Cake couture and dreaming of Dior

My sister-in-law Sadie is one stylish cook. Take a peep at the dreamy creation she made last weekend — chocolate and hazelnut cake iced in a chocolate gananche and crowned with a posy of pretty fushia roses.  Watching her whip it together, I couldn’t help but wistfully reflect on John Galliano’s couture collection for Dior. It too was a mix of rich, luxe, dreamy hues adorned with petals, ruffles and blossoms in the rosiest of shades. 

My only job was to slice and serve this gorgeous dessert and add a generous dollop of Frangelico cream on the side … which I prompty forgot. Luckily it was completely delicious all on it’s own …

Sadie’s Chocolate & Hazlenut Cake with Chocolate Ganache

• 250g butter
• 250g ground hazelnuts
• 250g dark chocolate
• 250g caster sugar
• 8 eggs separated

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C or 160 degrees C fan forced oven.

Melt butter and chocolate together. Beat egg yolks and sugar until creamy then fold in hazelnuts. Stir in melted chocolate mixture then beat egg whites and fold into mixture. Pour into lined tin and bake for 40-50 minutes. When out of the oven allow to cool in tin.

Chocolate Ganache

• 200g dark chocolate
• 150ml pouring cream
• 45g butter

Melt all ingredients together, stirring constantly. Pour over cake, and smooth to finish. 

FFF NOTES…  

This cake can be happily popped in the freezer and pulled out when needed.

This cake is best served with a boozy accompaniment like a thickened cream enhanced with a splash (or many) of Frangelico. Enjoy!

Fly the cake flag

The 4th of July has come and gone, and sadly we missed out on enjoying this fanciful, fruit laden cake that would have been oh so perfect for celebrating the American holiday. We really don’t like missing out on cake. We could be patient and wait until next year, but that just seems silly when faced with such adorable sweetness.

What to do …

Ever resourceful when it comes to our tastebuds and stomachs, we have a plan. Bastille Day is fast approaching, so with a clever flick of the wrist and a slightly different arrangement of berries in vertical stripes … VOILA! We can now enjoy a French flag cake instead. Vive la France!

Flag Cake
18 tablespoons (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
3 cups sugar
6 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1 cup sour cream at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

For the icing:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

To assemble:
2 half-pints blueberries
3 half-pints raspberries

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 18 by 13 by 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed, until light and fluffy. On medium speed, add the eggs, 2 at a time, then add the sour cream and vanilla. Scrape down the sides and stir until smooth.

Sift together the flour, cornstarch, salt, and baking soda in a bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool to room temperature.

For the icing, combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

Spread three-fourths of the icing on the top of the cooled sheet cake. Outline the flag on the top of the cake with a toothpick. Fill the upper left corner with blueberries. Place 2 rows of raspberries across the top of the cake like a red stripe. Put the remaining icing in a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe two rows of white stripes below the raspberries. Alternate rows of raspberries and icing until the flag is completed. Pipe stars on top of the blueberries.

NOTE: You can serve this cake right in the pan but if you want to turn it out onto a board before frosting, use parchment paper when you grease and flour the pan.

Recipe Ina Garten. photo Food Network

Quick Bites: DVF dances, the best chocolate cake in the world, kitchen inspiration and the return of the conical bra?

• The Radio City Rockettes  will wear Diane von Furstenberg wrap rompers at the Life Ball 2010 in Vienna. “There is nothing more New York than the Radio City Rockettes,” DVF said. “We are pleased to bring those legs, those kicks and those glamorous women with us to Vienna.” wwd

• Check out this kitchen styled by clever Danish interior stylist Gitte Kjær. The perfect mix of raw, modern, cosy and vintage we just love it. emmasblog

• Meet The Best Chocolate Cake in the World. Built of meringue and chocolate mousse and topped with a thin layer of ganache, the $56 dessert was created by chef Carlos Braz Lopes in Lisbon in 1987 and lands at its own shop in NYC this week. wmag

• Jean Paul Gaultier, famous for using underwear as outerwear and the designer responsible for Madonna’s conical bra, is set to collaborate with La Perla to design a high-end lingerie collection due to hit stores in November. vogueuk

Friday lust-have: Cherry red shoes with a side of cake

Our Friday obsession? Christian Louboutin’s Big Lips heels.  Think cherry red calf hair with super low vamp and killer spike heel. Just as sexy and desirous is this deliciously boozey and decadent Port Wine and Cherry Chocolate Cupcake with Marscapone Frosting from our new fave food blog, mingmakescupcakes. Slip into your Louboutins, get baking and have a red-hot Friday FFF’s!

Ming’s Port Wine and Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Mascarpone frosting

CUPCAKES

• 3/4 cup port wine
• 3/4 cup canned cherries
• 1 stick butter
• 3 tbspn + 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup sour cream

FROSTING

• 8 oz mascarpone
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• Fresh cherries or chocolate shavings

To makes cakes: Simmer port and drained cherries (or use morello cherries in a jar) in a saucepan for 10 minutes. Remove 1/8 of liquid, set aside. Add butter, 3 tbspn sugar, chocolate, and cocoa and whisk until melted. Remove from heat and let cool. Mix flour, remaining sugar, soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix egg and sour cream. Add port mixture and beat briefly. Add flour mixture and beat briefly. Pour into lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Spoon remaining port liquid on cupcakes before frosting.

To make frosting: Beat ingredients together a t high speed for 2-3 minutes or until soft peaks from. Spread on cupcakes and top with cherries or chocolate (or be an FFF and top with both!)

Quick Bites: Karl does Coke, Grace Kelly, Gwyneth Paltrow, Couture cakes, True blue (red) Louboutin love

• Karl Lagerfeld has lent his silhouette and design brilliance to a limited edition range of aluminium bottled Coca Cola Light. Encased in an elegant sleek box, slip open a hidden drawer to reveal your bottle opener. Almost too chic to drink! Pre-order yours at colette

• We are keeping an eagle eye on our letter boxes waiting for our new Vanity Fair to land. It features Style Queen Grace Kelly on the cover ahead of a special retrospective exhibition at London’s V&A opening this month. vanityfair

• Meanwhile over at UK Vogue, our modern-day Grace Kelly, Gwyneth Paltrow is the May covergirl, shot exquisitely by Mario Testino. UK Vogue

• We are always on the look out for that perfect fashion food collusion so we are licking our lips over this delicious gallery of curious couture concoctions including this cake featuring Louis Vuitton’s now-iconic rabbit ears. Be inspired… vogueuk

• Who has more red-soled shoes than any other woman on the planet? Christian Louboutin has revealed his best customer is romance novelist Danielle Steele. We are red (green) with envy.  vanityfair