Chocolate Chantilly Cake

I'm sure someone else has already invented this cake and gave it a name, but I haven't come across it yet, so I'm just going to call it a chocolate chantilly cake. It has four layers of crispy meringue (that probably won't stay crispy by the time the cake has chilled), and is frosted with chocolate chantilly. I guess it's sort of like a dacquoise, without the buttercream or nuts. It's also meant to be a simple recipe, because other than the little bit of cream of tartar and salt, there are only four main ingredients. Hope you enjoy this rich-tasting cake too! 

By the way, if you know of the proper name for a cake like this, please let me know! University has made me obsessively vigilant about not plagiarizing or taking credit for anything that's not mine. So I definitely don't want to do that here. 


The Recipe:
Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 200 g dark, unsweetened chocolate (you can also use bittersweet)
• 175 mL water

Stir sugar, cream of tartar, and salt together. In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites until they reach a soft peak (or when you don't see anymore clear, runny egg whites at the bottom of the bowl). Gradually add sugar as you continue to whisk. Beat to the egg whites are glossy and reach a stiff peak. Spread into four 1 cm, 15 cm diameter round disks with a stencil onto a lined baking sheet. I used the hole in a removeable bottom pie tin. Make sure the top is even. With the leftover egg whites, scoop into a piping bag (or plastic bag and cut off a corner) and pipe small rounds to use for decoration later. Bake in a 250F oven for 30-40 minutes until the meringue is crisp and dry, and you can easily remove them from the sheet without them sticking. Allow them to cool in the oven. 

In the mean time, bring the water to a boil in a small pot (covered). Take water off the stove and drop in 175 g of chocolate. Whisk to help chocolate melt into the water. Once the chocolate has completely melted and mixed with the water, pour into a large bowl, set over a bowl of ice water, and whisk as if you're whipping cream. The chocolate should begin to firm up and resemble chocolate frosting. Spread the whipped chocolate on each meringue disc generously, keeping 1 cm border clear of the edge, stacking each layer on top of the last as you go. With the remainder of the chocolate, spread onto the sides to cover the whole cake. Stick the mini meringues on the side for decoration. With the remaining 25 g of dark chocolate, you can melt and pipe shapes to add additional decoration to put on the cake. Chill for at least a few hours in the fridge, slice, and enjoy! 

My first time making this; not sure if it was supposed to look like this. 

Meringue disks, before baking

Tada!

Oatmeal Citron Macaroons

I don't know what to say about these cookies; they speak for themselves. You just have to try one. It's a simple recipe, easy and quick to make, and delicious to eat. They are crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside, thanks to the citron preserve.

The Recipe:
Dry ingredients:

• 1 cup desiccated unsweetened flaked coconut
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 tbsp pea fibre (optional, to increase fibre content)
• 1 tsp five spice powder (you can also use pumpkin pie spice)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup citron preserve (you can substitute with any marmalade)

Stir dry ingredients together in one bowl. Beat egg whites and sugar to a stiff peak. Add dry ingredients at once to egg whites and fold until all dry ingredients are completely coated with egg white. Add citron preserve and fold in until thin streaks of preserve remain. 

Scoop spoonfuls (~1tbsp) of cookie batter onto a lined cookie sheet. Press to flatten cookie a little. Bake at 350 °F (~175 °C) for 15 to 20 minutes or until sides are golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool on a rack. Hope you like these as much as I do. 

Dry ingredients without salt and five spice

Just before baking

Just out of oven

They look so beautiful, so I thought I'd put a close-up here too

Coconut Angel Cake

Are you thinking what I'm thinking? Are you just about to begin the annual marathon of rich, decadent holiday feasts? Or perhaps you've already begun, like I have? Here, I have a recipe for a light interlude to keep our spirits (and perhaps body) light: a coconut angel food cake. Let's not wait for the summer to enjoy coconut and angel food cake. A dash of cinnamon gives this cake a welcoming warmth.

The Recipe:
Sift together dry ingredients:

• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 2 tbsp defatted soy flour
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional, stir after sifting others if adding)

Wet ingredients:

• 6 egg whites (separated from fresh raw eggs, best if left at room temperature)
• 4 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (for flavour and moisture)
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (stabilizes egg white structure)

Measure out white sugar and stir in cream of tartar so that it is evenly distributed. In a large, clean bowl, beat egg whites until it comes to a soft peak. Add white sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while beating. Continue to add brown sugar, again, a tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until you get a medium peak. Carefully fold in sifted dry ingredients with a large spatula, stopping when you don't see clumps of flour anymore. You can fold it all in at once or separate into two batches. Scoop into an un-greased, 8 by 4 inch (or 20 cm by 10 cm) loaf tin, even out the top, and bake at a 325 °F (~165 °C) oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Flip loaf tin upside down to cool for 15-20 minutes before removing from pan and slicing. If your tin does not have "feet", you can let it rest in a round bowl that's slightly wider than 8 inch diameter so that the cake surface is not touching anything but air can circulate. Slice and enjoy when cooled. 

Measured out dry ingredients before sifting

Egg whites beat to medium peak with sugars and cream of tartar

Cooled loaf cake

Here's how the structure and texture looks inside 

It's not exactly fat free because there is some fat in the coconut flour and soy flour (and in the flaxseed if you are using it), but it's much lower than that in pound cakes but no less flavourful. You can add a sugar glaze or sprinkle with icing sugar if you like. Happy holidays!

Feathery berry cakes

Today is my last day of winter break before going back to school for another long term. After 3 weeks of blissful relaxation, I now face another 3 months of difficult study that I love and hate at the same time. At the beginning of my break, I had unwisely spent a week fretting about how quickly this holiday will pass and worrying about all the long hours I will have to spend memorizing my textbooks. Fortunately, in recent days, I had come to the conclusion that the time would pass whether I'm miserably counting the days left or fearlessly enjoying the seasonal festivities. So I have full-heartedly given in to doing the latter. Even on this last day.

Berry cake

The recipe for berry cakes (in case you wanted to know): I stir together 1/3 cup of room temperature light cream cheese with 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp lemon zest, and 1/4 cup skim milk until a smooth mixture forms. Then, I sift 1 cup of natural wheat bran, 5 tbsp of stone ground barley flour, and 1/2 tsp baking powder over the wet mixture, and stir until a thick batter forms (top picture). In a separate bowl, I beat 4 egg whites until frothy. I add 2 tbsp of white sugar and 1 tbsp of brown sugar (1 at a time) and beat until I get medium peaks. I fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter and roughly stir. Then I carefully (but quickly) fold in the rest of the egg whites using a spatula. Finally I add 1/3 cup of frozen mixed berries, straight from the freezer (without thawing) as a last minute addition. I fill two 5 inch diameter round baking tins with batter and bake in a 325 F oven for 30 minutes.

When they came out, I took a few minutes to take some pictures (bottom picture) and let them cool before slicing into a feathery light cake with dotted with hidden berry gems. Yummy and healthy!