In Defense of Nigella Lawson, and a 30-layer Chocolate Cake

I admit to a certain addiction to watching Nigella Lawson on Youtube of late. While we are there, yes, it may well have been one of the reasons why I posted my DB Challenge late again. (The other reason is that it took me two days to make all the layers of matchstick-thin sponge, but I will go into that later. Promise.) Now back to Nigella. I am more than aware of the fact that she is not a chef, nor even a trained cook, and that by admitting to watching her shows religiously, I am opening the can of worms that is the scrutiny of 'serious' chefs/cooks out there who thinks that people who are serious about cooking shouldn't be watching such nonsense on TV. Well, guess what, those people would just have to suck it. Because, for the first time, in years, I am actually inspired to cook savoury food.

I cannot even begin to tell you how much of a feat this is----see my blog name? That didn't happen by accident, you know. While I use salt quite often in my baking escapades, I never go so far as to touch anything that would not fit seamlessly into my sweets and desserts-based pantry.

This is what I think: with so many cooking shows abound that they had to dedicate an entire channel to it, I tend to get lost in the myriad of choices. Some are good, of course, and some, like Heston Blumenthal's In Search of Perfection, are very capable of eliciting oohs and ahhs and much admiration for the chef and his quest for, well, perfection in the culinary sense. But what really draws me to the Domestic Goddess is her ability to take pleasure in every little morsel or crumb that she puts in her mouth---she made eating for pleasure her business. And women the world over thank her for it.


She is an attractive woman, no doubt. And so many people have taken a fair go at her, both professional chefs and serious home cooks alike, that what she does isn't cooking, that her show is as best food porn. I agree on a couple of things. First, that she is a very charismatic lady in every sense of the word, and second, that she is a sensualist. But I love her precisely because of these things! Watching her made me stop worrying about my expanding waistline (I'm closer than ever to the 50kg mark, and for someone who used to weigh a mere 39kg 6 years ago, believe me, it's a scary thing), because really, she shows everyone that you don't have to be stick thin to be attractive! Also, if a food lover isn't a sensualist, I'd be very, very wary. Food, and cooking, involve all the senses. I remember reading a while ago that food is the closest thing to sex, in the way that it demands and involve sight, smell, taste, touch, and sound. If a cook seems frigid in the kitchen, I'd be worried that his/her food will lack the warmth that speaks louder than any amiable words or actions that had preceded the meal. Sure, her recipes are not entirely irreproachable, but I think it's the inspiration that counts. Nigella makes me want to jump up on my feet and start cooking savoury food---and trust me, even accomplished, Michelin-starred chefs couldn't make me do that.


I think it is too easy to get jaded by food that all they have become to us is a few lines on a recipe we are working on. The most extraordinary thing about the Domestic Goddess is her ability to see beauty, and to appreciate and take pleasure in even the most mundane ingredients. It is this facet of her that lead her viewers to believe that food is something truly special, something worth labouring over for. In the words of Mr. Ping the Goose (Panda's father in the hit animation Kung-Fu Panda): In order to make something special, you just have to believe that it is special.


Now, on to the cake. I don't think the Dobos Torte is something that Nigella would have featured as one of her express, no-fuss, minimal effort required recipes. But since this is baking, the sky's the limit for me, and I will go to the ends of the earth to bake a 30 layer chocolate cake. Yes, you heard it: 3-0 layers. And oh boy it was so worth the two days I spent and slaved and cursed it for.

It was the perfect balance of flavours. No component is too overpowering, and that's what I look for in a good cake, or any patisserie product for that matter. In the pastry field, it is much too easy to rely solely on technique alone and forget about the taste part. The result is a creation that's spectacular to look at, but makes you think twice about getting a second helping. Not this cake. Even with all the buttercream that I put on it---I ended up making 2 1/2 times the amount specified in the original recipe, and using every last drop of it--- the intensity of the chocolate flavour is balanced with the coffee that I used to soak the sponge layers with, resulting in an orchestral harmony of taste that well and truly makes your palate sings.

The real challenge this time is the sponge. Ah-ha!! Yes, the humble, unassuming sponge. While a sponge is often depicted as a cake that is as soft and tall as a goose-down pillow, in this instance, what I require are sheets as thin as a matchstick. Long story short, two batches later, I'm in the game with 7 1/2 sheets of usable sponge, which I magically turned into 15 neat layers. See how the tediousness of this is getting on my nerves? Time to get on with the recipe.


