Cakes & Bakes: Chocolate oblivion truffle torte

Rose Levy Beranbaum named this recipe Chocolate oblivion truffle torte. It’s a mere 3 ingredients; chocolate, butter and eggs. And it cooks in 15 minutes.

In this Food52 article, she guides the reader through the reasons why she chooses to use particular ingredients and methods to make this torte. Eggs and butter at room temperature, a particular percentage of cocoa solids in the chocolate, whipping the eggs over heat, the water bath to cook…

To make an easy cake recipe even easier, I not only lined the bottom of the tin but also the sides. This meant that I didn’t have to faff around with heating the tin to get the torte out and on to the serving plate.

It was delicious – and a little goes a long way. I halved the recipe and it still made 8 portions.

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Chocolate oblivion truffle torte

2019-08-07 10:22:03

Cook Time

15 min

Cook Time

15 min

Ingredients

454g / 16oz dark chocolate (fine quality, but no higher than 62%)
227g 8oz unsalted butter, room temperature
6 large eggs, room temperature

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425°F/Gas mark 7
In a large, heat-proof bowl set over a pan of hot, not simmering water (don't allow the bottom of the bowl to touch the water) place the chocolate and butter and allow it to stand, stirring occasionally, until smooth and melted. (You can also use a microwave on higher power, stirring every 20 seconds)
In a large mixing bowl, set over a pan of simmering water, heat the eggs, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, until just warm to the touch. Immediately remove the bowl to the stand mixer and, with the whisk attachment on high speed, beat about 5 minutes until triple in volume and the eggs are billowy and lighter in colour. (If using a hand-held electric mixer, beat the eggs over simmering water until they're hot. Remove them from the heat and beat for about 5 minutes or until cold)
Using a rubber spatula, fold half the eggs into the chocolate mixture until almost evenly incorporated
Fold in the remaining eggs, scraping up the mixture from the bottom to ensure that all the heavier chocolate mixture gets incorporated and almost no streaks remain
Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and set it in the larger tin. Place it in the oven and surround it with 1 inch of hot water
Bake for 5 minutes. Cover it loosely with a sheet of buttered foil and bake another 10 minutes. (It will wobble when moved)
Remove the cake tin from the water bath and allow it to cool for about 45 minutes
Cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate until it's very firm - at least 3 hours
Un-mould the cake: Have ready a serving plate that has at least an 8-inch flat centre portion and an 8-inch or large flat loose bottom of a tart tin or plate, covered with greased cling film
Use a torch, hair drier or a hot damp towel to wipe the sides of the tin
Run a thin metal spatula around the sides of the torte and release the sides of the spring-form pan Place the plastic-wrapped plate on top and invert the torte onto it
Heat the bottom of the pan and remove it
Peel off the parchment and flip the torte onto the serving plate
Cut the torte using a thin-bladed knife dipped into hot water between each slice

Notes

It's most moussey and delicious served at room temperature. Accompany with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries and whipped cream if desired

By Rose Levy Beranbaum

Adapted from The Cake Bible

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

Cakes & Bakes: White velvet cake with creamy mascarpone frosting

My chicken-sitting ended yesterday, I really enjoyed looking after them, they’re all such characters. During my 10 days of fostering, we must have got almost 100 eggs! We gave a few away and ate loads of omelettes, French toast and plenty of fried/boiled/poached eggs.

Last week, I made a delicious all-yolk layer cake and, as promised, this week it’s an all whites one. It’s Rose Levy Beranbaum’s white velvet cake. Sometimes with this type of recipe, what you’re trying to achieve is a cake as white as pure, fresh snow. If that’s the case, you can make a few minor adjustments to the original cake recipe below.

Instead of using vanilla extract, use white caster sugar that has been stored in an airtight jar along with a split vanilla pod for a few weeks so that the flavour infuses. Some people swear by the use of shortening such as Stork which gives less colour than butter. Other people who care more about the taste than the colour say that butter is far superior.

Have a look at the pair of YouTube videos below the recipe where Rose herself shows us how it’s done!

Click here to pin the recipe for later!

