Steamed Chocolate Cake

Hey Guys and Girls! 

SInce I discovered baking, I've forever been trying to get the best chocolate cake - that is, the type of cake that is light, moist, fudgy, and tastes like real chocolate! So this recipe comes from Add a Pinch but uses the oven to bake it. I steamed this cake, and I've found that it gave this beautiful texture to the cake that a baked one would probably not have. When steaming it, I used the same technique as in my Steamed Orange Syrup Cake, but it did take long, but I can assure you, the wait is well worth it. So here goes!

Ingredients:

Cake

• 2 cups Plain Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Espresso Powder
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Boiling Water

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1 1/2 cup Butter, softened (375g)
• 1 cup Cocoa Powder
• 5 cups Icing Sugar
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Espresso Powder

Method:

1. Prepare your springform cake pans, or any 2 cake pans that will fit your steamer, by spraying with a non stick spray and lining with baking paper. 
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder until thoroughly mixed.
3. In a jug, whisk the milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk, using a hand blender on HIGH until the mixture is smooth.
5. Slowly pour in the hot water and whisk on HIGH until the mixture is smooth again. 
6. Split the cake batter into 2 prepared pans and steam, one at a time until a skewer comes out clean. * When I made this cake, I steamed the first cake for 3 hours and then the second cake for 2 hours - this is because my first cake pan was fuller then the second cake pan.

TO STEAM

1. Boil 4 cups of water in a kettle.
2. In the bottom of a 5 litre casserole dish, place a ramekin or a stainless steal 1 cup.
3. Place the prepared cake pan on top of the cup and fill with the cups of water. It should go 3/4 of the way up the cup/ramekin.
4. Cover the dish with its lid, and steam for 2 hours, topping up the water, as need be. 

ICING

1. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Meanwhile make the buttercream icing.
2. Whisk the softened butter, vanilla, espresso powder and cocoa powder until the chocolate butter is smooth and free of lumps. 
3. Alternatively whisk is 1 cup of icing sugar and a tablespoon of milk until all the icing sugar is combined.
4. Place 1/4 of a cup of the buttercream icing on the bottom layer of the cake and then sandwich the cakes together.
5. Cover the cake with the rest of the icing and place in the fridge to set until the icing is dry to the touch.
6. Your cake is ready, so slice it up and enjoy your chocolate heaven. 

Thanks for Reading, 

Lusciously Decadent Writer :)

Peppermint Ice Cream

Hey Guys and Girls! 

So here's a recipe that I tried a couple weeks back when I wasn't sick and is sitting in my freezer waiting to be eaten - its a Peppermint Ice Cream and guess what - its eggless, it super easy and it doesn't require an ice cream maker! 

Just a headsup - you may think - why do you need to put Vanilla in a Peppermint Ice cream? But what you need to know is that its crucial as it elevates that peppermint taste and makes it even stronger! The recipe comes from Chef Masterclass but with a few adjustments, its just as perfect! So here goes :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Milk, cold
• 1/2 cup Caster Sugar
• 2 cups Thickened Cream, cold
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 1 teaspoon Peppermint Essence
• Few drops of Green Food Colouring

Method:

1. Whisk the sugar and the milk together, until fully dissolved.
2. Pour and whisk in the cream, both the essences, as well as the food colouring until thoroughly mixed. 
3. Pour into a freezer safe container and freeze for 3 - 4 hours or until frozen.
4. Break up the ice cream and blend on high for 3 - 4 minutes, or until smootha and return to the freezer for 1 hour.
5. After 1 hour, blend again and freeze once more. Repeat this step 2 more times or until the ice cream is smooth.
6. It is now ready to serve. 

This recipe makes the best peppermint ice cream, and if your any fan of those airy mint chocolate bars then you will absolutely love this recipe. So next time your looking to make an ice cream that is delicious and easy, try this out!

Thanks for Reading, 

Lusciously Decadent Writer :)

Steamed Orange Semolina Syrup Cake

Hey Guys and Girls! 

Right now, at this moment in life again, I have been struck with a cold. In saying that, apparently eating Oranges, is meant to act as an anti-inflammatory thingamabob which helps to cure you faster. And seeing as though their meant to help your body, i figured I'd incorporate them into a cake, and whats better than eating cake when you're sick with the added bonus of something healthy - being Oranges! 


I got this amazing recipe from Yahoo Lifestyle - Food, but then in the process of following it, a few issues occurred, to which I modified the recipe but the result was as beautiful as it should have been if I followed the recipe word by word. I also steamed this cake, because I wanted to have an alternative to using the oven. So here goes!

Ingredients:

Cake

• 4 Whole Eggs + 3 Egg Yolks, at room temperature
• 1 cup Self-Raising Flour
• 1 1/2 cups Fine Semolina
• 3/4 cup Caster Sugar
• Zest of 1 Orange
• 155ml Vegetable Oil (1/2 cup + 1/8 cup)
• 155ml Orange Juice (1/2 cup + 1/8 cup)

Syrup

• 1 1/4 cup Orange Juice
• 1 cup Caster Sugar
• 1 Orange, sliced thickly

Method:

1. Grease and line a springform pan with baking paper and set aside. 
2. Whisk the semolina and the self raising flour in a separated bowl until thoroughly combined and set aside.
3. In a jug, whisk the vegetable oil and the orange juice and set aside. 
4. Place the eggs in a bowl and beat until frothy. Slowly incorporate the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. 
5. Slowly pour the oil/juice mixture into the eggs while beating until all combined.
6. Pour in the semolina/flour mixture and beat on high for 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour into prepared pan.
7. Place a piece of baking paper, greased with butter on the side that will touch the cake, on top of the pan and secure it tightly around the pan with a piece of kitchen string.
   
8. Wrap two pieces of foil tightly on the top of the pan, shiny side up.
9. Boil 4 cups of water in a kettle.
10. In the bottom of a 5 litre casserole dish, place a ramekin or a stainless steel 1 cup.
11. Place the prepared cake pan on top of the cup and fill with the cups of water. It should go 3/4 of the way up the cup/ramekin.
12. Cover the dish with its lid, and steam for 2 hours, topping up the water, as need be. 
13. Remove the cake when a skewer comes out clean. Place the cake on a wire rack lined with baking paper to cool.
    
14. Using a jug, whisk the sugar and the Orange Juice until all the sugar has dissolved. Pour this mixture into a saucepan.
15. Bring this mixture to the boil and place the orange slices (with the skin intact) and allow the mixture to thicken until it comes to a honey like consistency. This should take about 15 - 20 minutes on medium-high heat.
16. When the mixture is ready, place the cake on a serving plate and prick holes all over. This is to allow the syrup to moisten the cake. 
17. Pour the mixture all over the cake, in intervals to allow the syrup to absorb into the cake.
    
18. Once all the mixture has been poured into the cake, allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 - 60 minutes. This standing time, allows the syrup to sink in thoroughly.
19. When the time is up, slice the cake and enjoy!

This cake is amazing on its own, or with a dollop of cream! It brings the house beautiful aromas of orange and has this crumb that will bring you so much texture because of the semolina, that it'll make you enjoy every last bit. 

SO until next time...

Thanks for Reading, 

Lusciously Decadent Writer :)