William Sonomas: sour cream chocolate bundt cake

The beauty of this bunt cake intrigued me, the simplicity of the baking method and the ease had to be  put to test. This recipe from the Williams -Sonoma's need a very special occasion and I waited for mine at Thanksgiving. This being the first time with  bunt, it sort of was a failure as tiniest part of the cake was not released as easily as it should have.  When I finally managed to nudge it  gently out of the pan, my next bet was to attach the cake with the icing (which looked more fudge-ish than  smooth flowing icing) which apparently was too thick and made the cake only heavier and more fragile than ever.
All looked fine until I had to load it with more icing on top and transfer it to  a beautiful plate which was another disaster in itself. Never in the past have I been so disappointed with my baking skills. After some pep talk from my hubster, I reluctantly packed the not-so-beautiful looking bunt to the Thanksgiving dinner hosted this year at my cousins at NY. I was able to retrieve only about 2/3rd of the bunt which my family relished happily  and the crumbled 1/3rd was put to the best use which eventually turned into a trifle with cake pieces, whipped cream, fudge and M&M on the top. The kids, mine and my sisters begged for seconds and thirds and it was the biggest hit of all the desserts I made for that day.

Now, I'm here to tell you that I later decided to give this recipe a second chance only because it was the moistest cake (duh, it didn't hold it's shape, remember?) that I made ever in my 12 years of baking and I got a big thumbs up from Dear H (who is not that much of a cake-eater). So I promised myself to make this for my Dear Hubby's surprise party. ( More cake pics  from the party at the bottom) Boy, am I glad that I did! He absolutely loved it and was singing praises for me. So, here's the praise worthy, melt in your mouth kinda cake recipe.

Sour Cream - Chocolate Bundt Cake from Williams-Sonoma

For the cake:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
5 eggs lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for dusting pan
7 1/2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup boiling water

For the ganache:

       6 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
       2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
       1/2 cup heavy cream

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. Grease the Anniversary Bundt Cake Pan with butter and dust with cocoa powder; tap out the excess.

To make the cake, in a bowl, combine the 1 cup cocoa powder and the chocolate. Add the boiling water and whisk until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth and blended. Set aside.

Over a sheet of parchment, sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, one minute. Reduce the speed to low, add the brown sugar and beat until blended. Increase the speed to medium and continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating until incorporated before adding more and stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add in the vanilla.

While still at  low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream and beginning and ending with the flour, beating just until blended and no lumps of flour remain. Slowly pour in the chocolate-cocoa mixture and beat until no white streaks are visible, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips. I added the chocolate chips right into the mixer, skipping folding the chocolate chips with hand.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached to it, 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan. Let the cake cool completely, at least 1 hour.

Return the cooled cake to the pan. Using a serrated knife, gently saw off any excess cake that extends over the edge of the pan. Set the wire rack on a parchment paper lines baking sheet. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan.

Meanwhile make the ganache:

 

 In a heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate and butter. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the cream just to a boil. Immediately pour the cream over the chocolate and butter. Whisk until they melt and the mixture is smooth.  First time around, I got a very diluted version of ganache and I made addition of 1 tbsp of chocolate chips at a time to thicken this. Second and the third time was a perfect ganache so I guess there is no way to fail with this ganache.

Pour the ganache over the top of the cake, allowing the ganache, to drip down the sides. Let the cake stand until the ganache is set, at least 15 minutes.

 As an addition, I topped my ganache with cake crumbs and chocolate chips.

Nutella chocolate Cookies

I'm on a roll,  cookie baking fest is going full-on. Having a nutella-crazy little kid, experimenting anything with it or chocolate for that matter is easy. There's the inspiration right there!
These turned out so good that we decided to share it with Santa. How generous of us!

Ingredients:½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup Nutella
1 egg
½ tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1/2 cup chopped chocolate bits (I used Giraldeli milk choc)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream butter and sugars in a mixer on high speed,  about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Add the egg, vanilla, Nutella and mix well.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt and mix on low speed until all the ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix just until the dough is smooth. Fold in chocolate chips.
Bake 6-7 minutes. Let cookies cool about 5 minutes and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Chocolate chip cookies

If you are looking for the chewiest moist cookies with chocolate in every bite & a crisp edges, this is the one for you. It will lead you to chocolate heaven & may also embarrass you with way too many praises from the ones who scarfed these bites of sinfully awesome goodies. So go ahead, make these for your kids but don't forget to save some for Santa!



