Chocolate Satin Mousse

8 servings

10 ounces (300 g) 70% bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
3 large egg whites at room temperature
1 cup (120 g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted


• Place the chocolate in the metal bowl. Sprinkle with the salt and vanilla extract. 
• In the saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot cream into the bowl with the chocolate and, working rapidly, mix with a wooden spoon to melt the chocolate until you have a smooth and glossy texture, about 2 minutes. Let cool. 
• In the bowl of the mixer, whisk the egg whites at the highest speed until frothy, about 10 seconds. Continue whisking until soft peaks form, about 1 minute more. Add the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and whisk at the highest speed until satiny and stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes more. The mixture should be airy, glossy, and stiff like a meringue. 
• Add about one-quarter of the egg white mixture to the cooled chocolate mixture to lighten it. Whisk gently until no streaks of white remain. Spoon the rest of the whipped egg white on top of the mixture in the bowl. Fold in the whipped egg white by hand: Using the edge of the spatula or a large metal spoon, cut through the two mixtures until you reach the bottom, then draw the spoon along the bottom of the bowl. Turn your wrist to bring the spoon up the side of the bowl, lightly bringing the chocolate mixture from the bottom to the top. As you do so, turn the bowl about 45 degrees, lightly overturning the spoon to fold the chocolate on top of the egg whites. Turning the bowl as you fold will incorporate the mixtures more efficiently. Continue cutting into the mixture and folding until just incorporated. 
• Pour the mixture into the serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours or up to 1 week. The dessert will be firmer than a mousse but not as firm as a cake or brownie. Scoop into ice cream bowls with an ice cream scoop or large, rounded spoon. Serve chilled. 

Shared by Kat from Patricia Wells

Expert Cookies

Irvin's chocolate chip cookie recipe, bakery style

1.25 sticks butter - room temp
1.25c brown sugar
-/.5c white sugar
.5 tsp salt
.5 tBsp vanilla
1 egg
.75tsp baking powder
.6 tsp baking soda
1.75 flour
1.5c chocolate chunks

Combine butter, sugars, salt, vanilla on low speed
Add egg, gently incorporate
Add powder and soda
Add flour til absorbed
Add chocolate chunks
Bake at 350 for 12ish minutes - watch til they just begin to turn golden, barely

NOTE TO SELF: very easy to overbake these! take out when edges just begin to turn! 12 MINUTES

*SECRETS to best cookies:

- instead of regular/small chocolate chips use big ones that melt well: Guittard Super Cookie Chips are my personal favorite, as well as their Baking Wafers
- age the dough at least 24 hours, ideally a day or two, in the fridge - it gives the dough time to develop deeper flavors
- mix as slowly as possible: don't overwork the dough, when you add ingredients mix slowly and just until incorporated (don't whip)
- room temp butter and eggs are ideal
- sprinkle with sea salt before baking

LONDON: 175 degrees C, 14 minutes

Half Recipe - these didn't rise at all so increase baking powder and baking soda to normal levels?

.62c (~1/3 c) sticks butter - room temp
.62c (~1/3c) brown sugar
-/.25c white sugar
.25 tsp salt
.25 tBsp vanilla
.5 egg
.37tsp (~1/3 tsp) baking powder
.3tsp (~1/3 tsp) baking soda
.88c flour
.75c chocolate chunks

chocolate pillow cake

We used to call this the Mayonnaise Cake, but that sounded unappealing, so we switched the name to Chocolate Pillow Cake.

Mix:
1 c. mayo
1 c. cold water
1 c. sugar

Sift in:
2 tsp baking soda
2 c. flour
4 tbsp cocoa
dash of salt

Add 1 tsp vanilla

8x8 pan, bake at 350 for minimum 45 min. (more likely 50/55)

Salted Caramel Buttercream Chocolate Cake

This cake is astoundingly good. I call it the holy grail of cakes because it is so hard to make a caramel flavored frosting without losing the lightness of the frosting. And a moist, perfect devil's food cake, coupled with homemade caramel . . . well, enough said. Even though this recipe has a bunch of components and some require lots of attention (a lot of constant whisking) it isn't difficult per se and all in all took me under 2 hours (baking time included) on the first attempt.

