Eclair Cake

      For the upcoming Holidays don't forget about this simple, crowd pleasing cake.

      So easy to make, and so delicious!

      I love baking from scratch, but this cake really is a great choice when you

      don't have enough time, but still want to serve something everyone will love.

          Éclair Cake

        2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix

        1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

        3 cups milk

        1 (16 ounce) package graham cracker squares

        1 (16 ounce) package prepared chocolate frosting 

       *Instead of chocolate frosting I have used 100g milk chocolate with 2 tbs oil,

         melted slowly on low heat. 

       *If using chocolate instead of chocolate frosting, remember to let the cake sit 15-20 min 

        before serving and cut with a sharp knife which you heat by putting it under running hot water. 

In a medium bowl, thoroughly blend the pudding mix, whipped topping, and milk.
Arrange a single layer of graham cracker squares in the bottom of a 13x9 inch baking pan. Evenly spread half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Top with another layer of crackers and the remaining pudding mixture. Top with a final layer of graham crackers.
Spread the frosting over the whole cake up to the edges of the pan. Cover, and chill at least 4 hours before serving.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

Best chocolate cake ever!

It's been more than a while, but though I have been absent from blogosphere, I haven't been absent in my tiny kitchen. I would like to make a comeback, and what better way than with raising awareness to this awesome cake by Gail Watson of A Stack of Dishes.

Moist, rich, and of course delicious! I have tried this cake last year sometime, and it's become our favorite, instantly! Must try. You can find the recipe here.

Chocolate Charlotte with Bananas

Hello my dear food bloggers, followers, and friends. It’s been a while, and I’m very appreciative that a lot of you still visit, and ask about my whereabouts. I miss blogging, and discovering what you’ve made every day.
Except for working too much, not much is new with me. I’m still holding on to my 20s, which is proving harder every day, esp. first thing in the morning before I apply layers of makeup : )

Like many of you, I’m enjoying the serene winter scenery, minus the morning car troubles, and huge winter heating bills. I have a had a great Holiday season, with December 31st being my busiest work day, and for the first time in my adult life I fell asleep and woke up next year without my share of New Years Champagne.
My family petitioned yesterday that I reclaim my throne in the kitchen and finally make something homemade. Well, I cheated a little, but it’s almost completely home made.

I decided to go though the whole usual works of making them wait for dessert till I snap a few images to share with you. Hope you like it, and hope you are all having a great New Year!

Chocolate Charlotte with Bananas

1 package lady fingers
Some milk to soak the ladyfingers

Filling:
2 packs Dr. Oetker pudding (available at ethnic stores, Italian fruit markets, or Meijer if you have one)
3 1/3 cup milk
9 tbs sugar
1 stick unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature

Set 2,5 cups milk to boil. Use the remainder of milk to mix pudding powder and sugar, the add to boiling milk, reduce heat, and stir quickly for few minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Combine with butter (or margarine).

For the biscuit:
3 eggs
6 tbs sugar
0.5 dcl/ 1.7 oz milk
0.5 dcl/ 1.7 oz oil
7 tbs flour
2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 400 °F. Mix eggs with sugar, add oil, milk, then flour mixed with baking powder. Bake until golden, and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I have used the 8” pan.

To assemble:
Line a glass bowl with clear plastic wrap. Dip lady fingers into lukewarm milk, but don’t soak them too much, just quickly, and arrange them around the bowl wall. Add 1/3 filling to the bottom, then add a layer of lady fingers on top of it (not soaked), then 1/3 of filling, then 2 whole bananas bent a little to make a circle, then remainder of the filling, and close it all up with a biscuit. Let cool in the fridge over night, then flip it onto a cake stand. Serve with whipped cream and enjoy.
Note: It is very important to have the pudding and the butter at the same temperature, or it won’t combine nicely. Mine was not so perfect because I was impatient, or shall I say the entire family was : )

Nameless Berry Cake

Haven’t been able to post at all, and what’s even worse I haven’t had much time to bake either.

I really missed the homemade baked goods, so the other day I caught a little time to make something simple.

No time to browse through never-ending collection of books, and magazines, or Internet, so I just whipped up a dessert from some recipes that I know by heart.

This no name berry studded cake is made of following:
1 recipe cocoa sponge you can find here
1 recipe vanilla cream you can find here
Whipped cream and fresh berries
Orange juice for soaking

I have made one sponge, in a 9 x 13 inch pan, and cut it in half lengthwise.

I find that this way I can make desserts more often, and it’s just enough for entire family, with possibility of some leftovers too.

I have soaked the sponge (when cool) with fresh squeezed orange juice, but you can soak it with other juices, or even alcoholic beverages, as long as you don't serve it to little ones.
Spread with about half of cream, top with berries, and a little bit more cream so the other half of sponge would stick nicely, then spread again with leftover vanilla cream, whipped cream, and garnish with berries. Possibilities are endless, other fruit, no fruit, chocolate cream, etc.

