Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Filling and Frosting

Just celebrated our anniversary yesterday on Valentine's Day. That shows my love for Valentine's Day, as I chose that day to get married. Its been 12 years and it still feels like yesterday. 

As I was still thinking what cake to bake for this occasion , my younger one who's 4 said he really wished for a heart cake. Since it was Valentine's day and our anniversary chocolate heart shaped cake did not seem like a bad idea. My older who's 8 and my DH said that  anything's fine. Its the usual  guy thing I guess and I'm outnumbered being the only  girl in the house. 

So this is what I baked- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache  filling and frosting. Also used some Chocolate shavings to garnish the cake and make it extra special.

Chocolate Cake  

Ingredients :

• 1 + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 orange juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs

Preparation: 

• Preheat oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C). Grease a 9 inch heart cake pan.
• In a bowl sieve together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl mix together sugar, vegetable oil , eggs, orange juice and vanilla essence until all ingredients are blended , either by hand or by using an electric mixer at slow speed. Then add the dry mixture and  mix it well.
• Pour into the prepared cake pan. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool. Then slice the cake through the middle to make two layers .  Apply a liberal amount of the Chocolate Ganache filling on the top of the lower layer. Carefully place the top layer. Then add the rest of the Chocolate Ganache  and cover the entire cake. Try to make it as smooth as possible and then garnish it with some Chocolate  Shavings.

Chocolate Ganache  

Ingredients :

• 1 cup heavy whipped cream 
• 12 oz Ghirardelli semi-sweet Chocolate baking chips

Preparation:  Heat the cream on medium high flame. Now pour this hot cream onto the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Whisk it well until  the chips dissolve and make a smooth chocolate Ganache frosting.  Ganache in French simply means a mixture of chocolate and cream. 

Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Wishing You all Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays...

Baked this cake today on Christmas eve and the kids loved it. They are eagerly waiting for the magic of Christmas to unfold when they wake up tomorrow . They can't wait for morning when their dear Santa would have left them presents...The excitement of it all..My 7 year old has been asking me a whole bunch of questions..about Santa and his reindeer and kids have such vivid imagination..My 3 year old is just Beginning to know about Santa and has been singing ' Santa Claus is coming to Town...' and 'Jingle Bells..Jingle Bells'...

So how about You.. Have you been Naughty Or Nice !!!!

Ingredients:

For the cake

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup raspberry juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 2-3 tbsp raspberry preserve for the filling
• 2 eggs

For the Chocolate Icing/Frosting

• 2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp butter
• 5 tbsp evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation :

• Preheat over to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" round cake pan.
• In a large bowl sieve together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Add sugar and vanilla essence. Mix well.
• Add the oil, raspberry juice and eggs. Mix until all the ingredients are blended, either by hand or an electric mixer at low speed.
• Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• In the meanwhile prepare the Icing/Frosting: In a bowl sieve together sugar and cocoa and keep aside. In another bowl cream butter until smooth. Gradually add the sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk . Add the vanilla. Whisk till light and fluffy.
• Now allow your chocolate cake to cool before you apply the frosting or the filling.
• Once its cooled slice the cake through the middle to make 2 layers. Add the raspberry preserve as a filling between the 2 layers.
• Apply the chocolate frosting and decorate with fresh raspberries.

Icing/Frosting Recipe from here.

Wilton Course 2 - Finale Cake.

I'm really enjoying myself at my cake decorating class. This was our course 2 finale cake. I baked a chocolate cake and have used chocolate buttercream icing. I have decorated it with royal icing flowers. This was my first time trying out the basket weave(on the side of the cake) and it really was fun..a bit time consuming though. Presenting you all my wonderful readers this basket of flowers and I hope you enjoy it... (Also trying to make up for not being able to visit you all...Its almost the end of my son's school year so was busy in a lot of year end school activities...Will soon be able to get some time Hopefully...)

Rich and Creamy Chocolate Cake

This is a pretty quick and easy recipe. For this particular cake, I have used one of my favorite frosting- Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy Chocolate Frosting. You could use any frosting of your choice.This post is even more precious to me as the pictures have been taken by my baking buddy- my 6 year old son. Since he always is so enthusiastic about his baking projects with his mom, I did let him take the clicks for this post and I'm very proud of him. I know I'm being boastful. When it comes to kids don't we all feel so proud to see our little ones..spread their wings and try to explore the world..and through their eyes and innocent hearts..this world is a such a beautiful place.

Ingredients :

• 1 + 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs

Preparation :

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg F (180 deg C). Grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
2. In a large bowl mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, sugar and vanilla essence
3. Add milk, vegetable oil and eggs.
4. Mix until all ingredients are blended , either by hand or by using an electric mixer at slow speed.
5. Pour into the prepared cake pan. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool. Then slice the cake through the middle to make two layers (easier if the cake has been in the fridge).
7. Apply the frosting and your Rich and Creamy Chocolate cake is ready.
   ***Recipe adapted from here. Here you can also find the recipe for the Frosting (If you want to make it from scratch.)