WOYP Day #60 Coffee Chocolate Mousse Cake

These days due to CoVid, meeting up with friends and family is far less than before.But we do sneak in a meet every now and then to keep our sanity intact. Last weekend, we went over to my cousin’s place so the kids could spend time with their cousins too. While my SIL slogged over a lovely meal for us I decided to take dessert. I had a Victoria Sponge cake on hand from one of my cake orders, and while wondering what to do with it my younger one said coffee cake, he meant Tiramisu since that is his favorite dessert. But this became a Coffee Chocolate mousse cake instead - he got his coffee flavor fulfilled and there was no way he was going to complain about the chocolate part! :D It was a clear win! 

This feels like an elaborate dessert if done all on the same day. To avoid the stress, bake the sponge a day ahead of time, so all you have to do on the day of, is to make the mousse and syrup and assemble the cake. 

Coffee Chocolate Mousse Cake:
You will need: 

For the Mousse:

7 oz Dark Chocolate (I used Belgian)
1/3 (5g) cup Agar-Agar strings (See Note below) or 1 tsp Agar Agar powder
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 cups Heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Water
1/3 cup Powdered sugar

For the Coffee syrup:

1 cup Water
1 tbsp Instant coffee
3 tbsp Sugar

For the Sponge:
Makes one 8” cake

175 gms unsalted butter, softened
175 gms Confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
175 gms All-purpose flour
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 3/4 tsp Baking powder
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk 

Tools: 

8" Cake Pan

Pastry brush

9"or 10" Springform Pan (or a regular pan)

Stand mixer or hand-held electric beater 

NOTE: Agar-Agar is a vegetarian substitute for Gelatin. You can use Agar-Agar powder if you have it on hand or the more commonly available strings of Agar-agar. This is a great video showing the different ratios of Agar-Agar. 

Bake the Sponge:

Prepare the sponge first, to allow it to cool completely. This can be made a day ahead like I mentioned before.

Using a pastry brush grease an 8” pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside. Preheat pen to 350F (or 180C)

Sift Confectioners sugar and All-purpose flour separately and then weigh out the required quantity. This ensures a light cake.

Combine the measured flour and baking powder, set aside.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer) until light and smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat for a minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the flour little at a time and fold it into the batter by hand. Folding in the flour allows you to incorporate it without deflating the volume achieved from the beaten eggs. Continue until all the flour is added, fold well to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. While the cake bakes prepare the coffee syrup. Remove pan from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Once cooled wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. If using the same day, no need to refrigerate. 

Prepare the Coffee Syrup:

In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir in the instant coffee and turn off heat. Set aside to cool.

Prepare the Mousse:

The Mousse is very similar to the Belgian chocolate Mousse Pudding, except this mousse has Agar-Agar in it to help set it up so it can hold when unmolded from the pan. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat proof bowl.

Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. If using a hand held mixer, chill a bowl and the beaters.

Pour 1/4 cup of cream Into a small saucepan. Add the agar-agar strings and soak for 15 minutes. This helps hydrate the agar-agar. After the 15 minutes are done, add 1/4 of water combine and set the pan on medium heat. Stir and bring to a simmer, continue stirring until the agar-agar is fully dissolved and no visible strings remain. Remove from heat, cool briefly and pour over the melted chocolate. Stir gently to combine well. 

Pour 1 1/2 cups of cream into the chilled bowl, add the powdered sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

Add half of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and fold to combine. Add in the remaining whipped cream and fold until no cream streaks remain.

Assemble the Cake:

After the cake has cooled, using a sharp serrated knife slice the cake in half to make two layers.

To assemble, I used a 9” springform pan which allows the cake to be unmolded easily to make a free standing cake. The baked cake is 8” which allows room on the sides for the chocolate mousse. If you don't have a Springform pan, you can assemble this in any pan, except it cannot be unmolded and will have to be scooped or sliced from the pan.

Place one layer of cake at the bottom of a Springform pan. Drizzle half of the coffee syrup on the cake layer. Wait for a minute or two for the syrup to soak in and then spread half of the prepared mousse evenly on the cake, taking care to fill the gap on sides. Then place the second cake layer on top of the mousse. Repeat with the coffee syrup and then the remaining mousse. Spread evenly and chill for 2 hours or freeze for 2 hours to quick set. 

