Sunday 4 May 2008

Chocolate Gateau

I don't know about you, but I love looking at images of plain looking cakes. I am always mesmerised by the awesome looking, golden crumbs on a cake surface.


I made this chocolate gateau a couple of days ago. As usual, I was attracted to the recipe by the beautiful illustration. It's a flourless chocolate cake, ground almonds are used in place of flour. I was very pleased with the outcome...its appearance improved gradually as it was cooling off. I actually liked the bulging rim, I call it the 'hat', that was formed on the top ;)


I would prefer to have the cake plain, but since this is a Me cake...yes, I made it just for myself...I thought I should coat it with a layer of chocolate ganache. I have meant to make it a very simple cake without any decoration...but since I was left with some chocolate ganache, I piped a 'rosette' on it. Yes, I know, I need more practise on my piping ;'p


With my lousy frosting skill, the cake appeared distorted...and the photos I took were terrible. Thanks to the strong light rays from the scorching sun, my photos were mostly over-exposed. It got worst when the glossy chocolate ganache bounced off light all over :(


The cake tasted really really goooood!! It was awfully chocolaty, and the texture was very smooth and velvety. I am sure any chocolate lover will fall in love with it right away. It certainly helped to lift up my spirit a little, as there is really nothing to be happy about, if you have reached the age when our government automatically covers you under the ElderShield :,(



Ingredients:

150g dark chocolate, broken up
75g golden caster sugar (I used light brown sugar)
150g unsalted butter, diced
1 tablespoon runny honey
4 large eggs, separated
200g ground almonds (almond powder)
75ml milk (I used low fat fresh milk)

chocolate ganache:
100g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

Method:

  1. Line the base of a 20cm cake pan (with removable base) with parchment paper, grease the sides with butter and set aside.
  2. Separate egg yolks from whites when the eggs are still cold. Set aside to bring to room temperature.
  3. Place chocolate, sugar, butter, honey in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently till the ingredients melted. Let cool.
  4. Transfer to a large bowl. With a manual whisk beat in egg yolks and ground almonds, then stir in the milk. (Just a few stir should get everything incorporated. The mixture will be rather thick at this stage.)
  5. In a clean, dry, grease free mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk egg whites until stiff. With a spatula, Fold In the beaten egg whites in 3 separate additions, into the cake mixture. (Ensure all the whites are fully incorporate into the cake mixture after every addition.)
  6. Pour batter into prepared cake pan (the final batter will be less thick). Give the pan several sharp taps on a work top to bring up any air bubbles that may be trapped in the batter.
  7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170 degC for 35-40mins, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
  8. Remove from oven, let cool in the pan for about 1omins. Run a thin-bladed knife along the sides of the pan, unmold and cool right-side up.
  9. Dust with cocoa powder before serving. Alternatively, if desired, spread with chocolate ganache. To make chocolate ganache: bring the heavy cream to a boil, remove from heat and add in chopped chocolate. Stir till chocolate is melted. Let cool for a few mins and spread over the cake.

    Recipe source: Gorgeous Cake by Annie Bell

115 comments:

Small Small Baker said...

That's a wonderfully beautiful chocolate gateau with the chocolate rosette! Must be very delicious too!

Happy birthday HHB! May your wishes come true! :)

Yan said...

such divine chocolatety cake. yumz. thumbs up.
cheers,
yan

Yuri said...

Happy bday HHB, lol the big 4-0 club eh? Hope you had a wonderful day.

CHRISTOH said...

Nice looking cake. May I just check with you what is heavy cream? Is it sour cream? Kindly advise. Thks for the recipe. Regards. Chris

Happy Homebaker said...

Thanks SSB, Yan!

Yuri...I got the candles from Daiso ;)

Hi Chris, heavy cream is not sour cream...it refers to dairy whipped cream that has around 35% of milk fat. I use this brand "Bulla"'s whipping cream. Hope this helps.

