The only trouble, if I can call it that, with baking cakes is having leftovers. A bite with my morning coffee, a sliver post lunch, a nibble with afternoon tea—I am the one at home making sure those leftovers don’t go to taste.
To mitigate the leftovers-for-days situation, I bought two small cake pans . They’re round, measuring 6×2 inches, and they’ve been so handy to have on hand. I use them to bake a half recipe of my children’s favorite one-bowl buttermilk birthday cake , and I’ve found I can nearly always halve a recipe and bake off all of the batter in one of the pans or split the batter between the two pans, as I’ve done here.
This is Gourmet’s double chocolate cake, which I blogged about several years ago now, and which has been as well received here as at the recipe’s source site . If this cake is new to you, you’re in for a treat. It’s made with buttermilk (magic!), oil (as opposed to butter), lots of cocoa powder, and coffee, if you wish, which intensifies the chocolate flavor.
A halved version of the recipe still yields a more-than-decent sized cake—I made a two-layer cake with chocolate ganache for Ben and me, and a two-layered cake with chocolate-whipped cream frosting for the children. The leftovers this time around have been manageable, though I still find myself sneaking slivers morning, noon and night. Next time, a quarter recipe it will be—I’ll keep you posted.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Lovebirds. Bake something delicious for yourselves. More desserts here .
As noted above, this is a half recipe. It still yields two thick, round cakes, which can be halved, iced, decorated, etc.
For Ben and me: chocolate ganache + chocolate shavings
Kids’ cake: chocolate-whipped cream frosting (see notes in recipe ) + chocolate shavings.
Description
Notes: If you want to make a larger cake, you can make the original recipe. Find it here .
Here, I’ve made a half recipe and baked it in two 6×2-inch round cake pans . You could also use one standard round or square cake pan (measuring about 10×2-inches).
For the first time, too, instead of making my grandmother’s black velvet icing , which I love, but which is a little fussy (calling for eggs and one’s full attention), I made Gourmet’s chocolate ganache, which is delicious.
Note: Even if you halve the recipe (as I have here), you may have leftover ganache. If so, let it cool so that it firms up a bit—you can do this at room temperature or in your fridge. Using a small scoop (melon-ball size), scoop the remaining ganache into balls and drop into a plate of sifted cocoa powder. Roll the balls to coat. Chill until ready to serve, but bring to room temperature before serving — truffles!
For the chocolate whipped cream frosting (for the kids’ cake), see this recipe: Homemade Angel Food Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting
for the cake:
- 1½ ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate (chips are fine, too)
- ¾ cups boiling water or hot brewed coffee
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1¼ cups ( 160 g ) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups ( 72 g ) unsweetened cocoa powder (use high quality if you can)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
for the ganache:
- 8 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate (chips are fine, too)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup or Lyle’s Golden Syrup, optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- sea salt, optional
to finish:
- small square of semi-sweet (or other) chocolate
- Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans or pan (see note above). Line pan or pans with round of parchment paper. Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with boiling water or hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. (If you don’t feel like sifting, whisking is fine, too.)
- In another large bowl whisk egg vigorously until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to egg, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and whisk until just combined. Divide batter between pans (or pan, see notes above) and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes for smaller pans, 55 minutes or longer for larger pans. Note: I simply touch with my finger, and if it feels mostly springy, I remove the pans from the oven.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache: Finely chop chocolate. In a small saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to chocolate mixture, whisking until smooth. Season with sea salt to taste, if desired.
- Cool cake layers completely in pans on racks, at least 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Remove parchment paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
- If you are making a layer cake, spread a thin layer of ganache over one cake layer. (Note: If you baked a single layer, halve it crosswise with a serrated knife, and spread ganache over top of one layer.) Top layer with other cake layer. Pour ganache on top of top layer, and with an off-set spatula, spread it all over the sides. If desired, run square of chocolate across a microplane grater or shave with a peeler until top of cake is covered in chocolate shavings. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving. (I just keep mine at room temperature always…no space in the fridge.)
The only trouble, if I can call it that, with baking cakes is having leftovers. A bite with my morning coffee, a sliver post lunch, a nibble with afternoon tea—I am the one at home making sure those leftovers don’t go to taste.
To mitigate the leftovers-for-days situation, I bought two small cake pans . They’re round, measuring 6×2 inches, and they’ve been so handy to have on hand. I use them to bake a half recipe of my children’s favorite one-bowl buttermilk birthday cake , and I’ve found I can nearly always halve a recipe and bake off all of the batter in one of the pans or split the batter between the two pans, as I’ve done here.
