Creamy Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

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Creamy chocolate mousse with raspberry gelatin
Winter is my season of choice for baking with chocolate. My house is not well insulated so it is chilly even with the heat on so basically a good place to work with chocolate.

In this recipe you need to combine the warm chocolate with the warm anglais - keeping both at about the same temperature - and the room temperature can effect how these two mix together.

This recipe does have several steps to it but you can make it a day ahead if you want to have it for a special dinner.

I used an 18 cm x 6 cm baking ring to make this cake.

Cake
60 grams butter
40 grams sugar
1 egg yolk
2 egg whites (whites form 2 eggs)
40 grams sugar (to mix with egg whites)
60 grams flour
15 grams cocoa powder
1 tablespoon milk
1. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together.
2.  Put the butter in a bowl and mix with a small whisk until soft and then add the sugar& mix then add the egg yolk.
3. In another bowl, mix the egg white with the sugar until soft peaks form. Mix into the butter mixture in portions and mix with a spatula. Add the flour mixture and. Lastly, add the milk and mix thoroughly.
4. Fill the baking ring and bake at 180 degrees Celsius  for 15 – 20.

Cream Raspberry (I used a 16 cm and 12 cm rings)
140 grams raspberry puree
1 egg yolk
1 egg
40 grams sugar
10 grams butter
3 grams gelatin

1.  Heat the puree in a sauce pan until lightly boiling.
2.   In a bowl, mix the egg yolk, egg & sugar and mix. Add in the puree and mix then add back to the saucepan. Heat on low heat until just lightly thickened.
3.  Take off the heat and add the gelatin and mix. Lastly, add the butter and mix.
4.   Cool over ice water. Then pour into the rings which has plastic wrap sealed at the bottom. Place in the refrigerator until it is firm.

Chocolate Mousse
135 grams milk
2 egg yolks
25 grams sugar
6 grams gelatin
200 grams fresh cream 
180 grams dark chocolate

 1.  Melt the chocolate over hot water and keep at about 40 degrees Celsius.
2. Whip the cream until a little stiff.
3. Mix the sugar and the egg yolks. Heat the cream until just boiling then add to the bowl with the egg mixture and then add back to the pan and heat on a low heat until lightly thickened. Add the gelatin. Strain into another bowl and lightly cool. The chocolate and egg mixture should be about the same temperature.
4. Mix the egg mixture into the chocolate in portions and use a small whisk to combine.
5. Scoop some of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture and use a spatula to mix together. Add the remaining cream in portions and mix.

 Putting the cake together
1. Place the large 18 cm ring on a cake plate and place a mousse film inside. Place the cake inside and cover with about 2 tablespoons raspberry or strawberry jam. Next add a small amount of mousse and spread evenly. Next put the 16cm cream raspberry gel on the mousse and fill with the mousse. Lastly, add the 12 cm cream raspberry gel on the top. 
2. Use any remaining mousse to put into a pastry bag for decoration.
Ready for dessert


Kathy
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Icelandic Vinarterta cake

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I visited Iceland in 2019 and while going through the Copenhagen airport I found a wonderful cookbook about Scandinavia and Icelandic desserts. The cookbook weighed at least 2 kilos (about 3 pounds) and luckily I was on my way home so I didn't have to carry it around too much.

Unfortunately I did not eat this cake while I was in Iceland but after seeing the recipe in the cookbook, I wanted to try it. I think this is a fun recipe to make with kids since you can't get into too much trouble. Basically, this cake is made of several layers with jam between each layer. Simplicity at its finest.

I had extra dough after lots of baking so I froze it and later used it for a pie dough and it turned out quite nicely.


Deliciously simple



Ingredients

100 grams butter (room temperature)
100 grams sugar
3/4 egg
187 grams flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of cardamom powder

1.         In a bowl, mix the butter and sugar. Add the eggs in portions and continue to mix after adding each portion. Add the flour mixture in portions and mix well.
2.         Refrigerate dough for about 1 hour before using.
3.         Roll out the disks and place on baking sheet lined with baking paper.
4.         Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 10 minutes. Do not over bake since the cake will be too crunchy.
5.         Sandwich the cake with your favorite jam. This can be done while the cakes are still warm.