Baking Fiend said...

Happy Birthday! and it's a gorgeous cake alrite. :P

Anonymous said...

wow lovely cake!
nice blog too. thanks for
sharing all you're wonderful
recipes!

sherlyn said...

Lovely cake. Happy belated birthday (I suppose it is belated since i read it only now).

I was chatting to a friend who visit your blog too, that if we hv the chance, we would love to meet up with you. We stay in the west, so if you comes around this area, tell me earlier. ;-)

Lim H said...

Hi dear, Happy Belated Birthday! This cake is superb! Btw, almond powder is very expensive"loh"
:-/

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday Happy Home baker! Fantastic cake with brilliant idea without flour, so not so fattening right?

Since on this keeping healthy topic, can I substitute cooking oil with butter. If yes, how much ml to replace the butter. Thanks. Novice baker

Happy Homebaker said...

Thanks Ida!

Hi Grace, thanks for visiting :)

Hi Sherlyn, it will be fun to meet :) but I am staying at the other side of the island. I hardly go to the west...I make it sound like Singapore is so big hor?!

Thanks Chris! Yes, almond powder is quite expensive...but I like recipes that uses almond powder in cakes...it will make the cake very tasty!

Hi Novice baker, this is still a very fattening cake...as there's lots of chocolate in it! I am not sure about subsitiuting the butter with oil...if u really want to try this, I would suggest to stick to the ingredients used in the recipe.

Unknown said...

Hi HHB,

How should we store the cake? In the fridge?

Anonymous said...

Hi there. Was browsing the net for info on Heng Hwa/Xing Hwa when I stumbled upon your blog here. I am a fellow Heng Hwa too! ;-)

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,

I am a frequent visitor of your blog, just wanted to wish you Happy Birthday :) Just realised that you and I are born in the same year 1968 rite ? I will hit the big 40 this Sep....

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Wendy, as I coated the cake with chocolate ganache, I kept it in the fridge. Without the ganache, u can leave it in room temperature.

Hi Tankiasu, thanks for visiting! Too bad I can't speak Heng Hwa, but I can understand the language.

Hi OrangeJuice, thanks! Yes, yes, we are born in the year of Monkey ;)

sherlyn said...

Hi HHB,

No joke abt SG being big. I feel it is cos it will take me an hour journey if i want to go expo.

anyway, i m not sure where is your "the other side of the island", but if i visit expo (likely cos got book fairs) or east coast park, maybe i let u noe lor, then we can meet up liao ;-)

Anonymous said...

hey i would like
to ask for your suggestion
on what kind of small cakes
or tarts that are easy to
make and can be kept in room
temperature for half a day
without getting spoilt?
Thanks and Cheers!

Abigail said...

yummy yummy cake! another must try on my oh so long list.

Happy Birthday!

Patricia Scarpin said...

That is one breathtaking cake, darling!

KWF said...

Happy Belated Birthday HHB! What an awefully sinful chocolate cake! Now's the exam period, I'm trying to stay away from "heaty" stuff like chocolate...*sob sob*

Serena said...

Hi,

First off, Happy Birthday! Hope you had a great day. My husband, turned 40 in March, had received the notification recently for the Eldershield cover and got depressed for a while, LOL! A question on the cake, where can I get the almond powder? Phoon Huat? I read somewhere in the comments here that it is expensive, but I guess for a great tasting cake, can't really stinge on ingredient quality. Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe and I will give it a try once I nail down the almond powder.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Grace, most cakes that are not frosted with cream or filled with fillings will be able to keep in room temperature even over nite. You either store it in an airtight container, or cover with cling wrap. Examples are chiffon cakes, butter cakes, quickbreads like muffins, and cupcakes (without the cream). This chocolate cake (without the ganache) can be kept in room temperature too.

Thanks Gail...I keep a looong list too!

Hi Pat, thanks!

dear WF, thanks! yes, it's THE exam period again, sigh!!! I can't wait for it to be over too!

