Chocolate Raspberry Mousse Cake

I tried this lovely mousse cake out as a dessert to serve to some guests. It was a little time intensive, as each layer required some time to set, but the result was beautiful, and I will definitely be making it again. I used this recipe for inspiration, but didn't make the vanilla layer, as I thought the dark chocolate and raspberry layers complimented each other perfectly. The dessert was a hit and tasted even more amazing than it looked. The mousse was light and fluffy, and the brownie and ganache tied the dish together perfectly. Even though it took some time to put together, the dessert was easy to make, and definitely worth the effort.

Here's the recipe:

Brownie Layer:

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Mousse:

• 9 oz. dark chocolate (I used 72%)
• 1 + 3/4 cup heavy cream, use divided
• 1 packet (2 tsp) unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/2 cup sugar

Raspberry Mousse:

• 1 cup raspberries, plus additional for garnish
• 1 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 packet (2 tsp) unflavored powdered gelatin
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/3 cup sugar

Ganache:

• 4 oz dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp sugar

Brownie Layer

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2.  Grease a 9" springform cake pan. You may also line the sides of the cake pan with parchment paper for ease of removal, if you like. 
3. Sift together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. 
4. Melt butter in a suacepan over low heat. Stir in sugar until it dissolves. Remove from heat, and let cool.
5. Beat eggs, and slowly add the cooled butter and sugar mixture. 
6. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in thirds, and mix to combine. 
7. Pour the batter into a greased springform pan, and bake for about 25 minutes. Start testing at 20 minutes to check if it's done. Leave out to cool - the brownie layer can be refrigerated after it reaches room temperature

Chocolate Mousse Layer

1. On top of a double boiler, combine 9 oz. dark chocolate and 3/4 c heavy cream. Add in sugar and stir until smooth and creamy. 
2. Whisk gelatin and water together to combine.
3. Once chocolate mixture is cooled, microwave the gelatin for about 15-20 seconds until it is melted, and stir into the chocolate. Set aside to cool. 
4. Whip remaining 1 cup of heavy cream into stiff peaks. When the chocolate mixture is completely cooled, fold in half of the whipped cream until fully combined, then fold in the remaining half. 
5. Spread chocolate mouse on top of the cold brownie layer, and place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, to set.

Raspberry Mousse Layer

1. Puree the raspberries in a blender and then press the mixture through a sieve. You should be left with about 1/3 cup of raspberry puree. Discard the seeds.
2. Add sugar to puree, and mix. 
3. Whisk gelatin and water together to combine.
4. Whip 1 and 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream into stiff peaks. 
5. Microwave the gelatin for about 15-20 seconds until it is melted, and stir into the raspberries. 
6. Allow raspberry mixture to cool to room temperature, then fold in whipped cream in two parts, as detailed in step 11. 
7. Spread on top of the chocolate mousse mixture once the chocolate layer is completely set. 
8. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Ganache Topping

1. Combine chocolate, heavy cream, and sugar in the top of a double boiler, and stir until completely melted. The ganache should have a nice sheen to it. 
2. Remove the cake and mousse layers from the spring form pan and place over a cooling rack. Spoon the warm ganache mixture over the cake. You can choose to use the glaze to cover the sides, or leave them open to reveal the layers. 
3. Refrigerate after topping with ganache until set.
4. Top with raspberry decoration of your choice, and serve the cake once it has been sitting at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Danish Pastry Braid

I found this recipe for a Danish pastry braid in the cookbook "Baking with Julia," by Dorie Greenspan. I've made the recipe twice, since I made enough pastry dough for two braids, and the practice certainly made it look a lot better the second time around. I found it helpful to watch the "Baking with Julia" episode where Beatrice Ojakangas demonstrated how she makes the braid to get an idea of technique. I found the trick is to be careful not to overfill the dough, so that the jam and cream don't spill out as you braid the dough together. If you make the dough in advance, you can make this pastry in just about an hour, as it takes very little time to bake. It tastes delicious with coffee for dessert, or even a luxurious breakfast. You can also glaze the pastry (with regular or coffee glaze) but I found that it was sweet enough without, so I chose to omit that step. If you're looking for a fun challenge, I recommend giving this recipe a try. Enjoy!

