Checker board chocolate buttercream cake / Tort sah cu crema de unt

Making a checkerboard round or square cake might seem a bit of handful when you do not have a checkerboard cake pan or print. Well…it is not exactly like that. In fact it is a bit of a walk in the park.


First the recipe:

Cocoa soft cake:

5 eggs
5 Tbs sugar
5 Tbs flour(regular)
5 Tbs vegetable oil
3 Tbs cocoa
1 unit of baking powder (2 tsp)

Beat the egg whites until stiff, add the sugar and keep on beating till stiffer.
Add the egg yolks and the oil, mixing carefully.
Add the flour mixed with cocoa and baking powder, spoon by spoon.

Preheat the oven to medium.
Grease a 25 cm cake pan or tray, powder with flour or line with baking paper.
Put the batter in the pan and bake for 25-30 min or until the toothpick comes out clean

Vanilla soft cake:

5 eggs
5 Tbs sugar
7 Tbs flour(regular)
5 Tbs vegetable oil
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1 unit of baking powder (2 tsp)

Repeat the same method as for the cocoa cake.

Cool the cakes and slice them each on 2 levels.

Place the slices on top of each other and cut 3 round circles inserting a sharp knife so it will reach from top to bottom.
Do this for one cake and then for the other.

Mix the cut circles alternating colors. You will get 4 layers of black and white circles.

Chocolate Buttercream:
2 eggs
250 gr sugar
300 gr butter softened
100 gr bittersweet chocolate
2 Tsp dark cocoa

Mix the egg and sugar in bain-marie for 10-15 min. The mixture will become thick with the tendency to become dry on the edges. Add the chocolate broken into small pieces and cocoa. Mix until smooth. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Cream the butter until soft and fluffy. Add the egg mixture spoon by spoon and beat continuously.

Syrup:

200 ml water
3 Tsp of rum
4 Tsp of sugar ( I used half)

Mix them all until sugar is dissolved completely.

Alternate layers so white will come of black and viceversa. Moist them with syrup, spread the buttercream on each layer.

Cover the cake in buttercream and decorate to your pleasure.

It’s lovely, creamy, and makes an impression.

Answering questions....

I was asked why 7 excuses to bake…

Well …I started baking when I was very young out of the ambition to make mom proud of me…which was quite of an ambition for a ten year old.

I tried baking for size while doing chemo…because it was a challenge that gave me something to do and made me go on doing something useful… Those were the times when I was baking on a budget and I was able to create a miracle from one egg, a bit of sugar, flower, yeast, oil and two drops of vanilla essence, a miracle called bun cakes which made people around me happy even then. I did not have a mixer, a blender, a thousands of baking trays…muffins were a very distant dream and buttercream something I read about on the internet while sending and email inside an internet café.

This was 12 years ago…a life time ago I might say.

During that time I noticed I was getting better, making people happy with every new recipe I tried, I enjoyed getting applause, looking at children’s faces when they gazed upon an amazing cake and I discovered the web…and the amazing women daring to take baking as a fun challenge, sharing their opinions, complementing each other, doing the best they can do…

The most important reason …well…I saw it in “ Julie&Julia” last Sunday and I couldn’t help but shedding a tear when I finally heard it put into words.

“ No mater how terrible is a day, in the office, at home or anywhere else you spend it…when nothing is sure in the world… you can get inside you kitchen and mix eggs , butter, sugar and chocolate and you can be sure it will get thick and become a wonderful desert. “

Little Meringue drums/ Tobitze :)

A tasty, delicate and beloved old recipe, I have inherited from my mom, and I have been making it ever since , mostly for the Holidays but also during the year when a savant combination of sweet meringue and coffee butter cream was missed.


Meringue cookies

6 egg whites (medium) –room temperature
1 pinch of salt
300 gr of white granulated sugar
300gr. grounded nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds)

Method:

Beat the egg whites with the salt until very stiff. Add the sugar gradually and keep beating until the meringue is very stiff.
Fold in gently the nuts until slightly mixed.

Warm up the oven and low to medium temperature. Line a cookie tray with baking paper and with a teaspoon put small scoops of nuts meringue leaving a bit of space between them.

Bake at low temperature for 40 min. They are done when they develop a firm crunchy crust.


