Amy and Kevin's 25th Wedding Anniversary Chocolate Cake

I made one 9 inch cake for Amy and Kevin 2025 on their 25th wedding anniversary.

This cake is gluten free, keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week and can be frozen un-iced. Thanks Tristan for sharing your expertise on the difference between almond meal and almond flour.

For two thick 9 inch cakes you need the following for each one ( in other words the following twice if you want two cakes:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot water

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

330 g butter (about 1 1/2 cups)

300 g dark chocolate

2 1/4 cups almond meal (I used almond flour)

9 eggs

For one thin 9 inch cake and one 6 inch cake you will need the following for each one.

1/2 cup cocoa powder

                                                  1/2 cup hot water                                                        

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

220 g butter ( about 1 cup)

200 g dark chocolate

1 1/2 cups almond meal (I used almond flour)

6 eggs

Preheat oven to 170 C/338 F. Grease cake tins and line the base with baking paper.
Put cocoa into a medium saucepan and slowly whisk in the hot water to form a smooth paste. Add sugar, butter and chocolate. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes to cool. Stir in the almond meal and eggs. Pour into tin and bake for about 60-70 minutes for the two deep 22cm cakes, 50 minutes for thinner 22cm (9 in) cake, and 1 hour 20 minutes for 16cm (6 in) cake or until cooked when tested with a skewer. I baked the 9 inch cake for 1 1/2 hours to get the toothpick to come out clean but read elsewhere that flourless cakes can be taken out when the middle is still a bit jiggly otherwise they can be a bit dry.  Not sure if that applies to this cake.  The cake wasn't overly dry but I will try a bit less time in the oven next time. Cool cake in the tin, then remove, cover and refrigerate until needed. They can all be frozen at his stage if you are planning ahead. Cool, wrap in baking paper then cling film and freeze flat (on a tray is good). Defrost over night . 

Meringue Icing

1 1/4 cups berry sugar

1/3 cup water

6 egg whites

500 grams (1 lb) butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, and slowly bring to the boil without stirring. You can swirl the pan slightly, but stirring it can cause sugar crystals to form, which you don’t want. Wash down any sugar crystals from the inside of the pan with a wet pastry brush. When the sugar is completely dissolved, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Boil until soft ball stage on a sugar (candy) thermometer (116 C/240 F). If you don’t happen to have a sugar thermometer, simply drop a little syrup into a glass of cold water, and if it forms a soft sugary ball you’re good to go.

Beat the egg whites with a electric hand mixer in a large bowl until firm peaks form. Continue beating and pour in the sugar syrup in a steady stream into the egg whites. Beat for 3 minutes or until the mixture stops steaming.

Continue beating and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, until it's all incorporated. Beat for a further 15 minutes (the mixture will look curdled at first), then use a metal spoon to mix in the vanilla. Keep in a cool place (not in the fridge) until needed.

To ice I turned the cake upside down on the serving plate as the bottom of the cake is flatter.  For the 9 inch cake the above amount of icing was too much. I would try 2/3 of the recipe next time.

Garden flowers made a pleasing finish to the cake.

August 2025

 

Pumpkin Surprise Chocolate Cake

 Reegan made this delicious cake (gluten free or not)
 for Grandpa's 69th birthday.

Pumpkin Surprise Chocolate Cake 

Otherwise Known As Pake 

Pumpkin Filling 

1 can Pumpkin Puree 15 oz (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup bisquick (biscuit mix) gluten free or not

1 tbsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 8 or 9 inch springform pan and set aside.  In a large mixing bowl mix the canned pumpkin with the sweetened condensed milk, bisquick, eggs and cinnamon.  Mix until well combined, then pour the pie filling into the greased pie pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let cool.

Chocolate Cake

Prepare chocolate cake batter. (1 or 2 boxes or from scratch). Pour 1/4 of batter into 9 or 10 inch springform pan.  Place pumpkin layer on top of batter.  Pour the rest of the batter around and on top of the pumpkin layer.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, checking every 5 minutes after 20 minutes. 

Presentation

Decorate with butter cream icing or as desired.  

~For best results enjoy with company~ Reegan

Chocolate Cake

 Oliver made his first ever cake from scratch!

  Yum!  Yum!

Summer 2022

Best Chocolate Cake Recipe

Tiramisu

Perfect decadent dessert for a Welcome Back to Summer at the Cabin Birthday!  

