Chocolate Cake

There are so many recipes for Chocolate Cake. This was one that I had clipped from my Taste of Home magazine and since we had company coming over, I thought I would give it a go. I'm so glad I did! It was a HUGE hit. I was in a hurry so I frosted the cake when it was a little bit warm. The result? It was similar to a molten chocolate lava cake at Chili's. Delicious! I found the recipe online here.

3 layers of chocolate bliss.

Chocolate Cake
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups packed brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour (I used half of my Millet Sorghum flour and half of my Best results flour recipes)
3/4 cup baking cocoa
3 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups sour cream
1-1/3 cups boiling water (I used Choffy instead)
FROSTING:
1/2 cup butter, cubed
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
5 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

HOW TO PREPARE:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 9-in. round baking pans.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in water (or Choffy) until blended.
3. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.
4. For frosting, bring water to a boil in a pot and then top with a double boiler pan. Melt butter and chocolates; stir until smooth. Cool slightly.
5. In a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, sour cream and vanilla. Add chocolate mixture; beat until smooth. Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides of cake. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 16 servings.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake Trifle

I was looking to celebrate Cinco de Mayo this year with some Tres Leches Cake. While perusing Pinterest, I found this recipe. I knew I had to try it out. I was concerned that this would have too much coconut, but it was just right. This recipe is work, but worth it.

Coconut Tres Leches Cake Trifle

These are my own photos.

Coconut Pastry Cream:

1 can (14-ounces) coconut milk

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoons vanilla extract

pinch salt

3 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons corn starch

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon coconut extract

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Cake:

1 cup white sugar, divided

5 egg yolks

5 egg whites

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract

1 cup flour (I used this recipe)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Whipped Cream Ingredients & Extras:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups toasted coconut for assembly and topping

Tres Leches Mixture:

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup evaporated milk

3/4 cup coconut milk

HOW TO PREPARE:

First up, make the pastry cream so it can chill in the refrigerator. In a medium saucepan combine the coconut milk, sugar, salt and vanilla. Heat the mixture over medium heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cornstarch. When the coconut milk mixture comes to a simmer, slowly ladle about 1/2 a cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolk mixture, whisking vigorously and constantly so the eggs don't scramble and form hard, cooked bits. Add the entire egg yolk mixture back into the saucepan and whisk constantly while the mixture cooks over medium heat for 3-4 minutes; it will thicken considerably. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and coconut extract. Pour the pastry cream into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until completely chilled, 3-4 hours (you can speed up this process by placing the bottom of the bowl in an ice water bath and stirring the pastry cream constantly until cool). Once the pastry cream has cooled completely, beat the 1/2 cup whipping cream until thick and creamy. Fold it gently into the pastry cream until combined. Refrigerate the pastry cream until ready to assemble the trifle.

While the pastry cream is chilling (before folding in the whipped cream), make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease two round cake pans. Measure your trifle dish to determine what size is needed. My trifle dish would only fit an 8-inch round cake layer so I baked mine in 8-inch layers but some trifle dishes are larger and could work with 9-inch cake layers.

In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the 3/4 cup granulated sugar until they are light and thick, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract, flour, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl whip the egg whites until foamy. While beating, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 12-14 minutes (watch closely!) until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the whipped cream, combine the cream and sugar together in a medium bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.

To assemble, whisk together the condensed milk, evaporated milk and coconut milk (or be like me and shake it all up in a canning jar with a lid). Place one cake layer in the bottom of the trifle dish, flattest side up. Poke holes all over the cake with a fork. Pour 3/4 cup of the milk mixture over the cake gradually, swirling the trifle dish back and forth to cover the cake with the milk mixture and adding the rest of the milk as the first layer soaks in. You can refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the milk soak in or just keep swirling and poking the cake until the mixture settles in. Top with 1/2 of the coconut pastry cream, 1/3 of the toasted coconut and 1/2 of the whipped cream.

Poke holes all over the flattest side of the 2nd cake layer (before you put it in the trifle dish). Set the cake layer over the whipped cream layer (with the flattest side up; the side you poked all over) and pour 3/4 cup of the milk mixture over the cake, again, pouring it on gradually and swirling to distribute the milk mixture. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes if needed to help the milk mixture absorb into the cake. Top with the rest of the coconut pastry cream, 1/3 of the toasted coconut, the remainder of the whipped cream and sprinkle with the last of the coconut. YIELD: SERVES 10

Refrigerate for at least 12 hours (or up to 24 hours) before serving. Serve chilled.

Pumpkin Bars

It's no secret that I love pumpkin. From a young age, pumpkin pie was a huge favorite of mine. I was told that I even ate a whole pumpkin pie by myself at the age of 5! When I tried these bars about 10 years ago, I couldn't believe something so delicious had existed that I didn't know about, so I got the recipe and am sharing it with you. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bars
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups GF Coconut Flour Mix or other GF Flour mix that contains xanthan gum
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 can pumpkin (15oz)

HOW TO PREPARE:
Mix eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin. Add other ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased, 13x9 inch pan for 30-35 minutes or until done.

Icing: 3 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp milk, 3oz cream cheese, and ¾ stick butter (softened). Mix and frost when bars are cooled.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

I made this recipe last night so we could eat it for dessert today. I couldn't wait, so I stole a small piece while mixing up dinner. It is out of this world fabulous. Being gluten-free doesn't mean you miss out on decadence! Eat your heart out, chocoholics! I substituted Choffy for the coffee. I found the recipe here. 

Photo found here. 

Choffy Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
16 oz. solid dark chocolate (use your favorite GF dark chocolate bars)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup very hot strong Choffy
2 sticks butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
8 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract- yes, a tablespoon!

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a 10-cup Springform pan by lining the bottom with a circle of buttered parchment. Wrap the outside of the whole pan (underneath, to catch any leaks) with a big piece of foil.

Break up the dark chocolate into pieces and put it into a microwave-safe bowl. Add hot Choffy and stir. It probably won't melt all the chocolate, so put in the microwave for 30 seconds and then stir. Put back in the microwave if the chocolate isn't melted all the way. Stir. Add sugar and mix well.

Add the butter pieces and the cocoa powder, and mix to combine. Add the eggs and vanilla, and process till smooth. The batter will be liquid and creamy.

Pour the batter into the lined Springform pan.

Bake at 350º F in the center of the oven, till puffed and cracked and lovely - about 55 to 65 minutes. Use a wooden toothpick to check the center of the cake; pick should emerge clean, with maybe a crumb.

Place the cake pan on a wire rack to cool. The cake will deflate. Don't worry!

When the cake is completely cooled, cover, and chill it for at least three hours (best up to eight hours), until serving. Overnight is even better.

Serve thin slices with drizzled chocolate sauce or a sprinkle of sifted powdered sugar. Garnish with a fresh berries or mint leaves.

Yield: 12 to 15 slices