodle Donut Muffins. We tried it a couple months ago, and it was pretty yummy!