Serena, I was very depressed and a bit 'angry' too! Why do they cateogrise our age group as the elderly huh? lol!!
You can get almond powder at PH, 200g pack is about $4.50. There is another brand, Baker King which is available at most NTUC/cold storage is slightly more expensive. You can also get it from Sheng Shiong...I bought it a pack of 100g at around $2. I checked and it's stated "product from USA" so I bought it...to me, nowadays, every cents counts!

Cuisine Paradise said...

Wow..this is such a Beautiful and Awesome cake. My son love anything that consists of Chocolate.... and i guess this make a perfect Weekend Tea-break for him :p Thanks for sharing the recipes....

em... can i check with u..if i will to make it into cupcake size is it possible..any idea on the baking time... Thanks.

regards
Ellena

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ellena, yes, you can bake it in a cupcake liner...instead of a 20cm pan, I used an 18cm pan, as I prefer to have a taller cake. As such, I didnt fill the pan with all the batter (may over flow??), so I baked the remaining in two muffin cups. However, I didnt take note of the timing, it was done almost around the same time...although u can try cut it down to between 25-30mins. Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

hi happy home baker,

Happy birthday to you....just found out your site through Yochana site...you have wonderful site and very yummy delicious recipes. I would like to try this chocolate gateau for this week end for moederdag (mother day) present to my mother in law. But one question...can I substitute runny honey with whatever honey i can find here?...Btw i am living in Holland

Thx a lot
Az

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Az, thanks for visiting :)
I think should be a problem to replace whatever honey u have...as long as you are able to mix it together with the other ingredients.

Anonymous said...

I love eating all type of plain looking cakes. I think this cakes cake surfaces are so nice.You making me hungry by showing this photos.

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday! Hope you enjoyed your special day with your loved ones. Such a beautiful cake to celebrate the day!

Anonymous said...

Would love it if you'd add some of your cakes to my new website celebrating all kinds of sweet things.
www.ratemycakes.com
Check it out.
Thanks
Tim

Colin Woon said...

Looks incredibly delicious! Great job!

Sunshinemom said...

That is one of my favourite birthday cakes too...as my children love it because of the moist chocolate! I have something waiting for you in my blog. Would be a honour if you could pick it up....I noticed you do not participate in blog events...but it would have been injustice not to pass this one to you...as I just love your bakes!

http://tumyumtreats.blogspot.com/2008/04/i-opened-mail-as-soon-as-i-returned.html

Anonymous said...

Happy birthday! You make very nice and mouthwatering chocolate desserts. I can't stop ogling at them.

Anne said...

Belated Happy Birthday! The cake is simply stunning :)

Susan said...

Wonderful cake! Puts me in a baking mood!

BTW, what type of camera do you have? I am looking for a good camera since mine takes bad motion shots. Would appreciate any advice you can give!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Sunshinemon, thanks for giving me the award! Will write a post on it soon :D

Thanks Anne!!

Hi Susan, I am using a Cannon Powershot G3, 4 megapixels. It is quite an 'old' camera as we bought it 4 years ago. It's not a very great camera as compared to the newer ones on the market now. I'm sorry I can't offer much suggestions on camera as I am really a novice in the area of photography :)

Elin Chia said...

Happy Belated Birthday. Ur chocolate ganache looks mouth-watering. Now I have to add to my to do list! ^_____^ Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe coz my piggies love chocolatey cakes!

Aimei said...

Hi HHB, i was planning to bake a real chocolately bday cake for my bf :) is this the very chocolately type?? :P It seems easier as compared to layered cakes as I need to make it on a weekday.

Btw, do you think i can replace heavy cream with non-dairy cream those used for frosting??

How do you pipe the rosette? :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Elinluv, thanks! I hope your piggies will like this cake :)

Hi Aimei, I would consider this as a chocolatey cake, as my husband actually commented "It's like eating chocolate." This cake is certainly chocolatey as compared to those chocolate sponge cake. However, taste is very subjective, it varies from person to person. So, I am not sure what you are looking for?

