Recipes

Chocolate Petal Cake

Bake this stunning cake for the ones you love. Don't be but off by the long recipe it is really easy to make. Crystallised rose petals can be replaced by chocolate or jelly hearts.

Crystallised rose petals
1 red & 1 pink rose
1 egg white
Caster sugar

Cake
170g / 6oz caster sugar
6 free-range eggs
140g / 5 oz plain flour
30g/ 1oz cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
250ml cream / ½ Pint Cream
2 tablespoons of apricot jam
Dash of brandy

Chocolate Icing
100g / 3.5oz Dark Chocolate
60g / 2oz butter

Preheat the oven to 170°C

1. To make the rose petals; Use a fork to lightly beat the egg white. Pull off the petals from the roses and use a paint brush to ensure all surfaces of the individual petal is evenly covered. Use a tweezers to hold the petal. Dust each petal evenly with the sugar, place on the baking parchment/greaseproof paper so they are not touching and leave to dry in a warm room.  They will take approx 2 hours to dry.  These can be stored in an airtight tin, between greaseproof paper for up to 3-4 months
2. To make the cake; Line base of a 23cm tin (heart shaped if possible but if you don't have one a round tin will do nicely), with a disc of greaseproof paper and grease the sides of the tin with butter.
3. Using an electric mixer beat the eggs, caster sugar and vanilla for about 10 minutes until mixture is thick and creamy and doubled in size. 
4. Twice sieve the plain flour and cocoa powder.  Using a metal spoon gently fold the flour into the mixture. It is very important to do this gently – have patience, if you are too vigorous you will knock the air from the mixture and your cake won’t rise.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place in pre-heated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cake starts to come away from the sides of the tin.
6. Remove the cake from the tin carefully turn out to cool on a cooling rack. 
7. To make icing; Melt the chocolate and butter gently together in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, don’t take your eye off it!
8. When the cake is cool split it in two horizontally with a bread knife.
9. To make the filling; Whip the cream until soft peaks form - add a dessert spoon of castor sugar if desired.
10. In a small bowl mix the apricot jam and brandy together.
11. To assemble; Spread the apricot jam and brandy mixture on the bottom half of the cake.  Next spread the whipped cream over the apricot and brandy. Gently place the other half of the cake on top.
12. Next pour and spread the chocolate icing over the top of the cake (use a pallet knife dipped in hot water to help spread icing), allow to rest for 5 minutes then decorate with rose petals.

Labels: Bread And Cakes