While I was looking for that perfect recipe for a chocolate sour cream cake I made about 5 years ago (good luck to me finding it today), I have found another treasure of mine, Grandma's Adele recipe notebook! You can still smell the butter and almond extract on its pages...wodefullicious!
I remembered that delicious cake she used to make for us for Sunday afternoon tea time. We would sit front of tv watching "Dynasty"- the famous soap opera of that times, eat the cake and sip on tea out of the gorgeous little tea cups. Oh, memories, memories...!
Guess what? I have found the recipe in Grandma's notebook, yay! At first it was a little bit tricky trying to decode it, but I think I have managed quite well, because the Mexican Cake - this is how she called it, turned out to be edible and even really delicious. Not like Granny's of course but close enough be proud of it. She used different type of fat for her cake, it was "Palma" margarine, which I think doesn't exist anymore, or even if it does its not the same anymore, but anyway I don't think I can find it here in Athens.
Oh, and her cocoa powder was much more aromatic and dark as a pitch!
Originally Grandma's cake was covered with chocolate glaze, and sometimes sprinkled with toasted almond flakes, which was a simple and delicious cake but I used the recipe as base for a little bit more festive, three layer version with chocolate dulce de leche mascarpone cream.
Here it's the Grandma's original version.
 |
| Ha ha! Remember these guys? |
Guess what? I have found the recipe in Grandma's notebook, yay! At first it was a little bit tricky trying to decode it, but I think I have managed quite well, because the Mexican Cake - this is how she called it, turned out to be edible and even really delicious. Not like Granny's of course but close enough be proud of it. She used different type of fat for her cake, it was "Palma" margarine, which I think doesn't exist anymore, or even if it does its not the same anymore, but anyway I don't think I can find it here in Athens.
Oh, and her cocoa powder was much more aromatic and dark as a pitch!
Originally Grandma's cake was covered with chocolate glaze, and sometimes sprinkled with toasted almond flakes, which was a simple and delicious cake but I used the recipe as base for a little bit more festive, three layer version with chocolate dulce de leche mascarpone cream.
Here it's the Grandma's original version.
the Mexican Cake
250g butter
1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs, separated
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup chopped finely almonds (optional)
about 1/3 cup almond flakes, toasted
Method :
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line with baking paper 26 cm cake tin.
2. Place the butter, sugar, cocoa powder and water in a large saucepan and heat over a medium heat until butter has melted and sugar dissolved, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Place the cooled mixture into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, reserving 7-8 tbsp for glazing the cake. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the bowl in three batches, scraping the bowl sites after each addition. Add the almond extract and beat until just combined. If you are adding the almonds, now it the time to mix them in.
5. In a separate bowl beat the egg whites until soft peak. Using a wooden spoon, or a spatula gently mix in the egg whites into a cake batter.
6. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour , until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tins for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling wrack to cool completely.
7. Heat through the reserved chocolate mix and pour over a cooled cake. Scatter the almond flakes on top.
And now, no so Mexican version, layered with a delicious cream. I really wonder why Mexican? Where is the name coming from? But this will stay another of so many dark mystery's I can't solve ... :)))
not so Mexican Cake
1 batch Mexican cake batter (recipe above)
frosting
300g chocolate dulce de leche (you can use the classic instead)
250g mascarpone cheese
400ml whipping cream
Method :
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line with baking paper three 18 cm cake tins.
2. Make the cake batter as above but without reserving chocolate mixture for glazing and add extra 4 tablespoon of flour to the mix.
3. Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake the layers for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tins for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling wrack to cool completely.
4. Make the cream. Using a silicon spatula mix the mascarpone cheese with dulce de leche until smooth and well combined. In a separate bowl whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold the mascarpone mix into the whipped cream, and stir to a smooth cream.
6. To assemble the cake, place first layer on a cake plate or a board. Spoon mascarpone frosting into pastry bag fitted with large round tip. Pipe a circle of pearls around the top of the cake to create scalloped edge, beginning at the outer edge and working in. Fill the middle with the frosting. Using off set spatula gently smooth the top. Repeat the process with the rest of the layers. Decorate top of the cake with sugar flowers.
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line with baking paper three 18 cm cake tins.
2. Make the cake batter as above but without reserving chocolate mixture for glazing and add extra 4 tablespoon of flour to the mix.
3. Divide the batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake the layers for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the tins for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling wrack to cool completely.
4. Make the cream. Using a silicon spatula mix the mascarpone cheese with dulce de leche until smooth and well combined. In a separate bowl whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold the mascarpone mix into the whipped cream, and stir to a smooth cream.
6. To assemble the cake, place first layer on a cake plate or a board. Spoon mascarpone frosting into pastry bag fitted with large round tip. Pipe a circle of pearls around the top of the cake to create scalloped edge, beginning at the outer edge and working in. Fill the middle with the frosting. Using off set spatula gently smooth the top. Repeat the process with the rest of the layers. Decorate top of the cake with sugar flowers.
Happy baking!
This is just so perfect..!!!
ReplyDelete