This is Gourmet’s double chocolate cake, which I blogged about several years ago now, and which has been as well received here as at the recipe’s source site . If this cake is new to you, you’re in for a treat. It’s made with buttermilk (magic!), oil (as opposed to butter), lots of cocoa powder, and coffee, if you wish, which intensifies the chocolate flavor.
A halved version of the recipe still yields a more-than-decent sized cake—I made a two-layer cake with chocolate ganache for Ben and me, and a two-layered cake with chocolate-whipped cream frosting for the children. The leftovers this time around have been manageable, though I still find myself sneaking slivers morning, noon and night. Next time, a quarter recipe it will be—I’ll keep you posted.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Lovebirds. Bake something delicious for yourselves. More desserts here .
As noted above, this is a half recipe. It still yields two thick, round cakes, which can be halved, iced, decorated, etc.
For Ben and me: chocolate ganache + chocolate shavings
Kids’ cake: chocolate-whipped cream frosting (see notes in recipe ) + chocolate shavings.
Description
Notes: If you want to make a larger cake, you can make the original recipe. Find it here .
Here, I’ve made a half recipe and baked it in two 6×2-inch round cake pans . You could also use one standard round or square cake pan (measuring about 10×2-inches).
For the first time, too, instead of making my grandmother’s black velvet icing , which I love, but which is a little fussy (calling for eggs and one’s full attention), I made Gourmet’s chocolate ganache, which is delicious.
Note: Even if you halve the recipe (as I have here), you may have leftover ganache. If so, let it cool so that it firms up a bit—you can do this at room temperature or in your fridge. Using a small scoop (melon-ball size), scoop the remaining ganache into balls and drop into a plate of sifted cocoa powder. Roll the balls to coat. Chill until ready to serve, but bring to room temperature before serving — truffles!
For the chocolate whipped cream frosting (for the kids’ cake), see this recipe: Homemade Angel Food Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting
for the cake:
- 1½ ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate (chips are fine, too)
- ¾ cups boiling water or hot brewed coffee
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1¼ cups ( 160 g ) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups ( 72 g ) unsweetened cocoa powder (use high quality if you can)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
for the ganache:
- 8 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate (chips are fine, too)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup or Lyle’s Golden Syrup, optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- sea salt, optional
to finish:
- small square of semi-sweet (or other) chocolate
- Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans or pan (see note above). Line pan or pans with round of parchment paper. Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with boiling water or hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. (If you don’t feel like sifting, whisking is fine, too.)
- In another large bowl whisk egg vigorously until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to egg, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and whisk until just combined. Divide batter between pans (or pan, see notes above) and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes for smaller pans, 55 minutes or longer for larger pans. Note: I simply touch with my finger, and if it feels mostly springy, I remove the pans from the oven.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache: Finely chop chocolate. In a small saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to chocolate mixture, whisking until smooth. Season with sea salt to taste, if desired.
- Cool cake layers completely in pans on racks, at least 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Remove parchment paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
- If you are making a layer cake, spread a thin layer of ganache over one cake layer. (Note: If you baked a single layer, halve it crosswise with a serrated knife, and spread ganache over top of one layer.) Top layer with other cake layer. Pour ganache on top of top layer, and with an off-set spatula, spread it all over the sides. If desired, run square of chocolate across a microplane grater or shave with a peeler until top of cake is covered in chocolate shavings. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving. (I just keep mine at room temperature always…no space in the fridge.)
Description
Notes: If you want to make a larger cake, you can make the original recipe. Find it here .
Here, I’ve made a half recipe and baked it in two 6×2-inch round cake pans . You could also use one standard round or square cake pan (measuring about 10×2-inches).
For the first time, too, instead of making my grandmother’s black velvet icing , which I love, but which is a little fussy (calling for eggs and one’s full attention), I made Gourmet’s chocolate ganache, which is delicious.
Note: Even if you halve the recipe (as I have here), you may have leftover ganache. If so, let it cool so that it firms up a bit—you can do this at room temperature or in your fridge. Using a small scoop (melon-ball size), scoop the remaining ganache into balls and drop into a plate of sifted cocoa powder. Roll the balls to coat. Chill until ready to serve, but bring to room temperature before serving — truffles!
