March 26, 2010

Pure Chocolate Cake (Or famously known as Death By Chocolate)



Our freezer would never be found without Ice Creams. Both my husband and I, and of course now our lil one, are voracious Ice Cream eaters. First few months after arriving in USA (those were the days when our daughter was not born); we used to try and taste each and every flavour of Ice Cream. We used to spend almost an hour researching and selecting the scrummiest one. One day while looking for a crate of Ice Cream I found one named ‘Death by Chocolate’. I automatically had a frown and a bitter smile and murmured myself- “what a name!!!!...so bad”. After returning home while keeping all the purchased items in their proper place, I found a crate of Death by Chocolate Ice Cream. My outraged soul thundered like a blast on my Husband. Totally unaware of the fact what was happening, my husband looked at me with a widely opened eyes and a surprised face. To clarify my anger I declared innocently – “Why did you buy this Ice Cream. I don’t want to die so early....” Hearing this, my husband just rolled on the floor with a wild laughter. And silly me, just then understood what a foolish statement I had made. But to tell the truth I still don’t like the title......




The day, I heard about Divya's  (http://divyascookbook.blogspot.com/) announcement on the Chocolate Cake Event, I started haunting for the scrumptious chocolate cake recipe (after baking two successful cakes my confident ‘I’ was impelling me to go for the next one.). A time came when I was just reading the ingredients and the method without seeing the title and the other detail. At last I got a recipe which just made me content and confident enough to prepare it for the event. With a winning smile, when I just looked at the other detail, I found that the title of the Cake is nothing but ‘Death by Chocolate’. All my energy and time were drained out to look for another recipe. So poor me, I lastly went for baking the same recipe for my Chocolate Cake.




Again the time has come to tell the next truth. Just after having the first bite of my own prepared Death by Chocolate cake, I really understood what actually meant by ‘Death by Chocolate’. The soft and creaminess of the cake just melted down in the mouth, giving the ultimate pleasure of savouring what a chocolate cake actually meant. No need to say that the scrumptious taste will just take you out of the world for few minutes. So that’s why might be it got a devil’s name.





Here I am with the recipe of 'Death by Chocolate' which I followed from Cacao Web and remoulded it in my way.

Ingredients:-


Before stating about the ingredients I should tell that I have used three kinds of frosting/icing - One for layering and the other two for covering.


The Cake:-


Semisweet chocolate-8 oz
Butter-1/2 cup
Sugar-2/3cup
Eggs-4
All purpose flour- 4 table spoons
Unsweetened cocoa powder- 3 table spoons
Baking Soda- 1 ½ tea spoon
Vanilla extract- 1 tea spoon
Sour cream- 4 table spoon

1st Frosting- used to layer the cake:-


I used the same frosting recipe which I used to bake my first cake “Imitation of Buche de Noel”. I liked the creamy tasty frosting so much that I was not able to control my craving to taste it again. Here I am attaching it once again-


Light tub Cream Cheese (Neufchatel) - 8 ounces
Confectioners’ sugar- 1 cup
Unsweetened cocoa powder- 1/3 cup
Vanilla extract- 1 tea spoon
Semi sweet chocolate (melted and cooled slightly) - 2 ounces

2nd Frosting- covering the cake (1st layer)

Heavy Cream- 1 cup
Confectioners’ sugar- ½ cup
Vegetable Shortening- 2 table spoon hipped

3rd Frosting- covering the cake (final)

Heavy cream or whipping cream-2/3 cup
Semisweet chocolate -9 oz

Method:-


A. Preparing the Cake:-



1. First beat the egg then slowly add sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla extract and sour cream all at a time. Fold all together in to a smooth batter.
2. Chop the chocolate; melt them by using a double boiler or in the Micro wave along with the butter. Don’t over heat the chocolate. Mix the butter and the melted chocolate in to a smooth paste. Add the chocolate paste in the cake batter. Fold all together nicely.
3. Pre heat the oven 350 F.
4. To bake the cake I have used two 8 ½ inch diameter circular baking pans. Grease the pans evenly then pour half of the batter in to one pan and the other half to the other pan. Even the surface level using a spatula and take out the extra bubbles by lightly stroking the pan on a firm surface.
5. Bake for 15- 20 mnts, until a toothpick pricked in comes out clean. Don’t over bake. The bottom of the cake burns very soon. So keep on checking and take out the cake from the oven immediate after it’s done.
6. Let the cakes cool in room temperature for 40-45 mnts.




