Triple Chocolate Cake

serves: 12-15
calories: 625
fat: 40g
saturated fat: 23g
suitable for freezing: yes

FOR THE CAKE:

·         350g butter, softened

·         350g self-raising flour

·         350g caster sugar

·         6 medium eggs

·         Few drops vanilla extract

·         3 tablespoon milk

·         100g white chocolate, melted

·         100g dark chocolate, melted

FOR THE GANACHE:

·         300ml whipping cream

·         200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

·         Few drops vanilla extract

·         White chocolate stars, for decoration

·         3x20cm round sandwich cake tins, buttered, floured and base-lined

1. Set the oven to 190°C or Gas Mark 5.

2. Tip the butter, flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and milk into a bowl and beat well until smooth. Divide the mixture evenly between 3 bowls. Stir the white chocolate into one of the bowls and spoon it out into a cake tin and spread out. Stir the milk chocolate into another portion and spoon into another tin and stir the dark chocolate into the final portion, then spread it out in the last tin.

3. Place the cakes in the oven, with 2 on the upper shelf and 1 on lower shelf. Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes until they have risen and feel just firm to the touch. The cake on the bottom shelf may need an extra 5 minutes as, depending on the oven, it may not cook as quickly as the top ones. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

4. To make the ganache: Bring the creamto the boil and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until chocolate melts and mix well, preferably using a stick blender. Stir in vanilla extract to taste. Leave the mixture to cool. Once cold, whisk the ganache until it’s a spreading consistency.

5. Place the white chocolate cake on a serving plate and spread some ganache on the top, then place the milk chocolate cake on top. Spread some ganache over that, then place the dark chocolate cake on the top. Spread the remaining ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle over some white chocolate stars. Keep the cake in a cool place until serving.

The cake layers may be packed individually in freezer bags and frozen for up to 3 months. Allow the cake layers to defrost before assembling the cake with the ganache. It’s not recommended to freeze the complete cake.

Serves 6-7
Calories: 417
Fat: 24g
Saturated fat: 14g
Suitable for freezing: NO

200g dark chocolate
100g butter
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
100g caster sugar
50g flour
6-7 rounded tablespoon caramel sauce
Cocoa, for dusting
6-7 mini pudding tins, well-buttered and floured 

1. Set the oven to 200°C or Gas Mark 6.

2. Melt the chocolate and butter together, either in a microwave oven or gently in a pan on the hob.

3. Whisk the eggs, additional egg yolks and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture. Sift the flour over the top and stir it in. Fill each tin to two-thirds full with the resulting mixture. Place a spoonful of the caramel sauce in the centre of each pudding, then top with the remaining mixture.

4. Place the tins on a baking tray and put in the oven. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the puddings are just set.

5. Remove from the oven and leave in their tins for 2-3 minutes, then turn out on to serving plates. Dust with cocoa and serve immediately. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, if you like.

TIP FROM THE KITCHEN: Serve with ice-cream or whipped cream, if you like. 

egg yolk – tojássárga
rounded tablespoon – púpozott evőkanál
mini pudding tin – pohár nagyságú fém sütőforma
hob – tűzhely
light and fluffy – könnyű és levegős
to two-thirds – kétharmadig
to top – tetejére tenni
baking tray – tepsi
just set – épp megszilárdult
immediately – azonnal

serves: 6-8
preparation time: 40 minutes
cooking time: 45 minutes
oven temperature: 160ºC

–        200g self-raising flour

–        30ml cocoa powder

–        8ml ground ginger

–        3ml ground mixed spice

–        110g brown sugar

–        50g butter, melted

–        200ml Guinness stout, at room temperature

–        2 large eggs

–        30ml molasses

–        330ml boiling water

–        ice cream or whipped cream, to serve

Caramel pears:

–        45ml butter

–        210g sugar

–        30ml Guinness stout

–        60ml cream

–        1 can baby pears, halved and cores removed

1. Stir the flour, cocoa and ginger and mixed spice together in a large bowl. Add the brown sugar.
2. Whisk the melted butter into the Guinness and then whisk in the eggs. Stir in the dry ingredients. Pour into a greased ovenproof dish.
3. Drizzle the molasses all over the top of the pudding and then carefully pour the boiling water over the pudding. Bake in a preheated oven for 45 minutes or until the pudding has set.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the pears. Heat the butter, sugar and Guinness together in a saucepan. Simmer for five minutes until it starts to thicken. Add the cream. Simmer for a further minute, then add the pears. Simmer for two more minutes, then remove from the heat and spoon over the top of the pudding. Serve hot with ice cream or whipped cream.