To unmold:

Remove pan from refrigerator or freezer and rest for 10 minutes. Unlock the springform pan and slowly lift the outer ring. Decorate with your choice of fruit, chocolate syrup or any topping you like. My sis-in-law had Mangoes and blueberries so that’s what I used.

The kids were waiting for dessert so couldn’t spend much time taking pics of the slice :D Use a sharp knife to cut into wedges. 

 

Cold, light dessert with hints of coffee and a super smooth luscious Chocolate Mousse, this was perfect for a hot summer night.

WOYP Day # 56 Mango Rasgullas

Rasgulla or Roshogolla (Bengali) or Rosogola (Oriyan) was first made in Orissa (now Odisha). Bengal, Orissa’s neighboring state also has a version of the Rasgulla, slightly different in taste, color and texture. Ras means juice and golla is ball. Typically Rasgullas are white and not flavored. They are pillowy soft and spongy melt-in-the-mouth balls of paneer (before it is set) in a light sweet syrup. 

 
I’ve made my fair share of Rasmalais over the years (I've lost count, hundreds for sure!!:D ) which requires making Rasgullas first and then boiled in flavored milk. So making Rasgollas isn’t new to me at all, but I wanted to try a flavor twist to it. I had canned Mango puree on hand and thus Mango Rasgullas were born! You can use fresh mango pulp but I think with all the cooking the flavor will be mellowed and lost so for these Rasgullas I do highly recommend canned Mango pulp. Its stronger in flavor, color and taste. The recipe below can easily be doubled. 

 

Mango Rasgullas
Makes: 10 small Rasgullas

You will need:

2.5 cups Whole milk
2 tbsp Vinegar or Lemon juice
1/3 cup Mango pulp (fresh or canned)
1 tsp Semolina (Rava)

For the syrup:
2 cups water
1 cup Sugar
3 pods Green Cardamom
Few drops Mango extract 

Finely chopped unsalted Pistachios (optional) 

Heat milk in a medium pan. Stir to prevent burning. Bring to a boil and then add the vinegar or lemon juice. Stir to split the milk. Turn off heat and allow to sit for a minute.

Line a colander with a cheesecloth or thin cloth. Strain the split milk and rinse the Paneer under running cold water. This removes the vinegar/lemon juice residue. Don’t skip this step or else you will end up with very sour tasting Rasgullas!!

Squeeze out as much water as you possibly can from the Paneer. It doesn’t need to fully dry but not soggy either. 

 
Remove from the cloth into a shallow plate. Knead gently for 2-3 minutes until the mixture comes together. Add 2 tablespoons of the mango purée and the semolina. Knead to combine. 

 
Divide into 10 equal balls. Prepare the syrup. Combine water, sugar and cardamom in a pressure cooker. Bring to a rolling boil. Add 2 tablespoons of mango pulp and few drops of the mango extract. When the water begins to boil add the Paneer balls. Close the lid and turn the heat to high. Place weight on the cooker and allow it to whistle once. Then turn down the heat to low and cook for 8 minutes.

The first blast of pressure allows the balls to double in size, and the cooking time allows it to cook slowly and soften in the process. 

 
Turn off heat and cool before opening the lid. Remove the rosgullas to a bowl carefully since they are fragile. Add remaining mango purée to the syrup and boil for 5-6 minutes until thickened. Return the rasgullas to the syrup. Cool completely before serving. Top with chopped Pistachios if using.

 
Spongy Mango Rasgullas are easy to make and taste absolutely delicious!  I think I might have to make another batch very soon :D These lasted only until I took pics haha!

WOYP Day # 48 Roasted Almond (Eggless) Chocolate Ice Cream

We've had plenty hot days here in Atlanta already and my boys are constantly asking for cold stuff to cool them off. We've had our fair share of ice-creams and desserts but its never enough!! :D I'm a big fan of Chocolate Ice-cream and Almonds on Chocolate ice cream is one of my favorite toppings. Crunchy nuts in every bite of creamy chocolatey goodness mmmm..! Once you have the right ice cream base, the mix-in options and possibilities are endless. I’ve used roasted Almonds (roasting instructions below) but you can use mini chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, roasted cashew nuts and pretty much anything you want :) This is an easy Eggfree Chocolate ice-cream. 

