Out & About #947 | Chocolate Layer Cake, Houjicha Tiramisu Cake + Hotpot

10/31/2023

My three-week baking streak has lodged me into the category of a weekend baker, or a "Sunday Baker" (I kid) given the regular production rate for the past fourteen days.

Weekends at home have comprised of chores, general housekeeping (both digital and physical), and an undeniable sense of peace - the much-needed "me time" I had endeavoured to muster since the start of the year.

Past the espresso tonic concocted and Okunomatsu Junmai Daiginjo Sparkling Sake sampled (Mio is better, for the record), I delved into yet another round of creations after finally publishing last year's Vancity recap.

1) Chocolate Ganache Montée

The cake filling/frosting was adapted from Sunday Baking's Best Pistachio Cake Recipe with a 1:2 ratio of chocolate (144 g of Surfin) to heavy cream (288 g).

Chilled, before whipping

After whipping

Slight separation was observed the following day, after over 24 hours of refrigeration. Whipping enabled the return of a uniform consistency and a thick but spreadable filling with the essence of chocolate pudding - just much, much better than the box mixes.

2) Two-Bite Brownies (again and again)

Having seen some degree of success with my "control", I revised the recipe to utilize two egg yolks as opposed to one whole egg. The intent was to increase the "fudgy" factor, however ultimately resulted in rough-edged discs that were highly friable. There was minimal rise (a good thing, in the case) and also no issues removing the pieces from the pan. That said, the formula tasted far more cloying than the last few batches, with the exception of Kitchen Conundrums' edition, despite maintaining a consistent quantity of sugar.

The existing range of analysis results have concluded that:

Using only cocoa powder (no melted chocolate) is dry and disgusting (or reserved for cocoa-lovers only)
Aeration leads to wonderful crackliness on the surface, but is ill-suited towards two-bite brownies
Cavities should always be filled well below the rim (80-90% full) to compensate for rise
Brown sugar is necessary to instill moisture and prevent extreme sweetness
Increasing butter content makes for moist brownies, but an overall lack of uniformity
Increasing egg made for airier, cakey brownies
Using only yolk makes for stiff, gritty brownies and no rise

In other words, my extensive research has proven futile in these repetitive attempts at achieving the desired Farmer's Market texture. Mere adjectives cannot capture the essence of the five senses, and are also arguably subjective. The quest continues, though I must admit: I'm gradually losing steam with every disheartening development.

3) Roasted Zucchini and Butternut Squash

Two pounds of zucchini and a handful of frozen butternut squash were tossed in a seasoning blend of salted butter, olive oil, salt, sugar, rosemary, sage, and a pinch of nutmeg (a tip learned from making kabocha soup). They were then distributed in a uniform layer and allowed to roast in the oven for approximately 30 minutes at 350 F. Towards the end of its bake time, they were broiled for 5 minutes, earning a nice char while preserving tenderness.

Retrieved from the oven while still smoking, the vegetables emerged delectable. Juicy zucchini contrasted wonderfully against sweet, nutty squash. Admittedly, the cubes of frozen butternut squash were quite mushy even after roasting, prompting me to reserve the remainder of the package for purée purposes.

4) Granola

Simultaneously constructed was a batch of granola, which took advantage of the two whites left over from brownie creation. Ingredients followed the same approximate amounts and ratios as the last iteration, though was subject to burning when I had bumped the oven temperature back up to 350 F. Baking for 35-40 minutes at around 335 F is recommended.

5) Basic Sponge Sheet

As if I hadn't achieved enough within three hours of awakening, one more item was added to the roster: a vanilla sponge sheet. Adhering to Sunday Baking's Strawberry Mousse Cake recipe, the batter was compiled within a matter of twenty-five minutes, inclusive of extensive aeration. However, given that the cake had been placed in the oven not long after shifting from the broil setting, the surface darkened quickly. At witnessing the rapid colour change, the bake time was reduced by two minutes to prevent scorching.

Results were beautiful and fluffy - my ever-consistent go-to. But, alas, only two 6-inch rounds could be obtained from the sheet. More cake would be needed.

After portioning out two pancake-like pieces, the scraps were repurposed into a mini Houjicha Tiramisu Cake, dusted with a thin layer of Hojicha Obsidian of course.

6) Cocoa Cake

My reluctance towards summoning another three eggs and more whipping deterred from Sunday's Chocolate Swiss Roll recipe, a formula that I've executed on countless occasions and loved thoroughly. Instead, I took to the cocoa cake used in her Mint Chocolate Cake recipe, for I was under the impression that one egg would equate to less cake. Being able to combine the dry and wet ingredients without whipping was another attractive aspect.

I soon learned that, despite its distinct lack of egg, the batter was mostly liquid. Baking on a sheet pan would not be feasible; as such, my 6-in aluminum pan was lined accordingly. Although originally initiated as a supplementary chocolate layer, the impromptu project yielded enough for a second standalone cake.

The formula aligned with the chocolate cake knowledge I had gathered thus far:

Blooming cocoa powder in hot water for richer flavour
Using oil instead of melted butter for moistness
Adding baking soda instead of baking powder to balance the acidity of natural cocoa powder
Combining wet and dry ingredients in one gradual step, rather than repetitive mixing, to prevent gluten formation

Worth noting was the inclusion of granulated sugar into the dry ingredients, for it was surprisingly not incorporated through beating into the egg-milk-oil emulsion.

