Flourless Chocolate Overload Sponge Cake

Have you noticed how flourless sponges are all the rage at the moment? No? Well, they seem to be rather popular my end, and although I have made countless cake recipes some using alternative flours and some using none at all, I have never been a fan of flourless cakes. I enjoy making them, don't get me wrong, but when It comes to eating them, I find them very dense and a bit of an effort to eat. However I have cracked it! I have combined various snippets of different recipes to create the perfect chocolate overload cake! This cake is perfect with a cup of tea or warmed through for a dessert served with double cream, either way this cake is perfectly delicious with a soft, light sponge and a thick rich chocolate cream topping.

Flourless Chocolate Overload Sponge Cake

Ingredients: Cake

1 cup of Dark Chocolate Chips

8 tbsp. Unsalted Butter

3/4 cup Granulated Sugar

Pinch of Salt

1 tbsp. of Espresso Coffee (Nescafe Azera)

1 tsp. Vanilla Essence

3 Large Eggs

1/2 cup of Cocoa Powder

Ingredients: Topping

1 cup of Dark Chocolate Chips

150ml Double Cream

Method

Start by preheating the oven at 190 oc and greasing an 8" round cake tin. Butter the tin and use some cocoa powder to coat the butter, this will ensure the cake doesn't get stuck!

In the microwave or over a pan of hot water, melt the melt and the chocolate chips, do this very carefully, you do not want to burn the chocolate.

In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, salt, coffee and vanilla, give the ingredients a stir and once the chocolate is ready, combine the ingredients in the mixing bowl.

Gradually add the 3 eggs to the mixture one at a time, beating well.

Now add the cocoa powder and mix thoroughly.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tin. Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes, the cake will forma thin crust on top when cooked.

Test the cake with a knife or a cocktail stick if you are unsure.

Allow the cake to cook for 5 minutes and then remove from the tin.

To make the topping; heat the cream in a saucepan until the cream starts to boil. Prepare the chips by placing them in a small mixing bowl and when the cream is ready, pour over the chips and stir until the chips have melted completely.

Leave the topping to cook for 10 minutes, then pour directly over the cake, using the back of a spoon to push the icing right up to the edge so that it pours over the sides and the entire cake is covered.

Decoration can be added, I gave my cake a sprinkling of freeze died raspberries for a bit of colour.

Ice Cream Cupcakes

These cupcakes are cushioned within a crispy ice cream cone, they are delicious, fun and impressive. I first made these for my friends birthday party and they got such a good response, I have been sure to provide them for similar events. They put a great big smile on peoples faces. this recipe allows you to be creative with decoration and imaginative with your flavour combinations. Here is my recipe, but please comment below if you have ideas for flavours and designs etc. that you would like to share. I have made many combinations; chocolate, white chocolate and even a baileys flavour. These flavours are changeable within the icing, I tend to keep my sponge a vanilla one as I know this sponge bodes well with the ice cream cone and doesn't make the cones soggy.

Ice Cream Cupcakes

Makes 18

125g self raising flour

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

170g softened butter

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla essence
100g Butter

500g icing sugar

Splash of Milk
Sprinkles
Paper Straws
Ice Cream Cones

• Preheat the oven to 195oc and prepare deep cake tins or loaf tins with the ice cream cones, they will support each other if placed together.
• In a large mixing bowl cream 125g of the butter and the sugar together. 
• Set to one side and in another bowl whisk the 2 eggs.
• Sift the flour into the mixing bowl gradually, this will produce a very stiff batter. Add the baking soda and then start to add the whisked eggs gradually and a soft and fluffy batter will start to form. 
• Add 1 tsp. vanilla essence, stir again.
• Spoon 1 tbsp. into each of the ice cream cones and bake for 15 minutes or until golden.
• In a food processor, blitz the icing sugar with the butter and a splash of milk to ensure the icing doesn't become too thick. If it does add a little more milk.
• Once the cakes are cool using a rose head and a piping bag, pipe the icing into the cupcakes and to decorate give a shake of sprinkles and pop a paper straw into the icing for added effect.

Enjoy!!

Toffee Popcorn Cake

I have made a couple of these cakes as they are a very effective design as well as being so scrumptious, they are a toffee overload, which a crunchy topping, but one of the best things about this cake is the sponge. This is a very fun cake as well as tasty, and I like to take advantage of the fact that it is a very sweet cake, so you can get a way with making it even sweeter, if you know what I mean. This cake sponge is enlightened with melted marshmallow which gives the sponge an airy and fluffy texture which works so well with this cake as they icing is heavily sweet and that can be a little over-powering, so the sponge gives this can a different dimension in some ways. The popcorn topping is sensational, as a big lover of pop corn anyway I knew I would enjoy a cake such as this, but if you layer up the popcorn quite high and you keep it covered and airtight, the popcorn wont go soft, it will keep its crunch, which is what you want this cake. I first experimented with this idea for my step-brothers birthday cake and since then its been in steady demand as a showstopper for family gatherings.

Toffee Popcorn Cake

250g self-raising flour

250g granulated sugar

250g softened butter

4 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder
100g Marshmallows

2tbsp. Vanilla Extract

400g Icing Sugar

100g Butter

Splash of milk

1 bag Toffee Popcorn
2 Grab Bags of Toffees

• Preheat the oven to 195oc and pace baking paper in two 9 inch round tins.
• In a large mixing bowl, cream the sugar and the butter together until light and fluffy.
• In a separate jug, whisk the eggs together and set to one side.
• Weigh out the flour, and baking powder and gradually add to the cream and sugar mixture. This will be a little tough and thick however once the flour has been added, proceed to add the egg mixture. Mix until thick.
• Place the marshmallows in a bowl and microwave until they have all melted, then add to the mixture and stir until well combined.
• The mixture will need to be correctly halved and placed in the tins. To do this use 2 bowls to divide the mixture out evening, or estimate if you aren't too fussed.
• Bake the sponge for 15 minutes, until golden brown and springy.
• While the sponges are baking, you can use this time to make your icing. In a food processor, place the icing sugar with the butter. If the mixture is a little stiff, add a splash of milk to lighten it up. Once the mixture perfect, add the vanilla and mix again.
• Pop in the fridge until the sponges are cold.
• Once the cakes are ready to ice, take some of the icing to sandwich both sponges  together, then proceed to ice the sides and the top of the sponges.
• Unwrap the toffees, 1 1/2 bags and place in a  bowl, pop in the microwave for 3 minutes, on a medium heat, stirring every 30 seconds. Once the toffees have been melted place to one side for 3-4 minutes.
• To cover the cake, pour the toffee over the cake and using a spatula push right to the sides, once the toffee hits the cake it will cool dramatically, so the toffee should set halfway down the cake giving that melted appearance.
• Top the cake with the popcorn, doing a layer at a time.
• Unwrap the rest of the toffee and melt in the microwave again, this time, drizzle the popcorn straight away.
  
  
  

  
  

If you have any tips or questions please comment below.

Enjoy!