Author: Chocolate Covered Weekly

This one surprising step makes better, fudgier Chocolate Cake – setting a stack of plates atop a just-baked cake, then leaving it that way for 30 minutes! This Pressed Chocolate Cake is from the River Cafe Cookbook. River Cafe Co-Founder Ruth (“Ruthie”) Rodgers explained, it’s all about texture. “Pressing the cake takes away all the air and we like the contrast between the soft inside and crispy outside.” See video of how to stack the plates, here.

Makes: 1 (12-inch) cake

Ingredients
• Unsalted butter for the pan

• 14 ounces (400g) best-quality bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces

• 1 ¼ cups (300g) unsalted butter

• 10 eggs, separated

• 1 cup (225g) granulated sugar

• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line a 12-inch (30cm) round and 3-inch (7.5cm) deep cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Melt the chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water (the water should not touch the base of the bowl). Remove the bowl from the pot and cool a little, then whisk in the egg yolks. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and mix well.
3. In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold into the chocolate mixture, a third at a time.
4. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cake has risen like a soufflé and is slightly set.
5. Remove from the oven. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the cake; then place a plate on top of that—the plate should fit exactly inside the pan—and press down firmly, then weight the plate. Leave to cool for 30 minutes before turning out. Cool completely before serving.

Who doesn’t love a cookie cake? It’s a thicker, softer chocolate chip cookie with a perfect (not-too-much) amount of frosting. It reminds us of childhood and tells us that there’s something to celebrate. This Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake is both salty and sweet, and an addition of milk powder to the dough gives the cookie cake an extra dose of milky goodness in every bite.

INGREDIENTS:
COOKIE CAKE
• 12 teaspoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon whole milk
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons nonfat milk powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
CHOCOLATE FROSTING
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
ADDITIONAL EQUIPMENT
• 10-inch springform pan
• Rainbow sprinkles for decoration, optional

PREPARATION:
Step 1
Make the Cookie Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan with cooking spray and set aside.
Step 2
Cream together butter and sugars for 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk, and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract and milk, and beat for another 2 minutes.
Step 3
In a separate bowl, mix together flour, milk powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Add to butter-sugar mixture, and mix on low until fully combined, about 1 minute. Add chocolate chips and fold into dough until evenly distributed.
Step 4
Spread dough evenly into prepared springform pan, and bake until dough is just cooked through and the surface is lightly browned, 23 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from pan and frosting, about 1 hour.
Step 5
Make the Chocolate Frosting: Beat all ingredients together until smooth and lightened in color, about 3 minutes.

For something different, made with blood oranges and olive oil, this cake tastes as good as it looks! The recipe comes from Crystal Hatch and Karlee Rotoly as posted on TASTY.com. To check out the video of how it’s made, click, here.

For 12 servings

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE
• 5 blood oranges
• ½ cup olive oil, plus more for greasing
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup dark cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 ¼ cups organic sugar
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar

GLAZE
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup pistachio, raw, roughly chopped

PREPARATION:
1. Zest all 5 blood oranges and divide between 3 separate small bowls: 2 bowls should contain the zest of 1 orange each, and 1 bowl should contain the zest of 3 oranges. Set aside the 2 bowls with less zest for later use.
2. Add the olive oil to the bowl with the zest of 3 oranges. Set aside for 30-60 minutes to infuse.
3. Juice 3 of the oranges and set aside 3 tablespoons of juice for the glaze. Reserve the remaining orange juice in a liquid measuring cup. You should have about ½ cup. (120 ML)
4. Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚F).
5. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Add the sugar, blood orange olive oil (with the zest), ½ cup (120 ml) of the blood orange juice, water, and white vinegar. Whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
7. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of an 8-9-inch (20-22 cm) round cake pan with olive oil, and place a parchment round in the bottom of the pan. (To make the parchment round, tear off an 18 x 13-inch (45×33 cm) piece of parchment paper. With a long edge closest to you, fold down the top right corner to meet the bottom edge. Press down on the long side of the triangle to flatten, then turn so that side is facing you and fold in half, bringing the points together. Turn again so the long side of the new triangle is on top and fold in half twice more. Flip the cake pan upside down and hold the pointy end of the triangle at the center of the pan. Trim the excess parchment that extends past the edge of the pan. Flip the pan, unfold the triangle, and place the parchment round in the bottom).
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. While the cake bakes, prepare the toppings: Cut the top and the bottoms off the 2 remaining zested oranges. Using a paring knife, carefully remove the skin and pith from the oranges until you are left with just the flesh. Turn each orange on its side and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) wide rounds. Place the rounds between 2 paper towels to blot some of the excess juice. This will allow them to stick to the glaze more effectively.
10. Make the glaze: Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl. Add the reserved zest of 1 orange, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of blood orange juice. Whisk into a glaze. It should be thick, but spreadable.
11. Remove the cake from the oven. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip onto a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool completely.
12. Once the cake has cooled, pour the glaze over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Decorate the top with the orange slices, pistachios, and remaining orange zest.
13. Enjoy!
By Crystal Hatch and Karlee Rotoly posted on TASTY.com

Muriel Ledeboer, of Oostburg, Wisconsin, provides this tasty brownie cocoa powder recipe. The base, with layers of cream cheese and chocolate pudding, make this a scrumptious make-ahead dessert. There are 36 other cocoa powder recipes, including cookies, cakes, brownies, and more, found here.