Please do not use non-dairy cream for the chocoalte ganache...I don't think it will work...as I have come across many chocolate gananche recipes, and so far none uses non-dairy cream. I used a star pipping tip to pipe the rosette...got the tip from PH. Hope this helps :)

Esther said...

Happy Belated Birthday to you HHB! :-) Your cake is just so ... I'm lost for words bcos is too good, just too good! <^.^>

女人“四十”一支花,不必花钱买鲜花,因为自己就是一朵最漂亮的花!Yeah!

Esther

RecipeGirl said...

Hi There- my first visit to your blog... very nice place you have here!

I just made a Gateau cake today so I thought I'd see if any other bloggers had done any lately. Yours looks wonderful! I'll be posting about mine tomorrow. It looks a little different than this one :)

Anonymous said...

hi home baker,

what is the brand of dark choco that you use? i have problem choosing and the last time i bought, the choco does not have a nice taste.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Rabbit, I used Carrefour's house brand, dark chocolates for making dessert with 64% cocoa content. I guess you have to try out different types of chocolates to find the one that suits your taste. You can try Hershey's baking chocolates, they are quite good too.

Mandy said...

happy belated birthday! I am so sorry for my late wishes. But you know you have become an official friend when I greeted you weeks after your birthday. :p BTW,I love simple looking cake too. It's the taste that counts. :)

Yamile said...

HI! I love your blog especially because of your photographies, they're fantastic. I hope you won't mind that I borrowed one of them to put it in my blog, which is in spanish.

I really love your blog.
Best wishes! :)

Anonymous said...

Hi, we just moved from Singapore two years ago to Seattle and I can't tell you how much I miss the fabulous cakes there...just stumbled upon your website and THAAAAN YOUUUU for all those mouth watering creations that remind me of home....and thanks a bunch again for sharing tips...

Unknown said...

Hi SH, this cake looks wonderful. Btw, I have changed my blog link back to www.sweet-indulgences.blogspot.com

Sorry for the trouble. =)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Jacelyn, thanks for the info, I have updated my link :)

Anonymous said...

Hi sweetie mum,

It's me again. Just wanna let you know I've tried your chocolate receipes. Kinda combine here and there. Here's the outcome and thank you so much for having this informative blog. cheers!

http://kenzandjesz.wordpress.com/2008/05/27/awfully-chocolately/

Anonymous said...

Hi,

I'm new to baking and happen to find your blog.

Would like to check with you for this recipe, what do u mean by runny honey?

As for whisking of egg whites, can i use it manually as I dun have a electric mixer?

Thanks.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Miz, it was not stated specifically in the cookbook, but I took it as the usual honey, thick and yet runny. Yes, you can us a manual whisk to whisk the egg whites...you just need a pair of powerful arms ;p

Anonymous said...

Okay got it. Thank you. :)

youfei said...

Hi HHB,

my mum asked if i could do a birthday cake for my grandma this sat and i thought you chocolate gateau would be perfect!

Would jus like to ask, for the ganache, wouldn't it firm up in the fridge?

I recently did a log cake and when i chilled it overnight it became like "firm chocolate"

Btw, i'm still youfei, just using a different gmail account now =) as I have recently set up a blog as a diary for myself. :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi youfei, the chocolate ganache will set after chilling. However, it will not be as hard as chocolate bars that are left in the fridge. You can bring the cake to room temperature before serving. This way, the ganache will be softer. I realised that the texture will depend on the ratio of chocolate to cream. If there is higher ratio of chocolate to cream, the ganache will be more firm. You can read more about chocolate ganache from joyofbaking.com.

