Monthly Archives: June 2018

Mel’s 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce

25 Monday Jun 2018

Posted by in Chocolate, Desserts, Toppings

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Mel’s Kitchen Cafe has great recipes that I use all the time. This hot fudge sauce has three variations and it I o delicious.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 ounces (about 1 1/3 cups) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips (see note)
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) butter
  • 1/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons natural unsweetened or Dutch-process cocoa powder (sift the cocoa powder before using if it is extra lumpy)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips), heavy cream, butter, corn syrup, brown sugar (if using), and cocoa powder. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, 3-5 minutes. Don’t let the mixture overheat or scorch! Add additional milk or heavy cream, if needed, for a thinner consistency.
  2. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
  3. PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE VARIATION: use milk chocolate chips (or half milk chocolate/half semisweet), add 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter to the mixture before heating, and increase the heavy cream to 1 cup.
  4. BUTTERSCOTCH-CHOCOLATE VARIATION: use half milk chocolate/half semisweet chocolate, add 2/3 cup butterscotch chips (about 4 ounces) to the mixture before heating, decrease the cocoa to 1 tablespoon, and increase the butter to 6 tablespoons.
  5. Use immediately or store the sauce in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Reheat in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly just until heated (don’t let it boil or simmer) or in the microwave for 20-30 seconds at a time – thin with additional milk or heavy cream, if needed.

Use chocolate that you like the flavor of.

Brian’s Chocolate Cake

20 Wednesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Cakes, Cupcakes, Desserts

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I cannot remember if Brian made this from my birthday or Kristina’s, I just remember that it was delicious. And since chocolate is my favorite, this isn’t the only chocolate cake that you will find here.

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 cups granulated white sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk or substitute by putting 1 tbsp white vinegar in a cup then filling the rest up with milk; let stand 5 minutes until thickened
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

  • Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch baking pans (or line with parchment paper circles) and set aside.
    2. In the large bowl of a standing mixer, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, buttermilk, melted butter and vanilla extract and beat until smooth (about 3 minutes). Remove bowl from mixer and stir in hot water with a rubber spatula. Batter will be very runny.
    3. Pour batter evenly between the two pans and bake on middle rack of oven for about 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean with just a few moist crumbs attached.
    4. Allow to cool 15 minutes in pans, then run a butter knife around the edges of each cake. Place a wire cooling rack over top of each pan. Wearing oven mitts, use both hands to hold the racks in place while flipping the cakes over onto the racks. Set the racks down and gently thump on the bottom of the pans until the cakes release. Cool completely before handling or frosting.

Celebration Chocolate Cupcakes

20 Wednesday Jun 2018

Posted by in Cakes, Cupcakes, Desserts

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I used this recipe for the cupcakes I made for Noah’s baptism.

For the cupcakes:
1 cup granulated white sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 egg, room temperature
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
¼ cup sunflower oil
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup / boiling water

For the frosting:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup milk
2 ¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
¾ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp light corn syrup

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the egg, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Mix with a spatula just until smooth and combined. Pour in the boiling water, and slowly mix. The batter will be liquid-y, this is normal.

Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups.

Bake for 15-19 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until a cake tester or a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of each cupcake comes out clean.

Transfer cupcakes in pans to wire racks for about 10 minutes until the tins are cool to the touch. Once the tins are cool, remove the cupcakes from the pans, and transfer to the wire racks. Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting.

In a large bowl (or in a stand mixer), combine the melted butter and cocoa powder powder until smooth. Now, alternately mix in the milk and powdered sugar, beating (on medium speed) to spreading consistency. Add another tablespoon or so of milk, if necessary. Mix in vanilla and light corn syrup.

To frost the cupcakes, I use a small off-set spatula (you can use a butter knife without a serrated edge, if you don’t have one) at an angle to spread the frosting smoothly around the cake. Make sure to frost to the very edges (doing this is not only an excuse to have more frosting on your cupcakes — yum! — but it also helps keep the cupcakes moist). Then, I use a cake spatula to create the indent in the center. Or you can pipe the frosting on, sprinkles are the perfect finishing touch.