More of the Wonderful World of Chocolate Cakes!

History of Chocolate Cake. Here's what Wikipedia tells about the beginnings of the most beloved cake of all time....Chocolate cake is a dessert popularized at the end of the 19th Century and popular internationally. The cake is often served at gatherings such as birthday parties and weddings.

In 1828, Conrad Van Houten of the Netherlands developed a mechanical extraction method for extracting the fat from cacao liquor resulting in cacao butter and the partly defatted cacao, a compacted mass of solids that could be sold as it was "rock cacao" or ground into powder. The processes transformed chocolate from an exclusive luxury to an inexpensive daily snack. A process for making silkier and smoother chocolate called conching was developed in 1879 by Swiss Rodolphe and made it easier to bake with chocolate as it "amalgamates smoothly and completely with cake batters. Until 1890 to 1900 chocolate recipes were mostly for drinks. The Duff Company of Pittsburgh, a molasses manufacturer, introduced Devil's food chocolate cake mixes in the mid 1930s, but introduction was put on hold during World War II. Duncan Hines introduced a Three Star Special was introduced three years after cake mixes from General Mills and Duncan Hines, and took over 48 percent of the market. In the U.S. chocolate decadence cakes were popular in the 1980s, individual molten cakes "with liquid chocolate centers and infused chocolates with exotic flavors such as tea, curry, red pepper, passion fruit, and champagne in the '90s, and chocolate lounges and artisinal chocolate makers in the 2000s. Rich flourless all-but-flourless chocolate cakes are now standard in the modern patisserie," according to The New Taste of Chocolate.



Ingredients vary depending on the recipe but usually include a combination of eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate, butter or oil, salt, and baking soda. Water or milk is also used. Other additions and variations may include melted chocolate, sour cream, buttermilk, fruit juices, or syrups. Bakers use vanilla extracts, liqueurs, or flavored liquids like coffee to bring out different properties in the chocolate flavor. A variety of toppings, icings and glazes can also be used, as well as spices.

Traditional approaches to chocolate cake are still popular and chocolate cake is also a basis for other cake varieties such as Black Forest cake and German Chocolate Cake, which includes coconut, pecans, caramelized cream, and chocolate cake.





CHOCOLATE-RICOTTA CAKE
Ingredients:
For the cheese mixture:
200g Ricotta cheese
50g Swiss quark
50g Splenda sweetener
For the Cake:
4 whole eggs
120g mascovado sugar
60g dried mango
200g bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. salt
For topping:
1 tbsp. marsala wine
bittersweet chocolate
Steps:
1. Process cheese with swiss quark and sweetener.
2. Mix together eggs, sugar, mango and chocolate.
3. Fold in the cheese mixture.
4. Add sifted dry ingredients.
5. Preheated oven 350F, bake for 25 minutes.
6. For toppings, melt over low heat fire.







CARRACK CAKE (FRENCH CHOCOLATE CAKE)
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
10 eggs (equivalent to 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup + 2 tbsps. sugar
1 tsp. chocolate brown coloring
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 cup sifted cocoa
1/4 cup canola oil
Steps:
1. Beat eggs with sugar and coloring for 12 minutes or until thick.
2. Mix together the dry ingredients. Add in oil.
3. Fold in the mixture 1/3 at a time.
4. Pour on 3 wax-lined 9" round pans
5. Preheated oven 350F, bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
6. Invert on cake rack, let cool.
7. Spread the butter cream on the cake layers.
8. Cover layer with frosting (top and sides). Press choco toppings.

For chocolate cream frosting:
1/2 cup very cold fresh milk (or 1/2 cup avoset cream)
1/4 cup cocoa
1tbsp. instant coffee
Mix alltogether.

For buttercream frosting:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup confectioner's sugar
Cream butter, adding 1 tbsp. of sugar at a time.

For topping:
1/3 bar ricoa dark sweet chocolate coating ( equiavlent to 1 cup) or use 1 cup choco chips or hershey kisses
Melt over low fire, spread on wax paper when melted thinly with spatula, then freeze for 10 minutes.










CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
125g butter
1 cup caster sugar
1 whole egg
1 tbsp. golden syrup
1 cup milk
1 tsp. bicarbonate of soda
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
fresh straberries, optional
For the Icing:
90g cream cheese
90g butter
1 tbsp. golden syrup
1 1/2 cups icing sughar mixture
cocoa powder, optional
Steps:
1. Beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add in egg.
3. Warm milk with golden syrup, then add in bicarbonate of soda.
4. Add milk mixture to creamed butter.
5. Sift flour and baking soda, then add into mixture.
6. Pour half of mixture on greased 20 cm. pan.
7. Sift cocoa and sinnamon, and add to remaining mixture.
8. Pour on pan.
9. Preheated oven 350F, bake for 45 minutes.
10. For the icing, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy, add in sugar gardually and golden syrup. Spread on cake.







ROCKY ROAD CAKE
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
8 eggwhites
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsifted cocoa
2 tbsps. cholate brown colring
3/4 cup water
2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar (for eggyolks)
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup oil
8 eggyolks
2 tsps. vanilla
For the filling, frosting and topping:
2 cups avoset cream, beat and chilled
chocolate syrup
marshmallow
walnuts
Steps:
1. Mix eggwhites and cream of tartar at high speed, gradually adding sugar.
2. Mix cocoa with coloring.
3. Sift flour, sugar and baking soda. Make a well at the center.
4. Combine eggyolks, oil, salt and vanilla. Pour on well. Then mix adding water.
5. Add in cocoa. Mix at high speed.
6. Fold beaten eggwhites.
7. Pour on 10" tube pan or three 9" round pan lined with wax paper
8. Preheated oven at 350F, bake for 1 hour if using tube pan, 30 minutes is using 9" pans.
9. Invert, let cool.
10 Spread filling, frosting and toppings.









ROCKY ROAD SLICES:
Ingredients:
For the Base:
60g unsalted butter
3/4 cup 9100g) all purpose flour
1 1/2 tbsp/ cocoa powder
1/4 cup (45g) icing sugar
1 whole egg
Steps:
1. Rub butter, flour, cocoa and sugar until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Add in egg.
3. Press dough into tray lined with baking paper.
4. Preheated oven 350F, bake for 10 minutes.
For the Toppings:
250g dark cooking chocolate, melted
60g unsalted butter, melted
250g marshmallows
75g nuts (macadamia)
50g whole glace cherries
Steps:
1. Mix chocolate and butter.
2. Add in marshmallows, nuts and cherries.
3. Spread on top of base cake,refrigerate to set.
4. Cut with hot knife.



HERSHEY'S PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE CHOCO CAKE
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup hershey's cocoa
1 1/2tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 whole eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup boiling water
Steps:
1. Preheat oven 350F. Prepae greased anf floured (2) 9" round pans
2. Combine dry ingredients.
3. Add in eggs, oil, vanilla. Beat at medium speed.. Stir in boiling water, notice that batter will be thin.
4. Pour into pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden sticl inserted at the center comes our clean. Let cool.
5. Top with frosting.
For Chocolate Frosting:
1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup cocoa powder
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Steps:
1. Melt butter, stir in cocoa powder.
2. Add sugar and milk beating at medium speed, add more milk as needed.
3. Add vanilla.
For Chocolate Cupcakes:
1. Use paper cups.
2. Fill cups 2/3 full of batter.
3. MAkes 30 cupcakes.







CHOCOLATE SLICES
Ingredients:
100g unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups (240g) caster sugar
3/4 cup (100g) plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup (60g) finely chopped pecan nuts
2 whole eggs
3 tbsps. cocoa powder
icing sugar for dusting
Steps:
1. Whisk all ingredients until well combined. Mix for 5 minutes more. Rest. then pour into 7"x11" pan.
2. Preheated oven 325F, bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm.
3. Dust with sugar while still hot.
4. Let cool.





CHOCOLATE LOVERS' ULTIMATE DELIGHT
[Flourless Chocolate Cake]
Ingredients:
4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease an 8" round cake pan, and dust with cocoa powder.
2. In the top of a double boiler over lightly simmering water, melt chocolate and butter. Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely. Slices can also be reheated for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave before serving.







