Swedish Easter Cake Påsktårta

Happy Easter everybody! No matter where you are, I hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and loved ones. 

To celebrate this year, I did an Easter-inspired take on a truly classic Swedish dessert, Prinsesstårta (Princess Cake). In Sweden this is our go-to cake for any big celebration - birthdays, graduations, weddings, you name it. For me, it tastes like home and brings back so many happy memories with family and friends. 

Oh, and it's amazing.

Princess cake is different from your typical buttercream cake. Between layers of light, airy base (often with a hint of orange or lemon zest) you'll find raspberry jam and vanilla custard. On top of that you have a thick layer of whipped cream. And if that's not enough, the whole thing is covered with marzipan. 

Typically, princess cake is green or pink and decorated with a small marzipan rose. I made mine yellow, and instead of the traditional rose, I built a bird's nest out of layers of chocolate. I then added chocolate candy eggs to the nest with a touch of gold leaf. As a finishing touch, I speckled chocolate around the base of the cake to mimic a bird's egg.

You'll find a recipe and a step-by-step guide for the Princess cake below. It takes a little effort, but it's so worth it. As we say in Swedish, Lycka till (Good luck)!

Glad Påsk vänner! I år gjorde jag en påskinspirerad prinsesstårta. Istället för den traditionsenliga marsipanrosen gjorde jag ett fågelnäste utav smält choklad, som jag sedan fyllde med chokladägg och dekorerade med bladguld. Enkelt, men åh så gott! Jag har gjort en steg-för-steg av tårtan här nedan. Lycka till!

Cake base
from Buffé

4 eggs
180 g sugar
60 g flour
80 g potato starch (Bob's Red Mill carries it)
1 tsp baking powder
zest from half a lemon
zest from half an orange
butter and flour for the cake pan


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 345 degrees.
2. Butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan. 
3. Whip eggs and sugar until fluffy, about three minutes.
4. Mix flour, potato starch and baking powder in a bowl.
5. Sift the flour mixture into the egg mixture. Add the zest. Gently fold with a spatula until a smooth batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the lower part of the oven for about 30 minutes.
7. Let cool before slicing into three layers.

Raspberry jam

500 g frozen or fresh raspberries
270 g sugar

Pour berries and sugar into a saucepan. Over medium heat, bring to a boil and let boil for about 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let cool.

Vanilla Custard

from Leila Lindholm

500 g milk (3%)

1 vanilla pod

135 g sugar

7 egg yolks

40 g corn starch

50 g butter, softened

 Directions:

1. Split the vanilla pod in half, scrape out the seeds and put both seeds and the pod in a sauce pan with the milk. Bring to a boil.
2.  Whip the egg yolks with sugar and corn starch. Pour in the hot milk, while whisking.
3. Pour the mixture back into the pot and carefully heat the liquid, while whisking. As soon as the vanilla cream has started to thicken, take the pot off the heat and pour the crème into a cold bowl.
4. Add the butter, stir until fully melted, and let it cool in a refrigerator. Stir occasionally to prevent a skin to form.

500 ml heavy whipping cream
1,5 tsp vanilla sugar (small bags by Dr. Oetker sold in many grocery stores by the spices section)

Start whipping the heavy cream, and add the vanilla sugar halfway through. Make sure that the whipping cream is not too lose or too firm. It is made just right when you can turn your bowl upside down and the whipped cream doesn't move.


600 g marzipan (sold in baking isles by brand Odense)
A couple drops of gel food coloring

Knead the marzipan and add the food coloring. Continue to knead until the color has been fully incorporated. Cover the marzipan in plastic wrap until ready to use.

To make the Princess cake:

1. Using a sharp knife, divide the cake into three layers. Insert the knife in the side and gently work your way around the cake until you've reached full circle.

2. Spread the jam on the bottom layer. 

3. Place another cake layer on top of the jam. Spread a generous amount of vanilla custard on top.

4. Add a third cake layer, and top with whipped cream.

5. Once cake is covered, add extra cream on top to create a dome.

6. Make sure the surface of the whipped cream is smooth. This will help you layer the marzipan evenly. Let the cake chill in the fridge for 15 mins to set.

7. In the meantime, melt dark chocolate over a water bath or in the microwave. Using a pastry bag (or ziplock with a hole cut in one corner), pour the chocolate into circles on parchment paper. Refrigerate until set, approximately 10 minutes.

