Christmas Soon

In about 10 days from today, the Christmas Day is coming. And I am so excited. This is my favourite holiday. The perfect time when I can decorate our home with as much glitter and flamboyance as I want, the time I buy presents for family, friends and loved ones and wrap them in pretty papers, the time where we spend time with our friends and families with Christmas parties filled with laughter and love.

Last Saturday we went to my sister’s place outside Oslo. She invited for early Christmas dinner with the closest family. Me and the Mister, and her in-laws were there with a family (couple) friend.

So of course I brought cake. This is my first Christmas themed cake (for this year). I’ve made it before and it’s always a success. Easy to make, no fuss and no hassles. That’s why this is perfect to make during this holiday. You can just whip up the recipe very quickly in the morning and it’s ready for the evening’s after dinner tea/coffee and dessert.

It is a Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream and Chocolate Ganache Glaze.

If you’re looking for a cake with a nice fluffy-as-air texture with a subtle but yummy chocolate flavour, then this is perfect.

I decorated the top with some “pine trees” made out of melted white chocolate (coloured with edible food colours in different shades of green) and salted pretzels. Drizzled some desiccated coconuts and a sprinkle of confectioners sugar. Et voila! A winter / Christmas themed cake.

When I took these photographs, especially the close up ones, I felt like I can step on top of the cake and I’d feel like I’m inside a wintery forrest waiting for Bambi to jump from behind one of those white chocolate trees.

I think it’s really beautiful.

 

So here it is I am sharing the recipe. 🙂

Chocolate Chiffon Cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream and Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Ingredients:

CHOCOLATE CHIFFON CAKE

12 Egg Whites (516 grams)

1 1/4 cup Sugar

3/4 cup Cake Flour

1/4 cup Cocoa Powder

1 tsp Cream of Tartar (optional)

1/8 tsp Salt

1 tsp Vanilla Extract (I used vanilla paste)

• Preheat the oven to 160*C.
• Sift the flour and cocoa together, 5 times.
• Beat egg whites with the salt until foamy.
• Add cream of tartar (if using. this helps to avoid over beating the egg whites) and beat until stiff. Add in the sugar while beating, a tablespoon at at time.
• Fold in the flour and cocoa mixture a tablespoon or two at a time.
• Pour into a Chiffon/Angel Food Cake Pan and place in the middle of the preheated oven.
• Bake for 45 minutes.
• When done, cool the cake upside down to avoid it from shrinking. Let cool completely before filling, glazing and decorating.

CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

50g Caster Sugar (fine)

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder ( I used 100% pure)

240ml Cold Whipping Cream

• Place all the ingredients on a mixing bowl-
• Add some cream and stir until a paste is achieved.
• Stir in the rest of the cream.
• When incorporated, start whisking to medium on a standing kitchen machine or by hand.
• Whip until stiff peaks form.
• Cover and place in the fridge until ready to use.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

180g Dark Chocolate, chopped

57g Salted Butter, diced

2tbsp Light Corn Syrup (liquid glucose, golden syrup)

1tbsp Liqueur (any coffee flavoured liqueur will work is fine), optional

• Melt all ingredients on a double boiler on medium heat.
• Remove from heat stir the liqueur and cool slightly before using on cake.

PINE TREE DECORATIONS

A few pretzel sticks

Melted White Chocolate

A few drops of paste food colouring (I used different shades of green)

• Melt the white chocolate on a double boiler or microwave.
• Add a tiny drop of food colour and see how intense or muted the colour is. It depends on how you want your trees to look like.
•  Pour into a piping bag (or a ziplock bag) and cut the end off. Pipe a tree shape on top of the pretzel sticks and decorate with sprinkles.
• Let cool in the fridge until set.

ASSEMBLY

• Cut the cooled cake in half using a serrated knife.
• Spread the whipped chocolate cream on the bottom half of the cake. Making sure not to over fill that the cream would come out on the outer edge of the cake. Place the top half and gently press so the sides come together and “hide” the cream inside.
• If you want the filling to be shown it is perfectly ok too.
• Pour the cooled chocolate glaze on top and spread outwards making sure that it drips on the outer sides of the cake.
• Sprinkle some desiccated coconuts on top to look like snow. This is also optional.
• Place in the fridge until cold and the glaze hardens.
• To decorate, poke the “trees” on top the cake in different heights and spaces.
• You can also use confectioners (powdered) sugar for “snow” decoration. Just sprinkle some using a fine mesh sieve / strainer just before serving.

Aaaand VOILÀ! A pretty and yummy Christmas (Autumn/Winter) themed Chocolate Chiffon Cake.

 

I’ve made this cake countless times before and it is yummy. Even without the whipped cream filling and the chocolate glaze, the sponge is just delicious as it is. Perfect pare to a cup or two of peppermint tea.

Try it. Take a picture. Post it and use the hashtag #sugarboyed. I want to see. And let me know how it turns out. I’m excited.

Later.

Sugarboy

 

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