Tasty and Easy Recipes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 pound good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 sticks unsalted butter or margarine, cut up
7 large eggs, at room temperature
Softly whipped cream or creme fraiche
Fresh raspberries, for garnish

Method:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease bottom and side of 9″ springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper (I used wax paper).
Dust side of pan with sugar). Set pan on wide sheet of heavy-duty foil and tightly wrap foil up outside of pan to prevent water from leaking in during baking.
In 4-quart saucepan, heat water and 1/2 cup sugar over medium-high heat until sugar completely dissolves, stirring occasionally. Add chocolate and butter/margarine to mixture in saucepan; stir constantly until melted.
Remove pan from heat; cool chocolate mixture slightly, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat eggs with remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 6 to 8 minutes or until mixture thickens and triples in volume. With wire whisk, fold warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture until completely blended.
Pour batter into prepared springform pan; place in large (17″x11-1/2″) roasting pan and set on oven rack. Pour enough boiling water into roasting pan to come halfway up side of springform pan.
Bake cake 30 to 35 minutes or until edge begins to set and a thin crust forms on top. Carefully remove spring form pan from water bath and place on wire rack. Cool cake to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

About 30 minutes before serving, run sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen cake; remove foil and side of pan. Invert cake onto waxed paper; peel off parchment. Turn cake right side up onto platter. Serve with whipped cream and berries.

Ingredients:
First Layer:
4 eggs, Separated
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. butter, (125 grams)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp. plain cocoa
1 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder

Second Layer:
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup walnuts, broken

Third Layer, Chocolate Mousse:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. plain cocoa
2 tsp. instant sweet cocoa drink powder
1 tsp. instant coffee

Method:
You will need 2 round springform pans, size 26cm. Butter well and sprinkle some flour. Shake out excess flour.

First Layer:
In a bowl mix dry ingredients. (I like to sift the dry ingredients twice.) In the electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolk one after the other, together with 1 tbsp. of the dry ingredients, and some of the milk. Blend each time well; continue until you finish all. Divide the cream dough into the 2 prepared baking pans. Do not bake yet.

Second Layer:
Beat egg whites with the sugar and baking powder until white hold its peaks. Spread evenly on the 2 cakes. On top sprinkle the broken nuts. Bake in pre heated 325°F hot oven 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.

Third Layer:
Beat the whipping cream together with all dry ingredients until you get solid cream. Spread the cream on one of the cakes. Put the other cake on top. Keep in the refrigerate until you serve.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon ground almonds, plus additional to dust pan
10-1/2 ounces dark chocolate
1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/4 sticks butter or margarine
Pinch salt
5 large eggs
confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8″ or 9″ springform pan with cooking spray, then dust it with ground almonds, shaking off any excess.
In a double boiler set at a low simmer, melt the chocolate butter or margarine and sugar, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, salt, and ground almonds. Fold the egg mixture into the chocolate and stir until thickened, several minutes. Pour the cake into the pan, smooth the and bake 45 minutes, or until the top and begins to crack.
Remove the side of the pan and let the cake cool completely. Dust with confectioners’ sugar if desired.