Cream

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup/100 grams granulated sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup/227 grams mascarpone 

Rest of Ingredients

1 3/4 cups espresso or very strong coffee

2 tablespoons rum or cognac

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 24 ladyfingers (7 oz/200 gram package) (GF or regular)                                                      1 to 2 oz bittersweet chocolate for shaving ( or milk chocolate)
• Step One
• Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl, whip together egg yolks and 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar until very pale yellow and about tripled in volume. A slight ribbon should fall from the beaters (or whisk attachment) when lifted from the bowl. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, wiping out the medium bowl used to whip the yolks and set aside.

Step Two

In the medium bowl, whip cream and remaining 1/4 cup/50 grams sugar until it creates soft-medium peaks. Add mascarpone and continue to whip until it creates a soft, spreadable mixture with medium peaks. Gently fold the mascarpone mixture into the sweetened egg yolks until combined.

Step 3

Combine espresso and rum in a shallow bowl and set aside.

Step 4

Using a sifter, dust the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish (an 8x8-inch dish, or a 9-inch round cake pan would also work here) with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder.

Step 5

Working one at a time, quickly dip each ladyfinger into the espresso mixture -- they are quite porous and will fall apart if left in the liquid too long -- and place them rounded side up at the bottom of the baking dish. Repeat, using half the ladyfingers, until you’ve got an even layer, breaking the ladyfingers in half as needed to fill in any obvious gaps (a little space in between is O.K.). Spread half the mascarpone mixture onto the ladyfingers in one even layer. Repeat with remaining espresso-dipped ladyfingers and mascarpone mixture.

Step 6

Dust top layer with remaining tablespoon of cocoa powder. Top with shaved or finely grated chocolate, if desired.

Finally

Cover with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (if you can wait 24 hours, all the better) before slicing or scooping to serve.

 

Hot Chocolate

Snow day in Massachusetts. 

 No school.  Too icy with the storm.

  Trying out a new crock pot hot chocolate recipe.  

And the verdict is-

YUMMY and SATISFYING

 1 bag chocolate chips (GF for GF)

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup heavy cream

6-7 cups milk

vanilla

2 hours on low

Pink Elephant

Today Reegan tried out the elephant mold 

she got from Grandmaman and Grandpa for her 

11th birthday.

 

Chocolate Beet Cake

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 ¾ cup sugar

⅔ cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

¾ cup finely grated cooked beets (about 2 large beets)

1 ¼ cup hot water

For the cake, preheat  oven to 350 F. Grease two 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper and dust the sides with flour, tapping out any excess.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter has been worked into the flour (it will seem dry and crumbly).

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix in slightly, then mix in the beets. Add the hot water while mixing on low speed, then increase the speed to medium high and continue to mix for 2 to 3 minutes, until the batter is thick and fluffy. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, spread to level the batter and tap the pans on the counter to knock out any large air pockets.

Bake the cake for about 35 minutes, until a tester inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for 30 minutes then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Frosting

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan, then whisk in the sugar and cocoa powder. Continue to whisk this over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble, then whisk in the cream. Continue to whisk until the mixture returns to a simmer (gentle bubbles) and whisk for an additional minute. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Cool the mixture (it will look like a thick fudge sauce) to room temperature, then chill for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally while chilling. This will set the frosting to a spreadable consistency.

To assemble, peel the parchment from a cake layer and place it on a plate or platter. Spread an even layer of frosting over the top of the cake and place the second cake layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake, spreading until smooth. Chill the cake to set, but pull the cake from the fridge an hour before slicing and serving.

The cake will keep for up to 4 days, refrigerated. (freezes well too)

Beet cake with hidden loonies and toonies makes a great 12th  birthday cake for Tristan.

Oma's Five Minute Holiday Fudge

Combine 

2/3 cup (small can) undiluted evaporated milk

1 2/3 cup granulated sugar 

1/2 tsp. salt 

in saucepan and cook over medium heat.  Heat to boiling, then cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  

Add 

1 1/2 cups (16 medium) diced marshmallows

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

1 tsp. vanilla and 

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Stir 1 to 2 minutes or until marshmallows melt.  Pour into buttered 9 inch square pan. Allow to cool. Cut into squares.  

Cocoa Nib Oatmeal Cookies

This is a great oatmeal cookie recipe with a twist--cocoa nibs.  Cocoa nibs are cocoa beans that have been roasted, separated from their husks and broken into small pieces.  They can be eaten as a snack or added to baked goods or other dishes for added crunch, chocolaty flavor and are highly recommended for their nutritional benefits.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

(I used a combination of large flake oatmeal and steel cut oats.

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup cocoa nibs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  

Beat in eggs one at a time.  Beat in vanilla.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. 

 Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat on low speed.

 Partially mix in oats, walnuts, cocoa nibs and chocolate chips with mixer 

and finish mixing in by hand.