8. Color the marzipan with a color of your choice. Using a rolling pin, roll out the marzipan on a non-stick surface (I use a silicone mat). Remove the cake from the fridge, and cover with marzipan.

9. Gently press down the sides of the cake, making sure to smooth out any bumps. I like using disposable gloves, so my hands don't stick to the marzipan. 

10. Trim the edges of the cake using a sharp knife.

11. To make speckles, mix powdered cocoa with a little water, and using a clean paint brush, splatter onto the bottom of the cake. You should cover up with parchment paper any part of the cake you don't want speckled.


12,  Remove the chocolate from the fridge, and stack them on top of the cake, to create a bird's nest. Fill the nest with chocolate candy eggs.

Happy Easter, and Glad Påsk! I'd love to hear how it turns out for you, so please feel free to comment below.

Warm Dark Chocolate Sauce with Raspberries Varm Chokladsås med Hallon

I don't know about you, but in our family, comfy pants date night is a thing. There's that magical moment when we've finally gotten the kids to bed, and we look at each other, take a deep breath, and relax for the first time all day. Then we put on comfy pants and have some fika.

Some nights I like to class things up a little and make something special, but still quick and easy. This warm chocolate sauce by Roy Fares, one of my favorite Swedish bakers, is perfect. Made with pureed raspberries and melted dark chocolate, it reminds me of my favorite fudge, but poured hot over fresh raspberries and mini marshmallows.

The best part? It's ready in 15 minutes.

This chocolate sauce would also make a great panna cotta, with one additional step. Just add two gelatin sheets (or a tablespoon of powdered gelatin) while it's still warm, and pour into small serving glasses. Let it set in the fridge for at least two hours before you dig in.

Fancy enough to serve to dinner guests, but easy enough to make before your favorite tv show comes on. It doesn't get better than that!

Ibland måste man få mysa till det litet extra på kvällen med den man älskar. Den här varma chokladsåsen är gjord på hallonpuré och mörk choklad och är härligt fyllig och len i smaken. Den serveras i portionsglas över färska hallon och minimarshmallows, enkelt men vackert! Ett tips är att göra pannacotta av chokladsåsen. Tillsätt ett gelantinblad i såsen och häll sedan upp i glas som får stå ett par timmar i kylen. Garnera med färska hallon.



Warm Chocolate Sauce with Raspberries
by Roy Fares
6 portions

400 g raspberries (fresh or frozen)
150 g dark chocolate, 70%
250 g heavy cream
200 g milk, 3%
80 g sugar

For garnishing:
fresh raspberries
mini marshmallows
lemon balm or fresh mint


Directions:

1. Put the raspberries in a blender and puree. Pour the puree through a strainer to get rid of the seeds. 
2. Chop the chocolate into smaller pieces and put aside in a bowl. In a saucepan, combine the raspberry puree, cream, milk and sugar, and let come to a boil. Pour the mixture over the chocolate and let melt. Use a hand mixer to create a smooth chocolate sauce.
3. Put some fresh raspberries, marshmallows and lemon balm (or mint) in glasses or small bowls for each serving. Pour the warm chocolate sauce into a carafe or other glass and serve.

French Madeleines Franska Madeleinekakor

Don't you just love the way your kitchen smells after you've been baking? I made some Madeleines when my son got home from school yesterday, and the fresh lemony scent they gave off brightened up our rainy afternoon.

These shell shaped butter cakes have been a favorite of mine for some time. Madeleines are so light and airy on the inside, not too sweet, and have a fresh lemon flavor. They're perfect when you just feel like having something small with your coffee. Plus, since they're small, you can have two!

If you are feeling like chocolate instead (we all have our days), follow the recipe below, but increase the sugar to 1/2 cup, and substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour. Or why not try adding lavender?

To get that traditional shape, you will need a Madeleine pan. You'll find it in most well-stocked kitchen stores, like Williams Sonoma, or you can just get one off of Amazon. Otherwise, a regular muffin pan will do.

This is a great, quick recipe for a mid-week fika. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!


Franska Madeleinekakor har alltid varit en av mina favoriter. Dessa är ljuvligt luftiga i mitten med en frisk citronsmak. Perfekt när man vill ha något litet till fikat! För att få en traditionell form på Madeleinekakorna behövs en speciell plåt, men en vanlig muffinsform funkar lika bra. 