Filling:

6 egg yolks
250 g of confectioners sugar
30 ml of very strong espresso coffee.
2 spoons of dark cocoa (optional)
200gr of butter (room temperature)

Mixx egg yolks , sugar and place it over a double boiler or on bain-marie and mix it until thickens. Add the coffee and keep on mixing until it resembles a thick sauce and gets a crust on the sides of the bowl. Add the coffee and cocoa, mix until smooth and creamy and remove from heat. Let it cool.

Cream the butter until light and fluffy, ad the egg mixture, spoon by spoon, mixing strongly after each addition.


Glue the meringue cookies 2 by 2 with the plan side up with the butter cream. Roll into shredded coconut or grounded nuts.

They taste better the next day.

O reteta delicate si iubita mostenita de la mama , pe care o fac de atatia ani ca am uitat de cand, in mare parte de sarbatori dar de asemenea peste an de cate ori ni se face dor de combinatia de bezea cu crema de cafea.

Tobitze

6 albusuri (medii)

1 pic de sare
300 gr zahar tos ,alb
300gr. nuci macinate (alune, pecan sau migdale)

Metoda:

Bati albusurile spuma tare cu sare . Adaugi zaharul si bati pana se tine de tel. Amesteci usor nucile macinate .

Incalzesti cuptorul pe temperature medie. Pui in tava hartie de copt si cu lingurita imparti gramajoare lasand spatiu intre ele.

Se coc 40 min la temperature joasa. Sunt gata cand au crusta crocanta.

Umplutura:

6 galbenusuri
250 zahar praf
30 ml cafea espresso foarte tare
2 linguri de cacao neagra (optional)
200gr unt moale

Mixx egg yolks , sugar and place it over a double boiler or on bain-marie and mix it until thickens. Add the coffee and keep on mixing until it resembles a thick sauce and gets a crust on the sides of the bowl. Add the coffee and cocoa, mix until smooth and creamy and remove from heat. Let it cool.

Amesteco galbenusurile cu zahar si pui pe abur amestecand pana se ingroasa si fac crusta pe margini. Adaugi cafeaua si cacao si amesteci pana se face ca o crema moale si fina. Lasi sa se raceasca complet.

Bati spuma untul si lingura cu lingura adaugi amestecul de ou,batand tare dupa fiecare adaugare.

Lipesti bezelele cu partea plata in sus folosind crema si le dai prin nuca de cocos sau nuci macinate.

Sunt foarte bune dupa ce au stat o zi.

Ganache chocolate cake

Long time …no see…

Oh well… I am back to blogging later than I came back to backing because I simply missed my dear blogs…

So the example of this post will be the exquisite ganache , or chocolate filling I know and love that I enjoy using as a filling for birthday cakes and decoration.

It works as glaze, as toping as decoration... meaning you can do with it …anything.

The beauty of it is that it can fit any taste…bitter, sweet, milky, flavored…etc.

So I will example the use by a cake recipe , I do often and have fun doing it.

My chocolate fans, friends and customers love that they can pick a nuance of the chocolate taste and get in return a creamy cake with personality.


So here goes:
Ganache cake

Standard recipe: 10 slices

Sponge cake, yellow or black , or marble :

5 eggs
5 spoons of sugar
5 spoons of flour (regular)
1 baking powder (2 tsp)
2 spoons of vegetable oil (sunflower)

(for the black cake, substitute one spoon of flour with 2 spoons of dark cocoa)
(for the marble just a teaspoon of cocoa mixed with a spoon of water , add to the mixture and marble it with a fork)

Method:

Sponge cake :

Beat de egg whites until stiff ,add the sugar, keep beating until very stiff . Add the egg yolks mixing gently, the oil and the flour mixed with baking powder.Preheat the oven at medium heat. Grease and line with baking paper a tray. Bake 20-25 min or until the toothpick test. Cool down. Cut in three layers.



Filling and decoration:

1 kg of chocolate (milk, bitter…whatever you like)
800 ml liquid cream
(flavors: rum, brandy, vanilla, nuts, almonds, orange peal, chopped dry fruit, jelly…etc)

Heat the cream close to boiling point (you can use the microwave).Break the chocolate into small pieces (I grounded it) and add it to the hot cream. Mix very well until it resembles a chocolate sauce. Cool at room temperature for 15 min , than in the fridge for 30-40 min, beating from time to time.

When the mixture had reached a creamy consistence remove from the fridge and take out a quantity that you consider it will be enough for glaze and decoration ( I take 1/3).
Add the flavors to the rest.

Start filling the cake from the bottom layer.
Glaze it and dress it up. You can use, decorating tips, fondant figures, fruit…practically anything can turn a glorious recipe in a fabulous cake.