Devil's Food Cake recipe HERE

Caramel Sauce
- 1 c brown sugar
- 4 tbsp butter
- .5c cream (or half-half)
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- pinch salt
- fleur de sel?

Combine all ingredients in pot on stove, cook for about 10 minutes (or less) while whisking constantly. This sauce didn't seem thick enough even at 10 minutes, but it also thickens when it cools so it doesn't have to be perfect. To give it more of a salty caramel flavor, add fancy fleur de sel until desired saltiness.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream . . . the holy grail of frosting
*This is the most complicated part of the cake, but I feel pretty confident that even in my lazy approach to it, it seemed hard to mess up. And this frosting is worth the effort, that I can promise.
- 5 egg whites (do not use store-bought pasteurized whites! - need fresh)
- 1.25c sugar
- 3 sticks (yes, a terrifying 24 tbsp) of butter - let it soften up just a little bit (not quite room temp) outside the fridge. Cut them into small-ish cubes.
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt

*to make sure the egg whites whip up, make sure your equipment is clean from any grease/fats - helpful to wipe it down with lemon juice if you're not sure it's totally clean
- Put your stand mixer's bowl over a pot of simmering water on the stovetop. Put in your egg whites and sugar, and whisk them until they've reached a temperature of 160 degrees (you can use a candy thermometer, or just test with your finger to the point that they feel pretty warm/hot). If you're using pasteurized store-bought egg whites, you don't necessarily need to get them to 160 (that's what kills bacteria in fresh egg whites). If you're not worried, you only need to get the egg whites warm enough to dissolve the sugar well.
- Put the bowl back on the stand mixer and use the whisk attachment to whip them for about 10 minutes - at this point you'll be able to tell if all is well because they should whip up beautifully white and glossy.
- Get ready to add your butter - switch out the whisk attachment for the paddle.
- Once the bowl doesn't feel at all warm anymore (should be completely room temp) you can start adding the butter cubes a few at a time, while the paddle whips at low speed. The frosting should get fluffier and look delicious (if it starts to look curdled just keep whipping it for longer, or at worst refrigerate it for a bit and try again.) Increase speed to medium/high.
- Add vanilla and salt, and now you can start slowly mixing in the caramel sauce as well. The beautiful thing about this kind of buttercream is that it should really keep its texture and glossiness with all different kinds of flavor additions - even fruit juices.

Assemble:
I recommend not frosting the sides of the cake - giving it a top and middle layer of thick buttercream is awesome. Drizzle leftover caramel sauce on top if you want to sacrifice some beauty for deliciousness.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Chocolate Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

1 package softened cream cheese
1/4 c sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c butter, softened
1 c water
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1/2 c unsweetened cocoa
1.25 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 3/4c sugar

Optional glaze: 1/4 pack of cream cheese, 2 tbsp sugar, dash of milk

Preheat oven to 350

Beat cream cheese and sugar, add egg and vanilla, beat well
In another bowl, beat all ingredients for chocolate cake (wet first, add dry)
Pour about half of chocolate mixture into greased bundt pan, then add cream cheese (swirl with knife a little), then add remaining chocolate mixture.  Bake for about 55 minutes, add glaze when cooled and removed from pan.

Oreo cupcakes

Oreo Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 pack Oreo Cookies
1 package Mini Oreo Cookies, for decoration (optional)
1 recipe of chocolate cake (homemade or package)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
3 cups powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Make cake mix, add a little less than 1/2 package of Oreos, crushed
Mix together, pour into mini cupcake tins, bake about 10 min

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla, then powder sugar slowly, mix 5 min in stand mixer.
Finely grind remaining Oreos (maybe reserve some for decoration) and add into frosting, to taste.

Sea Salt Brownies

Salted, fudgy brownies are addictive.  If you want to be all smitten kitchen, you could add caramels as well into the mix.  I was a purist on these.

