Top 5 chocolate cake recipes to celebrate Chocolate Cake Day

It’s Chocolate Cake Day!

Celebrate this wonderful day by browsing through these five recipes and picking one (or two) to make for your family.

Here are the top five recipes to treat yourself with:

Chocolate mousse cake

Ingredients:

• 500g dark chocolate
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 125g unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon plain flour, sifted
• Melted chocolate, to decorate

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Grease and line the base of a 20cm round spring-form cake pan with non-stick baking paper.
2. Melt the chocolate, golden syrup and butter in a bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Place eggs and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer or use an electric hand beater and beat on high for 10 minutes until very thick and pale.
4. Gently fold in the flour then fold in the chocolate mixture until combined.
5. Pour into the cake pan and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and run a knife around the edge of the cake.
7. Remove collar from cake pan and transfer the cake to the fridge for one hour to cool (this step is important as it sets the middle of the cake).
8. Slice the cake and serve with a dollop of cream on the side.

Source: www.taste.com.au/recipes/

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Glaze

Crust:

• Vegetable-oil cooking spray
• 1 cup finely ground chocolate wafer cookies (113g)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Filling:

• 113g semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 packages (227g each) cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

Method:

• Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Wrap bottom and outside of a 22cm pan with a double layer of foil. Coat bottom of pan with cooking spray, and line with baking paper. Spray baking paper.
3. Stir together cookie crumbs, butter, and sugar in a medium bowl.
4. Press mixture firmly into bottom of pan, and bake until firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on wire-rack.

• Filling:

1. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Let cool.
2. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy.
3. Reduce speed to low, and beat in sugar in a slow, steady stream until combined.
4. Beat in salt and vanilla until thoroughly combined and completely smooth.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until combined after each addition (do not over mix).
6. Divide cream cheese filling in half.
7. Stir peanut butter into one half, stir melted chocolate into other half.
8. Ladle one cup peanut butter filling into center of crust, and tap pan gently on counter to settle.
9. Ladle one cup chocolate filling directly on top of peanut butter filling.
10. Repeat, then switching to half-cup amounts, continue to ladle fillings into crust, alternating them until all of each filling is used.
11. Set cake pan in a large roasting pan, and transfer to oven.
12. Carefully pour boiling water into roasting pan to reach halfway up sides of cake pan.
13. Bake until cake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, about one hour and 20 minutes.
14. Let cool completely in pan on wire-rack.
15. Refrigerate cake in pan until cold, at least six hours to overnight.
16. Run a knife around edge of cake. Pour glaze over top of cake, smoothing with an offset spatula and letting it drip down the sides.

Source: www.marthastewart.com

Fudgy Brownie Cake

• 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into large pieces, plus more for pan
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
• 170g bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup plus two tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1 large egg yolk plus three large egg whites, room temperature, divided
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Butter and flour a 22cm pan.
3. Melt butter and chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat, and whisk in 3/4 cup sugar.
4. Whisk in egg yolk, then cocoa powder and salt.
5. Beat egg whites with a mixer on medium speed until foamy.
6. Raise speed to medium-high, gradually beat in remaining two tablespoons sugar, and beat until soft, glossy peaks form, about four minutes.
7. Fold flour into chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula, then fold in egg whites.
8. Pour batter into pan, and bake until set, about 33 minutes.
9. Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire-rack.
10. Remove side of pan, and dust top of cake with cocoa powder.

Source: www.marthastewart.com

Salted-Caramel Six-Layer Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• Unsalted butter, room temperature, for pans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
• 1 tablepoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• Coarse salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup plus two tablespoons sunflower oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For the caramel:

• 4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 2 cups cream
• Coarse salt
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter

For the frosting:

• 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• Coarse salt
• 450g semisweet chocolate, chopped, melted, and cooled

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Butter three 22cm round cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
3. Sift flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt into the bowl of a mixer.
4. Beat on low speed until just combined.
5. Raise speed to medium and add eggs, buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups warm water, oil, and vanilla.
6. Beat until smooth, about three minutes.
7. Divide batter among pans.
8. Bake about 35 minutes.
9. Let cool in pans set on a wire-rack for 15 minutes.
10. Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.

Caramel:

1. Combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat.
2. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is dark amber, about 14 minutes.
3. Remove from heat, and carefully pour in cream (mixture will spatter), stir until smooth.
4. Return to heat and cook for two minutes.
5. Pour caramel into a medium bowl, stir in one teaspoon coarse salt, and let cool slightly.
6. Stir in butter, one tablespoon at a time. Let cool completely.

Frosting:

1. Whisk together cocoa and 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons warm water in a bowl until cocoa dissolves.
2. Beat butter, icing sugar, and a generous pinch of coarse salt in a clean bowl with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
3. Gradually beat in melted chocolate and then cocoa mixture until combined.
4. Let stand for 30 minutes before using.
5. Trim tops of cakes using a serrated knife to create a level surface.
6. Cut each in half horizontally to form two layers.
7. Transfer one layer to a serving platter, and spread 3/4 cup caramel over top.
8. Top with another cake layer, and repeat with remaining caramel and cake layers, leaving top uncovered.
9. Refrigerate until set.

Source: www.marthastewart.com

Instant Microwave Chocolate Cake

Whisk 1/4 cup flour, five tablespoons sugar, two tablespoons cocoa powder, one egg, three tablespoons milk, three tablespoons vegetable oil and a dash of vanilla extract and salt in a large mug until smooth.

Microwave until puffed, about 2 minutes.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/

For more of these delicious recipes, visit www.marthastewart.com