Black Magic

Chocolate cake with sour cream chocolate icing, with caramel filling

Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache

Chocolate cake with buttercream frosting

Cappuccino Bars

These chocolate bars with coffee flavouring are enhanced by the milk chocolate icing.

• 2 tablespoons coffee concentrate
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 225g butter, softened
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the frosting

• 115g milk chocolate
• 50g butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 175g icing sugar, seived

1. In a large bowl, blend together the coffee liquid and the cocoa powder. Add all the remaining cake ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, mix together, until well combined. This should take about 2 -3 minutes. It is important not to overbeat the mixture.
2. Spoon the mixture into a shallow tin, smooth the top.
3. Bake at 180 C fro 35- 45 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch. Cool.
4. To make frosting, melt chocolate, butter and milk in a bowl over a pan of simmering water. Remove bowl from heat, beat in icing sugar until smooth. When cold, spread over top of cake and cut cake into bars.

Makes 12- 16 bars

Source: Cakes and biscuits

Chocolate Fudge Mud Cakes

Chocolate Fudge Mud cake

• 3 x 60g Mars bars
• 150g butter, chopped coarsely
• 150g dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup plain flour
• 1/4 cup self-raising flour
• 2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease 12-hole muffin pan.
2. Chop 2 Mars bars finely; cut remaining bar into 12 slices.
3. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar and the water in medium saucepan; stir over low heat until smooth. Transfer to large bowl; cool 10 minutes. Whisk in sifted flours, then eggs and finely chopped Mars bar.
4. Divide mixture into pan holes. bake about 25 minutes. Meanwhile make chocolate fudge frosting. Spread cakes with frosting, top each with a slice of Mars bar.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

• 50g dark eating chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 25g butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons hot water, approximately

Stir chocolate and butter in heatproof bowl over saucepan of simmering water until smooth (do not allow water to touch base of bowl); stir in sifted icing sugar and cocoa. Stir in enough of the hot water until frosting is spreadable.

Makes 12

Chocolate Date Cake

Chocolate Date Cake

• 1 1/4 cups seeded dates
• 1 1/4 cups boiling water
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 60g butter, chopped
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• 2 eggs
• 100g dark chocolate, chopped finely

1. Chop prunes, combine with the water and soda in a medium bowl, cover and stand 5 minutes
2. Using wooden spoon stir in the finely chopped butter, until melted, then stir in sugar, lightly beaten eggs, flour and finely chopped chocolate.
3. Pour mixture into greased pan and bake in moderate oven for about one hour.(Oven should be preheated to moderate)
4. Serve hot with chocolate sauce.

Serves 8

Tips

• It is important that the pan be well greased, because the cake mixture is both very wet and very sugary (two conditions making it likely to stick to the pan when baked)
• Cake will keep for up to one week in an airtight container at room temperature. 
• The dates can be substituted with prunes.

Family Chocolate Cake

One saucepan plus one large, heavy baking dish are practically all the equipment needed to put together this easy, yummy chocolate cake.

• 2 cups water
• 3 cups caster sugar
• 250g butter, chopped
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 3 cups self-raising flour
• 4 eggs, beaten lightly

1. Preheat oven to moderate. Grease deep 26.5  cm x 33cm baking dish, line with baking paper.
2. Combine the water, sugar, butter and combined sifted cocoa and soda in medium saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 5minutes.Transfer mixture to large bowl, cool to room temperature.
3. Add flour and egg to bowl; beat with electric mixer until mixture is smooth and changed to a paler colour. Pour mixture into prepared dish.
4. Bake for about 50 minutes. Cool. Spread cold cake with fudge frosting.

Fudge Frosting

• 90g butter
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

Combine butter, the water and caster sugar in small saucepan; stir over heat, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Sift icing sugar and cocoa into small bowl then gradually stir in hot butter mixture. Cover; refrigerate about 20 minutes or until frosting thickens. Beat with wooden spoon until spreadable.

Serves 20

Source: The Australian Women's Weekly

Rich Truffle Mud Cake

This very rich cake is perfect for the grand finale to a dinner party, and should be made a day ahead and served cold. The cake is almost like a huge truffle in texture; note that no flour is used.

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 400g dark chocolate, melted
• 1 cup thick cream
• 1/3 cup Cointreau

1. Preheat oven to moderate. Grease and line deep 22 cm round cake pan.
2. Beat eggs and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer about 5 minutes or until thick and creamy. Gradually beat in barely warm chocolate; beat until combined.
3. Using metal spoon, gently fold in combined cream and liqueur. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
4. Place pan in baking dish; pour enough boiling water into dish to come halfway up side of pan.
5. Bake cake in moderate oven 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan.
6. Turn cake onto serving plate, cover, refrigerate overnight. Serve dusted with a little sifted cocoa, if desired. 

Serves 12

Tips

Any type of liqueur can be substituted for the citrus-flavored Cointreau.

This cake is delicious served with fresh raspberries and fresh raspberry coulis.

Source: The Australian Women's Weekly

Mississippi Mud Cake

This popular cake is a delectable alternative to fruit cake. A sure- to-please cake, it has a fudgy texture and is wonderful served warm or at room temperature. 

• 250g butter, chopped coarsely
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped coarsely
• 2 cups caster sugar
• 1 cup hot water
•  1/3 cup coffee liqueur
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
• 1 1/2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup self-raising flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 eggs, beaten lightly

1. Preheat oven to moderate. Grease and line deep round cake pan.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, the water, liqueur and coffee powder in medium saucepan. Using wooden spoon, stir over low heat until chocolate melts.
3. Transfer mixture to large bowl, cool 15 minutes. Whisk in combined sifted flours and cocoa, then eggs. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
4. Bake cake in moderate oven about 1 1/2 hours. Stand cake 30 minutes, then turn onto wire rack, cool.