B.Preparing the frosting layer:-

To prepare the frosting, in a bowl, place the cream cheese, sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until just combined, increase speed to high and beat until smooth. With the mixer on low speed, add the melted chocolate (To melt the chocolate put them in to the microwave for a minute or so. Keep on checking that they should not get over melted or too hot); increase the speed to high and beat until smooth for 2-3mnts.


C.Layering the Cake:-
Bring out the two cakes from the pan. Place the first cake on the serving tray. Spread the frosting on the top of the cake and level evenly. Carefully put the second cake on it and put the whole cake in the refrigerator to set.
D. Preparing the other two Frostings:-

1. Take the “2nd Frosting- covering the cake (1st layer)” ingredients. Beat the cream on slow speed and slowing mix the sugar and shortening. Keep the beater on till the cream starts to form peaks and looks shinny.
Take out the cake from the refrigerator and cover all the sides and top with the whipped cream and put it in the fridge to set at least for an hour.


E. Third and last part of the cake:-





1. Take all the left ingredients (3rd Frosting- covering the cake).
2. Heat the 2/3cup heavy cream or whipping cream in a sauce pan.
3. Remove from heat, add 9 oz of finely chopped dark semisweet chocolate, stir until smooth, and let it cool until it thickens.
4. Finally cover the whole cake with this chocolate sauce. Put the cake the fridge for an hour and then serve.


My dissatisfactory part:-


Though my cake is ready, there is something to share with all. Everything was going very well. When I was on the last stage of the preparation, that’s heating the cream and adding the chocolate, I found that the baking chocolate had become out of stock. As far as I remembered I had another pack of baking chocolate, but I didn’t find it anywhere. Cursing on my poor memory just made the sauce with the so called left over chocolates. So got the liquid chocolate sauce instead the thicken one.
 Now the most agony part- my daughter and husband just jump on the cake to devour it giving me no time to decorate. Thankfully I just got the chance to take few snaps and no need to say, all the plans to decorate my cake just sank in vain. (Though all the blame I passed on my hubby and my daughter, invisibly a powerful force was also working behind them to grab the cake and taste it. Its none other but me.... :( .Greedy me....ha-ha)
Best Part:-
My liquid chocolate sauce went great with the cake. It had given the impression of a viscous and at the same time a running chocolate fountain falling down from the body of the cake. It tasted best the next day when it was fully set resting in the fridge whole night. So this time also I was able to deliver a successful cake (may be not successful in the proper sense). But taste wise I was totally satisfied.
Now came to confess the last truth. Again my skeptical mind denied accepting the title- “Death by Chocolate”. So here I am with a new simple title for my cake- “Pure Chocolate cake”. Those, who are in my group, are welcome and those,who are not, they are welcome too....Enjoyyyyy..















Sending this recipe to "The Best Chocolate Cake event, hosting by Divya.

31 comments:

Namitha said...

Wow..wonderful cake..so decadent

Divya Kudua said...

OMG..the cake truly looks decadent!!I love the chocolate oozing down from the cake..yummy!!I think Death by Chocolate should be renamed to Life by Chocolate,after all it urges you to eat more chocolate which is possible only if you live more..hehe,my bad joke..:)

Thanks for sending this to my event.Have you sent me the mail yet?

Sushma Mallya said...

Very beautiful cake,rich and too good and nicely explained it too...thanks for sharing it...

Tina said...