Sheet Sponge

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature 1 1/3 cups (162g) confectioner's (icing) sugar, divided 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (112g) sifted cake flour (SUBSTITUTE 95g plain flour + 17g cornflour (cornstarch) sifted together) pinch of salt

1.Position the racks in the top and center thirds of the oven and heat to 180C.

2.Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking oil.

3.Beat the egg yolks, 2/3 cup (81g) of the confectioner's (icing) sugar, and the vanilla in a medium bowl with a mixer on high speed until the mixture is thick, pale yellow and forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted a few inches above the batter, about 3 minutes.

4.In another bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 2/3 cup (81g) of confectioner's (icing)sugar until the whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Using a large rubber spatula, stir about 1/4 of the beaten whites into the egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remainder, leaving a few wisps of white visible. Combine the flour and salt. Sift half the flour over the eggs, and fold in; repeat with the remaining flour.

6. Weigh the sponge batter. Divide the total weight by the number of layers you want it to have. I ended up using about 100g per sheet of 25cm x 25cm square. This is where it can get tricky as you may need to change the dimensions of the square if you do not have enough sponge batter. My advice is to use the instructions as a guide and use your instinct for this step. Try one out, and id you think you do not have enough batter to cover a 25cm x 25cm square, work out a new dimension and start again.

5.Spread the batter amongst the sheet pans, and even out with an offset metal spatula as best as you can. Spray another piece of baking paper with oil spray and dust it with cocoa powder. Carefully place the baking paper over the sheet sponge, carefully eliminating any air bubbles that may develop in the process. I find that it's best to start on the side closest to you and work away. Take a rolling pin (or in my case a cannister of cooking oil spray as my rolling pin proved too heavy for this purpose), and gently roll it over the baking paper-covered sponge batter. Even out any slopes or bumps, and your sponge sheet is good to go.

6. Bake at 180C until lightly golden on top, about 3-5 min. Let the sponge cool.


Chocolate Buttercream
(This is double the the amount on the original recipe. I ended up more than this quantity for the piping I do on top of the cake, so if that's what you are after, add: 2 eggs. 100g caster sugar, 55g chocolate, and 125g unsalted butter to the recipe below)

8 large eggs, at room temperature
400g caster (ultrafine or superfine white) sugar
220g bakers chocolate or your favourite dark chocolate, finely chopped
500g unsalted butter, at room temperature


1.Whisk the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, about five minutes. You can use a balloon whisk or electric hand mixer for this.

2.Fit bowl over a water bath. Cook the egg mixture, whisking constantly, for 2-3 minutes until you see it starting to thicken a bit. Whisk in the finely chopped chocolate and cook, stirring, for a further 2-3 minutes.

3. Let cool to room temperature, and whisk in soft butter. It is important that the butter is very soft at the stage, but not melted, or you will end up with ganache instead of buttercream. Store buttercream, covered, in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight until thickened and firm. Alternatively, you can make the buttercream ahead of time and store in the refrigerator for up to three days.


Soaking Coffee

1/2 cup hot water
3 Tablespoons instant espresso coffee

Dissolve coffee in hot water. Set aside.


To Assemble the Torte

1. Cut the half sheet pan of sponge in half. Flip over and peel off the parchment from the bottom. Divide the buttercream into the same number of parts your Dobos torte layers will have.

2.Line a quarter sheet pan with parchment paper. Place the first layer of sponge on top of it. Spread one part of the measured buttercream, top with another layer of sponge. Soak the second layer of sponge with coffee, and spread another part of the measured buttercream on the sponge. Repeat the process until you get to the last layer. Chill, or even better, freeze overnight.

3. The next day, heat the blade of a long, serrated knife with a blow torch. Carefully make a cut about half a centimeter on each side, so that your cake finally reveals its beautiful striped layers that you've worked so hard to achieve. Serve to your friends and family and wait for the moans of pleasure that will inevitably escape their lips after the first bite. Then take a bow, because you deserve it.


The August 2009 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Angela of A Spoonful of Sugar and Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella. They chose the spectacular Dobos Torte based on a recipe from Rick Rodgers' cookbook Kaffeehaus: Exquisite Desserts from the Classic Caffés of Vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

From Melbourne, With Love

This was meant to be a Valentine's Day post. Apparently, I was too busy belting out the chorus from the famed Annie soundtrack to post on time, again. While putting this post together and snooping around some newly-discovered blogs--- most of which have made it to my regular blog-stalking circuit--- I experienced a revelation. Back in my days as a fashion design undergraduate, I felt a little more than confused about how I was meant to approach designing.