Chill well, and enjoy!

Cheers my dear foodies, and thank you for your continued loyalty, and support!

Walnut chocolate torte

There is no story with this one, it is simply delicious!!! Walnuts, chocolate buttercream, what else do you need? Just ask my neighbor. This one is for you my friend! :)

Walnut chocolate torte
(Adapted from coolinarika.com)

For the butter cream:
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
3 oz of baking chocolate
2 sticks, plus 2tbs of unsalted butter, or margarine (250 g)
juice of one lemon

Mix eggs and sugar until creamy, and sugar has dissolved. Cook in a pot over another pot with boiling water in it, or double boiler. Mix constantly, and cook until it starts thickening; add chocolate, and mix well. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and let it cool down completely. Then add butter (or margarine), juice of one lemon, and mix to get silky, nice buttercream.

For the cake:
6 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp plain bread crumbs
250 g (3 cups ground walnuts)

Preheat oven to 390 F. In one bowl mix egg whites until stiff. In a separate bowl mix egg yolks with sugar for few minutes, until creamy. Add ground walnuts, and bread crumbs. It will be quite dry, then fold in egg whites. Mix until all is blended nicely, but don’t over mix.
Bake in preheated oven for about 40 minutes.

Let it cool, and then cut into two and sprinkle with a little milk, just couple of tablespoons each.
Now fill the cake layers with buttercream inside, and spread all around the outside. Sprinkle generously with ground walnuts, and decorate if you wish. Enjoy!

Citrus Love!

This month Tartlette is hosting Sugar High Friday #43, which is a monthly event created by Jennifer of The Domestic Goddess.Tartlette chose citrus theme, which is sure to produce yummy posts!!!

Just like Tartelette has mentioned, citrus, after chocolate, is her favorite flavor---well, I am sure it is for many people. I find myself always squeezing that lemon/orange juice over my cakes, regardless the recipe. It adds magic!

I chose this roll because it is my favorite roll/cake when it comes to taste (thanks to orange juice), and I love that it is simple to make. The first delicacy I thought of when thought about participating for this event was this roll, because of the aroma that orange gives it, with chocolate butter cream, it’s a winner!

You can dress it up many different ways, use it for other cake creations, and so on. I make it often; my husband loves it, his mom used to make it a lot (what a way to score points with my hubby, ha? Hahaha!)

Orange Infused Chocolate Buttercream Roll

For the jelly roll:
(this recipe can also be found here)

6 eggs

6 Tbsp of AP flour

6 Tbsp of sugar

½ Tsp of baking powder

Mix the egg whites with sugar until stiff, then add the yolks, one by one, then flour mixed with baking power. Bake in a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper, @ 385 F until lightly golden (not too long). Transfer onto damp kitchen towel, along with the parchment paper, and roll it up.

Chocolate butter cream:

(I use this one in many cakes, love it! Like Dobos Torte)

4 eggs

5 oz granulated sugar

3 ½ oz bakers chocolate

1 ½ stick (12 Tbsp) unsalted butter

Mix eggs and sugar until frothy, then cook in a double boiler , stirring constantly until it starts to thicken. Then add chocolate, and mix it in. Transfer to a mixing bowl, and let it cool down, later put it in the fridge. When completely add butter cut up into pieces, and mix well with a mixer, until you get a silky textured butter cream.

Unroll the roll, sprinkle generously with freshly squeezed juice of 2-3 oranges, or about 1 cup or orange juice. In the event you don’t have oranges, you can use orange flavored juice box. Roll it up, and decorate any way you like, and enjoy!

To contribute a little more, I have also made some fruit made out of almond meal/flour.
It is so easy, seriously. You feel like a kid while you are making them, and it’s so much fun!!!

Fast too, so if you want to ad flare to your creations quickly, here is your solution, and you can make all kinds of fruit. I have learned a technique from a lovely cook from Canada, goes by name Cipelica, and she post on a Croatian cooking website (Coolinarika).

Fruit

125 g (4.41 oz)almond flour/meal
125 sugar (4.41 oz)
50 ml (1.69 fl. oz.) water (Updated, not 100ml, it's 50ml)
½ Tsp of margarine

Food colors (yellow, red, green)

(this is how much I have used this time, you can increase accordingly, if you need more)

Boil water and sugar, then add almond flour, and mix well. Add margarine, and let it cool down. Divide into parts, and color each part any color you want by adding drops of food colors slowly.

Play with it, every time you will get better.
For citrus fruit, I have shaped it, and then poked the fruit with a toothpick to create more authentic look.
For more citrus cravings you might like Torta della Nonna!