Dark Chocolate With Dark Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Thank you Priya.R akka J

Thank you Divya Prakash akka J

This was my first step into food photography J

(My first click for blogging)

Chana coconut gravy

Now to celebrate this special occasion I made one of my most favorite chocolate cake with dark chocolate ganache icing. Yum!! the very name makes us drool for a chocolaty slice. You can also name it the Cadbury's cake or the Bournville cake as I have used Cadbury's bournville chocolate, cadbury's coco powder here. Even the ganache is made with bournville. It is so easy to make and there are many versions out there made using an oven, but what about people who don't have one!! So here is the alternative method of making a soft, tasty and chocolaty cake. The pressure cooker method, does yield soft cakes and this one was a hit at home. No one would believe that the cake was done using a pressure cooker unless you prove it. My husband loved it so much that he exclaimed it as the best ever cake that I had made until now. I have sandwiched my cake with cream and iced the cake with dark chocolate ganache that makes the cake taste more rich and chocolaty. Ganache is a finger licking delicious creamy chocolate spread or frosting that just melts in your mouth in every bite and definitely takes you to a chocolaty world. The cake was so so soft and spongy and every bite was a delight and I thought that it will be the best fitting chocolaty treat that I can give my blog baby for her special day.

♥ Happy Birthday My Dear Blog-gy Baby ♥

...You are so special to me...

INGREDIENTS

Makes a small cake

Total Preparation Time - 1 hour 45 minutes

• Dark chocolate - 125 grams (I used cadbury's bournville)
• Maida / All purpose flour - 125 grams
• Butter - 100 grams (unsalted)
• Boiled milk - 1/2 cup (or) as required
• Eggs - 2
• Coco powder - 1 spoon (unsweetened)
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Baking powder - 2 pinches (or) 1/8 tsp
• Sugar - (granulated )
• Salt - 1 tsp
• For Chocolate Ganache Icing;
• Dark chocolate - 60 grams
• Fresh cream - 60 grams
• Milk - 2 spoons (optional)
• Strawberries - Few for decoration purpose
• For the middle layer: (optional)
• Whipped cream / Double cream - As required

PREPARATION METHOD

Grease a 2*6 inch cake pan with butter and line with parchment or butter paper.

Sift all purpose flour (maida), baking powder, salt and coco powder together and set aside.

Double boil the chocolate pieces to melt it. To do this, break the dark chocolate into smaller pieces and add into a bowl. Take a pan add water into it and place on flame, then inside this pan add the bowl with dark chocolate pieces and leave undisturbed. Once it starts melting add some milk and stir well. When it melts well and there are no lumps remove from flame and set aside until it cools.

Take a bowl add butter (softened at room temperature), sugar and beat well using the electric beater for 2 to 3 minutes or until fluffy.

Add one egg first and beat well then add the second and beat well again for 2 to 3 minutes.

Now add the sifted all purpose flour mixture and fold in gently using a wooden ladle or spoon. Do not use a beater here.

Now add the melted dark chocolate and stir well until the chocolate blends well with the batter.

Then pour the prepared batter into the greased and lined cake tin.

Then switch the flame to medium mode and cook for 45 minutes or until done, check after 30 minutes whether the cake is done, just insert a knife into the cake's center. If the knife comes out clean, then it means the cake is cooked, if not cook for some more minutes.

Once the cake is done remove the cooker from flame, close the cooker and set aside for few minutes. Open after 5 minutes.

Now take the cake pan outside, slide a knife around the sides of the cake and turn the pan upside down and slowly remove the parchment paper, then transfer to a cooling wire rack and set aside until it completely cools down. It may take 30 minutes to an hour depending on the size of the cake.

Then slice the cake into two halves by running a knife through the center. Be careful to slice into perfect halves for a better look, I was not much careful and my halves were not identical.

Set the cake aside and prepare the icing now.

Chocolate Ganache Icing;

To a bowl add cream and double boil it. To do this place the cream filled bowl in a pan containing water and place on flame. (Do not use plastic bowls)

Now after a minute add the dark chocolate pieces into it and leave undisturbed. After it starts melting, stir well with a spoon and mix well until it blends well and there are no lumps. Then add 2 spoons of milk and stir well.

Then remove from flame and set aside until it cools down.

After it cools down using a beater beat well for 2 to 3 minutes and set aside. (The ganache should not be runny, it should be smooth and thick, but not too thick)

Middle Layer:

Use whipped cream to sandwich the cakes. This step is purely optional. If you don't get whipped cream whip the double cream well until it turns stiff and forms a peak then use it.

Assembling the cake:

Now place one of the cake slice on a wire rack and spread the whipped cream on it. You can spread as much as you want. I just spread a thin layer.

Now place the other half over this, by placing the sliced side facing the cream. Press gently.

Now pour the chocolate ganache icing over the cake and spread well and evenly all over the cake. Even it with a knife or a flat spatula.

Then decorate with strawberry slices if you wish and spread some grated chocolate over the icing.

Refrigerate until it sets well and then serve.

TIP 1: The cream layering or sandwiching cake slices is completely optional you can just make the ganache icing and serve!! You can use any kind of dark chocolate or chocolate for making the cake and ganache.

TIP 2: You can also add some orange zest to the cake.

TIP 3: Be careful not to place the whistle or regulator, here we are not using water to cook the cake, so if you place the whistle or regulator the pressure cooker may explode.

TIP 4: Do not forget to line the pan or else the cake might stick to the pan.

Chocolaty and yummilicious chocolate cake is now ready!! You will definitely love it!!

Just wanted to show you how soft the cake was!!

Thanks you so much!!!!

J....Thank you friends..!! Hoping to see the same support always...J