Ingredients:
1.5 sticks butter
2 ounces chopped baking chocolate
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
3 eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla
1.c flour
3/4+ tsp flaky sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350, line 9" pan with buttered aluminum foil
2. In microwave on half power in 1 minute increments, melt butter and chopped chocolate together until melted
3. One at a time whisk in cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour
4. Pour into pan, smooth evenly, sprinkle sea salt, mix in slightly into batter
5. Bake at least 30 minutes (more like 45) until batter in center on toothpick test isn't wet, cool one hour in pan

Recipe for 9x13 pan:
2 1/4 sticks butter
3 ounces chopped baking chocolate
a little less than 1/2c unsweetened cocoa
1.5 c white sugar
1.5 c brown sugar
4 eggs
2+ tsp vanilla
1.5c flour
1+ tsp flaky sea salt

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Hold on to your hat, this one's a winner!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/40-a-day/chocolate-fudge-cake-with-vanilla-buttercream-frosting-and-chocolate-ganache-glaze-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

Cake:

3 cups packed brown sugar

3/4 cup canola oil

3 eggs

2 2/3 cups (cake) flour

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 1/8 cups cocoa powder

Frosting:

5 sticks butter, soft

3 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Ganache:

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

To make 1 two-layer cake plus 36 mini cupcakes or one three-layer cake:

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees - Oil 2 9-inch cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper, plus 3 mini cupcake pans. 

- In electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil. On low speed, mix in the eggs. 

- In large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. 

- In small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk. 

- Sift cocoa into a bowl, bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. 

- To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. 

- With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa. 

- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the prepared cake pans. It will seem extremely watery. You may want to bake it with a cookie sheet under to catch drips if you're using springform pans. 

- Bake the cake for approximately 30 minutes (cupcakes - around 10min) or until tester comes out clean. Cool and refrigerate. 

Frosting: In an electric mixing bowl place the soft butter and beat it on a low speed while adding powdered sugar, then vanilla, let the mixer beat for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium speed. 

Fill and frost the cake and refrigerate. 

Ganache: 

- In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips. 

- Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. - Pour the cream over the chocolate until  just covered and whisk it until smooth. 

- Let sit, then pour over the top of the cake and refrigerate. (spoon on top of frosted cupcakes)

To make a smaller amount of cake (because this is a ton!) I use a 2/3 recipe as follows:

2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

2 eggs

1 3/4 cups (cake) flour

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

1.5 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup milk

1 cup boiling water

3/4 cups cocoa powder 

Blondies

Blondies from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
- 8 tbsp melted butter
- 1c brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- pinch salt
- 1c flour
Extras: choc chips, nuts, coconut flakes

- Butter an 8x8 pan
- Mix melted butter with brown sugar, beat in egg and vanilla
- Add salt, flour
- Add any extra additions
- Bake at 350 for 30+ minutes until toothpick comes out clean

Chocolate Air Cake

Smitten Kitchen's "Lighter Than Air Chocolate Cake"

Ingredients:

- 12oz semisweet choc chips

- 6 tbsp water

- 12 large eggs, separated, at room temp

- 1 1/3 c sugar

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 tbsp cocoa powder

- 2c heavy cream

- 6 tbsp powder sugar, sifted

- 1 tsp vanilla

- Melt choc chips with 6 tbsp water in microwave in 1 minute increments on half power until melted

- Beat yolks, 2/3c sugar, salt in stand mixer 5 minutes

- Fold in melted chocolate

- Clean beaters, beat egg whites in stand mixer until they just hold soft peaks

- Add remaining 2/3c sugar into egg whites, until stiff peaks

- Fold egg whites slowly into choc mixture

- Spread mixture into four baking pans (9", greased/parchment), baking at 350 until puffed/dry (15-18minutes)

- Sift cocoa powder onto cakes, cover with wax paper, invert onto pans and freeze 1 hour

- Filling: beat cream, powder sugar, vanilla with clean beaters until stiff peaks

S'mores Cake

S'mores Cake/Cucpakes courtesy of Smitten Kitchen (cookbook)

