Chocolate roll with citrus cream

                       Sponge cake

                       3                                                         yolks

                       3                                                         egg whites

                       3                                                         eggs

                       123gr                                                   granulated sugar

                       53gr                                                     cake flour

                       20gr                                                     cocoa powder

                       40gr                                                     powdered sugar

                       as preferred                                         vanilla

                       Citrus cream

                       180gr                                                   heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks

                       100gr                                                   white chocolate

                       60gr                                                     orange juice with or without liqueur

                       2,4gr                                                   gelatin sheets, softened in cold water

                       2Tbs                                                    mandarin or orange marmalade

                       1tsp                                                     orange zest

                       Ganache

                       170gr                                                   heavy cream

                       170gr                                                   chocolate

For the citrus cream warm the orange juice until slightly hot but not boiling and stir in the softened gelatin. When it's completely dissolved  reheat if necessary to slightly warm up the mixture and pure it over the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted, using microwave if needed, and add the zest and marmalade. Set aside to cool until lukewarm and finally fold in the whipped cream. Keep in fridge until set and spreadable, even overnight.

Continue with the sponge cake by shifting the flour with cocoa powder and separately combining the eggs yolks, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk the mixture at high  speed until thick ribbon stage and pale in color. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites with powdered sugar to meringue  Add the meringue to the yolk mixture alternately with the flour and fold as few times as possible and carefully not to deflate until combined. Spread the batter on a 30x40cm lined sheet pan and bake at a preheated convection oven to190C for about 12min until it has gained a slight color and springs back when touched.

Then let it cool, turn it upside down and remove the parchment paper from the bottom. Spread the cream on that surface after giving it a little stir to soften and roll the sponge cake lengthwise  in an tight and even manner. Keep it in fridge rolled in the parchment paper and make the ganache by combining the chocolate with the heated until hot cream. Stir until completely smooth and finally pure over the sponge cake roll. Refrigerate for the cake to set and optionally serve with orange confit and and chocolate decorations.

Chocolate tart with orange caramel and hazelnut

The first recipe from missed previous challenges that I tried was Rachael's chocolate and caramel tart under the title ''Life of pie''. Even though with the addition of a hazelnut mousse my variation seems to fall out of this category, I think it was a very complementing combination.

                               Crust
                               20gr                                                          cocoa powder, shifted
                               130gr                                                        flour
                               60gr                                                          butter
                               70gr                                                          powdered sugar
                               2                                                               egg yolks
                               as preferred                                              vanilla
                               2Tbs                                                          chopped orange confit
 
                               Orange caramel
                               170gr                                                         orange juice
                               48gr                                                           glucose
                               48gr                                                           sugar
                               48gr                                                           heavy cream
                               54gr                                                           white chocolate
                               54gr                                                           butter, room temperature
                               3,3gr                                                          sheet gelatin, softened in cold water
                               1/2tsp                                                        orange zest
 
                               Chocolate filling
                               2                                                                 large eggs
                              100ml                                                           whole milk
                              200ml                                                           heavy cream
                              200gr                                                            dark chocolate
 
                              Hazelnut nougat cream
                              6,87gr                                                           sheet gelatin, soaked in the liquor
                              40gr                                                              hazelnut liquor
                              400gr                                                            heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
                              140gr                                                            pastry cream
                              95gr                                                              hazelnuts
                              35gr                                                              simple syrup
                              as proffered                                                  vanilla

For the caramel layer heat heavy cream with the orange juice and zest and meanwhile melt the glucose in a separate pan. Gradually dissolve the sugar and cook the mixture to caramel. Pour in the cream and continue stirring until the caramel is dissolved. Remove from heat, let slightly cool and dissolve in the softened gelatin. When the mixture is not too hot incorporate the butter and melt in the chocolate. Let cool and refrigerate until use. For the sablé crust cream butter with sugar until fluffy and slowly beat in the yolks with vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour and cocoa powder and mix only until incorporated. Then wrap well in plastic and chill until firm. Meanwhile prepare the pastry cream base for the mousse and while it is still hot stir and dissolve in the softened gelatin along with the liquor. Combine the hazelnuts with simple syrup in a blender, beat them to paste and also incorporate into the pastry cream mixture. Let it cool to room temperature, then fold in the whipped cream with a spatula and fill a 20cm-diameter ring sealed with with plastic wrap on the bottom. Chill in the freezer until set.

