Triple Chocolate Cake

This weekend was an eventful one. It was my son's birthday and he wanted a chocolate... chocolate cake. So I made this three layer triple chocolate cake over the coarse of 3 days, that is really ironic. First, I made the chocolate sponge cake, then I made the two chocolate cake layers and the first batch of chocolate icing. 

I assembled the cake as follows: I placed one of the chocolate cake layers on a large plate and then covered the top with icing. I then placed the chocolate sponge on top of the iced layer, then I covered the top of the sponge with icing, then I placed the second chocolate cake layer on top of that and iced the top. With the remaining icing I sealed the sides of the cake. The cake was covered and placed into the refrigerator until I could finish the cake the next day. The following day I made another batch of chocolate icing and poured it over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides until the cake was smothered with chocolate icing. Sliced almonds were placed on top and the cake went back into the refrigerator to let the icing set for about 2 hours. Which was perfect because by that time we were ready for cake.  

As you can see all the layers came together nicely from top to bottom. The light chocolate layer is the chocolate sponge cake. This cake was rich however not too dense and had the perfect amount of chocolate.  

The icing was very simple to make and I found it had a bit of a fudge consistency. Which was surprising considering it was only two ingredients. Chocolate and whipping cream. This icing is truly a chocolate lovers treat! 

Quick Chocolate Icing

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8 ounces of good quality chocolate

1 cup whipping cream

Melt the 8 ounces of chocolate. 

In a saucepan bring the 1 cup of whipping cream to a boil.

Pour the cream into the chocolate and whisk it until smooth, then refrigerate until set... about 4 to 6 hours. 

Notes: I used a bain-marie to melt the chocolate. When using this icing to icing between layers I let it sit on the counter for a bit so that it was a bit pliable and easy to spread. Also, I made two batches of this icing to completely cover the 3 layer chocolate cake I made. The second batch of icing did not set in the refrigerator instead was cooled for a few moments and then poured over the cake. Which then I let set for 2 hours in the refrigerator. 

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JD 

Coconut and Curry Butter Cookies

These cookies are absolutely delicious! The aroma as they baked was completely intoxicating. The curry gave a subtle flavour and the toasted coconut was warm and sweet. Just make sure you do not use a curry powder with garlic. After the cookies had cooled I added my own personal touch by sprinkling edible rose petals on top of them. Which despite giving them a beautiful and exotic appearance, added another layer to their delicate flavour.   

Elegant Coconut and Curry Butter Cookies (from the book Luscious Coconut Desserts)

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1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (with no garlic)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon pure coconut extract

2 large egg yolks

1. Stir together the flour, toasted coconut, curry powder, and salt with a fork in a medium bowl.

2. Beat the butter, sugar, and coconut extract with an electric mixer in a large deep bowl, beginning on low speed and increasing to medium-high speed, until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and beat until will combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in two batches, beating just until blended. With a rubber spatula, stir in the coconut mixture.

3. If the dough is too soft, chill it for 1 hour, or until firm. Press the dough together with your hands and divide it in half. Place each half on a sheet of wax paper and form into a 7-by-1 1/2- inch log. Smooth sac log with damp fingers. Wrap the logs in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until thoroughly chilled and firm, or for up to 2 days.

4. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 400ºF. Line two large heavy baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper, or use two large nonstick baking sheets.

5. With a sharp knife, cut each log crosswise into generous 1/4- inch-thick rounds. Arrange the rounds 2 inches apart on the baking sheets.

6. Bake one sheet at a time, turning the baking sheet around halfway through, for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheets on wire racks. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. 

Notes: I could not find pure coconut extract so I used pure vanilla extract instead. The sugar I used was caster sugar however I wonder if using brown sugar would make a difference. I toasted the coconut in a nonstick pan on medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mostly browned. I used parchment paper to line the baking sheets. I baked the cookies for 12 minutes turning the baking sheet around at the halfway mark, 6 minutes. I only have one heavy baking sheet so making the cookies took a bit longer. Having another sheet possibly would have been handy. I noticed that the cookies did spread as they baked and therefore had a bit of a rough edge, while they were cooling on the baking sheet I trimmed the edges of the cookies with a turner spatula. I found it easier to do while the cookies were still warm. Although no decoration was needed I scattered rose petals on top for my own personal touch.

**You can make your own curry powder by mixing ground coriander, fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, black pepper, bay leaves, celery seed, nutmeg, cloves, onion, red pepper, and ginger. 

Decadent! Apart from eating them on their own, I served them with some vanilla chocolate chip ice cream. - JW