Anonymous said...

hi HHB..
i would 2 check wit u if it is possible to substitute dark choc with milk choc for the ingredients part not the ganache? would it make any difference?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Subah, it would be better to use dark chocolates for the cake, as dark chocolates have higher chocolate liquor content compared to milk chocolate it will give a richer flavour. I used dark chocolates with 70% chocolate liquor for this cake.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,
Your cake looks really wonderful. Just wondering why the top surface of your final cake looks so flat and nice, what happen to the bulging rim or "hat" that was seen in the 1st picture? Did you cut off the top layer? I have decided to follow your recipe and bake one for myself and hubby next week. Our birthdays are just few days apart and incidentally, I'll be 40 too.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi CLL, I didn't cut off the top layer...you can do that, but I find that it will cause too many crumbs on the surface and when you spread the chocolate ganache, the surface may not be smooth. So what I did was, I invert the cake...so the bottom which is flat becomes the top! Sorry I didn't mention this in the instructions! Thanks for pointing it out :)
btw, after frosting the cake with the ganache, I kept it in the fridge. It will turn hard, and you will need a proper knife to slice it...those plastic 'birthday-cake-knife' won't be able to do the job! So, remember to take the cake out from the fridge for 15-30mins before serving. I think 30mins will be saver if you have left the cake over nite. Hope you find this useful. and Happy 40TH birthday to both of you!!! I am gonna be 41 soon ;'(

agapejen said...

Hi
May I know if we have to get baking/cooking chocolate or those Cadbury dark chocolate bar from Candy section?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi agapejen, yes, it is best to use good quality dark baking chocolates. I usually use Hershey's or Carrefour's housebrand (for baking/making dessert).

agapejen said...

I made this yesterday, taste real good.
I made a mistake as I only have 100g almond powder, fortunately the taste is still ok.
Thanks for the great recipe

Happy Birthday

Unknown said...

hi!! when u say u used bulla whip cream, do u refer to thickened cream??

where can i find it?? i can't seems to find it in NTUC =\

http://images.google.com.sg/images?hl=en&q=bulla%20thickened%20cream&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Dainty, yes, it is thickened cram. You can try cold storage or carrefour. Some NTUC outlets don't carry this brand.

Baking gal said...

Hi HHB

I was wondering if we just add the Almond powder to the flour? Do we need to roast the powder first?

As for the ganache, what's the difference between using baking chocolate and couverture?

Thanks for your help!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Baking gal, yes you can just add the almond powder to the flour as it is not stated in this recipe that roasting of the powder is required.

I am sorry, I do not know the effect of the two types will have on the ganache. Although I would think using a higher quality chocolate, the taste will be better.

Couverture is a term used for chocolates (ususally bittersweet or semi sweet chocolates) with 32%-39% cocoa butter content. However, do note that the total "percentage" cited on many brands of chocolate is made up of some combination of cocoa butter to cocoa solids, so for couverture, this value must be at least 54%. Hence, if your baking chocolates has got similar content, then, I guess there won't be much difference.

Since I can't afford high quality couvertures, I usually use cheaper options...Carrefour's housebrand of dark chocolates (meant for baking) with over 60% cocoa content. Hope you find this useful.

Baking gal said...

Hi HHB

Thanks for your help. =)

I went to ask the lady in Phoon Huat about the difference and she told me that if I use couverture to make ganache, the ganache will be softer. She said if I want a firmer ganache, then baking chocolate is the choice.

Thought I'll just share the information. =)

Ling said...

Hi can i check with you, can i use this recipe for cupcakes? Am lazy to bring knife out for a pinic. And will the cake rise alot?

Olso if i am going to do a 8" cake.. do i need to dlb the recipe for a tall cake?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ling, I don't think this is suitable for cupcakes. I have not tried it beore.
This recipe is meant for a 8" (20cm) cake, so you dont need to adjust the amount.

Anonymous said...

Hi There !