French Madeleines
from Judy Farris

2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/4 cup butter


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.
2. Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
3. In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
4. Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.
5. Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.
6. Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
7. Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
8. Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.

Cecilia's Banana Bread Cecilias Banankaka

My mormor (grandmother), Cecilia, was a master at fika. Every time you came over, she would set the coffee table with her old china, lay out beautiful napkins, and serve up a platter with different kinds of delicious home baked goods. Raspberry caves, Finnish almond cookies, chocolate sticks, thumb print cookies, dream cookies and ginger bread, to name a few. There would always be more than one kind.  

But everyone's favorite was her famous banana bread.

During my last visit to Sweden, my mom gave me mormor's handwritten recipe for this banana bread. It had probably been ten years since I last tasted it, so I couldn't wait to make it myself.

Somehow, it never tastes quite the same when you bake someone else's recipe. Maybe it was the way she folded the batter, how she added a little extra of something, or like some say, the way she put her love into making it. Either way, it's still makes the best banana bread I have ever had.

Family recipes are for sharing, and I am so happy to share this amazing banana bread with you. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does!

Min mormor Cecilia bjöd på den godaste fikan. Hon dukade alltid upp ett vackert fat med flera sorters hårda och mjuka kakor, men det godaste bakverket var hennes banankaka. Även om det inte smakar precis som när mormor gjorde den, så är det fortfarande den godaste banankakan jag smakat. Jag hoppas att du tycker om den lika mycket som min familj!

Cecilia's Banana Bread
Family recipe

2 eggs
3 dl (270 g) sugar
3-4 bananas
8 tbsp heavy cream
1 dl (95 g) melted butter
4 1/2 dl (270 g) flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla sugar


Directions:

Beat eggs and sugar until thick and fluffy. Mush the bananas with a fork and pour them, along with the heavy cream and melted butter, into the egg mixture.
Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and vanilla sugar in a bowl. Fold in the dry ingredients in the egg and banana mixture. Pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan. Bake at 350 F for 40-50 minutes.

French Macarons with Chocolate and Raspberries Franska Macarons med Choklad och Hallon

In my book, weekends call for something extra. Especially weekends that bring you sunshine and a high of 77 F (25°C)! These chocolate filled French Macarons made a perfect celebratory ending to a busy week. 

I've only made French macarons a couple of times before, but this time I tried a different recipe. I have to say, I love this one! The macarons have such a lovely texture with a crunchy, thin shell and soft inside. My little boys love munching on them just plain, without any filling. (Me too!)

The only thing I would change when making them next time, would be to use caster sugar instead of the regular kind. It has a much finer grind, and will make your macarons looking more smooth. If you need other tips on how to make macarons, please check out this post I made a while back.

The great thing about macarons, is that you can make them any size you want. Imagine a beautiful and light summer macaron cake with vanilla whipped cream and fresh berries. I can't wait to try it!

Can we agree that every weekend should start like this?

Vilket bättre sätt att fira början på en helg som väntas bjuda på solsken och svensk sommarvärme, än att avnjuta dessa franska macarons med choklad och hallon? Det här receptet ger fantastiska macarons med en tunn, krispig yta och en mjuk mitten. Om du aldrig har bakat dessa bakverk tidigare, läs gärna min bloggpost om hur man lyckas med macarons. Du hittar den här.

French Macarons

by Roy Fares

45 g caster sugar

100 g powdered sugar

135 g almond flour

135 g powdered sugar

100 g egg whites

(a few drops food coloring optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 295 degrees.
2. Draw circles (the size you want your macarons to be) on a parchment paper and put on a baking sheet. (I used a glass as a measurement for my circles.)
3. Mix caster sugar and 100 g powdered sugar in one bowl, and the almond flour and 135 g powdered sugar in a different bowl.
4. Whip the egg whites until it makes a stiff foam. Add the sugar mix and whip until it forms stiff meringue peaks. Add the food coloring and continue to mix until fully incorporated.
5. Gently fold in the almond flour mix and stir until thick and shiny, making circular movements with a spatula along the edges of the bowl.
6. Pour the mixture into a piping bag, and pipe inside the circles on the parchment paper.
7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Miriam's Princess Cake Miriams prinsesstårta

My adorable little niece, Miriam, turned 7 years old this past weekend, and I had the honor of making her birthday cake. The birthday girl wished for a "princess cake", so I made sure it had some sparkles!

