[Tish Boyle] Chocolate Buttermilk Cakes

Half a lemon. That was what led to this cake. Every time I opened the fridge door, I would see that half a lemon sitting there, bald and sad. The zest was used to make these, and my helper had used one half to marinate some fish. I don't know about you, but when I see half-eaten food lying around, I feel the need to finish it up quickly. So, I decided to make buttermilk with that half a lemon. I was thinking pancakes.

Unfortunately (or fortunately), we were out of maple syrup, so pancakes were out. Instead, I googled "buttermilk" and "chocolate cake", and found this recipe by Tish Boyle. I like Tish Boyle. Her recipes have worked for me (see here and here). To be honest, though, I did not expect much from this recipe because I thought I had found my favourite chocolate cake (which I blogged about twice, by the way!), and I thought there was a slim chance I'd find another that would wow me as much.

But this one did. It knocked our socks off, and I had to quickly put aside these few pieces for taking pics.

You know how this cake won me over? Let me count the ways:

(1) It has a crumb texture that is totally spot-on! It is tender, yet firm enough to provide some 'bite'. I absolutely love cakes like that.

(2) The chopped chocolate bits that are mixed into the batter become melted into the cake as it bakes, and every mouthful provides a burst of gooey chocolate. Yes, drool.

(3) The flavour of chocolate is outstanding - incredibly robust and intense. But to get this effect, you have to use really good quality chocolate/cocoa. And by "really good quality", I am referring to my smooth, dark and sexy Monsieur Valrhona.

In summary, WOWZA!

How does this cake compare to the Flourless Chocolate Almond Cake? Just as good. Seriously. I love both equally. Please don't make me choose. I want to have my cakes and eat them too!

So here it is: Chocolate Buttermilk Cakes. Do leave them overnight to allow the flavours to develop. I know, I know. It's gonna be hard but trust me, you will be happier for it. Chocolate cakes always taste better on Day 2. Before serving, warm up slightly in the microwave and then, with a cuppa by your side, slowly savour the magic.

Recipe
(from Tish Boyle Sweet Dreams)

Makes 6 individual cakes.
Storage: in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Special Equipment: one 6-cake Bundt-lette pan

- 1 cup (4oz/114g) cake flour (plain flour is fine too)
- 1/2 cup (1.6oz/46g) Dutch-processed (alkalized) cocoa powder*
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks/6oz/170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups (8.8oz/250g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup (180ml) buttermilk**
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) Kahlua*** (optional)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 ounces (113g) finely chopped bittersweet chocolate**** or 3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate morsels bittersweet
* I used Valrhona.
** If you do not have buttermilk, pour 180ml of whole milk in a cup, squeeze in the juice of half a lemon, stir and let it sit for 5mins. You can alternatively use about 1 tbsp of white vinegar in place of lemon juice.
*** I used 1 tbsp rum.
**** I used Valrhona Caraïbe 66%.



1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Generously grease the interior of a 6-cake Bundt-lette pan (it's best to use shortening here). Dust the molds with flour and tap out the excess.*
* I used my Wilton mini loaf pan and greased using butter.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine and set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed for 2 minutes, until very creamy. Gradually beat in the sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 3 minutes, until the mixture is well blended and light. At medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, Kahlua (or rum), and vanilla extract. If your mixer has a splatter shield attachment, attach it now. At low speed, add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in three additions, alternating it with the buttermilk cream mixture in two additions, and mixing just until blended. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and stir in the finely chopped chocolate or miniature semisweet morsels. Scrape the batter into the prepared cake molds, dividing it evenly and smoothing the tops.

5. Bake the cakes for 25 to 30 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pan set on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

6. Invert the cakes onto the rack and cool completely.
* If you intend to chill the cake(s), make sure they are stored in a tightly-lidded container to prevent drying out.


Not a good-looker (my fault - I don't do them justice), but as they say, never judge a book by its cover. This one's for keeps.

Cream Cheese Pound (Mini) Cakes

Baked into individual loaves using my Wilton mini loaf pan. Don't they resemble gold bars?

