Icing help

Could someone help me with *easy to follow* and *fool proof* chocolate glace icing recipes?


My cakes come out well - but then if i decide to ice them i usually end up making a big mess and an ugly cake.

Thought I had one for this but looking through my recipes I have a chocolate fudge one, another for chocolate eclairs, one for fairy cakes (not glossy though) and one for a sachertorte (not tried it on an ordinary cake).


I also have an easy recipe for mini chocolate muffins with chocolate drop icing - it actually requires "sloppy" mixing. We call them Rudolphs.


Let me know if you think any might help.

The one for the sachertorte would be good thanks


I'm making a sandwich cake - though i'm still undecided on whether to use orange marmalade, whipped cream or cooked pears as the middle layer.

Sachertorte icing


Should cover a 20cm cake.


Ingredients

175g dark chocolate (50-55 per cent cocoa solids)

150 ml double cream

2 teaspoons glycerine


Method

1. Melt the chocolate with the cream, in a bowl over (not in) simmering water. Don’t stir until the chocolate has just melted, then briefly stir until smooth. Heat should be at the lowest. Take your time; this make take five minutes.

2. Remove the bowl from the heat, and stir in the glycerine. Pour the icing over the cake.


BTW, this will take about 2 or 3 hours to set.



Or apricot jam spread over the bottom sponge and put the cream on top. My personal preference is to leave the pears for a chocolate and pear upside down pudding.

thanks claire - this is going to be a be a bit of an experiment.


I guess it's more a two layer choc/bread pudding than a cake. i've made it before and it's easy to prepare and comes out well.


http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/chocolate-bread-and-butter-pudding,1036,RC.html


I'm making it for a chocoholic friend's birthday party.


Never tried apricot jam with chcocolate cakes though....

IMHO, the best chocolate "cakes" are the flourless ones, hmmmmmm...

Would appreciate a fourless choc cake recipe....


i love experimenting - specially all things involving chocolate..

Always use the best quality chocolate you can find for these ones.



This one is from Nigella. I thinks it's called 'Cloud' because of the fluffy cream topping and you'll feel like you have gone to heaven when you eat it.



Chocolate Cloud Cake

Serves 8-12


Ingredients

250g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids

125g unsalted butter, softened

6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated

175g caster sugar

2 tablespoons Cointreau (optional)

grated zest of 1 orange (optional)

23cm springform cake tin


for the cream topping:

500ml double cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)

half teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment.

2. Melt the chocolate either in a bowl over hot water or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate.

3. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75g of the caster sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, the Cointreau and orange zest if using.

4. In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape but not too stiff.

5. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly.

6. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools.

7. When you are ready to eat it, place the still tin-bound cake on a cake stand or plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from its tin. Don't worry about cracks or rough edges: you need the crater.

8. Whip the cream until it's soft and then add the vanilla and Cointreau and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff. Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake, and dust the top lightly with sifted cocoa powder.



This one is simpler than Nigella’s. So perhaps use Nigella’s for a very special occasion and this one for “everyday”. LOL



Flourless chocolate cake

Makes 1 cake


Ingredients

225g good quality dark chocolate, chopped into pieces

100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

4 large free-range eggs, separated

175g icing sugar, sifted


Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a large springform cake tin.

2. In a small bowl resting over (not in) a saucepan of hot water, melt the chocolate and butter together.

3. In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks with the icing sugar until pale and creamy.

4. Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture.

5. Using a clean whisk, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then fold gradually into the chocolate mixture.

6. Using a spatula pour the mixture into the greased cake tin, then bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes, until slightly cracked on the top, but still gooey in the middle. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Thanks so much - i think i'll try out both some time soon!

Hey goddess thanks for the link. It looks divine and I promised myself to make it during the hols. Will be inviting friends over so your links to party recipes are welcome.

Hey goddess thanks for the link. It looks divine and I promised myself to make it during the hols. Will be inviting friends over so your links to party recipes are welcome.

Hi bdi - you're welcome


if you are having a party - here's another recipe that i tried this weekend - was really easy to do and came out well..


http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/coarse-pork-pate,1751,RC.html


juniper berries, ham and thyme are all available at city super.


I selected the fatty pork and the lean pork and got them minced. bacon and liver were just chopped up to smallish pieced.


I served the dish with nice white bread, and fresh tomatoes seasoned with basil, olive oil and salt.