Serves:15 squares
Fat: 21g
Calories per square: 333
Saturated fat: 9g
Suitable for freezing: NO

For the cake:

–           175g self-raising flour

–           2tbsp cocoa

–           1tsp bicarbonate of soda

–           150g dark muscovado sugar

–           2tbsp golden syrup

–           2 large eggs

–           150ml rapeseed or sunflower oil

–           150ml milk

For the topping:

–           200g bar dark chocolate

–           300ml carton whipping cream

–           2tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

–           2 x 200g punnets raspberries

–           28 x 18cm traybake tin, lined with baking parchment

1.     Set the oven to 160C or Gas Mark 3.

2.     To make the cake, sift the flour, cocoa and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and stir in the muscovado sugar. Add the golden syrup. Lightly beat together the eggs, oil and milk, pour into the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture into the traybake tin and bake for 25-30 mins, or until the cake is just firm to the touch in the centre. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for about 5 mins, than transfer it to a wire rack to cool completely.

3.     For the topping, break the chocolate into pieces and place in a bowl. Bring the cream to the boil in a pan and pour over the chocolate, than add the icing sugar. Stir until the chocolate melts. Mix well to give a smooth consistency, or use a stick blender. Leave the ganache to cool until it’s a spreading consistency, either letting it cool at room temperature or to speed it up, place it in the fridge – but stir regularly.

4.     Spread the chocolate mixture over the top of the cake and then arrange the raspberries on  top of the ganache. Dust with icing sugar just before serving.

Our Tip:The cake can be made a day in advance, but only decorate it on the day serving.

serves: 12
calories per serving: 480
fat per serving: 25g

Ingredients:

·         150g potato (peeled weight), cut into chunks

·         175g butter, softened

·         175g caster sugar

·         3 medium eggs

·         60g dark chocolate, melted

·         175g self-raising flour

·         45g cocoa

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         3 tablespoons milk

·         for the filling/topping:

·         90g butter, softened

·         250g icing sugar

·         100g natural vanilla white chocolate

·         1 tablespoon Bailey’s Irish Cream Liquer

for the shamrocks:

·         45g dark chocolate, melted

·         2x20cm cake tins, buttered and base-lined

·         small trefoil cutter

Preparation:

1.     Cook potato in boiling water until tender, drain well. Dry over the meat, mash well (sieve if you think it’s lumpy) and leave to cool. Set oven to moderate, Gas Mark 4 or 180 °C.

2.     Cream butter and sugar until  light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add mashed potato and melted chocolate. Sift in flour, cocoa and baking powder and stir in, with the milk.

3.     Divide the mixture between tins and bake for 30 minutes. Turn out to cool in a rack .

4.     To make the filling/topping: Cream butter and sugar with 2 tablespoons warm water until smooth. Melt cocolate, add to buttercream, with Bailey’s, and stir well. Spread a good amount on top of 1 cake and use rest to sandwich cakes together.

5.     To make the shamrocks:

6.     Spoon melted chocolated into a piping bag. (Have a piece of greaseproof paper taped to a baking sheet, on just two sides. Draw round a small trefoil cutter on to a long strip of paper and move it around under the Bakewell as a guide for piping shamrocks – and pipe a stem on each. Leave them to set firm. Arrange on the cake for serving.

7.     Freeze the separate cakes in a polybag or the filled and iced cake in a rigid container. Use within 2 months. Thaw in a cool place. Finish as above.

self-raising flour – élesztős liszt
baking powder – sütőpor
topping – bevonat, feltét
icing sugar– porcukor
shamrock – lóhere
trefoil cutter – lóhere  alakú sütőforma
to sieve – szitálni, szűrni
lumpy – darabos, göröngyös
moderate – mérsékelt
fluffy – habkönnyű
to turn out – kifordítani
to stir – keverni
to spread – szétteríteni, szétkenni
piping bag – habnyomó zacskó
greaseproof paper – (zsírálló) sütőpapír
to tape – ragasztani
stem – szár
to set firm – megszilárdulni
polybag – celofán tasak