While the concept of creating a logo and brand presence was straightforward and simple enough for me to understand, other aspects of designing---creating mood boards, advertising boards, design development, layout concepts, typography etc. baffled me. It took a good 2 years after graduation for me to come upon this revelation, and finally everything that I learnt back then seemed to be making more and more sense.

I remembered one lecturer, a captivating lady who, in her early forties, is still one of the most unique, most awe-inspiring individual I have ever met. She is always impeccably dressed and made-up; and to my (and all the other students') fascination, always managed to look like a 40's pin-up girl, down to every single strand of blond, barrel-curled hair. She is also one harsh but fair lecturer. I remember more than one occasion when she asked why I did not do my design development in colour, even after I had determined both fabrics and colour range for the collection I was designing. Being a stubborn, hard-headed girl that I was (and still am, mind you), I never listened to her because 1. doing sketches in colours take up time that I did not have; 2. the colours on the fabrics never exactly match my colour pencil-rendered designs anyway.


But now I finally understand. It's funny how we can always find parallels in whatever we do, regardless of how far-off those things may seem to be.

This is my version of the Black Forest cake, which I had dissected and reconstructed. Although I used fresh garnet cherries instead of griottes, I find that it works well with the recipe. On the other hand, you are welcome to substitute Morello cherries or other varieties of sour cherries.

I obviously need to tweak my recipes a little before I am satisfied, mainly because I want the milk chocolate chantilly to turn out a few shades paler than the dark chocolate mousse. But otherwise, I'm pretty happy with this attempt.


Black Forest, Reconstructed
makes 5x 10-cm rings

Chocolate Joconde

240g yolks
200g caster sugar
140g almond meal
360g egg white
120g caster sugar
60g butter, melted
120g flour, sifted
40g cocoa powder, sifted

Preheat oven to 180 degree C. Place egg whites and 60g caster sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk at high speed to form stiff peaks. In the meantime, whisk egg yolks, 100g caster sugar and almond meal until pale and thick. Fold melted butter into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in 1/3 of the stiffly-beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture. Fold in the rest of the egg whites. Sift the cocoa powder and flour into the bowl, and fod in to combine. Spread on a greased and lined baking tray and bake for 5-8 minutes. Cool, and cut circles slightly larger than the size of your intended pans. You will need 2 circles for each pan.


Cherry Compote

125g caster sugar
5 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
250g cherries, pitted and halved

Place catser sugar and balsamic vinegar in a saucepan and heat on high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add cherries and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until mixture is syrupy. Cool cherries in syrup.

Milk Chocolate Chantilly

600g double cream
420g milk chocolate, chopped

Boil cream in a saucepan, and pour over chopped chocolate, stir until combined in a homogenous mixture. Clingfilm the surface of the ganache and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Whip to firm peaks. In the case where the ganache hardened too much and is impossible to whip, or where it splits after whipping, you can place the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water to bring it back together. Just melt about 1/3 of the ganache, and then remove from the heat, and whisk by hand to attain the same results.


Cherry Jelly

150g fresh or frozen cherries. pitted
1 Tablespoon water
1/8 cup sugar
2 teaspoon kirsch
1 titanium-strength gelatine leaf

Process cherries in a food precessor/blender, and strain. Reserve the pulp. Boil sugar with water and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add kirsch and cherry juice to the sugar syrup and heat gently to about 40-50 degree Celsius. In the meantime, soak gelatine leaf in water to soften. Add gelatine, along with 2 Tablespoon of reserved cherry pulp into the cherry syrup. Stir to combine.


Dark Chocolate Mousse

100 g caster sugar
80ml water
100g eggs
100g yolks
200g dark chocolate, melted and cooled (I used 70% dark chocolate)
300g cream, softly whipped

Make a pate a bombe: Heat caster sugar and water in a saucepan until the temperature of the sugar thermometer reads 120 degree C (soft ball stage). Whisk eggs and yolks in a stand mixer until thick and pale. In a steady stream, and with the motor running pour the sugar syrup down the side of the mixing bowl. Whisk on medium-high speed until cool. Fold softly whipped cream into the mixture.