 
When ready, soften the chilled tart dough with a rolling pin and roll it out on a floured board to a thickness of 3-6mm. Fill with the dough sheet the bottom and sides of a 20cm-diameter and 4cm tall tart ring, force the confit pieces into the bottom dough and line with foil filled with dry beans or pie weights. Bake at 180C until set, around 9 minutes. Remove pie weights and foil and bake another 8 minutes, until dry. Prepare the chocolate filling by melting the chopped chocolate in heated cream and milk and after incorporating the eggs pour the mixture in the tart shell. Continue baking at 180C for 30 minutes, until the filling has set but is still wobbly in the center. Allow to completely cool to room temperature and cover the top with as much caramel as fitting. The caramel should have a viscid consistency when poured but if it has set, it can be broken by whisking and spread. Refrigerate the tart for a couple of hours and finish by placing the molded mousse layer on top and releasing the metal ring with a blowtorch. Finally decorate with tart crust leftovers, orange confit and optionally modeling chocolate.

Chocolate and orange battenberg cake

I may have fallen behind with posting for more than a week and  even have gone quite far with improvisation but despite some mishaps (including underbaking the cake) and the final appearence that didn't exactly meet my expectations, I am overall really satisfied and happy to have taken this month's challenge. So a big thanks to Mandy for sharing the recipe and her perfectly illustrated instructions and I hope you enjoy this version (with also a small fat reduction) either in this or a less time-consuming construction.

                              Chocolate cake

                              25gr                                                      cocoa powder

                              80gr                                                      self-raising flour

                              70gr                                                      butter

                              40gr                                                      cream cheese

                              105gr                                                    sugar

                              2                                                           eggs

                              40gr                                                      almond powder

                              0,5 tsp                                                   baking powder

                              as prefered                                            vanilla

                              Orange cake

                                        210gr                                                     self-raising  flour

                              140gr                                                     butter

                              70gr                                                       cream cheese

                              190gr                                                     sugar

                               4                                                           small eggs

                               80gr                                                      almond powder

                               1tsp                                                      baking powder

                               1 orange                                                orange zest

                               Connective paste and frosting

                               100gr                                                     apricot jam

                               400gr                                                     chocolate

                               200gr                                                     water or strained orange juice

For a 26cmx7cmx7cm cake arrange a size-variable rectangle utensil at 27cmx21cm and cut two parchment paper cases measured 7cmx27cm and 14x27cm each. Remember to let a 7cm height on each dimension and after folding the paper into a three-dimensional rectangle form, place the cases in the pan. Starting with the recipe, beat the butter needed for both of the cakes with a hand mixer until fluffy and separate the quantity asked for the chocolate one in a different bowl. Add there the cream cheese and sugar and continue beating for a couple of minutes. Mix in the vanilla, eggs and almond powder and whisk until homogenous. Finally shift in the flour and baking powder and beat for the ingredients to come together.

Spread equally the batter in the smaller paper case and support the side that doesn't lean to the wall of the pan to avoid leakage in the other case. No needing to wash out the mixer attachments, beat the butter, cream cheese and sugar asked for the orange cake and then add eggs, almond and zest as previously. Finish with the flour and baking powder and pour the batter in the case left. Straighten its surface and bake at a preheated oven at 170-180C for 30-35min until the batter of both of the cakes in the center of the pan rises to a small peak. Removing from the oven test doneness with a toothpick and let the cakes cool completely. 

