Granini's Chocolate Cake
with a beautiful mirror glaze
Soooo, this was my very first attempt at a mirror glaze.
Personally, I think it turned out exceptionally well. With the the teeny tiny itty bitty problem that was....
chocolate run-off
The recipe (thanks to Chef Iso) instructed me to pour the glaze on top of the cake when the cake was sitting on top of a rack. Chef Iso said I could then use the leftover run off on a future chocolate project.
So the idea was splendid in theory.
However, how on earth does one transfer the cake from the rack over to the dessert plate?!?
I couldn't figure it out.
So I just let it run off onto the plate.
Because it tasted delicious. And honestly, I wanted to scoop that extra chocolatey goodness onto my spoon and eat it all up. Which I did. Yummm.
Okay, maybe not ALL of the run off.
I mean really. Look how pretty that is!
I didn't freeze my cake, so that's why I ended up with so much run off in the first place, I do believe. And honestly it wasn't all THAT much.
But in the days of Covid, my freezer is packed to the brim.
With toilet paper.
And I didn't have any spare room for a cake.
So I did the best I could.
Which, well, I think wasn't half bad.
Ingredients for the mirror glaze:
Thanks to Chef Iso
I cut the recipe down by a LOT because I was only making the one cake. And it still made way too much. Like a gajillion times too much.
I recommend cutting the recipe down even further.
6 ounces dark chocolate (I used Trader Joe's 70% red chocolate bar)
100 grams water 3.5 ounces water
125 grams sugar
100 grams condensed milk (I actually increased the amount because I liked it sweeter)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10 grams powdered gelatin (which I didn't have. I had a small sheet worth -- about 8 ½ by 2 inches or so, which I used instead. I'm in the middle of a pandemic and am unable to go the store to get the right kind of gelatin, so I used what I had. It's called making do. And I made did. And it turned out swell, thankyouverymuch.)
AND 25 grams of cocoa powder
Directions:
- In a small bowl, bloom your gelatin in cold water. (For me, I just put my sheet of gelatin into a bowl of cold water. If you're using powder, make a thick slurry as you gradually add in the cold water to the powder.)
- Chop up your chocolate into fine bits. Add in your cocoa powder.
- In a small saucepan, heat your water, sugar, and condensed milk until it comes to a boil.
- Stir in the vanilla and the bloomed gelatin until fully combined.
- Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the chocolate until it is nice and smooth.
- Use a sieve to strain out any chunks (I didn't have any chunks, but ok).
- Wait for the chocolate to cool to 90℉. Then slowly pour the glaçage over the top of a cake that is sitting on a rack. If you want that drip down the side look, feel free to pour your glaçage into a drizzle bottle and drizzle it down the sides, and then cover the top of the cake.
- Allow the glaçage to cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer your cake in some magical fashion over to a pretty cake plate. Since I'm not Dobby the Elf, and don't have magical powers, I skipped this step, and my pretty cake had a small pool of glaçage at the base of the cake. Alas.
The mirror glaze will not harden like a firm, tempered chocolate, but rather in this lovely "ganache-like gel." It's delicious. And looks lovely. And I can't wait to try the white chocolate version that I plan to use on top of a new recipe I'm concocting. Think back to Christmas with my Bali Biscuit cookies. I'm thinking of a coconut crisp cookie, a small strawberry or pineapple gelée, then a passion fruit mousse, covered in this pretty mirror glaze. My kiddos gave me the little molds for Christmas. I've been too chicken to try out a mirror glaze (how silly of me, it was quite simple!). And now I have to find recipes for mousses, because I've never made a mousse before, and frankly, it's about time! To be honest, I've been terrified of the gelatin bit. Don't know why, exactly, but that's what's been holding me back. Now that I've tried it, and it worked so splendidly, I anticipate many future dessert recipes with gelatin.
Now, I know some of you are wondering about the recipe for the chocolate cake and the delicious chocolate fudge frosting.
Well don't judge me too harshly, but I haven't yet found a recipe for either that I've been satisfied with.
So.
Gasp.
I used a box caked mix and tub o'frosting.
Yep. That's what I did.
Didn't even doctor them up by changing out the oil for butter and the water for milk. Which I have done in the past, and it's delicious that way. Nope, I simply followed the recipe on the box. Then I sliced off the tops and ate them with my fingers. And I used a spoon to scoop out tub o'frosting and slapped that sucker right on up onto the tops of the cakes I lobbed off, and I ate that too.
So there.
Horrors.
I know, I know.
I'm such a good baker. Why on Earth would I stoop to such measures??
Well, we're in a pandemic, folks.
And I'm using the ingredients that I have.
And frankly, I don't care.
It was yummy.
Some day I will find a recipe for chocolate cake and chocolate fudge frosting, and it will be amazing.
Maybe I'll get Mary Berry's cake book for my birthday or something.
Maybe my Julia Child cookbook has a chocolate cake recipe in it. I'm too chicken to use her cookbook too.
What is it with me and being a chicken?!?
Alas.
But for now, that's what I had in the cupboard, and that's what I used.
Baking and cooking have kept my mind off the world's problems with the pandemic going on, and my family's tummies are happy. We're all safe here at home and are counting our blessings. It's a tough thing for us having a first responder in the family. The hubster is working his katookus off so that we can be safe, and we're so grateful for his sacrifice! Thanks honey!
Have another piece of cake.
Here's to more chocolate cake, more loaves of bread, delicious soups, and comfort food all around.
Stay safe out there.
* * * * *
with a beautiful mirror glaze
Soooo, this was my very first attempt at a mirror glaze.