I wanted to bake this gorgeous chocolate cake during Deepavali festive season but before that I have questions to clear my doubt, first of all what type of baking chocolate can be used for this cake ...is it okay if I use Van Houten baking chocolate...secondly this cake serves for how many people, do I have to double the amount of ingredients for larger cake...can I have the doubled measurement..thanks

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, it is ok to use Van Houten baking chocolates. This cake is 20cm, and serves 8. I'm sorry I do not have the doubled measurement.

Anonymous said...

Hi, can i ask you what the meaning of right-side up?
thank you. :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, some cakes/bakes will need to be cooled inverted (with the bottom of the cake facing up). To differentiate, for this cake, it is cooled right-side up, ie, place the cake with the bottom on the rack and the cake top facing up. Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

hello. just bake this cake. but my cake came out diff from your. as in the part where yours is pop up, but mine dont have. i think is bcos of the egg white i didnt make until stiff. it sink after i take out from oven.

Anonymous said...

can i ask what almond powder you use? My cake sink alot! i dont know why. the bottom is abit uncooked. izzit bcos of the oven?? but overall still can accept. i hope my mother will like it as a bday present.:) Thanks anyway!~

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, yes it is likely due to the egg white.

Hi there, I bought almond powder from Phoon Huat. It could be due to the beating of the egg whites, and since the bottom is uncooked, you may have underbaked the cake. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick or skewer into the centre of the cake, it should come out clean.

Unknown said...

Hi there, I saw your blog on the chocolate cake and it really looks yummy! Just like to know, if I want to bake a smaller version of the cake, approx 12com, can I halved the measurements of the receipe?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Clarisse, I am not sure whether you can halve the recipe as it may affect the result. Maybe you can make the full portion but use two small baking pans instead?

Chloe said...

hi HHB,

for the ganache, u mentioned heavy cream, but can i use normal whipping cream instead? heavy cream is also heavy whipping cream but just with a higher fat content than normal whipping crm right?

Aico Woo said...

can i know "cup" is refer to our normal drinking cup size at home ? or u use special baking cup ?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Aico Woo, you need to use a liquid measuring cup (not drinking cups), 1 cup of liquid is 250ml.

Hi Chloe, yes, you can use whipping cream.

Anonymous said...

what can i the runny honey with as i don have honey with me at the moment?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I am sorry, I am not sure what can be used to replace the honey. Maybe you can try other recipes that doesn't require honey.

Sheena (: said...

Hello, may i know if i can replace the almond powder with flour instead? I wanna bake a chocolate cake which is more fudgy then chiffon kind for my boyfriend's birthday cos he likes those kind. so should i bake this one?

By the way, i have been using your recipes to bake and they always turn out great. Thanks lots! (:

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Sheena, so sweet of you to bake a cake for your boyfriend, he is so lucky :)

It is better to stick to almond powder as this is the way this type of classic flourless chocolate cake is made. Are you a local? If yes, you can get almond powder easily from Phoon Huat or even Sheng Siong supoermart. If not, you can try out other chocolate cake recipes from other bloggers.

sheena said...

Hello, its me again. Yeaps, im a local. Alrights, i better stick to your advice because your recipes never failed me. My tray size is 10" by 10", its okay right?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Sheena, this is meant for an 8" round pan, if you were to use a 10" square pan, the resulting height of the cake will be shorter by almost half, ie it will probably be around 1" thick.

Sheena (: said...

Hello, okay. i'll use a 8" round pan then. Last question, i read online that i can replace honey with maple syrup. So, its okay for me to replace the honey in your recipe to maple syrup right?

Sabby said...

I'm sorry if this question is stupid because I really don't know anything about heavy cream. I dont have to whip it before bringing it to a boil right?

Happy Homebaker said...

Sabby, to make the chocolate ganache, you do not need to whip the heavy cream.

Unknown said...

hey.. just wondering if we can make the almond powder on our own by grounding the almonds with skin? or do we have to boil it and peal it and then grind it?

thanks

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Hina, I think you need to get whole almonds that comes without the skin and grind it. I dont think you can peel the skin easily.