Take a ruler and trim the sides of the cakes to get a 5cmx3cmx26cm piece for the chocolate and a 12cmx3cmx26cm piece for the orange one. From the first one cut 4 2cmx1cmx26cm and 5 1cmx1cmx26cm bars and from the other cut 8 3cmx1cmx26cm, 4 1cmx1cmx26cm and 4 1cmx1cmx26cm bars. Remember to use the chocolate frosting and not the jam for gluing together the bars that should show the overlap part of this pattern (as you can see in the image above I have quite messed up with the possition of the 3cmx1cmx26cm pieces in the upper right and lower left corner of the cake) .For the frosting make a ganache with the water and chocolate, use as much as is needed for bringing the pieces together and refrigerate the rest for a couple of hours until set. When ready, whip with a mixer at high speed for a few minutes to soften and add some volume to the mixture and spread the frosting on the sides and top of the cake.





Chocolate tart with orange cream

                         Pate sablee
                         200gr                                                     flour
                         110gr                                                     butter
                         70gr                                                       powdered sugar
                         1                                                            small egg
                         as preferred                                           vanilla extract                                           

                         Chocolate filling
                         300gr                                                     chocolate
                         160gr                                                     light cream
                         50gr                                                       granulated sugar
                         30gr                                                       cointreau
                         2                                                            eggs

                         Orange cream
                         400gr                                                      orange juice
                         50gr                                                        yolks
                         1                                                             big egg
                         50gr                                                        granulated sugar
                         45gr                                                        butter
                         5gr                                                          gelatin, softened in cold water
                         1                                                             orange (zest)

For the tart crust beat butter with sugar until creamy, add the eggs with vanilla and whip to combine. Mix in the flour without much kneading, just until the dough comes together, and refridgerate for an hour. Then roll the dough with some flour and cover the bottom of a 24cm-diameter tart tin. Place a piece of aluminum foil on top, fill it with beans or rice and bake at a preheated oven to 180C for about 20min.

Meanwhile prepare the first filling by melting chocolate with the hot cream or by heating them in the microwave. Give a quick whisk to the eggs and mix the rest of the ingredients together. When the time comes, remove the half-baked crust from the oven taking off its bean topping and pour in the chocolate mixture. Cntinue baking at 170C for another 20min and set aside. In order to make the orange cream, follow a method similar to making creme anglaise and slightly whisk the eggs with the sugar.



Heat the juice with the zest until hot, and before it boils, temper with the half of it the egg mixture. Return to heat and stir continueously watching the temperature with a candy thermometer. As soon as it reaches 85C remove from heat, disolve in the gelatin and add the butter. Set aside until cool and then pour it over the chocolate. Finally refridgerate for a couple of hours or more and optionally serve with a caramelized sugar top.

Candied peel chocolate cake

   

   Having tried this classic flavor combination many times, I find it to be never failing and the specific cake is no exception. With the sticky, the chewy and the creamy layer it makes an easy dessert rich in flavor, texture and aroma which is one of my favorite brownie-type variations. 

               Orange peel layer

               250gr                                      candied orange peel, not completely

                                                             drained from its syrup

               30gr                                        butter

               100gr                                      orange juice

               5gr                                          corn flour

               100gr                                      almond flour

               60gr                                        cake flour

              Chocolate cake

              200gr                                       chocolate 65% cocoa or more

              100gr                                       butter

              6                                             eggs

              100gr                                       sugar

              100gr                                       cake flour

              100gr                                       hazelnut flour

              as preferred                             vanilla

In a nonsticking pan warm the peel with its syrup and butter, until thick and bubbling. Dissolve the corn flour in juice, pour it in the previous mixture and keep boiling for a few minutes untill it gets thicker. Remove from the heat and let it slightly cool. Then combine it with the almond, shift in the flour and whisk it into a sticky paste. For the chocolate layer melt butter with chocolate in a bain marie and let it sit at room temperature for a while. Separate the egg yolks from the whites (they better have room temperature) and make a meringue with the sugar. Stir the egg yolks, vanilla and hazelnut in the melted chocolated, shift in the flour and lighten the mixture with the meringue. Add the meringue gradually and fold it gently with a rubber spatula. Finally spread the orange paste on the bottom of a 24cm ring, cover with the chocolate layer and bake at preheated oven to 170C for 45min or more. To frost the cake after it has cooled follow the cocoa fudge recipe at ''Doughnuts'' post changing the sugar amount to 40gr.