I love these little sugary jelly gemstones I bought! They looked pretty together with the two-toned buttercream roses, and the tiara I made from gumpaste.

A princess cake for a real princess. Happy birthday, sweet Miriam!

Jag fick äran att göra en princesstårta till min systerdotter Miriam, som fyllde 7 år förra helgen. Hon önskade sig en prinsesstårta, så det fick bli en rosa rostårta med gelediamanter och en tiara utav blompasta. En prinsesstårta till en liten prinsessa! Grattis fina Miriam!

Brownies with Coffee Buttercream and Salted Caramel Brownies med kaffesmörkräm och salt kolasås

It's hard to beat a good, chewy, fudgy brownie with a crinkly crust. What's even harder to beat is a brownie like that, topped with a coffee buttercream and a salted caramel sauce! In my book, this is a winner.

I had a chocolate craving the other night and tried out a new brownie recipe that only uses melted semi-sweet chocolate instead of cocoa powder. It almost resembles a chocolate lava cake in it's rich chocolate flavor, but with a more fudgy consistency. For a nicer presentation, I baked them in a pop over pan that my hubby's grandmother bought me years ago. I love the shape they got! 

Since I'm a lover of anything coffee and chocolate, I made a vanilla buttercream with some brewed coffee in it, and it turned out delicious. The salted caramel on top is just another bonus to an already yummy dessert! 

As a finishing touch, I garnished the brownies with gold dusted rose petals and dried rose buds. 

Om du älskar brownies, är det här receptet något för dig! En chokladdröm som toppas med en fantastisk kaffesmörkräm och salt kolasås. Garnera med rosenblad och torkade rosenknoppar för vacker presentation!



Ultimate Brownies
by Handletheheat

1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (94 grams) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butter, and unsweetened chocolate. Heat in the microwave for 1 minute then stir. Continue heating in 30-second bursts, stirring between each burst, until the mixture is melted and smooth but not scorched. Remove from the microwave and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs and sugar on medium-high speed until light and thick, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the flour and salt, folding gently until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake until a tester comes out with moist crumbs still attached, 35 to 40. Do not over-bake. Let cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or chilled.



For the buttercream, I used this recipe and omitted the heavy cream and used cold brewed coffee instead.



Salted Caramel Sauce
by Bobby Flay

1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste


Directions

In a medium saucepan set over medium-high heat, combine the sugar with 1/4 cup cold water and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar has turned a deep amber hue, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the cream in a small saucepan. When the caramel is ready, slowly whisk in the warm cream and continue simmering the mixture until it is smooth, another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, then whisk in the butter, and then the salt, to taste. Serve warm.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Chokladdoppade jordgubbar

I love chocolate dipped strawberries! They're so easy to make, delicious, and present beautifully. 

I recently came across a picture of chocolate dipped strawberries that had been arranged with flowers, and loved the idea. All you need is some floral foam (you'll find it in a hobby store like Michael's or a florist), a bouquet of flowers, some ribbon, and of course, strawberries and chocolate. 

The easiest way to coat strawberries with chocolate is to insert a toothpick by the stem, and gently dip the strawberry in the tempered chocolate. Make sure you melt the chocolate carefully, since it will become thicker if exposed to too much heat and end up looking lumpy. If you want to add some color to the white chocolate, mix with a few drops of gel coloring, or buy already colored candy melts. Put the other end of the toothpick in a styrofoam block to dry. This will make the strawberries evenly smooth on all sides.

To make the arrangement, take the floral foam and arrange the flowers and the dried chocolate covered strawberries. Make sure you're not leaving too much space so you expose the foam underneath. Wrap a wide ribbon along the sides and secure with some tape, and voilá!

Vem älskar inte jordgubbar doppade i choklad? Nyligen såg jag en rolig idé, där någon hade gjort ett arrangemang av blommor och chokladdoppade jordgbbar, och var tvungen att prova. Allt du behöver är oasis (finns att köpa i blomaffär eller hobbybutik), blombukett, jordgubbar, choklad och band att knyta runt arrangemanget. Det viktiga att tänka på när du doppar jordgubbarna är att chokladen värms upp långsamt, så att den inte blir för tjock. Använd gärna en tandpetare som du sätter in i jordgubben för att underlätta doppandet. Lycka till!