Enjoy.

Tortul lui Stanca

si

Stanca

Inapoi dupa o pauza lunga

M-am intors la blogging mult timp dup ace m-am intors la facut prajitura …si asta doar pentru ca mi-a fost dor de blogurile mele…si am fost certata de prieteni ca nu le mai dau idei de prajituri.
Acest post va fi despre minunata ganache, crema de ciocolata pe care o prefer pentru umplerea toturilor dar si pentru decorat.

Functioneaza ca si glazura, decoratiuni si practic poti face cu ea …exact ce vrei.Partea frumoasa e ca se potriveste pe orice fel de gust, amaruie, cu lapte, cu arome…etc…
Deci o sa postez exemplul unui tort pe care il fac des si care e foarte usor de facut.
Fanii ciocolatei, prietenii si clientii adora ca pot alege gustul tortului si ca primesc un tort cremos , aromat si personalizat.

Tort Ganache

Reteta standard: 10 felii

Blat de tort alb, marmorat sau negru:
5 oua,
5 linguri de zahar,
5 linguri de faina (obisnuita)
1 paf de copt (2 lingurite)
2 linguri de ulei vegetal.

(pentru tortul negru se inlocuieste 1 lingura de faina cu 2 linguri de cacao neagra)
(pentru tortul de marmura se pune o lingurita de cacao in putina apa si se adauga la compozitia alba marmorand cu furculita)

Preparare:
Se bat albusurile spuma ,se adauga zaharul si se bate in continuare pana se tine. Se adauga galbenusurile ,amestecand usor uleiul si pe rand faina amestecata in prealabil cu praful de copt.

Se coace la foc mediu pe treapta din mijloc 25-30 de minute sau pana la testul scobitorii

Crema Ganache:
1 kg of ciocolata (voi decideti aroma)
800 ml fiscal lichida ( merge si vegetala…sincer nu conteaza de care folositi)
(arome: rom, coniac, vanilie, nuci, migdale, coaja de portocala, fructe confiate, gem de fructe…etc)
Frisca se incalzeste la punctul de fierbere. Ciocolata taiata marunt se adauga in frisca fierbinte si se amesteca pana la omogenizare si se raceste la temperatura camerei 15 min, si in frigider 30-40 min, amestecand periodic .
Cand a atins o consitenta cremoasa se scoate din frigider si se scoate cam ¾ pentru umplutura si se adauga aromele. Restul ramane pentru glazura.



Se umple tortul si de decoreaza…

June strawberry roll cake/Rulada cu capsuni de iunie

June Strawberry roll cake

The first strawberry cake I make every summer is this light and easy cottage cheese strawberry cake.
Nothing complicated nothing fancy, just a plane yellow cake and cheese-strawberry-cream filling with a drop of…gelatin.

Don’t be scared it’s very easy to make.
For 2 roll cakes.

Sponge cake:
10 eggs
10 spoons of sugar
10 spoons of flour
4 spoons of vegetable oil
2 tsp of baking powder

Method:
Sponge cake :
Beat de egg whites until stiff ,add the sugar, keep beating until very stiff . Add the egg yolks mixing gently, the oil and the flour mixed with baking powder.
Preheat the oven at medium heat.
Grease and line with baking paper a tray. Bake 20-25 min or until the toothpick test.
Cool down.

Cut it in two layers while it is still slightly warm.
Roll each layer in parchment paper.
Let it cool completely


Filling:
500 g cottage cheese
200 g granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla essence
400 g strawberries
300 ml heavy cream (I use vegetal)
10 g of granulated gelatin
150 ml water

Cream the cheese with sugar ,heavy cream, vanilla and 200g of mashed strawberries.
Soak the gelatin in water.
Cut the rest of the strawberries in small pieces.
Liquefy the gelatin in the microwave or on bain marie…very short(careful not to let it boil)
Mix the gelatin with the cheese cream and strawberries.

Unroll the sponge cake and fill. Roll back and chill for a few hours.
You can powder with powder sugar, cocoa or dress it up with chocolate
I left mine “nature”
It is delicious and a very light summer cake.

Rulada cu capsuni de iunie

Prima prajitura cu capsuni a fiecarei veri este aceasta usoara si pufoasa rulada cu capsuni si branza de vaci.
Nimic elaborat si nimic complicat, doar un blat de chec si un amestec de branza capsuni si frisca cu un strop de …gelatina.