Total Time: Prep: 20 min. Bake: 20 min. + chilling
Makes: 12-15 servings

Ingredients
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• FILLING:
• 11 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 cups whipped topping
• TOPPING:
• 2 cups cold whole milk
• 1 package (3.9 ounces) instant chocolate pudding mix
• Whipped topping and chopped walnuts

Directions
• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder; add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in nuts.
• Transfer to a greased 13×9-in. baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping; spread over brownies.
• In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix 2 minutes. Let stand until soft-set, about 2 minutes. Spread over filling. Refrigerate 1 hour or until serving.
• Cut into squares; garnish with whipped topping and nuts.

Originally published as Layered Brownie Dessert in Holiday & Celebrations Cookbook 2004

These No Bake Cheesecake Bites are beautiful and irresistibly delicious, covered with chocolate on the outside and creamy on the inside. They melt in your mouth and are perfect for Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or holidays. The key to these chocolate covered cheesecake bites: an ice cube tray. Coat the tray with melted chocolate and freeze it before adding the fruit and cheesecake filling. Try these no bake Cheesecake Bites and 14 other no bake recipes found here.
Ingredients
• 10 ounces semisweet chocolate(Baking chocolate works best)
• 14 raspberries
• 8 ounces cream cheese Soft
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup whipped cream
Instructions
1. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted.
2. Take an ice cube tray, and coat each cube with the melted chocolate.
3. Freeze for at least 5 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla until smooth. Stir in whipped cream. Mix well
5. Fill each ice cube 1/3 full with the mixture. Add 1 raspberry and then cover the rest with cream cheese mix.
6. Add melted chocolate on top and chill for 1 hour to set.
7. Remove from fridge and invert on a work surface.
8. Leave the ice tray at room temperate. Wait for 5-10 minutes, and flip the ice cube tray for the cheesecake bites to drop out. Serve and enjoy!

Kat Condon’s gluten-free and vegan Chocolate Banana Doughnuts require just one bowl and less than 20 minutes from start to finish! Fluffy, soft and full of chocolate banana flavor. Try this and 14 other vegan recipes found here.
Serves: 12
Cooking Time:10 mins

Ingredients:
2 cups gluten-free oat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 large very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup almond milk
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons coconut oil, soft
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Frosting:
1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a donut pan well.
2. In a bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, almond milk and vanilla extract.
3. Add the oat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt. Mix until batter is formed.
4. Using a spoon, add batter into the donut pan, shaking tray gently to settle.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes or until firm to the touch. Allow to cool before removing donuts from baking tray.
6. While donuts are cooling, melt together the chocolate chips and coconut oil and whisk until smooth. Once donuts are fully cooled, dip into frosting. Top with sprinkles, nuts, etc.

 

This chocolate hummus recipe will satisfy any chocolate craving, and it’s rich in protein! It’s smooth, chocolaty, and absolutely brilliant. And it doesn’t hurt that chocolate hummus looks gorgeous when served in a bowl with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, and dusted with cocoa powder and flaky salt. The tahini, found in standard hummus, plays a part in this dessert variation, too. Except in chocolate hummus, it’s reminiscent of halva (a sweet and fudge-like sesame-based confection that’s a staple in Middle Eastern markets). This chocolate hummus is easy to make and enjoy! Have chocolate hummus as a snack or dessert, with sliced apple, strawberries, pretzels, and even pita chips.

Ingredients:
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons tahini
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Small pinch of salt
4 tablespoons water

In the bowl of a food processor, add chickpeas, drained and rinsed, unsweetened cocoa powder, maple syrup, tahini, vanilla extract, salt, and water and process until smooth. Serve in a bowl and drizzle with maple syrup and top with cocoa powder and flaky salt.

From SOUTHERN LIVING, by Ananda Eidelstein.

 

Kathy’s Chocolate Beer Cake is a moist, dense, rich, homemade chocolate bundt cake with some fun ingredients – beer, butter milk, and maraschino cherries!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup Shortening
2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted
3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup maraschino cherry juice
1 cup maraschino cherries, drained (reserve 1/4 cup juice) and chopped
12 oz cold beer

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare bundt pan with baking spray or cooking spray and lightly flour. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until combined. Add cooled, melted chocolate. Alternatively add flour mix with buttermilk, cherry juice and beer. Stir in chopped cherries. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 50-55 minutes until cooked through. Let cake cool on rack for 20-25 minutes. Invert onto plate, cool cake completely, Drizzle with glaze or dust with powdered sugar.
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp buttermilk
Combine all ingredients until mixed through.

By Kathy Kasza from Waupaca. As seen on FOX11 Online.