Éclairs Three Ways Éclairs på tre vis

Éclairs have been on my mental baking bucket list for a long time. They are so beautiful to look at, and even more delicious to eat! The only problem is that they look incredibly hard to make, right?

If there's one thing I've learned from my late night baking adventures, it's that just because a dessert is fancy looking, doesn't necessarily mean that you need a pastry degree to pull it off. What if I told you that these are actually easy to make and not very time consuming? 

Let's look more closely at these beauties. Éclairs are made from a choux dough, the same that is used to make beignets, churros and cream puffs. The only ingredients are butter, water, flour, salt and eggs. That's it! The key to this pastry dough is to stir the ingredients together in a saucepan using high heat. This makes the dough really high in moisture and will later make it 'puff' in the oven. You also want to start baking them at a higher temperature, only to lower it after about half of the cooking time. This makes a beautiful crust and creates a little vacuum in the middle of the pastry. A vacuum that will later be filled with all sorts of yumminess.

I made three different kinds of éclairs. The first one is filled with a home made nutella, covered with a dark chocolate glaze, and topped with a gold leaf that I made out of fondant and dusted with a gold luster dust. The second éclair is filled with lemon curd and topped with a torched Italian Meringue. The third is filled with a vanilla custard (or Mousseline), topped with a sugar glaze, and decorated with a few dried rose bud petals. Of course, you can always use jam or store-bought nutella as a filling.

There are different ways to fill an éclair. Some people cut the pastry length-wise, pipe the filling onto the lower part, and then put the top part back on. I made three small, evenly-spaced holes underneath and piped the filling into them. It doesn't leave any visible marks, but makes sure you get some filling with every bite, which is exactly what you want!

To frost them, simply make your glaze, gently dip the top of the éclair, and let set.

You will find the recipe for the choux dough below. If you want some tips on fillings, check out this chocolate buttercream recipe and this vanilla custard. Or you can just have fun with flavors and be creative!

Jag har länge velat prova att baka éclairs, men har alltid tyckt att det sett svårt ut. Det visade sig däremot vara både enkelt och snabbt! Éclairs är gjorda på chouxdeg som blandas samman på  en varm spisplatta och sedan bakas på först hög, och sedan låg värme i ugn. Detta gör att de blir härligt spröda på utsidan, men mjuka och ihåliga på insidan. Till sist fylls de med en god kräm av något slag och toppas med glasyr. Jag gjorde tre varianter - en variant var fylld med egengjord nutella, en annan med lemoncurd, och den tredje med vaniljkräm. Här följer ett gott recept på chouxdeg, som kan användas till att göra bland annat éclairs, petit choux eller churros. Lycka till!

Choux Pastry
from Allrecipes

1/2 cup (113 g) butter 
1 cup (235 ml) water 
1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
4 eggs 


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring until butter melts completely. Reduce heat to low, and add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until mixture leaves the sides of the pan and begins to form a stiff ball. Remove from heat. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well to incorporate completely after each addition. With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, spoon or pipe dough onto cookie sheet in 1 1/2 x 4 inch strips.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake 20 minutes more, until hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Swedish Cinnamon Buns Kanelbullar

Happy Swedish Cinnamon Bun Day!

Today my Instagram feed was so full of cinnamon bun posts, I almost convinced myself I could smell the cinnamon! Of course I had to bake some of my own.

I used an easy and yummy recipe that I posted last year (you will find it here.) It makes the traditional Swedish cardamom buns, that are filled with a buttery cinnamon and sugar mixture, and sprinkled with pearl sugar. So delicious!

Needless to say, my Kindergartner was really happy about the surprise that was waiting for him when he came home from school!

Happy baking!


Glad Kanelbullens dag! Idag var mitt instagramflöde fullt med bilder på kanelbullar i alla dess former. Självklart var jag tvungen att baka egna! Jag använde samma goda recept jag lade ut här på bloggen i fjol (ni hittar det här.) Trevlig bakning!

Mini Double Chocolate Raspberry Cakes Minichokladtårtor med hallon

There's been this recipe by the Swedish master baker, Roy Fares, that I have been eyeing for the longest time. A chocolate cake with a hint of coffee, a to-die-for dark chocolate crémeux with raspberry puree, and a silky smooth milk chocolate meringue buttercream. 

