Chocolate Dream Cake

By Noncie Moyo on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at 4:18pm

Cake

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup + 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups milk, + 2 Tablespoons vinegar to sour the milk

1 1/2 cups strong black coffee (warm, not hot)

3/4 cup melted butter (not hot)

4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

White Frosting

3/4 cup butter at room temperature

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (more or less for desired consistency)

1/3 cup half and half cream (or whole milk or heavy cream) *more or less for desired consistancy

2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Frosting

3/4 cup butter at room temperature

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (more or less for desired consistency)

1/3 cup half and half cream (or whole milk or heavy cream) *more or less for desired consistancy
2 teaspoons vanilla

Chocolate Ganache

4 ounces (113g) dark chocolate

2 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup cream

Garnish * Optional

2 cups Chocolate chips

1/2 cup chocolate cake sprinkles,

2 ounces grated dark chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease three 8 inch round cake pans, line bottoms with parchment paper, grease the parchment and
lightly flour insides and bottoms of pans, set aside. We used spring form pans.

Measure out the milk and vinegar and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together four, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a medium sized mixing bowl using an electric mixer on medium, mix together the eggs, soured milk,
coffee, melted butter and vanilla extract.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix for 2-5 minutes with an electric mixer, scraping down the
sides until well combined.

Divide the batter equally into the 3 pans. If you do not have 3 pans, use a measuring cup to divide the
mixture into bowls, set aside and bake in batches.

Bake each cake for 30 minutes. If you are doing all 3 cakes at once rotate the pans in the oven. Insert a
cake tester in the middle at 30 minutes and if not baked, continue for another 5 minutes or until baked.

When baked remove from oven and place the cake pans onto cooling racks. Let cool for 20 minutes
before removing the cake from the pan. Let sit until cool before slicing the cakes in half.

White Filler Frosting

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a bowl, add the vanilla, and the confectioners’ sugar
alternately with the cream, in increments until you reach the desired spreading consistency.
Chocolate Frosting

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter in a bowl, add the vanilla, and the cocoa. Add the
confectioners’ sugar alternately with the cream, in increments until you reach the desired spreading
consistency.

Chocolate Ganache

Over low heat, in a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and butter. Mix in the cream and stir until
the sauce is thick and smooth. Let cool before drizzling onto the cake.

Assembly

On your cake place alternate a layer of cake and a layer of white frosting.

Frost the top and sides with the chocolate frosting.

Garnish with grated chocolate, chocolate chips and chocolate sprinkles and drizzle with choclate
ganache.

Mabhanzi

By Busisiwe Doris Chinosengwa

All due respect to Fiso Marihobho for the original recipe. I have only added a twist to it. I cant say
improve because one can only improve on something that is not perfect. Fiso's recipe is perfect and all i
have done is modify it only a bit. So hats off to Fiso for giving me something to modify. I have tried loads
of combinations until i got this winning gig. so here goes;

Mabhanzi-modified version.

Ingredients

350g Tesco strong white flour plus 100g extra for rolling (place in a separate bowl)

1 satchet of 7g Morrisons fast acting yeast

1 egg from any chicken ki ki ki

150g sugar ye tea

100g powdered milk

1/2 tsp salt

225ml warm water (tip. add 200ml water first coz sometimes you dont need all 225ml of it)
100g butter melted

Method

Please follow instructions meticulously for best results.

Turn oven on to 80deg to warm it up.

In a bowl sieve in the 350g flour,sugar,salt,milk and yeast.

Mix in egg, cool melted butter and mix.

Add the warm water and quickly mix with wooden spoon

Tip 100g flour onto dry work surface and place dough on the flour.

Rub some flour onto your hands to warm them and quickly mix dough.

Puch,stretch and roll dough for 5 minutes.

Place on floured surface and let rest for 5 minutes.

Turn oven off.

Place baking patchment paper on a raosting dish and put 1 tsp flour on it.

Knead and manhanhle dough for another 5 minutes and make a ball.

Place ball in the roasting tray,cover with oiled cling film.

Cover with a warm wet dish towel and pop in the warm oven (make sure its off and if its hot then swing
door to and fro to reduce the heat.)

Leave to process in oven for 40 minutes.

Take out of oven and roll and knead for a minute and use rolling pin for 4 minutes.

Divide and shape as desired and place on a prepared tray.

Cover again with cling film and warm towel and place back in oven for 20 minutes.

Remove towel ans cling film and bake at 160 deg till golden brown.

While you wait,dessolve 100g of granulated sugar in 100ml boiling water to make glaze.
Glaze buns as soon as they come out of the oven. Cover with foil and return to the oven for a minute to
achieve the soft top or leave out for a crusty top.

Madeira

By Clarah Mutakazi on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 at 8:00pm

have used tis recipe for as long as i can remember.

Borrowed from Nigella.

240 gram(s) unsalted butter (softened)

200 gram(s) caster sugar (plus extra for sprinkling)

1 lemon (zest & juice)

3 large egg(s)

210 gram(s) self-raising flour

90 gram(s) plain flour

Method

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/gas mark 3.

Cream the butter and sugar, and add the lemon zest.

Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of the flour for each.

Then gently mix in the rest of the flour and, finally, the lemon juice.

Sprinkle with caster sugar (about 2 tablespoons should do it) as it goes into the oven, and bake for 1
hour or until a cake-tester comes out clean.

Remove to a wire rack, and let cool in the