Danish Pastry Braid Dough

• 1 recipe Danish pastry dough 
• 1 egg yolk

Raspberry Jam Filling

• 2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)
• 2/3 cup sugar

Confectioner's Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough into a 10" x 16" rectangle.
3. Mentally section the dough into thirds, and cut 1" strips of the dough slanted away from the center on both the left and right sides. A video with the proper technique can be found here.
4. Spoon the jam filling down the center of the braid, being careful to stay away from the edges where the strips have been cut. 
5. Soon confectioner's cream over the jam in dollops.
6. Braid the dough strips (as shown in video) over the filling. 

 

   7. Brush the braid with egg white

   8. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve cool. Enjoy!

Mocha Cupcakes with Ganache Glaze

 I got a new cupcake pan that I really wanted to try out, so I decided to take some leftover chocolate and make these delicious cupcakes. I made these pretty late, so apologies for the harsh indoor lighting! The coffee in the recipe can easily be omitted if you prefer a chocolate flavor instead. I made these cupcakes with coconut sugar, and they turned out just as delicious as they do when I use white sugar. I also didn't use the traditional double boiler or heavy cream to make the ganache topping because I was looking for a quick method with ingredients I have on hand - but you can certainly go that route instead. These cupcakes look gorgeous, and taste even better the day after you make them - if you can wait that long. I didn't have raspberries on hand, but they would look and taste lovely with a raspberry on top of each cupcake for contrast. Serve these goodies at room temperature. Enjoy!

Here's the recipe:
Cupcakes

• 5 oz. dark chocolate
• 1 stick of butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tsp instant coffee powder
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup milk

Ganache Frosting

• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• scant 1/3 cup whole milk or heavy cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. melt chocolate and stick of butter in the microwave (I heated for about 40 seconds, stirring halfway.)

3. Whisk together eggs, sugar, coffee and vanilla extract, and cocoa powder until fully combined. 

4. In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt and combine

5. Once the chocolate-butter mixture has cooled, add it to the egg mixture and combine. 

6. With a spatula, slowly combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients until the batter is smooth. 

7. Add milk and stir. 

8. Grease a 24 count cupcake pan well, and spoon batter into molds. Bake for 12 minutes, and then let cool.

9. When the cupcakes have cooled, microwave chocolate chips and milk for 20 seconds, and then stir together to combine until mixture is glossy.

10. Spoon ganache over the top of the cupcakes carefully, to glaze them. 

11. Let cool, and then serve. Enjoy!

Glazed cupcakes and Coco!

Blueberry Brunch Cake

This simple, yet gorgeous, blueberry brunch cake is the first recipe I ever was able to complete on my own. Over the years I've tweaked the recipe a bit, but the original can be found here.  It tastes great with either fresh or frozen berries (I used a bit of both since we ran out of fresh ones). Enjoy!

Cake:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 stick of butter, softened
• rind of 1/2 lemon
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 cups of flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup milk

Filling: 

• 2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tsp flour
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg, ground

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Grease a 9" springform pan. 

3. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

4. Add in zest of 1/2 lemon (approx. 1 tsp) and 1 egg.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in order to combine and sift.

5. Combine yogurt and milk until smooth.

6. Add dry ingredients and yogurt mixture alternately to large bowl with butter. Combine.

7. Spread batter on the bottom of the springform pan, and about 1/2" up the sides of the pan.

8. Combine blueberries, sugar, flour, and nutmeg for filling.

9. Spoon filling over the center of the cake, making sure filling doesn't spread over the sides.
10. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, and serve warm. Enjoy!

Mixed Berry Pie

We had a long weekend to celebrate the 4th of July, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself outside in the beautiful weather. I made this recipe for us to enjoy after a lovely day at the beach, and it was quite a hit! This wonderful pie was the perfect dessert for the occasion: red, white, and blue, with a delicious summery filling. I didn't take process pictures, but the filling is a breeze - just mix the fruit with a few ingredients, and allow it to sit to macerate. The lattice top was a really nice touch, although it isn't absolutely necessary. As you can see, I made a few thick strips and tossed it together quickly because I was running short on time, but you can easily go for thinner strips for a more sophisticated look. Either way, the woven effect yielded by the top crust is absolutely gorgeous. However, feel free to cover the pie with a single layer top crust, or get creative and use cookie cutters (star shaped ones would be cute!) to decorate the top of this pie. Lastly, fair warning - the berries make this pie especially juicy. If you are planning on bringing this to an event, it might be a good idea to bake the pies in individual, smaller servings.  Serve this warm with ice cream, or chilled. Enjoy!