About sixty minutes later, I unveiled a cake that towered beyond the height of the pan. The surface had cracked in a star-like fashion, its edges adopting a slightly darker shade of brown than the rest of the cake. Once cooled to room temperature, a thin plastic knife was slid along its circumference. Then, the cake cooled for another hour or so on the cooling rack.
In the post-supper evening hours, I set out to portion the cake into three layers. The top, impeccably crunchy, was removed to reveal a breathtaking honeycomb texture. Uniform and perfectly plush was the cross-section. Meanwhile, the edges were crunchy, making for the greatest cocoa dessert of all time. Within minutes, three-quarters of the surface scraps had been devoured by yours truly.

7) Houjicha Tiramisu Cake

An attempt at revisiting the impeccably airy Mocha Layer Cake led to the compilation of a simple coffee syrup: Nespresso Gold, hot water, granulated sugar, and Kahlua. Without a recipe, I obtained approximately twice as much as needed to saturate the cake layers. In hindsight, the tablespoon of sweetener could have also been eliminated with the inclusion of already sweet coffee liquer.

Sunday's effortless Chocolate Whipped Cream had been my initial choice for filling and frosting. At witnessing the materialization of a comparatively more indulgent chocolate cake alongside it, a different direction was embraced.

Substituted in place of cocoa powder was Paragon's Hojicha Obsidian, in the equivalent quantity of ten grams. The tea powder was robust, arguably richer than natural cocoa, but exhibited faint signs of separation. Thankfully, grittiness was neither observed visually in the finished product nor the gustatory experience.

The sponge sheet had yielded enough for a whole 6-inch cake (albeit a rather flat one), a mini oblong-shaped cake, and a few stray pieces of snacking. While the oblong portion was reserved for giving away, the main cake was decorated with tempered shards of white chocolate and sliced into wedges for afternoon snacking. (Mind you, the tempering process deserves a section of its own given its extensive time commitment, though I will spare you the agony - You're welcome!)

Once again, the cake proved exceptionally light, barely contributing to feelings of fullness. The nutty properties of houjicha paired surprisingly well with coffee, making for a sophisticated, caffeine-laden composition. Abstract fragments of white chocolate would contribute a snappy sweetness.

Admittedly, the layers weren't as uniform as I would have liked. Still, one would be unable to distinguish these variances if sampling blindfolded.

8) Chocolate Layer Cake

The most popular recipe to grace my feed as of late has been none other than Chocolate Cake. Countless variations exist, for "best" is subjective. Some contain cocoa powder, while others melted chocolate - like brownies! Some utilize a fudge frosting, while others a decadent buttercream. Almost all are towering and glorious, made with 8-inch pans and stacked high with three layers each of cake and frosting, decorations aside. But none aligned with <i> my </i> idea of perfection. And, frankly, I'm not sure if I have a go-to chocolate cake: the coveted consistency of baked goods can vary vastly based on mood, after all.

Drawing inspiration from the Mint Chocolate Cake from which the cocoa sponge layers (Creation #6) had been derived, I opted to frost the cake with my sturdier ganache montée (Creation #1). The cake came together with ease, and even sealed any loose crumbs within. I had been debating various styling finishes when the surface of the cake was damaged by other users of the house. This naturally led to the formation of a thick chocolate ganache (1.5 : 1 ratio of chocolate couverture to heavy creams), then a viscous chocolate mousse for near-immediate piping (and camouflaging of a scuffed hem). Excess ganache and mousse were portioned into a small glass, though ultimately discarded on the basis that standalone spoonfuls gave rise to extreme satiation and nausea.

My inability to decorate persists as the primary concern for all cake-making endeavours. While production of the foundational components hardly ever exceeds the estimate, the artistic elements often consume up to three additional hours. From constructing the ganache to selecting the desired piping tip (and fitting it to the bag), not a single step proved as straightforward as batter formation. The ganache wasn't perfectly smooth, despite my inclusion of butter, and neither was my piping uniform. That said, the outcome was positively delicious and second helpings were irresistible.

The combination of classic ganache (1 part chocolate to 1 part cream), ganache montée, comprehensively cocoa-containing cake, and semisweet chocolate mousse was fabulous. Moreover, the concoction was visually impressive while being easy to construct. That said, it has yet to be determined whether this edition is my "favourite" Chocolate Cake, for the cake base is addicting when warm and crunchy as it is scrumptious chilled and moist. Its potential can undoubtedly be explored further.

A supper of hotpot would await after a morning of grocery runs and mid-afternoon celebratory events involving cake.

The ordeal was, remarkably, more strenuous than envisioned. Due to the hotpot-specific cooking vessel going missing, a larger pot was summoned for use. However, its large diameter caused it to quiver on the gas stove, threatening first-degree scalding for its users. Moreover, the portable stove failed to heat all parts of the pot evenly, increasing cooking time as a consequence.

Eventually, the pot was transferred onto the stovetop. Cooking was arguably made easier (and safer), though significantly less enjoyable given the space constraints. Between hurried bites of soggy udon, platters of fish balls, jumbo shrimp, beef and pork shabu, marinated salmon slices, lettuce, watercress, and cilantro were alternated.

Constituents of the meal were delectable, bringing about a sense of heartiness. We also concluded availability of pork shabu at BTrust and tasty assorted Fish Balls from T&T, thus eliminating the need to venture towards P.A.T. strictly for scallions and bagged raw meat.