Little Pretty Tots said...

Hihi!

Looking for a chocolate cake recipe for my brother bday and decide to try yours coz it look so appetising.

If I just wan a 6" cake coz I only got a 6" removeable base then dun wan to buy another one, so shld I use the same recipe and bake the rest as cupcakes?

As for the ganache, do I just pour and it will cover the whole cake or still need to spread? Sorry, but coz 1st time using ganache so a bit worried....

Thanks!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Admin, yes you can bake in a 6" pan and the rest as cupcakes, but do watch the baking time, you probably need to reduce the time as it is smaller. You will still need to spread the ganache on the cake. Hope this helps :)

Summer said...

Hihi... I've tried some of your baking recipes here and totally love them! My bf's bday is coming and he loves those chocolate cakes with crunchy crust in between the mousse n cake layers... It's very challenging.. I have no idea how to go abt doing it :( wld like to seek some ideas/help from you on this. Thanks in advance!!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Summer, I am sorry, I do not know what kind of chocolate cake you are referring to?

Anonymous said...

Hi! Is 8" and 18cm round pan the same thing?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, an 8" pan is equivalent to a 20cm pan, whereas 7" is same as 18cm pan.

alina! said...

hello happy homebaker!

just to double check, it's okay to use nestle single cream for the ganache in this recipe right? is the measurement still going to be the same?

and if i were to use a 6" pan (~15cm), what would you recommend the baking time to be?

thanks so much! :)

alina! said...

sorry I forgot to add! I am planning to pour the rest of the mixture that cannot fit in the 6inch pan into muffin cups like what you suggested to someone else. So how much mixture should I pour into the 6inch pan? does the cake rise a lot?

sorry for the trouble! I'm planning to bake this for my bf's birthday and an 8" cake would be far too big haha..

Mum's the word said...

This blog is such a find. Thank you for the lovely recipes.

Happy Homebaker said...

hi alina, yes, you can use nestle single cream, the amount is the same. You can fill the 6in pan to about 3/4 full, the cake doesnt rise alot. I am not sure about the baking time though, maybe you can start checking for doneness after 25mins of baking. hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

Hi, am i able to use semisweet chocolate instead of dark chocolate? Also, may i know what type of almond powder you used?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, you can use semisweet chocolates...dark chocolates are also referred to as semisweet chocolates...as long as the cocoa content is high. I got the almond powder from the local baking supply store. Are u a local? If yes, I got it from Phoon Huat.

The Stolen Window said...

We are planning on making gateau sometime soon. This recipe looks delicious!

Busymama said...

Hihi can I replace almond powder with normal plain flour? My hb say e last time I made taste like soft brownie.. Hehe

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Busymama, no I don't think you can replace it with flour.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB!

I'll be trying this recipe out using my one and only 9" pan.
Any idea how many times the recipe should I do?
Will the baking time be affected if I use more quantity with a larger pan?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I am not sure the actual amount, maybe you can try 1.5 times, but I really do not know whether it will have any effect on the result. You will need to bake it slightly longer in a larger pan.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB!

Is it alright to use normal eating dark chocolate? I suppose the whip cream makes it firm. But do you think it'll work?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I think it should be ok to use normal eating dark chocolate, but I have not tried it, so I am really not sure...

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB, can I use a normal baking tin instead of removable base tin?
Thanks for your advise.
Really love your receipes...

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, yes, u can use a normal baking tin. Happy baking :)

Anonymous said...

Hi there,
I am looking for a rich dessert cake recipe and thought this might fit the bill. Wondering how many serves I can get from this recipe. Thanks

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, this is an 8" cake, yield 8 small slices.

Anonymous said...

Hi, can I use 200gm of flour to replace 200 gm of almond powder? Thanks

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, no, please do not replace the almond powder with flour, it will affect the result.