The original cake, Kladdkaka, is a traditional Swedish bake but this is my take on it, resulting in a warm dessert that is somewhere between a brownie and a lava cake. From start to finish it will take you 30 minutes to put together this more-ish chocolate cake!
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a 22cm loose-bottom cake tin with cooking spray. Dust the bottom of the tin with cocoa powder. Set aside. Add the chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir every now and then until completely melted. Pour the chocolate-butter mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the flour, cocoa powder and sugar to the bowl and stir together by hand. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until combined. Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 25 minutes. The cake should have a firm top that cracks when you apply pressure to it with your finger. Allow the cake to cool slightly in the cake tin. Run a knife between the cake and the tin and remove the cake ring. Serve warm with a dusting of icing sugar.
110g butter, room temperature 175g caster sugar 4 eggs, separated 110g almond meal/ground almonds 110g dark chocolate, very finely chopped or grated 150ml milk 175g self-raising flour
Preheat your oven to 170℃ and line two 12-hole muffin tins with paper cups. Add the butter and caster sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Cream together until very pale and fluffy. Add the egg yolks to a bowls and whisk together. Run the mixer on low speed and add a spoonful of the yolks at a time. Beat well after each addition. Remove the mixing bowl from the mixer and fold in the chopped chocolate, almond meal and milk. Add the egg whites to a clean mixing bowl and beat with an electric whisk until soft peak stage. Gently fold the whites into the almond mixture. Now add the flour and gently fold it in with a spatula. Spoon the mixture into the 24 paper cases and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes on a cooling rack before icing/decorating.
Chocolate Ganache: 160g chocolate 125ml heavy cream
Chop the chocolate into pieces and place it in a heatproof mixing bowl. Pour the cream into a small saucepan on medium heat. Take the cream from the heat as soon as small bubbles appear at the edges of the saucepan. Pour the cream onto the chopped chocolate and allow to stand for 2 minutes. Now stir the mixture until the chocolate has melted and it is completely smooth and silky. Cool completely before whipping for 4 minutes. Use to decorate.
220g best quality dark chocolate (I use De Villiers Chocolate), chopped 125g butter, cubed 5 eggs, separated 190ml sugar 10ml vanilla 2,5ml salt 30ml cocoa powder
Preheat your oven to 170℃ and spray a 22cm loose bottom cake pan with cooking spray. Dust the pan with cocoa powder ensuring the bottom and sides of the pan has an even coating of cocoa powder. Set aside. Add the chocolate and butter to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir every now and then until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture has amalgamated. Take the bowl from the heat and set aside to cool. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the whites on medium until it reaches soft peak stage. Increase the mixers speed and add the sugar a spoonful at a time. Beat until medium stiff peaks and set aside. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, to the chocolate mixture and beat well with a spatula after each addition. Add the vanilla, salt and cocoa powder and mix together. Now fold in the egg whites by adding a third of the mixture at a time. Mix/fold until no white streaks are visible. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it around evenly. Bake for 50 minutes. The edges of the cake will pull away from the sides of the pan once it is done. Cool the cake in the pan before unmoulding it. Dust with icing sugar and serve.
This is fruit cake is dark and rich and incredibly moist and the very best is it does not need time to ripen! You do however need to use a dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa – I used the Dark Chocolate from De Villiers Chocolates which you can order online.
500ml dark stout beer 800g mixed fruit (raisins, currants, sultanas, cherries, orange peel) 175g butter, softened 200g brown sugar 4 eggs 125g ground almonds 50g cornflour 7,5ml ground cinnamon 5ml allspice 80g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped or grated
Pour the stout beer into a saucepan and reduce it to 200ml. Add the mixed fruit to a ceramic bowl, pour over the stout and set aside to soak overnight. Preheat your oven to 150℃. Line and lightly spray a 22cm cake pan. Wrap a double layer of baking paper around the outside of the baking tin and secure it with string. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed, until light and fluffy. Turn the speed down and add the eggs one at a time, beating we’ll after each addition and alternating with a spoonful of ground almonds after each addition. Now add the remaining ground almonds, cornflour and spices and mix together. Take the bowl from the mixer and stir in the soaked fruit and chocolate. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 3 – 4 hours – a cake skewer should come out clean. Remove the fruit cake from the oven and allow to cool completely in the cake pan.
The fruit cake does not need ripening but keeps really well when wrapped in a layer of baking paper and aluminium foil.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line 27cm X 37cm X 5cm cake tin (I use a roasting tin) with baking paper. Add the butter and sugar to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat together on a high speed until pale and fluffy. Turn the mixer to medium speed and add the eggs one at a time, giving each egg time to incorporate into the mixture. Add the vanilla. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Turn the mixer to a low speed and add the flour mixture and milk alternately. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking tin and place it in the oven to bake for 40 minutes. Cool the cake on a cooling rack until completely cold and slice into squares.
For the Coconut Chocolate Ganache: 180g white coconut chocolate OR white chocolate and a handful of roasted coconut flakes 120ml cream
Chop the chocolate finely and add the chocolate and cream to a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with simmering water. Allow the chocolate to melt, stirring every now and then until the mixture is silky smooth. Now take the bowl from the heat and stir the ganache. Drizzle the ganache over the cake slices while still slightly warm. Decorate with roasted coconut flakes.