Kathy
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Delicious Date and Walnut Loaf

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This is a hearty loaf cake which matches well with cold weather or as many parts of the world enjoy dates and figs throughout the year this is for you too. I live in Japan and dates are not very popular so this recipe has helped push me to enjoy fruits that normally I would not experience if I did not bake for myself.


Sliced dried figs decorate the top

Ingredients
100 grams dates 
50 grams soft figs 
1 tablespoon molasses 
1 tablespoon baking soda 
150 grams warm water 
200 grams flour 
½ teaspoon baking powder 
½ teaspoon cinnamon 
70 grams brown sugar 
50 grams room temperature butter 
1 egg 
30 grams walnuts (cut to bite size pieces) 
20 grams milk 

1.  Cut the dates and figs to bite size pieces. Heat the water, baking soda, dates and figs and molasses in a small sauce pan on a low heat for 2 -3 minutes. Pour into a bowl and cool.
2. Heat the butter in a sauce pan until it turns a light brown color. Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to cool.
3. In a bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the dry fruit/water mixture in portions. Next add  the egg in portions, the milk, and then the butter in portions. Lastly, add the walnuts.
4. Pour into a baking loaf which has been lightly buttered and floured and bake in preheated oven  (180 degrees Celsius) for 40 – 45 minutes.



The generous amount of fruits makes this a delicious cake

Right out of the oven
Baking paper is used instead of butter & flour to line the baking tin
Kathy
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Very British Victoria Sponge Cake

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Simplicity at its best

This cake is simplicity at its best. Not too much fuss and probably no extra shopping needed. 

Don't be limited to the traditional filling of raspberry jam but go a little crazy and use something like Nutella for a winter version or lemon curd for a summer version. Fresh strawberries or blueberries sound quite nice to add extra zest to the cake.




225 grams room temperature butter
225 grams sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
225 grams flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder 
2 tablespoons milk

      1.  Sift the flour and baking powder together.
2.   Put the butter in a bowl and mix with a hand mixer then gradually add the sugar. After everything is mixed well add the eggs in several portions and continue to mix.
3.    Add the flour mixture in  portions and mix with a spatula. Lastly, add in the milk and mix with a spatula.
      4. Divide the cake into two cake pans which have been buttered and floured.
      5. Bake in a preheated 170 degrees Celsius oven. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool before adding the filling.


Filling:
50 grams fresh whipped cream
50 grams raspberry jam

1.  Whip the fresh cream until just soft peaks form. Spread on the cake then spread the jam on top. Lastly, dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar. 


Kathy
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Christmas Spice Cookies

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The cookies kept their shape during baking
I was dying to try one of the rolling pins with the cut out etchings. After a little comparison between Amazon and Etsy, I decided on the one from Etsy due to price and of course since it was Christmas I bought the holiday theme.

My feedback on using one of these rolling pins is that you need to roll the dough using a regular rolling pin first and then just do a last roll over the dough with the one that has the decoration. Lightly flour the decorated rolling pin & dough before starting. Last step is to cut the cookies to the shape you want.

I think that the more intricate the design on the rolling pin then more of a chance for the dough to  stick into the crevices. My recommendation is don't by a rolling pin with super small etchings.

Also, you need a good cookie dough that will roll out without being too sticky and will hold its shape during baking. The recipes below for spice cookies meets both of  these.

Ingredients
60 grams butter (room temperature)
40 grams brown sugar
35 grams molasses
1/2 egg + 1 teaspoon water
200 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves

Makes about 2 dozen cookies. This cookie is soft for eating but not sturdy enough for building a gingerbread house.

Directions
1.   In a bowl, mix butter and brown sugar with a small whisk until well blended. Mix in the molasses and egg in portions using the whisk.
2.   In another large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add to #1 in portions and mix using a spatula.
3.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour.
4.  Preheat oven to 180° C. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 4 – 5mm thick. For the last rolling use the decorated rolling pin. Cut with cookie cutters and leave some small  space between each cookie on the baking pan. Re-roll the dough scraps to make more cookies.
5.   Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm. Remove from the oven and cool on wire racks. These cookies don't  need decoration since they look great as is.





Kathy
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