notes from my food diary

“Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound”—sung by John Paul Young

This is my first entry to enter the Monthly Mingle event which is loved by food bloggers around the world. This month’s event is hosted by Meeta who had a brilliant idea for spreading love by baking or making sweet things for Valentine’s Day. Wouldn’t you know it, it’s February already and Valentine’s day is coming in less than 10 days. I think it’s fitting to have sweet, sugary theme this month and I bet a lot of food bloggers will showcase their talents in baking or making decadent desserts.

I’m not big on showing love too in a big way or too lavishly to my family. I’m not very creative with gift packaging, I’m often came up blank with what to give as gifts, the only way I know how to make my family members feel special is by baking them yummy concoctions! I bake something pretty, something simple yet something that my family likes. Well, my hubby will eat any cake I bake, as for my son, he’s actually addicted to strawberries! Hubby was quite surprised to see the finished cake when he opened the refrigerator. He didn’t really follow on what I was doing because I did the cake in two days. The first day I baked the chocolate cakes, he’s not commenting anything, partly because he just came home from work ;P The second day while I was decorating the cake, he was upstairs busy with the computer. So, yeah, he liked the surprise The first thing he uttered was,”What is that in the fridge, Liza?” (my pet name)...

I think it’s fitting that the chocolate cake is extra special because of Wilderberry schnapps. It makes every bite of the cake extra snappy. The cake then paired with strawberry-infused cream cheese icing. I should’ve used strawberry preserves with seeds because it’ll make the cake even prettier. Frankly, I don’t think the cake will last until Valentine’s day!

The day I created this, my whole kitchen smelled sweetly like a strawberry field…

Pretty in Pink Cake
Serves 4

Schnappy Chocolate Cake:
2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-ounce pieces
3/4 cup all-purpose flour plus 3 teaspoons
4 ounces semisweet baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 tablespoons Wilderberry schnapps

Pretty in Pink Icing:
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 pound (2 stickes) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-ounce pieces
6 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1-ounce pieces
1/2 cup strawberry preserves
4 to 5 drops red food color

Make the Schnappy Chocolate Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly coat the insides of three 6×2-inch aluminum cake pans, using the melted butter. Flour the insides of each pan with 1 teaspoon flour. Shake out and discard the excess flour. Set aside until needed.

Melt the chopped semisweet chocolate and the 2 ounces butter in the top half of a double boiler, or in a small galss bowl in a microwave oven and stir until smooth.

In a sifter combine the 3/4 cup flour, the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Sift onto a large piece of parchment paper (or wax paper) and set aside.

Place the granulated sugar and the eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes until the mixtrue is frothy and slightly thickened. Add the chocolate and butter mixer and mix on medium to combine, about 15 seconds. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Operate the mixer on low while gradually adding the dry ingredients; mix until incorporated, about 45 seconds. Add the schnapps and mix on low for 10 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the ingredients until thoroughly combined. Immediately divide the cake batter among the prepared pans (aobut 2/3 cup of batter in each pan) and spread evenly (the batter is very thick, so this will take a bit of spreading).

Bake on the center rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake layer comes out clean, 15 to 16 minutes. Remove the cake layers from the oven and cool in the pans for 15 minutes at room temperature. Invert the cake layers onto cake circles (or directly onto cake plates), then immediately turn the cake layers baked side up again. Refrigerate the layers.

Make the Pretty in Pink Icing: Sift the confectioners’ sugar onto a large piece of parchment paper (or wax paper). Set aside.

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low speed for 1 minute; increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until soft. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle. Beat on medium for another 2 minutes until very soft. Add the confectioners’ sugar and mix on the lowest speed (stir) to combine, about 1minute. Scape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Now beat on medium for 10 seconds. Transfer the butter and sugar mixture to a small bowl.

Place the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes until soft. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Beat on medium for another 2 minutes until very soft. Add the strawberry preserves and beat on medium for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the butter and sugar mixture and beat on medium for 10 seconds. Add the food color and beat for 15 seconds.

Assemble the Cake: Remove 2 of the chocolate cake layers from the refrigerator. Use a cake spatula to spread 3/4 cup of icing evenly and smoothly over the top and to the edges of each of the cake layers (about 3/4 cup icing for each layer). Refrigerate the iced layers and the remaining icing for 30 minutes. Remove all the cake layers and the icing from the refrigerator. Stack the iced layers, then top with the remaining cake layer. Gently press the layers into place. Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides of the entire cake. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour before cutting and serving.

To serve: Heat the blade of a serrated slicer under hot running water and wipe the blade dry before cutting each slice. Keep the slices at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before serving.

Source: Celebrate with Chocolate by Marcel Desaulniers

Technorati tags: monthly mingle, valentine