This post is very dear to me cause of two main reasons, first being this is the first post for my blog. Second being a week ago was my birthday and this cake I had baked for myself, what a way to start my blog right !!
This birthday was something to remember. Unlike other birthday’s which are showered with gifts & parties. But this birthday was not so special for me as it could have been the reason that my daughter (she is my bundle of joy……and a grown up teenager) was away from me. So me n my hubby celebrated with a small dinner at home. Hence we baked this cake to make my day a bit special. My hubby helped me on the major part of the cake baking (especially the cake beating part was taken care by him).
It was an amazing cake, so soft with a spongy texture of the chocolate and vanilla, moist with the sugar syrup, very easy to make provided some good exercise to the hands as the egg beating takes some time and that is the most important aspect which makes the cake so good.
Decision making always confuses - I was contemplating on a red velvet cake or this cake. However I decided I will bake this for now and have bookmarked the other one for the next occasion. I browsed on the net completely to catch up a perfect checkerboard. I decided I will adapt this from (Anzzcafe.com) as it was much easy to understand the steps she has followed. She has a beautiful blog. Most of the blogs have used a checkerboard pan to bake, but I managed baking this without it as I did not have one. Never mind we still get the beautiful patter of the checkerboard. All you have to do is to simply follow a small method whilst assembling the cake to get this beautiful checkerboard pattern.
For the vanilla sponge:
Eggs – 3
Sugar – 1/2cup
Cake flour – 1/2 cup all purpose flour minus 1 tbsp + 1tbsp cornstarch/corn flour
Vanilla extract - 1tsp
For the chocolate sponge:
Eggs – 3
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Cake flour – 1/2 cup all purpose flour minus 3 tbsp + 1tbsp cornstarch/corn flour +2 tbsp cocoa powder
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Soaking liquid:
Water – 1/2 cup
Sugar – 3 Tbsp
Coffee liqueur – splash (optional)
Additional:
Whipping cream – 1 cup
Chocolate Ganache:
Semi sweet chocolate chips – 1 cup
Fresh cream – 1 cup
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180 C.
Grease and line two 8 inch pans with parchment paper or grease the tin with a bit of butter and put ½ spoon of the flour and dust the pan and keep it aside.
For each cake, sift the respective dry ingredients together and keep aside.
Beat the eggs and sugar on a high speed using an electric beater for about 10 to 15 minutes. This step is highly important because we are not using any oil or margarine. The beating of the mixture will cause air to be incorporated and later give volume to the cake.
Now fold the dry ingredients into the batter carefully so that you do not lose the air incorporated.
The mixture will deflate a little but that is ok and go ahead making it.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remember Oven temperatures do vary, keep an eye on the cake after 20 minutes so that it is not burnt.
When the cake is baked, it will be springy to touch and will be pulling away from the edges.
Cool the cake completely.
We have now made 2 cake sponges – vanilla & chocolate.
Using any circular utensils or cutter you might have in the house, cut each cake into 3 circles.
You will have 3 circle of vanilla and 3 circles of chocolate cake respectively. Interchange the circles between the two cakes in a manner where you have 1 vanilla, 1 chocolate and 1 vanilla together making a whole cake.
When you are placing each circle inside the other, Brush the inner sides of the cake with whipped cream. To make it more tasty you may add some sugar to the whipped cream with some sugar and vanilla essence if you like.
Brush the soaking liquid over the cake. The amount of soaking liquid that you brush over the cake determines the moistness of the cake.
Sandwich both the cakes together with the remaining whipped cream.
Make the Ganache:
Heat the cream in a microwave for about 90 seconds. The cream will be really hot. Add the semisweet chocolate chips and mix till combined.
Pour this ganache on the cake and spread around the sides.
Decorate using your imagination. I had some chocolate sprinklers which I have used it here .
Let it chill in the fridge for sometime and then attack it without waiting much and enjoy !!
Latha
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