 
I’ve switched to using Organic Cacao Powder ever since our local Costco began selling it last year. Cacao powder is made from beans that are fermented but not roasted. These beans are processed at a lower temperature and then milled into a powder. This yields a bitter, more nutritionally rich powder. Cocoa Powder on the other hand is made from beans that have fermented and roasted, typically processed at much higher temperatures. This yields a slightly less bitter, darker powder which has lost some of its nutritional value. I’ve used Cocoa powder for a very long time but I’m loving Cacao powder. I use it extensively in baking, frostings, ice-creams, smoothies. It yields a rich tasting end product and I’m glad I made the switch. Cost wise it has been pretty effective and not expensive. If you come across this, grab a bag and you won’t regret it. 

 
The end result will taste only as good as the ingredients you use. So make sure to use organic ingredients if available. I’ve also used an Ice-cream maker but if you don’t have one, I’ve included no-churn instructions too. 

 

Roasted Almond Chocolate Ice- Cream
You will need:

7 oz Condensed Milk
1/4 cup Organic Cacao Powder *
1 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Whole Milk
2 tsp pure Vanilla extract
1/4 Roasted Almonds, chopped (instructions below)

*If you don’t have Cacao Powder you can substitute with a good quality unsweetened Cocoa powder.
 

In a saucepan, combine the condensed milk, whole milk and Cacao powder. On low heat whisk to combine until smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool. This ensures the cacao powder dissolves well and there is no powdery residue mouth feel once the Ice-cream is churned.

 

To this, add the Heavy cream and vanilla extract. Combine well. Transfer to a container and chill for 6-8 hours or overnight. Churn in ice-cream maker as per manufacturer instructions. Half way through churning, stir in the chopped roasted almonds. Transfer to an air-tight container and freeze for 4 hours or overnight.

No-churn instructions: (No ice-cream maker)
 

In a saucepan, combine the condensed milk, milk and Cacao powder. On low heat whisk to combine until smooth and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool completely.

Chill a large bowl and beaters for 20 minutes. Pour whipped cream into chilled bowl. Add vanilla and beat on medium low speed until soft peaks form.  To this gently stir in the cooled Cacao-condensed milk mixture. Combine gently using a spatula. Chill this mixture for 20 minutes and then rewhip using a hand held beater until thick and stiff. Add the chopped nuts and fold in gently.  Transfer to an air-tight container and freeze for 4 hours or overnight. 

 

To Roast Almonds:

Place nuts evenly on a small baking sheet or pan. Place in a 335F pre-heated oven. Bake for 5 minutes, stir nuts and return for another 2-3 minutes. Keep an eye on the nuts if they are browning too quickly remove from the oven and transfer nuts to a plate immediately. Nuts continue to cook if left on the hot baking sheet. 

 

To serve:

Set the ice-cream out on the countertop for 2-3 minutes before scooping. Scoop into bowls, top with more chopped roasted almonds and this super awesome, easy Hot Fudge sauce. This is sure to transport you to Chocolate Heaven! :D 

 

WOYP Day #41 Kesar Pista Badam Kulfi

It had been ages since I made Kulfis at home. The temperatures are soaring with rain studded days, and these kulfis took me right back to my childhood when mom made them every summer without fail.

This is the classic version of Kulfi, loaded with nuts and hints of Saffron encased in creamy frozen goodness! Yummm...! 

Kesar Pista Badam Kulfi:
You will need:

2 cups Whole Milk
2tbsp Corn flour (make a paste with 2 tbsp cold milk)
3 to 4 tbsp Milk powder (I used non-fat dry milk)
2 tbsp Badam Milk powder (MTR or any brand)
A large pinch Saffron strands
1 tbsp finely chopped unsalted Pistachios
1 tbsp finely chopped raw Almonds
1/2 cup Granulated sugar

Pour milk into a thick bottomed pan, and set on medium heat. Stir frequently to prevent the milk from burning on the bottom. Once the milk is warm, remove a tablespoon or two and add it to the milk powder. Whisk to make a smooth paste and set aside. Add the saffron strands, sugar, Badam milk powder and the prepared milk powder paste to the hot milk and combine. Bring to a simmering boil.

Lower heat. Now add the corn starch paste while stirring. The mixture will immediately thicken. Cook for a minute while stirring and then remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before adding the nuts.This keeps the nuts crunchy. 

Stir in the nuts. Pour mixture into popsicle molds. If you don’t have Popsicle molds you can use disposable paper cups, or small steel tumblers if you have them at home. Once filled, set aside for few more minutes and then place a popsicle stick in each cup. Freeze for 3-4 hours. 

To unmold - Run the sides of the cup or mold under warm water for a few seconds and the kulfi will pop out easily. Serve immediately.