Mouthwatering and yummy yummy choco cake.....

Unknown said...

@ Divya, rightly said...even i thought of the same...then just escaped from the life and death contradiction and hugged the simplicity.... thanks a lot for the comment....I will be sending you the mail latest by sunday....

@ Tina, Sushma and Gulmohar, thanks all of u for your lovely comments....

Preety said...

it looks absolutely amazing..love chocolate cakes

cicy said...

sinfully indulgent!!! so droolilicious...thnx for visiting my space and leaving comments...

Red Chillies said...

LOL at the death by chocolate episode... good looking chocolate cake.

MaryMoh said...

Wow...that's utterly rich and delicious. Checking my waistline first. I think I can only look and not eat...haha

Unknown said...

What a funny story to go along with this recipe. The cake looks so good too. Especially the different layers of frosting.

Lisa Turner said...

I am not much of a dessert person, but goodness me. No need to decorate. Just gorgeous!

nazarina said...

This truly is a decadent treat, but who cares, we only live once LOL!I was looking at your apple chicken, that is so Yum!
Nice to make your acquaintance!

My Kitchen Antics said...

sinful...really!

Sarah Naveen said...

Oh My ..that looks awesome!!!!

ARUNA said...

It looks soooooo chocolaty, i'm keeping myself away from chocolates for a while, its soooooo hard!!!!!

Together We Save said...

That is so funny... I myself don't even like ice cream but the rest of my family sure does!!

Unknown said...

Thanks to all for your lovely feedbacks....and also thanks for visiting my blog...do visit again and encourage me your lovely comments....

Veggie Hut said...

It truly awesome.. just by ur description.. i feel as if I am taking a bite and its really melting in my mouth.. Mouthwatering..

First time here.. glad to have spotted this blog..will come back for sure.. following u!!

Simplyfood said...

This chocolate cake looks so chocolatey and delicious.I am not surprised it did not last long enough for you to decorate it.It looks delectable.My 1st time here folowing your blog.

Ann said...

Thanks for stopping by! Oh my - I agree with Divya - this is definitely a Life By Chocolate cake, we should all Live to Eat it!

Ann said...

Thanks for stopping by! Oh my - I agree with Divya - this is definitely a Life By Chocolate cake, we should all Live to Eat it!

Cooking Foodie said...

Ohh and lovely cake BTW... any thing chocolate is great and death by chocolate even better :)

Cooking Foodie said...

@ your comment on Tzatziki
Greek yogurt - Its a thicker more creamier yogurt than the American whole milk yogurt. It is made with milk which has about 5 to 9% fat content as opposed to 3.5% in American whole milk.

Sushma Mallya said...

Hi,u can do grilling in the sandwich grill also the way i have done this one...u try out this way,it comes out good but takes time...or u can use a tawa also to do this tikka...

nandini said...

first time here and i am really liking it. That is one swell cake u have made.... So tempting, and nice click too.

Hayley said...

Mouthwatering and delectable cake!!

PranisKitchen said...

what a delicious cake..

Unknown said...

@ J, thanks for visiting my blog and for the lovely comment too.....

@Simply.food,thanks for visiting my blog and for the lovely comment too.....
it really didn't stay long...thanks for following too...

@Ann,u r welcome......haha yea I too agree with u and Divya, that we have to live to have it all.....


@Thanks CookingFoodie for giving me the answers. I too agree that none other chocolate cake is better than death by chocolate one..

@Sushma, thanks dear..I got it....

@Nadini,thanks for visiting my blog and for the lovely comment too.....

@Jagruti, Thanks dear...

@PranisKItchen, thanks for visiting my blog and for the lovely comment too.....


I would live to thank u all of u once againg for visiting my blog and giving ur valuable feedbacks....Pls visit again and encourage me in future....

s said...

this looks perfect!!!!

Padhu Sankar said...

Cake looks fabulous Dear!!

Unknown said...

wow! beautiful and yummy cake!!

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