I made a decision. I am giving pineapple tarts a miss this year. Yes, I hear your collective gasps of horror but if I attempt to bake them, I will be the one gasping for air.

First week of school passed with lots of drama, stress and exasperation. Brutal. The second week was only a wee bit better. Now that we are into the third week (and tests have already begun!), I am keeping my fingers crossed that things will settle ... especially for my 7-year old. He who has the uncanny ability to disappear and re-appear without a sound. I should have sent him to Hogswart instead of my alma mater.

"He crawls under the tables and ends up in another 'location' when my back is turned", the teacher said to me. "He also went missing during recess. And when it comes to class work, he writes a line or two and then tells me he is too tired to finish the rest."

At that point, I just wanted the earth to swallow me whole.

So yeah, that kind of stuff. Go ahead, envy me. And since all three children are in different schools this year - Sec 1, Pri 1 and Nursery - I have a whole lot more ferrying to do. Anyway, to cut the long story short, I decided to be kind to myself and not sweat the small stuff. Like making pineapple tarts, or cookies, or whatever.

Then last Friday, when I dropped my 4-year old at the Nursery, his teacher (who previously taught my other son), remarked rather wistfully, "Oh, I miss your cakes!"

*cue awkward silence*

Oh lordy, THAT was one thinly-veiled hint!

I gave a feeble laugh, kissed my little boy goodbye and made a hasty exit.

Upon reaching home, I found myself looking into my fridge for ingredients. Argh, old habits die hard. I hate turning people down, especially when it comes to food. ;) There was cream cheese and there were lemons, so the next day, I baked Cream Cheese Pound Cake and delivered them to the teachers' homes (note: not for every teacher ... only the ones I like, ha!). I got hugs and more hugs, and I couldn't help but think teachers love me more than my children.

Back to the cake, it's one of my favourites to bake and eat. So moist, so fragrant and oh-so-delicious ... it has never let me down. For those you who have guests coming over, you can bake a day or two ahead, chill and then re-heat before serving. Do give them a try, if you are thinking of something other than the usual Almond Butter Cake (although I LOVE this particular butter cake!) or Sugee Cake.

Recipe for Cream Cheese Pound Cake can be found here. Good luck!


These were for our own consumption. The actual cakes I delivered to the teachers were secured with gold ribbons. :) In my haste to deliver them warm, I forgot to take photos!

Chocolate Éclairs

No one makes desserts like the French. If I had to rank all the amazing sweets and pastries I had while in Europe recently, that Chocolate Éclair I had one morning in Paris undoubtedly takes the top spot.

You have NO IDEA. I actually had an epiphany when I ate it!

At first glance, it looked utterly nondescript. But take a bite and I assure you, the stars will align. It was a magical trinity of choux that was light as air, crème patissière that was pure ambrosia, and a chocolate glaze that was smooth as silk. It was to me, the perfect Chocolate Éclair.

If you are going to Paris anytime soon, this is where you can find it:

Artisan Boulanger Patissier Maison Auvray (at the corner of Rue Cler and Rue de Champ du Mars). I lifted this photo off Google Maps, actually. Pity it doesn't show the place when it is opened for business.

After that éclair, nothing else will do. Nothing. I know I will never be able to make an éclair of that calibre, but that ain't such a bad thing ... because it just means I have to make a trip to Paris every year to satisfy my éclair cravings. *silent squeal*

Still, that didn't stop me from making éclairs for my children (until such time they taste that perfect éclair themselves). If there was one thing I can bake to save my life, I would say Choux Puffs With Crème Pâtissière. The only thing was, I have never made them in éclair form, and I did a terrible job while piping the pâte à choux. Ah well, everyone's got to start somewhere. ;)

So there you go, Chocolate Éclairs, everyone!



Making the Crème Pâtissière
You can make this the day before and keep it in the refrigerator. I like to do it this way, so that I have less to do all at one go. Besides, the custard needs to be nicely chilled before you use it to fill the hollows of the Choux Puffs.