• 3 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 3 1/2 cups blueberries
• 3/4 - 1 cup sugar (adjust according to sweetness of  berries)
• dash salt
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 2 pie crusts (for homemade, I use this recipe)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine sugar, salt, cornstarch, lemon juice, and berries in a bowl. Allow to macerate for 30 - 45 minutes.
3. Roll out first pie crust until it forms a 1/2" overhang when placed in pie dish. I like to roll out the pie crusts between two sheets of wax paper in order to keep my counter from getting too messy. Place pie crust in dish, press lightly into sides to avoid air bubbles, and mold the crust as desired. Place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
4. Take out chilled pie crust and pour in berry filling.
5. Roll out second pie crust until it also forms a 1/2" overhang when placed over the pie dish. Cut crust into several strips of even thickness (1/2" - 3/4"). Start to assemble the lattice crust from the center outwards. The slideshow on this site is especially helpful to visualize the process.
5. Bake pie for 1 hour and 20 minutes, tenting with foil if the crust starts to darken.
6. Allow to cool, then serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Tiramisu

I made this very unorthodox but very delicious tiramisu yesterday, and wanted to share the recipe. Tiramisu looks beautiful in deep glass dishes that show off the different layers of the dessert. It pulls together quite easily (just 5 ingredients!), and tastes delicious when served with sliced strawberries. I still had macerated ones leftover from my trifle recipe posted earlier, and the syrup and fruit was a really nice complement to the taste of the coffee. However, you can certainly omit the fruit if you're aiming for a more unadulterated tiramisu taste. I added a tad less sugar than I should have for the whipping cream, and so I used Starbucks hot cocoa powder on top to give the tiramisu a little extra sweetness. Serve chilled with the garnish of your choice. Enjoy!

Here's the recipe:

• 1 angel food cake (13.5 oz.)
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• strawberries for garnish (optional) 

1. Slice the angel's food cake into 1/2" thick slices and arrange in a deep glass dish. Make sure that there are no gaps in the cake layer.
2. Whip the 1 cup heavy whipping cream and 2 tablespoons of sugar for about 3 minutes, or until light, airy peaks form.
3. Pour 1/3 of the coffee over the  cake until it is thoroughly soaked. 

      4. Spread 1/3 of the whipped cream in a layer over the coffee-soaked cake.

    5. Build another layer of cake, coffee and whipped cream. Repeat until the last third of cake,                   coffee, and whipped cream are completed.
    6. Sift the cocoa powder through a strainer and spread it over the top layer of whipped cream.

    7. Garnish the top with sliced strawberries, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 5 hour.

    8. Serve with more fresh strawberry slices. Enjoy!

Trifle

Trifle is a very easy dessert to pull together once you've assembled the different components, and is especially delicious on a hot summer's day. We've been getting a lot of perfectly ripened berries at the grocery store lately, and I thought this trifle would be a wonderful way to showcase the sweet bounty of the summer. You can certainly use any combination of fruit that you'd like. I tried to stay with red berries because the alternating red and white layers look gorgeous in a glass dish. This recipe makes enough for 3 large servings of trifle - adapt it to make as many as you'd like. Enjoy!

Here's the recipe:

• 1/2 cup of strawberries, sliced
• 3 tbsp sugar (more if fruit is tart)
• Angel's Food cake (as necessary)
• 2 pints of raspberries
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. Take strawberries and dust with 2 tbsp of sugar in a bowl. Mix together and set aside to macerate.

2. Take 1/3 of a pint of raspberries and heat in a small saucepan for about 5 minutes until a thickened, slightly jammy syrup has formed. Add sugar if necessary. Set aside. 

3. Take 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and beat with 1 tbsp of sugar until whipped cream forms (about 2-3 minutes). Set aside. 

3. Gather 3 glasses - wineglasses work well for this desert - and cut a 1/2" thick slice of angel's food cake to place in the bottom of each glass. 

4. Divide the raspberry jam among the three glasses of trifle, and spread over the cake. 

5. Arrange strawberry slices on top of the jam. Add raspberries along the edges. 

6. Spread ~1/6 of the whipping cream over the fruit and flatten with a spoon. Make sure to keep the sides of the glass clean above this layer.

7. Continues building layers with one more slice of cake, strawberries, raspberries, and whipped cream. 

8. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!