  

Doughnuts, orange and matcha

This month's DB challenge gave me the opportunity to try something I always wanted to tackle but hesitated to go through its frying process. Since I won't be able to make and consume another batch of doughnuts anytime soon, I thought it would be interesting to try different recipes and technics at once, giving both baked and fried doughnuts a shot. For the fried ones I used an oranged flavored cake batter and for the baked ones a matcha and yeast raised dough. Coated with a cocoa butter frosting, the first were delicious, moist and soft with a distinct orange smell. However the baked ones were not too bad, but just not doughnuts. In addition, the matcha dough didn't raised in time or to the propper volume, and as every simple bun that is baked in the oven, it dried more and sooner. For that reason, I have made changes to the yeast quantity I give, and I highly recomend that you fry your doughnuts to highlight their flavor.

          
            Orange cake doughnuts

            90gr                                                   granulated sugar

            3gr                                                    salt

           100g                                                   bread flour

            300gr                                                 cake flour

            35gr                                                   butter

            1                                                       egg

            18gr                                                   milk powder

            200gr                                                 orange juice

            16gr                                                   baking powder

            1 Tbsp                                                orange zest

          
            Cocoa fudge

            50gr                                                   butter at room temperature

            50gr                                                   cocoa powder

            33gr                                                   glucose or corn syrup

            33gr                                                   warm water

            60gr                                                   powdered sugar 

            as desired                                           vanilla powder

Start with beating butter and sugar until smooth and then add the egg and salt, creaming well the mixture with the paddle attachment. Shift in the flour with baking powder and mix in the orange juice after you disolve the milk powder in it . Beat the batter just until combined (add some flour if needed, to get a workable yet very soft mixture). Roll the batter on a floured surface giving it a 1,5cm thickness and cut 9cm-diametre circles with holes. Let them rest for about 15min and fry them in a medium saucepan filled with oil (I use olive oil) at least 4cm deep. The doughnuts should come to the surface after being immersed in the oil and start to form a golden crust on their bottom side. Check them by lightly lifting them with a slotted spoon and when they start to get light brown turn them over and cook for about another minute. When done, remove them with the spoon and place them on some kitchen paper to get rid of the excess greasiness. For the frosting, beat butter and cocoa with a spatula until a thick paste forms. Beat in the corn syrup until fully incorporated and then mix in the water. At last, shift in the sugar with vanilla, beat the mixture until light and shinny and cover your cooled doughnuts. You may need more or less powder sugar for the cocoa fudge depending on sweetness you want.

 

      

       Matcha yeast doughnuts

       80gr                                                  sugar

       7gr                                                    salt

       420gr                                                 bread flour

       23gr                                                   milk powder

       45gr                                                   butter at room temperature

       75gr                                                   eggs

       45ml                                                  buttermilk

       10gr                                                   instant yeast

       117gr                                                 warm (not hot) water

       4tsp                                                   matcha tea

       as desired                                          vanilla powder

       1 cup                                                 apricot marmelade (optional)

Combine butter with the dry ingredients except yeast in a bowl of a mixer fitted with the dough hook. Then lightly beat the eggs with buttermilk and add them to the dry mixture. Dissolve the yeast in the water and poure it in the batter mixing on low speed for 2 to 3min. Scrape down the bowl and keep kneading at medium speed for about 6 more minutes until you have a smooth and elastic dough. Ferment the dough until doubled (you can use a lightly warmed oven) and then roll it out on a floured surface, into a 1,5cm thick rectangle. Cut out 7cm-diametre circles and let them increase 75% more in volume. Then fry the doughnuts as directed previously, make a hole with a skewer in each one and use a pastry bag to fill them with marmelade. To pass the jam easily through the pastry tip, you can smoothen it with a hand blender. Finally, dust with some powdered sugar.