T for Tottenham Cake – Day 20

We are in the final week of the Mega Blogging Marathon #75. It’s been an unbelievable 3 weeks so far and we’ve traveled to various countries across the world through sweet and savory bakes. A tasty journey indeed. 

T for TOTTENHAM CAKE – ENGLAND

The original recipe for Tottenham Cake came from Henry Chalkley who was a baker in Tottenham. He came up with the idea of making a inexpensive sponge cake which he then sold for a penny or so and off cuts for less than a penny. This made sure the cake was affordable to everyone. The pink icing on the cake is what makes it the Tottenham Cake. It is made from the juice of mulberries that grow on the tree in the burial ground of the Tottenham Quaker Friends Meeting House. Chalkley himself was a Quaker and to this day the cake is made to share around after meetings.

In some ways, Tottenham cake reflects Quaker values of simplicity and equality.  Also, it is meant to show equality. This is typically baked in a tray, which ensured everyone gets an equal portion of cake.

I used a round pan since I didn’t have a smaller square pan. Also I’ve used pink food coloring which is the norm these days since Mulberries aren’t easily available in all parts of the world.I also weighed all the ingredients using a kitchen scale. 

You will need:

Makes: One small 6-inch round cake

85g self rising flour

1/2 tsp Baking powder

70g unsalted butter

70g caster sugar

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp vanilla

For the Icing:

½ cup Powdered sugar

½ tsp Vanilla extract

½-1 tsp Water

Pink food coloring

2 tsp Desiccated coconut

Grease a 6” x 6” square baking pan or a 6-inch round pan with butter and then line the bottom with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper.  Preheat oven to 350F.

Sift the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Set aside. Cream butter until light, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add the eggs one by one and beat for a minute after each addition. Then add in the vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour mix until fully combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 28-30 minutes. Cool in pan for five minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Prepare the icing while the cake is cooling. In a small bowl combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and few drops of water at a time until you get a thick glaze. Stir in the pink food coloring until you get a nice bright pink. The glaze should be thick flowing like honey, if its thin, add more powdered sugar. If the icing is too thin it will flow off the cake and not stay on it.

Place cooled cake on a cake stand, plate or cake board. Pour some icing on the centre of the cake and spread gently using an off-set spatula, starting from the centre moving towards the edge.

Sprinkle the desiccated coconut along the edges of the cake and let the icing set. I was in a rush to take pics so didn’t have the time to allow the icing to set up fully so it is still a little runny. Slice before serving. Store left-overs In an air tight container for 2 days. The cake is tender and moist, and not too sweet. The sugary icing compliments it well.

BAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: 

A for ANZAC BISCUITS - AUSTRALIA

B for BASBOUSA - EGYPT

C for CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS - FRANCE

D for DAMPER BREAD - AUSTRALIA

E for EMPANADAS - MEXICO

F for FLAN MEXICANO - MEXICO

G for GRISSINI BREADSTICKS - ITALY

H for HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE - USA

I for INDIAN LADI PAV - INDIA 

J for JOULUTORTTU - FINLAND

K for KORVAPUUSTI - FINLAND

L for LEMON SPRITZ SANDWICH COOKIES - GERMANY

M for MACARONS - FRANCE
N for NANKHATAI - INDIA
O for ORANGE OGURA CAKE - MALAYSIA
P for PINCA - CROATIA
Q for QUICK BREAD - STRAWBERRY PECAN BREAD - USA

R for RIGÓ JANCSI - HUNGARY
S for SCONES - UK

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 75

An InLinkz Link-up

R for Rigó Jancsi - Day 18

I had a long list of bakes lined up against this letter and I had quite the hard time picking just one. I finalized on a bake that has an interesting, scandalous story attached to it :D

R for RIGÓ JANCSI – HUNGARY

Rigó Jancsi is layers of rich chocolate sponge cake sandwiched with a layer of rich chocolate whipped filling and then topped with a chocolate glaze. Its chocolate upon chocolate upon chocolate..every chocolate lover’s dream. It is typically served as a 2”x2” square. Of course there is no restriction on how many of these squares you can eat ;)

History:

The story goes that there was a famous Hungarian Gypsy violinist, Rigó Jancsi who seduced and married Clara Ward, the wife of a Belgian Prince. Clara and Jancsi met in 1896 while Rigó played violin at a restaurant in Paris where Clara and her Prince husband, dined. The cake is named after Rigó Jancsi and in honor of their love story. Their marriage was written about extensively in newspapers back then.  