Serves 16

Source: The Australian Women's Weekly

White Chocolate and Cherry cake

• 200g butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence
• 3 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup frozen cherries, halved
• 90g white eating chocolate, cut into 1.5 cm pieces

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and line bar cake pans with baking paper.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until light and creamy. Add eggs, one by one, beating well after each addition. Fold in sifted flour until combined.
3. Stir in cherries and chocolate. Spread mixture in prepared pans; smooth surface. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted at centre comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven. Stand for 5 minutes, transfer cakes to a wire rack to cool completely.

Tips

Add grated orange or lemon zest for extra flavour.

Serves 16

Source: recipes+

Orange-Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars

This cheesecake has got wonderful contrasting flavours and the swirl makes it a pleasure to look at.

Crust

• Crackers
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 egg white

Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 teaspoon finely grated orange peel
• 3 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Heat oven to 180 C. Line a 9 inch square baking pan with foil, letting foil extend above pan on opposite sides. Coat with non-stick spray.
2. Crust  Process crackers in food processor until fine crumbs form. Add butter and egg white, pulse until crumbs are moistened. Press this evenly over bottom of pan. Bake 10 minutes until set. Cool.
3. Filling  Whisk cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, eggs orange juice and peel in a large bowl until smooth. Remove 1/4 cup of this mixture and pour remaining batter over the cooled crust.
4. Stir cocoa, one tablespoon water and two tablespoon sugar in a cup to mix. Stir into reserved 1/4 cup batter until blended. 
5. Spoon over the filling onto the previous layer without disturbing it too much. Then drag a toothpick or skewer through the entire filling in a spiral motion to create a marbled effect.
6. Bake 30 minutes or until firm around edges but slightly jiggly in the centre.
7. Cool in refrigerator for at least 3 hours until firm.
8. To serve, holding foil by ends, lift to cutting board.

Fudge

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 6 teaspoon cocoa (more if you like a darker fudge)
• 6 teaspoon golden syrup
• 1 cup evaporated milk (undiluted)
• 4 teaspoon butter
• pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (any dry fruit will do)

1. Put in deep pan sugar, cocoa , golden syrup, milk and salt. Stir well with wooden spoon and place pan on very small fire. Do not stir before sugar is dissolved, but with the spoon gently move sugar at the bottom of the pan once in a while to prevent burning.
2. When mixture begins to boil, stir, add butter and keep on stirring.
3. Increase flame a little till mixture thickens. When tiny bubbles appear on edge of spoon and at the bottom of pan as you stir, test drops of fudge in a cup of cold water, and if they form soft balls in your fingers, add vanilla and baking powder.
4. Remove pan from fire.After five minutes of cooling beat mixture till it begins to harden. Add walnuts or dried fruits and QUICKLY pour onto greased square tin.
5. When cool, cut into squares.

Makes 12-18 medium sized squares

Tip

After removing from fire, the mixture begins to harden rapidly. Make sure to pour it into the greased pan quickly before it hardens.Then smooth the surface of the mixture.

The cocoa in the recipe can be substituted with Hershey's chocolate syrup.

Warm molten-centred chocolate cupcakes

Also popular as choco-lava cake, this cupcake has a molten gooey chocolate centre.Yum...

• 4 tablespoon soft margarine
• 55g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 85g self-raising flour
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 55g plain chocolate
• icing sugar, for dusting

1. Put 8 paper baking cases in a muffin tin, or place 8 double-layer paper cases on a baking sheet.
2. Put the margarine, sugar,egg, flour and cocoa in a large bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, beat together until just smooth.
3. Spoon half of the batter into the paper cases. Using a teaspoon, make an indentation in the centre of each cake. Break the chocolate evenly into 8 squares and place a piece in each indentation, then spoon the remaining cake batter on top.
4. Bake the cupcakes in a preheated oven, 190 C, for 20 minutes, or until well risen and springy to the touch. Let stand for 2-3 minutes before serving warm, dusted with sifted icing sugar.

Makes 8

Source: Essential Chocolate

Tips

Place a thick layer of chocolate pieces in each indentation to get a generous molten centre.

Bake till the top of the cake is cooked, but slightly moist. Do not bake too long till the crust on top is hard.

Chocolate & Cinnamon Mousse Cake

You must not worry if this moist mousse-like cake sinks. It is delicious eaten warm with ice cream.For the most intense chocolate flavour, use a plain chocolate with at least 70% chocolate solids. 

• 300g plain chocolate
• 150g unsalted butter
• 6 eggs, separated
• 50g caster sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. In a bowl over a pan of water, melt the chocolate and butter together
2. Beat the egg yolks and 25g sugar for about one minute, and then beat in the cinnamon.
3. With the chocolate and butter mixture still over the pan of water, stir in the egg yolk mixture and mix together thoroughly. Then remove the bowl from the heat.
4. In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are very stiff. Beat the remaining sugar into the egg whites.
5. Gradually fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture
6. Spoon the mixture into a greased and lined 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin.
7. Bake at 180 C for 30-40 minutes until the cake is dark golden in colour, well risen and springy to the touch.
8. Having removed the cake tin from the oven, place a sheet of foil over the top and allow to cool. This ensure that the steam from the cake produces a soft crust. Dont worry when the cake sinks, this is normal. Leave it in the tin to cool for 10 minutes before transferring it onto a wire rack to cool completely, unless you decide to eat it warm, which is also delicious.

Makes 12-16 slices

Source: Cakes and Biscuits