Bakingwhiz’s

A Chocolate Cake is always known for being the very first cake made by beginners. Count me in! Aside from being the common dessert being served in most gatherings, it is one of the accounted all-time favorite. And a lot of home bakers and professional chefs have continuously created alterations and modifications on the recipe that lead to the various trends in the versatility of the chocolate.

Here’s a recipe I would share to you:

Ingredients:

For cake layers
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For frosting
1 pound semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Directions for Cake Layers:

1. Grease two 10- by 2-inch round cake pans and preheat oven to 300°F. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper.

2. Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stir occasionally until chocolate is melted and mixture runs smooth.

3. In a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a separate large bowl beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well.

5. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely.

Baking Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes for each cake layer

Directions for Frosting:

1. Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring together cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved.

2. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth.

3. Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable.

4. Spread frosting between cake layers and over top and sides.

Serves 12 to 14

Now that’s what I call SUPREME! Head on to your kitchens and start making one! For beginners, this detailed instructional video would definitely help you out.

Whenever you cook, there are certain safety rules you must always keep in mind. Even experienced cooks follow these rules when they are in the kitchen.
•
Always wash your hands before handling food. Thoroughly wash all raw vegetables and fruits to remove dirt, chemicals, and insecticides. Wash uncooked poultry, fish, and meat under cold water.
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Use a cutting board when cutting up vegetables and fruits. Don’t cut them up in your hand! And be sure to cut in a direction away from you and your fingers.
•
Long hair or loose clothing can easily catch fire if brought near the burners of a stove. If you have long hair, tie it back before you start cooking.
•
Turn all pot handles toward the back of the stove so that you will not catch your sleeves or jewelry on them. This is especially important when younger brothers and sisters are around. They could easily knock off a pot and get burned.
•
Always use a pot holder to steady hot pots or to take pans out of the oven. Don’t use a wet cloth on a hot pan because the steam it produces could burn you.
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Lift the lid of a steaming pot with the opening away from you so that you will not get burned.
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If you get burned, hold the burn under cold running water. Do not put grease or butter on it. Cold water helps to take the heat out, but grease or butter will only keep it in.
•
If grease or cooking oil catches fire, throw baking soda or salt at the bottom of the flame to put it out. (Water will not put out a grease fire.) Call for help, and try to turn all the stove burners to “off.”
18

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pitted, chopped dates

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

whipping cream

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan.

2. Cream together butter and sugar. With a spoon, beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well.

3. Combine baking powder, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture, beating well.

4. Mix in milk and vanilla. Beat well. Add chopped dates and walnuts and stir to distribute them evenly.

5. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

6. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Baking time: 30 minutes

Serves 8 to 10

Ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese, stored at room temperature
5 oz. white chocolate
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
8 medium fresh strawberries
1/4 cup finely minced crystallized ginger
1/2 cup coconut, toasted
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, finely chopped

Procedure:

1. Melt white chocolate in the top of a double boiler, let cool.
2. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar and ginger root until smooth.
3. Add melted white chocolate and mix well. Chill for at least 1 hour or
until easy to handle. Use a small melon baller (or small spoon) to scoop out the center of each strawberry, half way down each fruit.
4. Pat strawberry dry. Put a little crystallized ginger into each strawberry.
Shape the cheese mixture around the fruit. Coat one end in the toasted coconut, the other in the pistachio nuts.
5. Place truffles in candy cups and chill until serving time.

Serving Suggestion: Makes about 18 truffles.

Ingredients:

1 pack long pretzel rods
1 pack vanilla candy coating
Decorations, such as red and green sprinkles, holiday M&Ms or crushed up candy canes

Procedure:

1. Place the candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl.

**Note: Make sure you do not get any water in the bowl. Any water at all will cause the candy coating not to melt properly and separate.

2. Microwave the candy coating for a minute, then stir. Microwave for an additional minute, until it is completely melted and smooth.

3. Stick a pretzel rod into the chocolate, and with a spoon, cover about 3/4 of the pretzel with chocolate. Let the excess drip back into the bowl.

4. Sprinkle the chocolate with either red and green colored sprinkles, crushed up peppermints, or stick red and green M&Ms to the chocolate.

5. Place the decorated pretzel on a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil, and let it dry completely, about an hour. Gently pull the pretzels off the paper.

Creative Idea: You can stick your decorated pretzels to your cookies and serve them like these. Let your creative mind work!

Ingredients:

36 large marshmallows
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cups chunky peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Procedure:
1. Line a 9-in. square pan with foil and butter the foil. Arrange
marshmallows in pan.
2. In a double boiler or microwave-safe bowl, melt
chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Pour over the
marshmallows. Chill completely. Cut between marshmallows.

This recipe makes about 3 dozens…

This goes to the 5 people who requested this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 pieces eggs
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated or powdered sugar

Procedure:

1. Grease cookie sheet. Beat brown sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.

2. Stir in flour, oats, baking powder and salt.

3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in granulated sugar. Place about 2
inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake.

4. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Baking Temperature: 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Baking Time: 10 - 12 minutes

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups cream-filled cookies *
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup milk
1 cup whipping cream
1 1/4 c Creme-filled Cookies **
* The cookies (24) should be chocolate cream filled cookies and be to as fine as can
be done.

** These cookies should be chocolate cream filled cookies and should be
coarsely chopped.

Procedure:

1. Combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Soften gelatin in water. Stir over low heat until dissolved.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed on an electric mixer until
well blended. Gradually add gelatin mixture and milk, mixing until well blended.

4. Chill until mixture is thickened but not set. Fold in whipped cream. Reserve 1 1/2 cups cream cheese mixture. Pour remaning cream cheese mixture over crust. Top with
cookies and reserved cream cheese mixture. Chill until firm.

Ingredients:

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 large bag Snickers Bar(or Milk Way Bar)

Procedure:

1. Combine cake mix with melted butter and condensed milk.

2. Spread out half of the mixture into a 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.

3. Cut chocolate bars into little slices. Lay these on top of the baked crust.

(Note: Don’t worry about the remaining crumbly texture.)

4. Put it back into the oven and bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes.

OREO… I don’t really know what’s with this cookie that makes us all love it! Over 362 billion Oreo cookies have been sold since it was first introduced in the year 1912. It has been a fact that it is the best selling cookie in the 20th century. Pretty cool huh?

You might want to try out this recipe (And hey, it does not deal with baking at all. Its all chilling.)

Ingredients:

3 packs Oreo cookies
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lb milk chocolate
1/2 lb white chocolate
Procedure:

1. Grind cookies to a fine powder.

2. Blend cookie powder, cream cheese and vanilla extract.

(Note: you would know it is properly mixed when there are no more traces of cream cheese.)

3. Roll into small 2-inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Then refrigerate for 45 minutes.

5. Line two cookie sheets with wax paper.

6. Melt milk chocolate using a double boiler.

7. Dip balls into the mix chocolate to coat. Place on the prepared cookie sheets.

8. Finally, melt white chocolate in a separate double boiler. Drizzle white chocolate over the balls. Let cool.