Un-fallen chocolate cake

Un-fallen chocolate cake

Inspired by: 

A recipe in Marie Claire magazine

Why? 

A friend shared this recipe with me.

The first time I made this cake we had to do a lot of tweaking with the cooking time as it was raw so I wanted another try to see how it would work.

Time Taken: 

20 mins prep+45mins-1hr bake= 1 hour 20 mins

Number of Dirty Dishes:

Pie dish, small bowl, fork, large saucepan, spoon, whisk, medium sized bowl

I used:

255g dairy free chocolate

255g softened dairy free margarine

6 separated eggs

1 ½ cups castor sugar

What I did:

Preheat oven to 180C and line a 30cm round pie dish. 

In a small bowl beat egg yolks and sugar, with a fork, until pale.

In a large saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate and margarine, stirring to make sure it does not burn. Once melted take saucepan off heat (turn off stove top) and mix yolk and sugar into the chocolate.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk whites until stiff peaks form and fold into chocolate mixture. 

Once combined, pour cake mixture into pie dish and bake for 45 minutes or until crust solidifies.

Take out of the oven, let cool and cut into slices.

Eat and Enjoy!

Comments after eating un-fallen chocolate cake:

To me it tastes like a very naughty fudgy brownie. 

It was a hit with the 12 people we shared it with, who all went back for more!

The recipe describes that the cake will rise and fall but in both my attempts at this I didn't witness any rising and falling. 

What I would do different:

I don't think this recipe needs that much margarine. Next time I will try and reduce the amount to 200g.

Orange and Carrot Cake

Orange and Carrot Cake

Inspired by: Taste.com.au

Why?

It was a friend’s birthday, and I wanted to try something a little different.

I used:

1 orange grated (including rind)

2 medium sized carrots grated

150g dairy free margarine melted

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 cups gluten free flour

½ cup rolled oats (if oats are not in your gluten free diet substitute almond meal)

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

Topping

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

½ orange worth of zest

2 tbsp orange juice.

What I did:

Preheat oven to 180C, and line or grease a cake tin 20cm x 30cm (or equivalent). 
In a medium sized bowl combine melted margarine, grated orange, the grated carrots and the brown sugar and mix well with a wooden spoon. 
Then add the gluten free flour, rolled oats, and baking powder and stir until well combined. 
Beat the eggs in well, and pour the mixture into the cake tin.
Bake for 40-70mins (depending on your oven) or until the cake tester pushed into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

For the topping: in a small bowl combine brown sugar, cinnamon, orange zest, and juice and mix well. Spread evenly over cake while warm.

Comments after eating Orange and Carrot cake!

The birthday girl was very happy with her cake- which was the main aim! I enjoyed the cake very much, although I think I baked it for too long for the type of pan I had. I baked it for 50 mins, but I think I should have checked it after 40 mins (the original recipe says to bake it for 70 mins). It is still delicious, orangy, cinnamony and very enjoyable.

Carrot Cake (with orange icing)

Carrot Cake

Inspired by:

Australian Women’s Weekly

Why?

It was my mother’s birthday and  Aunties and Uncles and Grandparents were visiting.

I used:

2 eggs

1 cup gluten free self raising flour

1/2 cup rolled oats (if oats aren't in your gluten free diet substitute almond meal)

1 cup brown sugar

¾ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

3 medium carrots grated

1tsp bicarb soda

1tsp mixed spice

1tsp cinnamon

Pinch salt

Icing

Juice of half an orange

Zest of an orange

2 cups icing sugar

What I did:

Preheat oven to 170C and line cake tin 25cm in diameter (or equivalent).

In a medium sized bowl combine grated carrot, brown sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs together and mix well with a wooden spoon. 
Add gluten free flour, oats, bicarb soda, mixed spice, cinnamon and salt, and mix until well combined. 
Pour mixture into cake tin and bake for 50-70 mins or until a cake tester pushed into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

In a small bowl mix orange juice, zest and icing sugar together until smooth, pour over cake and serve while still warm.

Comments after eating Carrot Cake!

It was delicious, especially eaten warm with the orange icing. Everyone enjoyed it very much.