Recipe courtesy: Alton Brown
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F (I set mine at 350).

2. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

3. Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Chill the dough (about 1 hour), then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet (mine were 18S disher ice cream scoop). Bake for 14 minutes (I baked for 12 mins) or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes.(I skiped this step)
Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

whoopie pie

A well known little pie that doesn't look anything like one; made of two soft chocolate cookies sandwiched with sweet creamy filling has been another favourite that my 10 yr  old loves to bake.

 The recipe  is not only super-easy to follow for my bake addict kid  &amp is  just as satisfying for this chocolate lover  but my best reason;  I don't have to bake a real cake & worry  about what to do with  about half the cake that sits in the refrigerator as a leftover. It is just the right size for a lumch dessert + freezes easy. You know how just how much I love a twofer idea!

Cookies:
2 cups All purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1stick (8 Tbs) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together flour, baking soda & salt in a bowl until combined.
In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk & vanilla.
With a mixer, beat together butter & sugar at medium speed untill mixture is plale & fluffy ( about 3 mins).
Add egg, beat till combined. Reduce speed to low & alternately mix in flour mixture and buttermilk in batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line the sheet pan with parchment paper & spray with cooking spray.

Spoon 1 tbs mounds of batter. bake until tops are puffed & cookies spring back when touched, 8-10 mins. Mine took 14 mins as  the batter was slightly more than a tablespoon. Yeah, I don't spend time to measure each scoop. :0
 Transfer to a rack & cool completely.

Marshmallow filling:
1 stick ( 8tbs) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cup marsmallow cream ( fluff)
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a bowl, beat together butter, powdered sugar, marshmallow cream & vanilla to fluff it up.

Assemble the pies by spreading a teaspoon of filling on one  flat side of half of the cookies & top with the  other flat side. Repeat with the remaining.

Store: Refrigerated for a week, frozen upto 2 months. Serve at room temperature.

Molten lava cake

As the name sounds....This is all you need to achieve heavenly bliss!!!!!!!
One can picture this cake, inverted and broken just to let the melted centre ooze out.
My littlest cousin is very fond of pastries and I could only think of him as I was making this. Here's for u Sandy!

The pics will be posted here soon!


Ingredients:

1/2 C Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tbs butter
1 egg + 1 yolk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 C confectioner's sugar, sifted
3 tbsp all-purpose flour, sifted


Preheat oven to 425 F and microwave butter and chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 45 seconds on high, then whisk until smooth.Add egg, egg yolk, sifted flour,powdered sugar and vanilla and whisk until smooth.Don't beat.

Grease individual tins with butter and flour the surface. Tap to remove any excess flour. Fill the molds/tins halfway and set in the oven for 13 to 15 mins. Remove while the centre is stil jiggly but the tops look done.

Let sit for 2 minutes then run a knife along the edges. Put a small plate upside down on top of the bowl and flip over. If you do it right, you should have a perfect looking upside chocolate cake that oozes chocolate when you crack it open.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
6 oz. Chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until creamy. Add chips and dry ingredients; mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

These cookies were not only super easy to make, but they came out perfectly. I've always had issues with my cookie edges being crisp and centre under done.
My oldest son used the last 4 cookies to make us some ice cream sandwich's with vanilla ice cream and they were delicious. I need to put up the pics from the cookie session soon to go with the awesome review.

Ganache

Ganache is made when hot cream is poured over chopped chocolate and the mixture is stirred until chocolate is melted and is velvety smooth. The proportions of chocolate to cream can vary depending on its use, and you can use dark, milk, or white chocolate and add different flavorings such as liqueurs and extracts to make Ganache variations.

This ganache can be used as a filling in between cake layers, as a sauce to sindaes,as a glaze to cakes, as truffles with chopped nuts and to use as a fondue to coat fruits. Here, I have used it to coat strawberry which serves as dessert for tonights party! Can't wait to get these plump goodness!

Ingredients
Makes about 1&1/2 cup of ganache

8 ounces semisweet chocolate - shredded into pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp liqueur (optional, like grand marnier, kahlua, etc)

Method
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
Heat the cream and butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Bring it to a warm but not boil (making sure to not over-heat).
Now pour the cream into the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add the liqueur to flavor the ganache.