Oh, and a chocolate glaze dripping down the sides. When it comes to cakes, there's no such thing as too much chocolate.

We had two good friends over for some late night fika this weekend. One of them, Charles, had just celebrated his birthday, and our friend Paul is moving back home to Los Angeles for a new job opportunity. This seemed like the perfect time to try out the recipe. Usually I would make one big cake, but I thought it would be fun to do something different and more personal.  (Besides, having a half leftover cake in the fridge when you're a stay at home mom is not the best idea...)

I'll be honest, mini cakes can be pretty time consuming, but they make for a beautiful presentation. Besides, doesn't it feel more special to get your own little cake?

Also, can we stop for a minute and talk about the chocolate crémeux? I'd never heard the term before, but learned that it means 'creamy' in French. I would describe it as a silky, smooth, and rich chocolate filling. It has a dark chocolate taste, almost bitter, but a sweet raspberry finish. I'm in love.

Big cake, little cake, doesn't matter. You'll love it!

Vi hade våra vänner Charles och Paul över på en fika i helgen för att fira en födelsedag och ett nytt jobb. Jag har länge velat baka Roy Fares berömda Double Chocolate Raspberrytårta, så det blev ett perfekt tillfälle! Istället för att baka en stor tårta, gjorde jag miniversioner som blev väldigt uppskattade. En fantastiskt god tårta som kommer att bakas igen. Receptet hittar du här nedan - du kommer att älska den!

Double Chocolate Raspberry Cake

by Roy Fares

Dark Chocolate Cremeux 

200g dark chocolate 64%

45g sugar (1/2 dl)

60g egg yolks (4st)

175g heavy cream (1 3/4 dl)

150g raspberry puree(1 1/2 dl)

(35g Cognac (2 msk) if you like)

1. Chop the chocolate and put in a bowl. 
2. Mix the egg yolks with sugar in a separate bowl. 
3. In a saucepan, boil the heavy cream and raspberry puree. Add it to the egg yolk mixture and stir. 
4. Pour it back into the saucepan, and on low heat, stir until the mixture thickens. Pour over the chocolate. (If using cognac, add to the chocolate mixture.)
5. Let stand for a few minutes and stir until a smooth creme.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Cake

330g flour (5 ½ dl)

510g sugar (6 dl)

120g cacao (3 dl)

15g baking soda (1 msk)

7g baking powder (1 ½ tsk)

10g salt (1 ½ tsk)

10g vanilla sugar (1 msk)

165g eggs, room temp (3)

350g milk, room temp (3 ½ dl)

180g vegetable oil (2 dl)

350g hot coffee(3 ½ dl)

1. Preheat oven to 310 degrees. Butter and flour four 8" cake pans, and cover the bottoms with parchment paper. 
2. Sift together all dry ingredients into a bowl. 
3. In a seperate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk and oil. 
4. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and blend until a thick and smooth batter. Add the coffee and mix well. 
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 410 grams in each) and bake on the center oven rack for about 40 minutes.
6. Check with a toothpick to see if it comes out clean and the cake is ready.
7. Let the pans cool.
8. If you can'r fit all of the pands in the oven at the same time, it is fine to let it sit until the first batch is done.
9. Let cool completely and remove from the pans. 

Milk chocolate meringue buttercream 

300g milk chocolate

450g unsalted butter, room temp 

10g vanilla sugar (1 msk)

150g egg whites (4–5)

220g sugar (2 ½ dl)

1 pinch salt

1. Chop the chocolate, and in a bowl, melt over a water bath. 
2. Set aside and let cool to room temp. 
3. Put egg whites, sugar and salt in a bowl, and heat over a water bath until the sugar crystals have melted. Whisk every now and then. Lägg äggvitor, socker och salt i en skål. 
4. Remove from heat, and with a whisk or kitchen aid, beat the meringue until it has cooled and stiff peaks form.
5. Add the butter while whisking, a little at a time, and then add the chocolate.

Chocolate Glaze

100 g unsalted butter

50 g water (1/2dl)

140 g dark choclate

1. Melt the butter and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the chocolate, and stir until the choclate is completely melted. 
3. Take off heat, set aside and let cool.