For the topping: 160g chocolate, chopped 125ml cream 5ml corn syrup
Preheat your oven to 180℃. Spray and line the bottom (not the sides) of a 38cm X 25cm X 2,5cm baking tray with baking paper. Spray the paper lightly with a cooking spray. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Turn the mixer to high speed, add the 83ml sugar and whisk for 5 minutes until the mixture is stiff. Set aside. Add the egg yolks, 125ml sugar and vanilla to a mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes with electric beaters. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into another mixing bowl. Add the espresso powder to the dry ingredients. Melt the butter and pour it over the dry ingredients. Add the egg yolk mixture as well and beat on medium speed until the ingredients are combined. Now fold in the stiff egg whites by stirring in a third and then gently folding in the rest. Keep folding until there are no white streaks in the batter. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking tray and spread it evenly into a thin layer. Bake for 10 minutes.
Rolling the cake: Place a thin kitchen towel on a work surface and sift about 30ml cocoa powder over the towel. Take the cake directly from the oven, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and immediately invert the cake onto the cocoa powder/kitchen towel. Gently peel off the baking paper and roll the cake and the kitchen towel in a coil. Set aside to cool completely.
Making the cream filling: Pour the whipping cream into a mixing bowl, sift over the icing sugar and add the vanilla. Beat the mixture with electric beaters until it is stiff enough to have a spreadable consistency. Unroll the cold cake and remove it from the kitchen towel. Spread the cream filling over the surface and roll the cake once again. Place the Swiss roll on a cooling rack to cover with the chocolate topping.
For the chocolate topping: Add all the ingredients to a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan with barely simmering water. Stir until the chocolate has melted completely and the mixture is amalgamated. Take the bowl from the heat and set aside for about 15minutes, stirring it every now and then so that it cools down a bit. Pour the chocolate over the Swiss roll and spread it slightly with a spatula. Wait for the first batch/layer to set slightly before pouring the rest of the chocolate over the cake. Allow the cake to stand on the cooling rack until the topping has set completely.
Transfer the Swiss roll to a serving plate and enjoy!
Preheat your oven to 170℃ and line a small loaf tin of 21cm X 11cm with baking paper. Add the butter, sugar, salt and honey to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on to high speed and beat the mixture until it is fluffy and very pale – about 6 – 7 minutes, scraping down once or twice. Add the eggs to a small bowl and whisk together. Run the mixer’s engine on medium-low and add the egg a little at a time, waiting for it to be incorporated before adding more. Now mix the flour and baking powder together and add it in the same way. Scoop half of the batter into a clean mixing bowl and sift the cocoa powder over it. Mix with a spatula until the cocoa powder is fully incorporated – the batter will appear very dry, but keep mixing until it turns brown. Add the vanilla to the half of the batter which you have kept in the mixer bowl and stir through. Spoon 3-4 dollops of the vanilla batter into the baking tin, alternating with the cocoa batter. Keep going until there is no batter left. Lightly pull a butter knife through the batter, stirring-mixing the two colours. Level the top and bake the loaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool the cake on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before removing it from the baking tin by lifting it out in the baking paper. Allow the cake to cool completely.
For the chocolate glaze: Add all the ingredients to a heatproof bowl set over simmering water and stir until melted completely. Remove the glaze from the heat and allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Place the cooled cake on a cooling rack and place the cooling rack inside a baking sheet so that the chocolate drips down into it. Pour the glaze over the cake. Allow to stand at room temperature for at least one hour. Slice and serve.
This is an easy and quick cake loaf that is perfect for afternoon tea.
100g pistachio nuts, chopped 200g caster sugar 150g butter 125ml yoghurt 3 eggs 200g flour 5ml baking powder 5ml bicarbonate of soda 10ml vanilla 4 limes, zest and juice 200g icing sugar 30ml pistachio nuts, sliced
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a 20cm X 10cm X 7cm loaf tin with baking paper. Add the pistachios and caster sugar to the bowl of a food processor and whizz until fine. Add the butter, yoghurt, eggs, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, vanilla and lime zest and whizz again until smooth. Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 55 minutes. Cool the loaf in the tin for 20 minutes before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Sift the icing sugar into a mixing bowl and add the lime juice. Spoon the glaze over the pistachio loaf and scatter with the sliced pistachios.
These tiny ricotta cakes with their zesty glaze are on my top 5 list of favourite eats!! The ricotta gives the cakes a fluffy, light, melt-in-the-mouth feel and the glaze adds a citrus punch that draws all the flavours together! Makes about 18 cakes/biscuits.
625ml flour 5ml baking powder 5ml salt 100g butter, room temperature 500ml sugar 2 eggs 420g ricotta cheese (you can make your own by following my recipe for Homemade Ricotta) 45ml lemon juice the zest of one lemon
Lemon glaze: 375ml icing sugar 45ml lemon juice the zest of one lemon
Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line two baking sheets with baking paper. Add the flour, baking powder and salt to a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on a high speed for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer speed down to medium and add the eggs one at a time. Add the ricotta, lemon juice and lemon zest. Turn the mixer onto its lowest speed and add the flour mixture, a few tablespoons at a time. Keep going until you have added all the flour. Spoon about 30ml (one large tablespoon) of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. The dough is very sticky but use your finger to shape/mould the dough into what resembles a circle/round mound – do not flatten it! Space the dough mounds about 5 cm apart as it will flatten slightly and spread during baking. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheets for 30 minutes.
For the lemon glaze: Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and zest and mix until smooth. Spoon about half a teaspoon of the glaze onto each cooled cake. Allow to become hard – about 2 hours.
Keep the cakes in a sealed container at room temperature.
My Whisk and I 