Recipe
- 1 cup milk (236ml)
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/4 cup caster sugar (55g)
- 1 drop vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 pinch salt (only if not adding butter, or using unsalted butter)
- 1/2 tsp unsalted butter, for additional shine and firmness
* I added about 20g of Valrhona Caraïbe into the custard to flavour it.

1. Whisk together egg yolks, 1/4 cup milk (60ml), sugar and vanilla beans. Mix in cornflour and salt (if using).

2. Bring the remaining milk to a scald* in a saucepan. Pour the hot milk in small stream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly with a balloon whisk as you pour (very important). Once incorporated, pour everything back into the saucepan.
* To scald is to heat to just below the boiling point.

3. Whisk the mixture over medium heat until it thickens and firms up. Remove from heat and whisk in butter (and chocolate, if using).

4. Pour the hot custard into a bowl and plunge the bottom of the bowl into another larger bowl of iced-water to cool, give it a whisk occasionally.
- I just continued whisking in the same saucepan until it cooled down.

5. Once it reaches room temperature, scoop the crème pâtissière into a piping bag (twist the open end to seal up the custard) or into a ketchup bottle. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.



Making the Choux Pastry
I prefer to make this fresh on the day itself. Choux doesn't keep its crusty shells very well in our humid weather.

Recipe
- 1 cup water
- 55g unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 120g plain flour
- 3 large eggs + 1 large egg (beaten lightly)

1. Place the water, butter and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil. When the butter is completely melted, remove from the heat and add the flour all at once.

2. Mix rapidly with a spatula until fully combined.

3. Place the mixture on the stove over a low heat and dry mix for about 5-6 mins. The dough should be soft and but not sticky. If there is a thin white crust at the bottom of the pan, it means the dough is sufficiently dried.

4. Transfer to a bowl and spread to cool. Let the dough cool slightly.

5. Add the 3 eggs one at a time, incorporating each fully before adding the next.

6. Add the last egg a little at the time to control consistency. You do not want a mixture that is too runny, or the choux puff will not hold its shape. If the mixture looks right to you, stop adding the egg. The pâte à choux should look smooth, shiny and have the consistency of thick mayonnaise.

7. Preheat oven to 190 degree celsius. Cover a large baking tray with parchment paper. Fill a pastry bag with the dough with a piping nozzle.

8. Pipe the pâte à choux to your desired size. Obviously, if you want giant éclairs, cut a bigger hole in the piping bag. I made mini éclairs for the simple reason that my children were the ones eating, and I did not want to deal with half-eaten éclairs if they couldn't finish. Press down any peaks gently with your finger (dipped in water). Otherwise, the peaks will burn as they bake.


After piping the pâte à choux, dip a small fork in water and gently run the tines length-wise. This will give the éclairs some rustic looking ridges (see photo above). It's totally optional, but I just like the look of it. :)

9. Brush the top with the egg wash (mix some egg with water)*. Some recipes call for giving the puffs a quick spritz of water before baking, as steam helps the puffs rise better.
* I totally forgot about this step! Oops!

10. Bake for about 35 minutes or until well puffed and golden. The drier, the crustier, the better - you want a cavernous, not soggy, centre. Shut off the heat, leave the oven door slightly ajar, and let the puffs cool slowly. The puffs may collapse if they are cooled too fast. Some people make small slashes at the bottom of the puffs to allow the steam to escape and then put them back into the oven. I don't, and my puffs still turned out fine each time.

Now that you have your choux puffs and your crème pâtissière, you're ready to fill! Using a sharp knife, make small slits at the bottom of the puffs. Pipe in the crème pâtissière that has been chilled in the ketchup bottle or piping bag.

Making the Chocolate Glaze
Recipe
(from here)
- 50g caster sugar
- 50ml water (less if you want a thicker consistency)
- 25g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 10g butter

1. Place the sugar and water into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil for 4-5 minutes, or until it thickens. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool for five minutes.

2. Add the chocolate and butter to the pan and stir well until the chocolate has melted. Allow to cool, stirring occasionally. When the sauce has cooled and thickened, spread it on top of the éclairs.

Place the éclairs in the refrigerator to chill before serving.


A far cry from the perfect Chocolate Éclair, but good enough for home consumption. ;)