Ingredients

Cake:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2c flour
- 2c graham cracker crumbs, finely ground (about 14 sheets)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2/3c sugar
- 1c dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs room temp
- 2c buttermilk, well-shaken

Filling:
- 1/2 pound milk choc chopped
- 3/4c heavy cream
- 2 pinches salt

Frosting:
- 4 large egg whites
- 1c sugar
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350, parchment/spray 2 9-inch cake pans
Medium bowl - whisk together flour, graham cracker, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon
Large bowl - cream butter and sugars until fluffy, add eggs 1 at a time
Add a third of dry ingredients, half buttermilk, dry, milk, etc. - scrape down and mix again
Bake 35min, invert on rack (for mini cupcakes bake 15 minutes)

Simmer cream and salt, pour over chocolate, let sit one minute, whisk until smooth, cool in fridge evenly (stirring often)

Egg whites, sugar, tartar into stand mixer bowl over simmering water - whisk until warm (3 min)
Beat in stand mixer w whisk at low speed, increasing to high, until stiff peaks form, add vanilla, mix
Use large frosting tip to pipe dollops, wet finger to press down points, brown with torch

Chocolate Chip "Muffins"

Defining a "muffin" is tricky.  If it's essentially chocolate cake, sans frosting, does it really count as a muffin?  But lacking frosting, you can't really call it a cupcake.  Either way I love them.

Ingredients:

2c flour
1c sugar
3/4c choc chips
1/4c choc chips for topping
1/2c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1c plain yogurt
1/2c milk
1/2c veg oil

Combine flour, sugar, 3/4c chips, cocoa powder, baking soda in large bowl
Combine remaining ingredients in smaller bowl, whisk thoroughly
Pour liquid mixture into dry and mix until just blended
Pour into a dozen+ baking cups, sprinkle with remaining choc chips
Bake at 400 degrees for about 18 minutes

Brownies

Smitten Kitchen's best brownies

8x8 pan lined with parchment paper, sprayed with cooking spray
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/3 c sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp sea salt (or 1/4 tsp table salt)
2/3 c flour

In microwave, melt chopped chocolate and butter together in 30 second increments, stirring at each break, until smooth
Whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt one at a time
Stir in flour
Scrape into pan, spread
Bake for 25-35 minutes at 350, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Peanut Butter Blossoms Cookies aka Peanut Blossom Cookies

Ingredients

- 48 hershey's kisses

- 1/2 c butter
- 3/4 c peanut butter

- 1/3 c sugar

- 1/3 c light brown sugar

- 1 egg

- 2 tbsp milk

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 1/2 c flour

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp salt

- extra granulated sugar for rolling

Directions

- Heat oven to 375

- Unwrap chocolates

- Beat butter and peanut butter until blended, add sugars, beat until fluffy

- Add egg, milk, vanilla, beat well

- Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, and gradually beat into peanut butter mixture
*Some recipes recommend chilling the dough at this point for 30 minutes or more

- Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar, put on ungreased cookie sheet

- Bake 8-10min until lightly browned, press chocolate into center

Magnolia's Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

*

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons milk
9 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled to lukewarm
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1.  Melt chocolate in microwave in 1-minute increments at half power, stirring at each minute until smoothly melted.  Let cool 5-15 minutes or until lukewarm.
2.  Beat the softened butter using an electric mixer on MEDIUM speed for about 3 minutes or until creamy.
3  Add the milk carefully and beat on MEDIUM until smooth.
4  Add the melted chocolate and beat well on MEDIUM for 2 minutes.
5  Add the vanilla and beat on MEDIUM for 3 minutes.
6  Gradually add in the sugar and beat on LOW speed until creamy and of desired consistency.
(For icing a 3-layer cake use the following measurements: 2 cups unsalted butter, 3 tablespoons milk, 12 ounces semisweet chocolate, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 3 cups sifted powdered sugar.)