To Assemble

Line moulds with tall acetate strips, making sure it is at least 5 cm taller than the height of the ring. Place the first joconde circle at the base. Drain cherries from syrup and dry with a paper towel. Press halves side by side, cut-side out, into the acetate strip, until they line the entire circumference of the ring. Pipe the milk chocolate chantilly over the cherries, covering them. Place the other circle of chocolate joconde on top and lightly press down. Leave to set in the fridge for a few hours. Next, pour warm cherry jelly into pan, and again leave to set in the fridge. Lastly, pipe the dark chocolate mousse on top of the set cherry jelly, and leave to set in the fridge.

Happy (Belated) Valentine's Day!

On Turning 24 and the ensuing chaos

Last Christmas, I turned 24.

Yes, you read right. My birthday falls on the most joyful day of the year. But I do not know if receiving only one present per year instead of two is so joyful after all. J is the only one who gives me a mid-year present to compensate for it. (Does it take that many guesses to find out why I stay with him?)

But seriously. Because I had more than my fair share of baking to do this Christmas---mostly for the party at J's parents house on Boxing Day---I decided that the French buche de noel, the December Challenge for Daring Bakers, can multi-task as my birthday cake.

I was really looking forward to this challenge, and decided on the following component to complement the warm Australian Christmas:

-Coconut dacquoise
-Mango mousse
-Cinnamon and vanilla creme brulee
-Coconut crisp insert
-Cinnamon-milk ganache insert
-White chocolate icing

Everything went well until the day I took the log out of the mold to glaze. First, the icing quantity specified in the recipe proved too little to sufficiently cover the log. So, being a smartass, I made another batch and though: It should be fine if I cover it with another layer. Well, guess not.


My icing got too heavy and slipped down the sides of the cake. So in the end I had to trim off the icing on the sides with a palette knife and cover the whole thing in dessicated coconut to mask its ugliness. Oh, but wait, there's more.

While I was defrosting my log, I noticed that the mango mousse started to resemble a very runny mango custard, and was behaving in the same way. When I lifted it up, the upper half started to slide around a bit, and right then I knew that I should have gone out to buy some gold-strength gelatin leaves instead of being so cocksure that titanium-strength ones would do the same job. So, long story short: I ended up serving mango goo to people at Christmas. Thank God family (and boyfriend) do not judge.


This month's challenge is brought to us by the adventurous Hilda from Saffron and Blueberry and Marion from Il en Faut Peu Pour Etre Heureux.
They have chosen a French Yule Log by Flore from Florilege Gourmand

My First Daring Baker's Challenge...and one of my new toys

Ta-da!


Today is officially my "coming out" day. Not in the sense of a blushing debutante (although all of you who think, or would like to think that way, are by all means welcome to do so), but in terms of being a member of the Daring Bakers.

Considering that I have waited a full month (and then some) to participate in the July challenge, I am surprised at how easily I put this task off until the very last minute. Life, and my innate knack for procrastination got into the way. However, this month at least, I have another very valid excuse for not wanting to complete my challenge sooner.


On July 26 2008, I finally received my much-coveted Canon EOS 450d!! YAY!!! I am now a proud owner of a DSLR!! However I feel compelled to warn you that I have not yet mastered the functions of this camera, nor yet feel comfortable using it, in case you expect mind blowing photos. I have lots to learn and a long way to go.


But I digress. This month's challenge is hosted by Chris of Mele Cotte, and the task is to attempt Carol Walter's Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream. I could not be more excited!! Layered gateaux are by far my favourite thing to both eat and make. I know this makes me sound a tad masochistic, but I always like a challenge. So thank you Chris, for choosing this cake!!

Oh, and although this cake looks a little on the heavy side (texture, mouthfeel, flavour etc.), it is as light as a goose down pillow!! The swiss meringue buttercream and the whipped cream really made a difference!! One thing that I am not satisfied with though, is that my layers are not perfectly and evenly straight. This, I admit, is my own fault. Due to greed I have decided to lather an excessive amount of buttercream and whipped cream filling onto the cake layers. And due to laziness I had not bothered to pipe and spread them out evenly. This resulted in the afore-mentioned effect on the cake, and in my anguish for being so careless. Oh, and on being careless, I also dunked a whole recipe's worth of praline powder into my buttercream instead of the 1/3 cup stated on the recipe. Sigh.



But at least it was delicious, right?
(J: I think it tasted really good with the full amount anyway. I don't know why you want to make it with only 1/3 cup.)

Bless his soul.

The complete recipe is available on Chris' website. It contains quite a bit of information, thus I will not post it here. But for those of you who have not attempted it, please give it a go; it's really not that difficult if you read all the instruction carefully.


PS. I will update you on my other new toy in the next post.