Sources do not agree about the origin of the pastry. Some claim that Rigó created the pastry together with an unknown pastry chef to surprise Clara. Others claim that Rigó Jancsi brought this pastry to Clara and the confectioner named it Rigó Jancsi afterwards.

Whatever the story, the cake is a must try. It is often made with Rum in the filling, but I left that out so my boys could enjoy it as well..which they did..plenty of these squares! 

You will need:

Makes: 20-24 2” squares

Recipe adapted from here

For the Chocolate Sponge cake:

¼ cup All-purpose flour

1.5 tbsp Cocoa powder

4 tbsp Unsalted butter

3 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 eggs

1/3 cup sugar, divided

1/8 tsp salt

For the chocolate glaze:

4 oz Bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 tbsp Butter

1 tbsp Corn syrup

½ tsp Vanilla extract

For the Filling:

1 tbsp Cocoa powder

¼ cup Powdered sugar

4 oz Semi-sweet chocolate, chopped fine

1 cup Heavy cream

½ tsp Vanilla extract

2 tbsp Apricot Jam

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 12x16 or 9x13 inch sheet pan with parchment paper. Brush with melted butter and set aside. 

Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips and heat in 10-second bursts until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

Separate the egg whites and yolks. Beat the yolks with the whisk attachment on medium high speed until pale yellow and light. Gradually add in the half of the sugar while beating on low. Increase speed to medium high and continue whipping until the yolks fall in ribbons form the whisk when lifted. Transfer to another bowl.

Rinse and dry the mixing bowl and add the egg whites. Beat on medium high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining sugar and the salt. Beat until the meringue forms stiff peaks and is very glossy.

Combine the cooled chocolate-butter mix to the beaten yolks. Fold in gently, don’t over mix. Now add 1/3^rd of the meringue and fold. Add the remaining meringue in two additions and fold gently until no streaks of white remain. Sift the flour and cocoa and fold into the beaten mixture.

Pour into prepared sheet pan and bake for 12-15 minutes. I baked mine for 14 minutes.

The sponge cake is very fragile. Once baked, remove pan from oven. Line a rack with parchment paper and place over cake. Flip the pan carefully and lift it off the cake. Peel the parchment paper off taking care not to rip the delicate sponge. Place a clean kitchen towel on the sponge and flip again onto another rack. Peel off the other parchment and allow the sponge to cool completely. Once cooled, cut the sponge into half.

Make the Glaze:

Prepare the glaze by combining all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, except for the vanilla extract. Heat the bowl on full power at 20-second intervals, stirring in between until fully melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla and pour over one half of the cake and spread evenly with a spatula. Rest for an hour until glaze is set. Cut into 2” squares, cleaning the knife between each cut. This ensures sharp clean cuts. You can chill the pieces while you assemble the rest of the cake.

Make the Filling:

Stir together the cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Melt the chocolate until smooth and let cool. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then add the cocoa and powdered sugar. Whip until stiff and the cream holds shape when lifted. Don’t over beat It will turn into butter. Fold in the melted chocolate.

Apply a thin layer of apricot jam on the other cake layer. Spread a thick layer of filling evenly, using a spatula over the cake.

Line up chilled chocolate cake squares over the filling and chill for 30 minutes. Slice into squares following the cut squares as a guide.

Keep chilled until ready to serve. This one is for all the chocoholics out there!Grab a fork and dig in :D

BAKES FROM AROUND THE WORLD: 

A for ANZAC BISCUITS - AUSTRALIA

B for BASBOUSA - EGYPT

C for CHOCOLATE ECLAIRS - FRANCE

D for DAMPER BREAD - AUSTRALIA

E for EMPANADAS - MEXICO

F for FLAN MEXICANO - MEXICO

G for GRISSINI BREADSTICKS - ITALY

H for HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE - USA

I for INDIAN LADI PAV - INDIA 

J for JOULUTORTTU - FINLAND

K for KORVAPUUSTI - FINLAND

L for LEMON SPRITZ SANDWICH COOKIES - GERMANY

M for MACARONS - FRANCE
N for NANKHATAI - INDIA
O for ORANGE OGURA CAKE - MALAYSIA
P for PINCA - CROATIA
Q for QUICK BREAD - STRAWBERRY PECAN BREAD - USA

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 75

An InLinkz Link-up