Scoop dough out by the tablespoonful onto baking sheets.  Bake on middle rack of oven for 10 to 13 minutes until toasted brown on top.  After removing from the oven allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Finish cooling on a wire rack.  

Cookies will last a room temperature for 4 days.  Unbaked cookie dough can be left in the fridge for a week or can be frozen for about a month.

Chocolate Earl Grey Caramels

Unsalted butter for the pan

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate (99% dark preferable), finely chopped

1 tablespoon Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground

2 tablespoons cacao nibs, crushed (optional)

Line a 9 x 9 pan with 9 x 17 piece of parchment paper.  The paper will droop over the sides.  Butter well.

Stir together the cream, sugar, corn syrup and salt together in a heavy bottom pan. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until it reaches 250 F.  Remove from heat and let cool for five minutes.

Add chocolate and tea.  Stir together and pour into the pan and spread with an offset spatula.  Gently press on cacao nibs and let the caramel sit for a few hours.

Cut apart into 1 inch squares.  Serve or store in an airtight container.

A few tips

The first time I tried the recipe I used my double boiler as I thought it would prevent burning.  It took what seemed like forever to get the mixture to a boil, I never did reach quite 250 degrees and the caramels turned out quite soft.  The second time I tried the recipe I put the pan directly on the heat.  It quickly came to a boil and only took about 10 minutes to achieve 250 degrees.  The caramels were solid, yet still soft......perfect.

I found the cacao nibs at Nutters and apparently they are very good for you although too bitter to eat right out of the bag.

I used whipping cream for the heavy cream and white corn syrup for light corn syrup.

Great for a "tea party".

Flourless Chocolate Cake

After a day of scootering and cycling nothing tastes better than a slice of 

chocolately, chocolately, chocolately cake.

(gluten free)

Cake Ingredients

six  1 oz squares of semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

Glaze Ingredients

two 1 oz squares of semi-sweet chocolate

1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 1/2 tsp. milk or light coconut milk

1 1/2 tsp. honey or Agave syrup

To Make the Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a 7 inch tart pan, springform pan or round cake pan 

by lining the bottom with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.

In a double boiler, melt and stir the chocolate squares and the butter

 until just melted and smooth.

Add the sugar and salt and cook while stirring for about a minute

 until the sugar starts to dissolve.

Remove the pan from heat and whisk in the eggs one at a time.

  The mixture will be smooth and glossy.

Use a mesh hand sieve to sift the cocoa into the mixture.  

Continue to whisk the batter until mixed in and smooth again.  

Whisk in the vanilla.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes. Do not overbake.  The cake should be just firm to the touch.

Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert on to a plate.

To Prepare the Glaze

Melt the 2 squares of chocolate and the butter together in the double boiler.  When melted and smooth remove the pan from the heat.  Add the milk, honey and vanilla and stir until smooth.  Let the glaze cool for about 3 minutes before pouring it onto the cake.  Pour all the glaze into the middle of the cake.  Then using a rubber spatula spread the glaze letting it drip down the sides.

Serves 6

Chocolate Pudding

This chocolate pudding makes a yummy Valentine dessert.

1/2 cup cocoa

1 1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups milk

3 tbsp. butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan stir cocoa, sugar, salt and cornstarch. (I used the double boiler which takes much longer to heat to boiling but requires less careful watching.)  Add milk slowly and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly.  It may be frothy on top.  When mixture comes to a boil, boil one more minute.  Take off heat and add butter and vanilla.  Once the butter is melted and mixed in, pour or scoop the pudding into a bowl or individual dishes to cool.  

Press plastic wrap on the top of the pudding to keep a skin from forming.  

Chill 3 to 4 hours.  Serve as is or with whipping cream and/or fruit, chocolate shavings, chocolate kisses, etc. 

This recipe is gluten free.

Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake is yummy, moist and easy to cut. Grandma used this recipe for 

Amy and Kevin's wedding cake in August 2000 and
 

Jenny and Chad's wedding cake in May 2001.

1 recipe yields 6 cups of batter

This was a practice cake.

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted, cooled
2 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Beat butter and sugar together in large bowl.  Add eggs; beat until light and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla and chocolate.
Sift together dry ingredients.  Add alternately with sour cream to butter mixture; beat well after each addition.  Stir in boiling water.  (Batter will be thin.)  Pour into greased and floured pans.  This recipe will make two 9 inch pans.
Bake in preheated 350 degree oven 35 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool in pan on wire racks 20 minutes.  Turn out onto racks; cool completely.  Fill and frost as desired.  Yield 12 servings.

For a good reference see "Wedding Cake Bake Times and Batter Amounts"  and "Rolled Fondant".