Nu va speriati e foarte usor si e delicioasa.
Pentru 2 rulade

Blat:
10 oua
10 linguri de zahar
10 linguri de faina
4 linguri de ulei vegetal
1 praf de copt

Pregatire:Se bat albusurile spuma,se adauga zaharul si se bate in continuare pana se tine. Se adauga galbenusurile amestecand usor,uleiul si apoi treptat faina amestecata cu praful de copt .Se incalzeste cuptorul pe treapta din mijloc.Aluatul se pune in tava unsa si tapetata cu hartie de copt.Se coace 20-25 de minute sau pana iese scobitoarea curata.

Se raceste si se taie pe doua straturi.
Fiecare strat se ruleaza caldut in hartie de copt. Se raceste complet.


Crema:
500 g branza de vaci
200 gr de zahar
1 esenta de vanilie
400 gr de capsuni
300 ml frisca vegetala
2 plicuri de gelatina (10 gr.)
150 ml apa.

Branza se freaca cu zaharul , frisca ,vanilie si 200gr de capsuni facuti piure.Se omogenizeaza bine cu mixerul pana devine o crema.
Gelatina se pune la inmuiat in apa.
Restul de capsuni de taie marunt.
Gelatina se lichefiaza in cuptorul cu microunde sau pe aburi…foarte scurt(cu grija sa nu fiarba)
Gelatina se amesteca cu crema de branza si restul de capsuni.

Se desfac foile de blat si se umplu cu crema si se ruleaza la loc.
Se taie a doua zi.
Se poate pudra cu zahar praf, cacao sau orna cu ciocolata.
A mea a fost “natur”.
E foarte buna si e o prajitura usoara de vara.

Coffee cake for Gabriel/Tort de cafea pentru Gabriel

I have been gone for some time and I missed my blog and the wonderful world of baking.
So many things happened and I will find the courage to talk about them in time.
The first recipe I bring with my return on my amateur baker’s blog is the recipe of the cake I made for my husband’s birthday.
My Gabriel wanted a coffee cake and that is how my ordinary butter cream cake recipe became coffee cake.
It is a cake easy to make.
Enjoy.
.

And …” Happy birthday, my Gabriel!!!”

Coffee cake

White sponge cake:
5 eggs
5 spoons of sugar
5 spoons of flour (regular)
1 baking powder (2 tsp)
2 spoons of vegetable oil (sunflower)

Method:Sponge cake :Beat de egg whites until stiff ,add the sugar, keep beating until very stiff . Add the egg yolks mixing gently, the oil and the flour mixed with baking powder.Preheat the oven at medium heat.Grease and line with baking paper a tray. Bake 20-25 min or until the toothpick test.Cool down

Filing:
2 eggs (medium)
250gr confectioner’s sugar
6 tsp instant coffee
300gr butter softened

Mix the eggs with sugar and instant coffee in bain marie until creamy. Cool down.Cream the butter and add the egg cream gradually.

Assembly:
Cut the cake on three levels , soften it with coffee mixed with rum.
Fill the cake and decorate.

Am lipsit mult timp si mi-a fost foarte dor de blog si de toata lumea minunata a cofetariei.
S-au intamplat multe lucruri despre care o sa imi gasesc curaj treptat sa vorbesc.
Prima reteta cu care revin pe blogul meu de cofetar amator e reteta tortului pregatit pentru jumatatea mea cu ocazia zilei lui de nastere.

Gabitzu meu a vrut tort de cafea asa ca reteta mea obisnuita de buttercream cake a devenit coffee cake.

E un tort foarte usor de facut .
Succes.

Si …” La multi ani ,Gabitzu meu!!!”

Tort de cafea

Blat alb:
5 oua
5 linguri de zahar
5 linguri de faina
1 praf de copt
2 linguri de ulei

Pregatire:
Se bat albusurile spuma,se adauga zaharul si se bate in continuare pana se tine. Se adauga galbenusurile amestecand usor,uleiul si apoi treptat faina amestecata cu praful de copt .Se incalzeste cuptorul pe treapta din mijloc.Aluatul se pune in forma unsa si tapetata cu hartie de copt.Se coace 20-25 de minute sau pana iese scobitoarea curata.

Crema:
2 oua intregi
250gr de zahar praf
6 lingurite cafea instant.
300gr de unt moale

Pregatire:
Ouale se freaca cu zaharul in bain marie (pe abur) pana devine o crema groasa.Se adauga cafeaua.Se raceste.Se spumeaza untul si se adauga treptat crema de oua.

