Belgian Cake Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Flour and grease 3 bread pans.
• 2. Cream sugar, shortening, molasses and eggs. Dissolve baking soda in hot coffee, set aside. Mix in salt, cinnamon and raisins. Add coffee and baking soda. Stir and add flour until dough is stiff.
• 3. Scrap dough into loaf pans and cook until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. These are better if not over-baked, so watch them.
• 4. You may sprinkle powered sugar on top and serve sliced!

Steps:

• Cake: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; rub to loosen skins. Butter a 9 by 3 inch springform pan; dust with cocoa, and tap out any excess. 2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind nuts with granulated sugar until fine but not pasty. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. 3. IN a medium heat-proof bowl. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water until smooth. (Mixture will thicken as it cools) 4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. 5. Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Mixing on low, add half the flour mixture to butter mixture until well blended; pour in cocoa mixture, and add remaining flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven; let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely. Place cooled cake on a 9-inch cardboard round. 6. Place half the ganache in a bowl set in an ice bath; whip with a balloon whisk until pale and spreadable; removing bowl from ice bath and returning it as needed. 7. Spread the whipped ganache smoothly on top and sides of cake; chill the cake in the refrigerator. Gently stir remaining ganache every 5 minutes until thickened and cool but still pourable. 8. Place cake (still on cardboard round) on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper. Using a small ladle, pour ganache over top of cake, moving the ladle in a circular fashion and letting the ganache run down the sides. Scrape up excess, if desired, and reserve for another use. Let cake stand at room temperature until set. Garnish with candied nuts and chocolate curls. Ganache Glaze: Place chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl Bring cream in a small saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat; pour over chopped chocolate. Let stand 10 minute. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir chocolate and cream until well combined. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until cooled and just thickened, 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the temperature of the room. Candied Hazelnuts and Chocolate Curls: 1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spread nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; rub to loosen the skins. Bring sugar and the water to a boil in a medium-sized skillet. Stir with a fork over medium-high heat until dissolved; let boil 3 minutes more without stirring. Add nuts. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool. 2. Once nuts are cool, place half the bittersweet chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl. Set over a pan of simmering water, stir until chocolate is melted and hot. Add remaining chocolate to bowl; remove bowl from pan of water and let stand about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. 3. Pour half the chocolate onto an inverted baking sheet; spread with bench scraper until 1/8 inch thick or slightly thinner (chocolate should be opaque on surface). Let stand until just tacky. Holding scraper at a 45-degree angle, scrape chocolate off surface, forming curls. 4. While curls set, add candied nuts to remaining chocolate in bowl, and stir until coated. Spread nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let stand until set. Sift cocoa powder on top of dried nuts, and toss to coat.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Butter 6 (6 oz) custard cups.
• Lightly sprinkle unsweetened cocoa over interiors; shake out excess.
• Set cups on baking sheet.
• In microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter.
• Microwave on medium 1-3 minutes or until almost melted.
• Stir until smooth.
• With whisk, beat eggs, egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and beer in large bowl until well blended.
• Stir in chocolate mixture.
• Stir in flour until thoroughly blended.
• Divide mixture evenly into custard cups (filled cups can be held in refrigerator for up to 2 hours before baking).
• In another large bowl, beat all cream ingredients at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
• When ready to serve, bake cakes on baking sheet 12-13 minutes or until tops are dry and outside edges just begin to pull away from edge of cups (centers may be slightly sunken but will rise as they sit).
• Place on wire rack; cover loosely with foil.
• Let stand 4 minutes.
• With hot pad or towel, hold each cup and run knife around edges to loosen cakes; unmold hot cakes onto serving plates.
• Serve immediately; pass whipped cream separately.
• Store in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Mix the flour, yeast, caster sugar and 1 tsp sea salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk, beaten egg and melted butter. Mix well a soft dough forms. If it feels dry, add a bit of warm water, if it feels too sticky and wet, add 1 tbsp flour.
• Dust a work surface with flour and tip the mixture onto it. Knead the dough until it feels smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and put in a large, lightly floured bowl. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hr or until doubled in size. Or, leave to prove in the fridge overnight, removing 45 mins before continuing.
• Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Lightly dust a work surface and roll out the dough to 30 x 45cm. Evenly spread the lemon curd over the dough and sprinkle with the sultanas. Roll the dough up lengthways from the shortest side, like a Swiss roll, to form a log. Cut into 12 equal sized buns with a sharp knife, egg-washing the loose end of the pastry and pressing it down, so it doesn't unravel. Arrange, spread apart, on the prepared baking tray, cover, and leave to prove for 45 mins until doubled in size.
• Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Brush the buns with a little egg wash. Bake for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and cook for a further 10 mins. Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, sieve the icing sugar and mix with 3 tbsp water until a thick, white icing forms. Spread the icing on top of the buns with the back of a spoon, then put a cherry in the middle of each one.