We are a group of home bakers helping each other to achieve baking perfection. Baking partners was begun by Swathi at Zesty South Indian Kitchen.
Baking a homemade bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and the right techniques are required.
We are a small group of home baker friends, who love to bake and want to learn more about the nook and corners of baking. We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows. Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group. The main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critic procedures if there are ways to improve and to eat delicious food.
I’m making up for last month, which was shaped dinner rolls and we had to choose 3 shapes, and I failed to post during the move. This month’s theme is holiday cakes and I chose the Brazil Nut cake.
For the dinner rolls I chose Lion House, Clover Leaf and small braid knots. I loved the Lion house and small braid knots, but my clover leafs were embarrassing.
Loved the Brazil Nut Cake!
Faye Levy Chocolate Sensations, HP Books Inc., USA, 1986, p.22-23
Chocolate –Brazil Nut Cake
1-1/2 cups Brazilian nuts (about 7 oz)
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
¾ cup Sugar
¼ cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup (6 oz) unsalted butter slightly softened
6 eggs separated, room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Chocolate Honey Frosting
½ cup whipping cream
6 oz. semisweet chocolate, very finely chopped
6 tablespoons (3 oz.) unsalted butter, slightly softened but still cool
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon honey
Garnish
¼ cup Brazil nuts chopped
- Preheat oven to 350F(175C).
- Toast nuts in a shallow baking pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Transfer nuts into large strainer. Rub nuts against the strainer with a towel and remove most of the skin and keep aside.
- Melt chocolate in double boiler or heatproof medium bowl over hot, not simmering, water over low heat, stirring occasionally until smooth, remove and set aside to cool.
- Butter 9”x3” springform pan, line base with parchment paper and grease and flour the sides of the pan.
- Grind the nuts with 2 tablespoons sugar into a fine powder. Transfer into a bowl and sift flour and baking powder and mix thoroughly.
- Cream butter and 6 tablespoons of sugar and beat until smooth and fluffy. Add one egg yolk at a time and beat till all 6 are blended and pale. Stir in the melted chocolate.
- In another bowl beat egg white and cream of tartar in medium speed until it forms soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat till white are stiff and shiny but not dry.
- Gently fold in 1/3 of the white into the chocolate flour mixture, repeat folding in batches until batter is blended.
- Transfer batter into prepared pans and bake for 40 minutes or till the tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Using a spatula go around the cake gently and invert onto a cake rack and allow cooling completely.
Frosting
- Bring cream to a full boil in a small saucepan remove from heat and immediately.
- Add the chopped chocolate. Stir quickly till the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature.
- Whip this at high speed till it thickens and becomes pale.
- Cream butter in a medium bowl until it is soft and smooth, gradually add the chocolate mixture and honey and beat well
- Using a long spatula spread frosting evenly on the side and top of the cake.
- Fill the center with chopped Brazil nuts.