Asamblare:
Se taie tortul pe trei nivele si se insiropeaza cu cafea racita amestecata cu rom.
Se umple cu crema si se decoreaza.

Danube waves cake/Prajitura valurile Dunarii

Easter project
Stage 1

I dedicated this weekend to a German recipe that I’ve tried last year and which reminds me of Bavaria and in the meantime a period of my life that asked me for a lot of courage.
I’m fond of making it because it has 2 ingredients so very dear to me, which combined bring to life an un-equalizing symphony of taste – chocolate and sour cherries.

Danube waves cake

Ingredients and method:

Soft cake:
5 large eggs
180 gr. white sugar
200 gr soft butter
230 gr. white flour
100 ml milk
2 tsp cocoa
150 gr. sour cherries (fresh, frozen, stewed or from liquor)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp rum essence
Preheat the oven on medium heat ,grease and line the tray with baking paper.

Cream the butter. Add the sugar, the vanilla and the egg yolks .
Pour in ½ of he flour mixed with the baking powder. Add the milk and next the rest of the flour mixture.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and fold them gently into the mixture.
Pour ¾ of the mixture in the tray .In ¼ add the cocoa and the rum essence. Pour on top of the other mixture and level.
Spread the sour cherries all over the mixture.
Bake for 25-30 min or until the toothpick test. Let it cool.

Cream:
1 unit of vanilla pudding(50 gr.)
400 ml milk
200 gr. soften butter
6 spoons of sugar( I reduced to 4)
1 vanilla essence

Prepare the pudding following the instruction. Cool down.
Cream the butter. Add the pudding gradually mixing well after every addition until the cream is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla.

Glaze:
100 gr dark chocolate
10 ml cream
Break the chocolate to small pieces, add the cream and warm up in he microwave or on bain-marie. Mix until smooth and cool down until slightly warm.

Assembly:
Spread the vanilla cream on the cooled soft cake.
Spread the chocolate glaze on top of the cream very carefully.
Cool the cake in the fridge before cutting it.

Very easy to make and very delicious.

Proiect pentru Paste
Etapa I

Acest weekend l-am dedicat unei retete de traditie germana pe care am incercat-o si anul trecut dar care imi aduce aminte de Bavaria si in acelasi timp de o perioada din viata mea care mi-a cerut mult curaj.
O pregatesc cu drag pentru ca contine 2 ingrediente foarte dragi mie ,din a caror combinatie se naste o simfonie de gust inegalabila – ciocolata si visinele.

Prajitura Valurile Dunarii

Ingrediente si pregatire:

Blat:
5 oua mari
180 gr. zahar
200 gr unt
230 gr. faina alba
100 ml lapte
2 lingurite de cacao
150 gr. visine (proaspete, congelate, din compot sau visinata)
1 praf de copt
1 vanilie
1 fiola esenta de rom

Se preincalzeste cuptorul pe treapta medie si tava se unge si tapeteazacu hartie de copt.

Untul se freaca spuma .Se adauga zaharul ,vanilia,apoi galbenusurile.
La crema de unt si ou se adauga ½ din faina amestecata cu praful de copt si apoi laptele urmat de a doua parte din amestecul de faina.
Se bat albusurile spuma si se adauga cu grija la compozitie
¾ din compozitie se pune in tava.1/4 se amesteca cu cacao si rom si se repartizeaza uniform pe compozitia din tava.
Visinele se scurg si se imprastie p toata suprafata aluatului.
Coaceti 25-30 de min sau pana la proba scobitorii.Se raceste.

Crema:
1 praf de budinca de vanilie
400 ml lapte
200 gr.de unt
6 linguri de zahar( eu am pus 4)
1 esenta de vanilie.

Se prepara budinca conform indicatiilor de pe ambalaj. Se raceste.
Se spumeaza untul si se adauga rand pe rand budinca amestecand foarte bine dupa fiecare adaugare.
Se adauga vanilia si ce amesteca pana compozitia devine o crema pufoasa.
Glazura:
100 gr ciocolata amaruie
10 ml frisca
Se rupe ciocolata in bucati , se adauga frisca si se incalzeste la microunde sau in bain-marie.Se amesteca pana la omogenizare si se continua pana se racoreste putin.

Asamblare:
Blatul racit se unge cu crema de vanilie.
Glazura racorita se intinde cu grija peste crema.
Prajitura se raceste in frigider inainte de taiere.

E foarte usor si repede de facut si foarte delicioasa.