SACHER TORTE
[Rich, Moist Chocolate Cake]
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
100g bar chocolate
125g slightly salted butter
125g castor sugar
6 eggs, separated
125g all purpose flour, sieved and sifted
3-4 tbsps. apricot jam, optional
Steps:
1. Melt chocolate, and let cool.
2. Cream butter using 3/4 of sugar.
3. Add the yolks and melted chocolate.
4. Fold in the flour.
5. Whisk with remaining 1/4 of sugar.
6. Stir in little whisked eggwhites, then whisk all.
7. Prepare 20cm. round pan, greased, base-lined.
8. Preheated oven 350F, bake for 1 1/4 hours.
9. Cut through center, sandwhich with jam.
For the Icing:
200g bar chocolate
142 ml. double cream
125g icing sugar, sifted
Steps:
1. Melt over hot water, put some on piping bag, cool remainder.
2. Whisk in double cream, and should be thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon.
3. Pour on cake or spread with palette knife.













MAYFAIR CHOCOLATE GATEAU
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
200g bar chocolate
250g butter
250g casto sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
6 eggs, separated
225g self-rising flour, sieved
50g cocoa powder
Steps:
1. Melt half of chocolate bar with 4tbsps of water. Let cool.
2. Cream butter, add sugar gradually and vanilla essence.
3. Add eggyolks to melted chocolate.
4. Sift flour and cocoa powder. Fold in.
5. Whisk eggwhites and fold in.
6. Prepare 23cm greased tin pan. Pour mixture but hollow out center slightly.
7. Preheated oven 375F, bake for 1 1/4 hours. Then, let cool.
8. Decorate.
For the Icing and Decor:
50g butter
75g castor sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla essence
125g icing sugar
40g cocoa powder
284 ml. double cream
150g natural yoghurt
Steps:
1. Melt butter and castor sugar with 2tbsps. water. Add vanilla.
2. Add icing sugar and cocoa powder, beat and let cool.
3. Whip the sour cream and yoghurt. Place 4tbsps. into piping bag with star pipe.
4. Fold remainder into chocolate mixture, chill until thick.
5. Slice cake through middle and sandwhich with 4 tbsps. of icing. Cover cake with the remainder of icing.
6. Grate remainder of chocolate bar, use some to coat sides.
7. Melt reamining chocolate, put in piping bag, pipe shapes on wax paper. Leave to set, make extra for breakage.
8. Pipe whirls of cream on top of cake, decorate with chocolate shapes.





FEATHERLIGHT GATEAU
Ingredients:
15g ansalted butter
250g dark cooking chocolate
6 eggs, separated
1/3 cup (75g) caster egg
1 1/2 tbsp. all purpose flour
24 pcs. chocolate squares
cocoa powder for dusting
Steps:
1. Melt butter and dark cooking chocolate.
2. Beat eggyolks until thick and pale. Fold into melted chocolate and butter.
3. Add in flour.
4. Beat eggwhites until stiff, then fold in.
5. Pour 3/4 of mixture on 9" round pan.
6. Preheated oven 350F, bake for 40 minutes. Middle will sink. Let cool.
7. Pour 1/4 of mixture atop. Spread some on sides.
8. Arrange chocolate square os triangles atop of cake.
To make the squares of triangles:
1. Spread melted chocolate on parchment paper.
2. Mark with ruler, cut squares, diagonally for triangles.
3. When set, lift with knife.











TRIPLE CHOCOLATE SURPRISE
[MyZestyLife.com]
Ingredients:
For the Chocolate Cake:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
Using a wire whisk, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium bowl whisk the eggs. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and stir to mix.

In a medium/large saucepan:
Melt 1 cup butter
Then add
1 cup water
1/2 cup cocoa powder (use 1/4 cup dark cocoa and 1/4 cup light)
Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Take off of heat. With an electric mixer, beat in the flour. Then add the buttermilk mixture. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed.

Pour half of the batter into a greased and lightly floured 9” round cake pan. Place the Chocolate Filling by the spoonful in a circle pattern on the cake batter. Leave a hole in the center. Pour the rest of the batter over the top to cover completely. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes in a preheated 350° oven until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Set aside to cool completely before frosting.

For the Chocolate Filling:
6 oz. (6 squares) semi-sweet chocolate
1 oz. (1 square) unsweetened chocolate
Coarsely chop the chocolate

3 Tablespoons heavy cream
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons corn syrup, light
In a small saucepan, heat the chocolate. Add the heavy cream, and vanilla stirring until it is melted and combined. Stir in the corn syrup. Heat on low stirring frequently, until the chocolate filling is creamy and is melted. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the Rich Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 bar dark chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a medium bowl melt the butter, and chocolate. Add the vanilla extra.