White velvet cake

2017-03-14 15:47:21

For the cake

4½ large egg whites
240ml/8½ fl oz milk
2¼tsp vanilla extract
300g/10½oz bleached cake flour*, sifted
300g/10½oz caster sugar
1tbsp + 1tsp baking powder
¼tsp salt
170g/6oz butter, softened

For the frosting

275ml/9¾ fl oz whipping cream
225g/8oz mascarpone
125g/4½oz icing sugar

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For the cake

Preheat the oven to 175ºC/350°F/Gas mark 4
Grease two 23cm x 4cm (9-in x 1½-in) cake tins, line the bottoms with parchment paper, then grease again and flour
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, lightly combine the egg whites, ¼ of the milk and vanilla extract
In a large mixing bowl combine all the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend
Add the butter and remaining ¾ of the milk. Mix on a low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened
Increase to medium speed (high speed if using a hand mixer) and beat for 1½ minutes to aerate and develop the cake's structure
Scrape down the sides
Gradually add the egg mixture in 3 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure
Scrape down the sides again
Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surface with a spatula. The pans should be about half full
Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted near the centre comes away clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the centre. The cakes should start to shrink from the sides of the pans only after removal from the oven
Allow the cakes cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes
Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and invert onto two other greased wire racks. To prevent splitting, flip over again so that the tops face up. Allow to cool completely before frosting

For the frosting

With an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk the whipping cream until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overbeat, or the cream will become grainy)
In another bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and icing sugar until smooth
Gently fold the whipped cream into mascarpone mixture until completely incorporated
Use immediately to frost the top of one cake
Place the other cake on top of the first and frost the top & sides

Notes

*If like me you're based in the UK and find it hard to find bleached cake flour in the shops, have a look at Kate Coldrick's meticulous method to make your own version

By Rose Levy Beranbaum

Adapted from Rose's Heavenly Cakes

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/

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Cakes & Bakes: Yellow layer cake with buttercream icing

Our neighbours have gone on holiday this week and have asked me to look after their chickens again. They have about twice as many chickens as they did last time… so that means twice as many eggs every day.

I’ve been looking into recipes where you use lots of just yolks and just whites – as I don’t like to waste half the eggs. I found a couple of recipes by Rose Levy Beranbaum that fit the bill. I’ll be attempting her favourite yellow layer cake this week.

I decided to make the yolks-only cake first as I discovered, on my online travels, that egg whites can be easily and successfully frozen for use at a later date. Yolks take a little more effort. The yellow layer cake I made today – as you’ve probably deduced – uses just egg yolks.

It also uses bleached cake flour, something you don’t tend to find in supermarkets here in the UK. I took a lengthy detour on the website of Rose’s Devon-based friend, Kate Coldrick, who shows you in great detail how to make your own substitute.

I followed both Rose’s and Kate’s instructions almost to the letter, hoping that I’d produce a cake like never before.

The sponge was light & airy and the texture was crumbly. I teamed it with a vanilla buttercream icing which complements, not overpowers the flavour.

Stay tuned next week Thursday for my egg white recipe! Click here to pin the recipe to Pinterest for later!

Yellow layer cake with buttercream icing

2017-03-14 16:36:57

Cook Time

35 min

Cook Time

35 min

For the cake

4 large egg yolks
160g/5½oz sour cream
1½tsp vanilla extract
200g/7oz bleached cake flour*
½tsp baking powder
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
200g/7oz caster sugar
¼tsp salt
170g/6oz butter, softened

For the icing

250g/9oz butter, softened
½tsp vanilla extract
300g/10½oz icing sugar
1tbsp milk

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If you don’t have Buy Me a Pie! app installed you’ll see the list with ingredients right after downloading it

For the cake

Grease a 23cm/9-inch spring-form cake tin then line it with parchment paper
20 minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 175ºC/350°F/Gas mark 4
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, lightly combine the yolks, about ¼ of the sour cream and the vanilla
In a stand mixer bowl, with paddle attachment, combine the cake flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt
Mix on a low speed for 30 seconds to blend
Add the butter and the remaining sour cream and mix on a low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened
Increase to medium speed, or high speed if using a hand held mixer and beat for 1 minute to aerate and develop the structure
Scrape down the sides
Gradually add the egg mixture in 2 batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition until fully incorporated
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes away clean and it springs back when pressed lightly in the centre
Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes
Loosen the sides of the cake with a small metal spatula, and remove the sides of the spring-form tin
Invert the cake onto a wire rack and flip it again onto a second rack it so that the top faces up
Allow to cool completely before slicing in half horizontally and icing the middle and top

For the icing

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and vanilla essence
Blend in the icing sugar, a quarter at a time, beating well after each addition
Beat in the milk and continue mixing until light and fluffy
Keep the icing covered until ready to use

Notes

*If like me you're based in the UK and find it hard to find bleached cake flour in the shops, have a look at Kate Coldrick's meticulous method to make your own version

By Rose Levy Beranbaum

Adapted from The Baking Bible

H is for Home Harbinger https://hisforhomeblog.com/