Posts tagged ‘white chocolate’

July 8th, 2010

Latest Inspired Creation – Chocolate and Basil Cake

A while back ago I ran across a blog article about chocolate and basil truffles from a London chef. The thought of a rich dark chocolate combined with bold, fresh basil immediately piqued my imagination and left me wondering, how to create a chocolate basil cake. When I started this morning, I wasn’t sure how much of each ingredient I would use.

The basil leaves are combined with white chocolate and considering the sweetness of white chocolate, I knew I would use less sugar in the cake.

The fresh basil leafs were blended into a melted white chocolate and cream mixture and then chilled completely.

I improvised, put it in the oven to bake and crossed my fingers. The resulting mix of flavours and level of sweetness are perfect!

The cake turned out so well that it’s on sale to the public at the Bubble T Café in Le Marais! So if you are in Paris and want to try it, make your way to :

……

Bubble-T Café
17 rue Quincampoix
Paris, 75004
……………….
The recipe is below the photos.

Chocolate and Basil Cake

Perfect texture on the outside...

Rich and ultra-moist in the center...

One more pic because it's so good

Recipe: Recipe (adjusted)

Ingredients

  • 200 g dark chocolate 70-85%.
  • 200 g unsweetened butter
  • 150 g white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 rounded tablespoons of flour
  • 200 g white chocolate
  • 20 cl cream (30% fat)
  • 15 g fresh basil leaves (leaves only – weight of stems not included)

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 190°C
  2. Melt the dark chocolate with the butter over a bain-marie. Once completely melted remove from heat and whisk to completely combine the butter and chocolate.
  3. Stir in the sugar and mix well.
  4. Allow to cool for 15 minutes
  5. In a large bowl,whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
  6. The mixture will become lumpy, keep whisking.
  7. Add the flour and whisk the mixture until it is no longer lumpy. It should be smooth and glassy.
  8. Pour into non-stick 20 cm round baking dish.
  9. Bake for 23-25 (max!) minutes.
  10. While the cake is baking, melt the white chocolate with the cream over a bain-marie. Do not allow to over-heat! The white chocolate burns easily.
  11. Stir constantly.
  12. Remove from heat and allow to cool in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  13. After cooled, chop the basil leaves (stems removed).
  14. Mix the white chocolate and basil leaves in the blender until completely blended.
  15. The white chocolate should turn green.
  16. Refrigerate the white chocolate basil mixture again so that it becomes more firm.

This cake should be eaten completely chilled! Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes on the counter and then refrigerate for 2 hours. Refrigerate the white chocolate basil mixture as well. After the cake is chilled, spread the white chocolate basil mixture on top of the cake. Allow to cool some more or eat immediately. Normally this chocolate cake can be eaten warm but with the basil topping it taste best eaten very chilled

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© 2010, Epicure on a Budget. All rights reserved.

May 24th, 2010

Latest Kitchen Experiment – Torte au Chocolat Blanc et Noix de Coco

I’m sure that I’m not the first person who, upon trying Trish Deseine’s Gâteau au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie, thought, “I wonder what this would taste like with white chocolate?”. I’ve been mulling different ideas over in the past week.

Should I make a dense white chocolate torte with strawberries? Or a Torte Pina Colada with coconut and pineapple? I knew the recipe would have to be altered. White chocolate isn’t really chocolate. It has a different melting point, more sugar and will interact differently with flour and eggs, producing a texture very different from the Gâteau au Chocolat Fondant de Nathalie.

I decided to keep it simple and stick to white chocolate and coconut. I also wanted a fluffy torte, not too dense.

This is what I came up with:

  • 300 grams white chocolate
  • 150 grams unsalted butter
  • 125 grams coconut shavings (only 100 grams in the torte, set 25 grams aside to decorate cake with)
  • 150 ml heavy cream
  • 30   grams sugar
  • 4     eggs
  • 4     tablespoons flour
  • Powdered Sugar for decoration

Pre-head oven to 190°C (375°F)

Line 20cm pie dish with parchment paper

Melt the white chocolate and butter in a double broiler. Add cream, stirring continually. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Add 100 grams of the coconut shavings (reserving 25 grams for decoration). Transfer mixture to large mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing with electric mixer. Add the 30 grams of sugar and 4 tablespoons of flour.

Pour mixture into the lined pie dish. Bake for 24 minutes.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes. To serve, sprinkle with coconut shavings and powdered sugar.

The cake has a lighter and slightly spongy texture. It’s not overly sweet and would be perfect with coffee.

Tip: Be very careful when melting the white chocolate. I noticed that it burns more easily than authentic chocolate. So melt it very slowly and stir often!

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© 2010, Epicure on a Budget. All rights reserved.


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