3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar
5-6 Tablespoons of heavy cream

With an electric mixer beat in half of the powdered sugar. Beat in the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until it’s a nice, creamy, spreadable consistency. Adjust by adding more powdered sugar accordingly. Place in fridge for 20 -30 minutes. Frost cooled cake.






TRIPLE CHOCOLATE SURPRISE CAKE
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
100g unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup (100g) baking sugar
1 large egg
60g dark cooking chocolate, melted
90g sour cream
2TB (40ml.) milk
1 cup (135g) all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp baking soda
3TB cocoa powder
Steps:
1. Preheat oven at 350F 30 minutes before baking.
2. Grease 19x19x7 cm square cake pan.
3. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add in egg.
5. Add dark chocolate.
6. Mix sour cream and milk, then add into #5.
7. Add in all dry ingredients.
8. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Rest on pan for 10 minutes. Cut into 3 layers.

For the White Chocolate Cream: Use for Bottom Layer
2/3 cup (100ml.) thickened cream
2 TB (30g) powdered sugar, sifted
60g unsalted butter
200g white cooking chocolate, chopped
Steps:
1. On sauce pan, mix cream, sugar and butter, stir and bring to a boil.
2. Remove from heat.
3. Add in chocolate, stir until it become like smooth liquid.
4. Refrigerate to cool.
5. Whip until ligth and fluffy.

For the Milk Chocolate Cream:Use for 2nd Layer
1/3 cup (100ml.) thickened cream
2TB powdered sugar, sifted
60g unsalted butter
200g milk cooking chocolate, chopped
Steps:
Same as procedure for white chocolate cream.

For the Dark Chocolate Cream:
1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
250g dark cooking chocolate, chopped
Steps:
Same as procedure for white chocolate cream.

For the Chocolate Curls:
150g white buttons
150g milk buttons
150g dark buttons
To make curls:
1. Pour melted chocolate onto a marble slab or stainless steel countertop.
2. Use pallete knife to spread thinly.
3. As it sets, hold a large knife at 45-degree angle to the bench top and pull gently through the chocolate.
Work quickly as the chocolate solidifies fast.





CHOCOLATE CARAMEL DECADENCE CAKE
[MyZestyLife.com]
Ingredients:
For the Caramel Filling:
1 package caramels, 14 ounces
1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup butter

In a small saucepan heat the caramels, butter and butter over low heat. Stir until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth; set aside.

For the Chocolate Cake:
4 squares melted unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 stick butter, melted
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup natural applesauce
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 13×9 glass baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, melt the chocolate, and butter. With a Kitchen Aid or hand mixer, beat the chocolate and butter at low speed while adding the hot water. Continue mixing on low, until it is glossy and smooth.Add the applesauce, buttermilk, vanilla, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed.

In a medium bowl whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture. Beat on medium speed until all of the flour is incorporated. Keep beating until the cake batter is smooth.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared baking dish. Using a spatula, evenly spread and smooth out the cake batter. Bake for 15 minutes, do not over-bake. Remove the cake from the oven to a heat safe surface and immediately pour the previously prepared caramel filling over the top of the hot cake. Evenly spread out the caramel filling, covering the cake completely.Top with the other half of the cake batter and spread it to completely cover the caramel filling. Bake for an additional 23 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the Salted Caramel Whipped Cream Frosting:
4 Tablespoons Butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cups cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract

Mix the butter, brown sugar, cream and salt in a saucepan over medium low. Cook and whisk for 7 minutes. Add vanilla. Turn off heat and pour sauce into glass bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

Take the caramel sauce out of the fridge at least 20 minutes before starting the whipped frosting; the caramel sauce should be at room temperature.

For the whipped frosting:
2 ½ cups whipping cream
1 cup confectioners sugar
4-6 Tablespoons Caramel Sauce (or to taste)

Using a Kitchen Aid or a hand mixer, whip the cream on medium high. Add 1 cup confectioners sugar and beat until soft peaks start to form. On low speed add 4-6 Tablespoons (or to taste) of the caramel sauce. Beat on medium speed until stiff peaks are formed and the caramel is fully incorporated. Cover the frosting and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using to frost cake.

Frost the top of the cake and sprinkle crushed toffee bar pieces on the top. Finish by drizzling caramel sauce over the top.



Photos from Flickr.com