Sunday, April 29, 2012

Hazelnut Birthday Cake!!

It was my darling sister's birthday recently and life and work kept us apart but I sent her my love in the form of a cake that combined all her favourite things. Nutella, Chocolate and Coffee. The cake(a Nigella Lawson recipe) by itself is now a recipe I can make in my sleep, but the frosting was what I put my heart into. I wanted it to be the perfect cake for the perfect birthday and Im told both were true!! So here's the recipe, for the cake and the frostings (yes, there were two)

What you need:

For the cake:
  • 150g butter ( I love Amul butter, and since it is salted, I skip the pinch of salt that cakes normally require)
  • 300g light brown sugar
  • 75g cocoa powder, sifted
  • 150g plain flour
  • 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 150g milk chocolate, chopped into chunks

For frosting 1 (Chocolate Ganache):
  • 100 g of dark chocolate, chopped
  • 100 ml of cream

For frosting 2 (Nutella coffee cream):
  • 100 g of Nutella
  • 2 tbsp of Kahlua

How:
  • Preheat the oven to 190°c. While this is going on, melt the butter over a gentle heat in a heavy bottomed pan.
  • When it’s melted, add the sugar, stirring till it blends in with the butter. I leave this on for a short while longer till the sugar begins to caramelise into a beautiful golden colour.
  • Sift together the cocoa powder, flour, bicarb and stir it into the sugar-butter mixture. Remove from the heat.
  • Whisk the eggs with the vanilla extract and then mix into the brownie mixture in the pan.
  • Stir in the chopped chocolate and quickly pour into your baking tin, and cook in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes.
  • Transfer the tin to a rack to cool. I made this in a loose bottomed cheese cake tin so taking it out was a breeze.
  • While the cake cools, heat the cream gently and when it is warm throw in the chopped dark chocolate and turn the heat off. Let the chocolate and cream come together while you stir them into a glossy beautiful ganache. Allow it to come to room temperature to attain a spreadable consistency
  • Meanwhile scoop your Nutella out into a little bowl and pour in the Kahlua and mix together.
  • Now that we have all the pieces of this masterpiece ready, lets put it together. Spread a  nice thick layer of the chocolate ganache on the top and sides of the cake and allow to set. Then splodge on the Nutella and Kahlua gorgeousness.
  • Just to make it festive I sprinkled it with some chocolate shavings!! 

Picture courtesy: Parth Jhala!


4 comments:

  1. It was heaven in my mouth!! :) Now, someday, maybe I can make it :p

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  2. It was so delicious that I am wishing we could celebrate her birthday every month!! :D

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    Replies
    1. Haha! You dont need her birthday to get your hands on the cake.. Just drop me a message and i can make it for you!!

      PS thanks for the fantastic photo!!

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