For the chocolate whipped cream frosting (for the kids’ cake), see this recipe: Homemade Angel Food Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting
for the cake:
- 1½ ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate (chips are fine, too)
- ¾ cups boiling water or hot brewed coffee
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1¼ cups ( 160 g ) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cups ( 72 g ) unsweetened cocoa powder (use high quality if you can)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- ¾ cup well-shaken buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
for the ganache:
- 8 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate (chips are fine, too)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup or Lyle’s Golden Syrup, optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- sea salt, optional
to finish:
- small square of semi-sweet (or other) chocolate
- Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans or pan (see note above). Line pan or pans with round of parchment paper. Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with boiling water or hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
- Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. (If you don’t feel like sifting, whisking is fine, too.)
- In another large bowl whisk egg vigorously until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to egg, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and whisk until just combined. Divide batter between pans (or pan, see notes above) and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes for smaller pans, 55 minutes or longer for larger pans. Note: I simply touch with my finger, and if it feels mostly springy, I remove the pans from the oven.
- Meanwhile, make the ganache: Finely chop chocolate. In a small saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to chocolate mixture, whisking until smooth. Season with sea salt to taste, if desired.
- Cool cake layers completely in pans on racks, at least 30 minutes. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Remove parchment paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.
- If you are making a layer cake, spread a thin layer of ganache over one cake layer. (Note: If you baked a single layer, halve it crosswise with a serrated knife, and spread ganache over top of one layer.) Top layer with other cake layer. Pour ganache on top of top layer, and with an off-set spatula, spread it all over the sides. If desired, run square of chocolate across a microplane grater or shave with a peeler until top of cake is covered in chocolate shavings. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving. (I just keep mine at room temperature always…no space in the fridge.)
Find it online : https://alexandracooks.com/2017/02/14/gourmets-double-chocolate-cake-revisited/
But today, they’re cooking! For Valentine’s Day dinner at home, they’re making this bucatini carbonara with leeks and lemon, an adaptation of a longtime favorite recipe here on AK. If you’re still looking for something to make for dinner tonight, this one couldn’t be simpler to throw together: cook bacon, reserve the fat, use the fat to cook leeks; boil pasta, toss with eggs, fresh lemon juice, grated parmesan, and a little bit of pasta cooking liquid. Toss it all together, add some fresh parsley, and serve with more parmesan and lots of pepper. That’s it!
Head over to Studio McGee to get all of the recipes , and try not to get distracted while you are there. Spoiler: That will be impossible. I love this post: How to Create a Gallery Wall.
Happy Valentine’s Day, Everyone.
Shea and Syd McGee of Studio McGee:
And last but not least, dessert! Gourmet’s Double Chocolate Cake, Revisited . More desserts here.
Description
Notes: For a saucier pasta, use ½ pound pasta. I like saucy, so I always use 1/2 lb. but original recipe calls for 12 oz., and if you are feeding more mouths, know that 12 oz. works just fine—you may want to reserve extra pasta-cooking liquid for saucing purposes.
To clean leeks: Place the sliced leeks in a large bowl filled with cold water. Do this as the bacon cooks. After about 10 minutes, lift the leeks out of the bowl with your hands and transfer to a colander—this allows the dirt that has settled to the bottom of the bowl to stay settled. When transferring the leeks to the sauté pan, be sure the bacon fat isn’t super hot—remove the pan from the heat . It’s OK if the leeks are still wet—a little water clinging to the leeks is a good thing.
This has been a longtime favorite recipe here on AK—here’s the original recipe . You can make it with short pasta, too, but I’ve been loving this bucatini. And in regard to Valentine’s Day, somehow bucatini feels more special than short, stubby shapes.
- Coarse salt and ground pepper
- 6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1 -inch pieces
- 4 leeks, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced, and rinsed (see notes above)
- 1/2 to ¾ pound bucatini or short pasta, such as campanelle, orecchiette, or gemelli (see notes)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup (heaping) grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for serving (optional)
- 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup fresh parsley leaves, coarsely chopped (optional)
- Set a large pot of salted water (I use about a tablespoon of kosher salt) to boil. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, leaving excess fat in pan—you should have about 2 tablespoons. Add leeks (see notes above), season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring often, until leeks are golden brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, parmesan, lemon zest and juice. Whisk ¼ cup pasta water into egg mixture.
- Drain pasta and immediately add to egg mixture, along with bacon, leeks, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss to combine. If necessary, add more of the reserved pasta cooking liquid to taste. Sprinkle pasta with more cheese if desired and serve immediately.