Personally, I think it turned out exceptionally well. With the the teeny tiny itty bitty problem that was....
chocolate run-off
The recipe (thanks to Chef Iso) instructed me to pour the glaze on top of the cake when the cake was sitting on top of a rack. Chef Iso said I could then use the leftover run off on a future chocolate project.
So the idea was splendid in theory.
However, how on earth does one transfer the cake from the rack over to the dessert plate?!?
I couldn't figure it out.
So I just let it run off onto the plate.
Because it tasted delicious. And honestly, I wanted to scoop that extra chocolatey goodness onto my spoon and eat it all up. Which I did. Yummm.
Okay, maybe not ALL of the run off.
I mean really. Look how pretty that is!
I didn't freeze my cake, so that's why I ended up with so much run off in the first place, I do believe. And honestly it wasn't all THAT much.
But in the days of Covid, my freezer is packed to the brim.
With toilet paper.
And I didn't have any spare room for a cake.
So I did the best I could.
Which, well, I think wasn't half bad.
Ingredients for the mirror glaze:
Thanks to Chef Iso
I cut the recipe down by a LOT because I was only making the one cake. And it still made way too much. Like a gajillion times too much.
I recommend cutting the recipe down even further.
6 ounces dark chocolate (I used Trader Joe's 70% red chocolate bar)
100 grams water 3.5 ounces water
125 grams sugar
100 grams condensed milk (I actually increased the amount because I liked it sweeter)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
10 grams powdered gelatin (which I didn't have. I had a small sheet worth -- about 8 ½ by 2 inches or so, which I used instead. I'm in the middle of a pandemic and am unable to go the store to get the right kind of gelatin, so I used what I had. It's called making do. And I made did. And it turned out swell, thankyouverymuch.)
AND 25 grams of cocoa powder
Directions:
- In a small bowl, bloom your gelatin in cold water. (For me, I just put my sheet of gelatin into a bowl of cold water. If you're using powder, make a thick slurry as you gradually add in the cold water to the powder.)
- Chop up your chocolate into fine bits. Add in your cocoa powder.
- In a small saucepan, heat your water, sugar, and condensed milk until it comes to a boil.
- Stir in the vanilla and the bloomed gelatin until fully combined.
- Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate. Let it sit for 5 minutes or so.
- Using an immersion blender, blend the chocolate until it is nice and smooth.
- Use a sieve to strain out any chunks (I didn't have any chunks, but ok).
- Wait for the chocolate to cool to 90℉. Then slowly pour the glaçage over the top of a cake that is sitting on a rack. If you want that drip down the side look, feel free to pour your glaçage into a drizzle bottle and drizzle it down the sides, and then cover the top of the cake.
- Allow the glaçage to cool for about 15 minutes, then transfer your cake in some magical fashion over to a pretty cake plate. Since I'm not Dobby the Elf, and don't have magical powers, I skipped this step, and my pretty cake had a small pool of glaçage at the base of the cake. Alas.
The mirror glaze will not harden like a firm, tempered chocolate, but rather in this lovely "ganache-like gel." It's delicious. And looks lovely. And I can't wait to try the white chocolate version that I plan to use on top of a new recipe I'm concocting. Think back to Christmas with my Bali Biscuit cookies. I'm thinking of a coconut crisp cookie, a small strawberry or pineapple gelée, then a passion fruit mousse, covered in this pretty mirror glaze. My kiddos gave me the little molds for Christmas. I've been too chicken to try out a mirror glaze (how silly of me, it was quite simple!). And now I have to find recipes for mousses, because I've never made a mousse before, and frankly, it's about time! To be honest, I've been terrified of the gelatin bit. Don't know why, exactly, but that's what's been holding me back. Now that I've tried it, and it worked so splendidly, I anticipate many future dessert recipes with gelatin.
Now, I know some of you are wondering about the recipe for the chocolate cake and the delicious chocolate fudge frosting.
Well don't judge me too harshly, but I haven't yet found a recipe for either that I've been satisfied with.
So.
Gasp.
I used a box caked mix and tub o'frosting.
Yep. That's what I did.
Didn't even doctor them up by changing out the oil for butter and the water for milk. Which I have done in the past, and it's delicious that way. Nope, I simply followed the recipe on the box. Then I sliced off the tops and ate them with my fingers. And I used a spoon to scoop out tub o'frosting and slapped that sucker right on up onto the tops of the cakes I lobbed off, and I ate that too.
So there.
Horrors.
I know, I know.
I'm such a good baker. Why on Earth would I stoop to such measures??
Well, we're in a pandemic, folks.
And I'm using the ingredients that I have.
And frankly, I don't care.
It was yummy.
Some day I will find a recipe for chocolate cake and chocolate fudge frosting, and it will be amazing.
Maybe I'll get Mary Berry's cake book for my birthday or something.
Maybe my Julia Child cookbook has a chocolate cake recipe in it. I'm too chicken to use her cookbook too.
What is it with me and being a chicken?!?
Alas.
But for now, that's what I had in the cupboard, and that's what I used.
Baking and cooking have kept my mind off the world's problems with the pandemic going on, and my family's tummies are happy. We're all safe here at home and are counting our blessings. It's a tough thing for us having a first responder in the family. The hubster is working his katookus off so that we can be safe, and we're so grateful for his sacrifice! Thanks honey!
Have another piece of cake.
Here's to more chocolate cake, more loaves of bread, delicious soups, and comfort food all around.
Stay safe out there.
* * * * *
I not only bake and cook, I write murder mysteries too!
Both books are available in paperback and kindle versions
Diamonds for Diamond
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
Diamonds for Diamond
(Book 1 in the Jack Diamond Mystery series)
and
No One Noticed
(Book 2 in the Jack Diamond Mystery Series)
* * * * *
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