I was interrupted while cooking this cake and so I’m not sure if the timing in the oven is accurate as I had to put it in the oven twice, hours apart. Allow more time the first time you bake it just in case.
Can also use this recipe for cupcakes (see above, although they are iced differently).

PS. Sorry about the terrible picture! But hopefully you can see how moist and delicious it was!

Watermelon Cake

Watermelon Cake

Inspired by:

About.coms recipe for Lamingtons and Watermelon Cake

Why?

We had half a watermelon frozen in the freezer that I needed to do something with, and this was what I chose!

I used:

2 cups Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

2 eggs

½ cup dairy free margarine

¾ cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla powder/essence

2 cups seedless watermelon puree

Pinch of salt.

What I did:

Preheat Oven 180C, and grease/line a cake tin 40cm x 30cm, or a round tin with volume equivalent.

In a medium sized bowl beat together dairy free margerine and sugar with an electric or hand beater, until the mixture is fluffy and pale. 
Add in one egg at a time and beat in well. 
Mix in vanilla. 
Add one cup of the gluten free self raising flour, and then combine mixture with a wooden spoon. 
Next add the watermelon puree, and mix well, and then finally add the last cup of gluten free self raising flour. Stir in a pinch of salt at the end. 
Once the batter is thoroughly mixed, pour into the tin and bake for 40 minutes or until slightly browned on top and a tester comes out clean.

Tastes good with icing or without.

Comments after eating Watermelon Cake!

You can slightly taste the watermelon if you know what you are trying to taste, and it is surprisingly pleasing. I paired this cake with mint icing, and it was delicious and fresh tasting. A successful experiment! 

You can add chocolate chips, and red food colouring to the batter so that it looks more watermelonish (with bright green icing). But I didn't have any of that on hand- alas!

The hardest part about this recipe was deseeding my non seedless watermelon, but it was easier than I thought. A fork does the trick!

Jada's Flourless Chocolate Cakes

Jada's Flourless Chocolate Cakes

Inspired by: 

Jada who attends In a Pickle cooking classes.

Why?

Why not? The Belgians told me chocolate was really good for me!

She used:

150g dairy free margarine
200g dairy free dark chocolate
1 1/2 cups almond meal
3/4 cup castor sugar
5 eggs separated

What she did:

Preheat oven to 180C. Prepare muffin tin by greasing or lining with cake papers (makes 12).

In a saucepan melt, on low heat melt margarine and chocolate together, stirring constantly (don't let it burn). Take off the head (turn off the stove) and add almond meal, sugar, and egg yolks, stir well. In a bowl beat egg whites with a electric or hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites through chocolate mixture. Pour into tin, making the cakes as even in batter amount as possible. Bake for 15 mins or until a tester comes out clean.

Comments after eating Jada's Flourless Chocolate Cakes

I remember my sister saying they were very good!

1.   

Chocolate Mud Cake

Chocolate Mud Cake

Inspired by: Taste.com.au

Why? We are going out to dinner and my husband volunteered me to bring dessert!

I used:

250g Margarine- Dairy free

250g Chocolate- Dairy free

1cup water

¼ cup/60ml vegetable oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence/powder

1 ½ cups gluten free self raising flour

½ cup plain gluten free flour

½ cup cocoa

2 eggs lightly beaten

1 tsp instant coffee

What I did:

Preheat oven to 160C, and line and or grease 25cm diameter cake tin, 15cm deep.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, chocolate, oil, sugar and water over a medium heat, stirring continually, taking care not to boil or burn it. 
Once it has melted together, add vanilla and take off heat, (turn off element). 
Mix the flours, cocoa and instant coffee in a large bowl, then add the chocolate mixture from the saucepan. Once combined add the eggs, and stir until just mixed. 
Cook for 1 hr 15 mins or until tester comes out clean.

Comments after eating Chocolate Mud Cake!

Everyone’s comments were positive and even the friends who don’t normally eat cake finished their whole piece, which I will take as a good sign. Was chocolately and moist enough, and didn’t need any icing, although it would be good with some as well. We ate ours with toasted marshmellows, which was a very good accompaniment.

As you can see by the time I got around to taking a photo. . .there wasn't much left.