*This frosting turns out so beautifully it's poetic. I took lots of pictures.  However, this photo is not mine - my kitchen lighting makes everything look yellow, and my shots of yellowish chocolate frosting were appalling.  So I completely lifted this shot from cupcakeblog.com, but will swear by it for accuracy.

Cheesecake Brownies

recipe courtesy of smittenkitchen

Brownie batter
2 sticks sliced unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped (or, if using semisweet, do only 1.5c sugar)
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

Cheesecake batter 
16 ounces (2 packages) cream cheese, well softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Plus
1/2 bag of semisweet chocolate chips

Make brownie batter: 

- Grease 9x13 pan, preheat oven to 350

- Melt butter and chocolate gently (i.e. in double boiler or microwave) - whisk til smooth

- add in sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and lastly flour

- spread into pan

Make cheesecake batter: 

- whisk together all ingredients

- dollop onto brownie batter in pan, use butter knife to spread and swirl

- sprinkle chocolate chips on top

Bake brownies: 

- Bake until edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 45 minutes. 

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse, 6 servings

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup water, divided
2 tbsp butter
3 egg yolks
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/4 whipping cream

- Chill electric beaters and bowl in freezer, then use them to whip heavy cream until very thick and clumpy
- Melt chocolate, 1/4 c of water, and butter in glass bowl in microwave . . . should take a few minutes on half power, but check on it constantly (every 30 seconds) to stir.  Melt until reasonably smooth, although tiny bits of chocolate will add texture if desired.  Cool chocolate mix for 10 minutes.
- Whisk sugar, egg yolks, 1/4 c of water in heavy saucepan, then melt on low heat until temperature reaches 160 degrees F.  Remove from heat, whisk in chocolate mixture, then set entire saucepan into bowl of ice to cool quickly for about 5-10 min.  Fold in the whipped cream, spoon into dishes or chocolate cups, refrigerate for 4 hours

If you live in/near the mission in SF, grocery store duc loi at 18/mission sells beautiful chocolate cups in their baking section, as well as chocolate curls and other fancy decor.  I hit their produce for fresh raspberries to serve with the mousse.

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Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

This cake was definitely . . . different.  The layer of liquid caramel we spread on top of the cake before adding the ganache ended up bursting through and leaking down the sides of the cake, which led us to think of names like Side Vent Erupting Volcano Cake among others.  The buttercream by itself is amazing, but the chocolate flavors overwhelmed it.  Next time I might skip the ganache and just do the cake, buttercream, and possibly a drizzle of caramel on top.  Though poorly executed here, it's fun to drip caramel designs onto parchment paper and freeze them, resulting in fancy (or ugly) cake decorations.

Tip: Make it a day in advance and refrigerate it for best results!

Make 1 recipe Best Chocolate Cake, then . . .

In medium saucepan make caramel for buttercream:

(Double this recipe to make enough for a layer of caramel on top of the cake)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp fine sugar 

1/4 cup water

Bring to boil

Cook undisturbed until caramel is dark amber

Remove from heat, add 1/4c cream, stir with wooden spoon until smooth

Whisk in pinch of sea salt

Let cool

Make buttercream recipe in stand mixer:

- 2 sticks room temp butter

- 3.5 cups powder sugar (1 box)

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 3 tbsp milk

Switch to paddle

- on low, mix in caramel (3-5 min)

For chocolate ganache frosting:

- put 16 oz chocolate chips (preferably dark) in heat safe bowl

- bring 1/4 to 1/2c of cream just to boil, then add to bowl of chocolate, allow to sit 1-2min then mix gently until smooth

- let cool for a long while, then drizzle on top of cake

Dobos Torte

This was a hit.  

Best Chocolate Cake

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (ideally, sift to remove clumps)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 36+ cupcakes, bake for about 20 minutes then check.

Buttercream Frosting 

3.5c powdered sugar

2 sticks butter

1 tbsp vanilla

3 tbsp milk

Set butter out until just under room temp. Whip butter well with whisk (stand mixer is best). Add other ingredients, whip until fluffy and freakin delicious. Add some cocoa powder to taste if desired. Or if you can't decide do half and half.