Chocolate Espresso Cake

Chocolate Espresso Cake

This Chocolate Espresso Cake is actually Ina Garten's recipe, Beatty's Chocolate Cake (link below) from her Barefoot Contessa At Home cookbook (pgs. 164-167). Allen loves this cake and requested it for his birthday yesterday. I have made it several times and decorated it with a woodland theme to look like a tree stump. For the top of the cake, I added adorable animal sugar decorations from Fancy Flours, and topped with CK Products Metallic Gold Edible Glitter Flakes. The recipe is perfection and if you know me at all, Ina Garten's recipes are my favorite. I love the texture and rich chocolate-coffee flavor of this cake. It is moist with a tender crumb. The coffee in the frosting is prominent and brings out the chocolate in a most decadent way. If you love chocolate and coffee, you need to make this cake. As if there wasn't enough coffee in the cake, I served it with coffee ice cream. 

Chocolate Espresso Cake 

Cake Ingredients
2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter to grease cake pans

1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour, plus extra to coat cake pans

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

Chocolate Espresso Cake

Chocolate Espresso Cake with woodland theme

2 cups Granulated Sugar

1 cup Buttermilk

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

2 Extra Large Eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 cup Freshly Brewed Coffee (I use Bustelo Espresso)

Chocolate Espresso Cake

So yummy!

Chocolate Coffee Frosting Ingredients
1 1/4 cups Confectioners'/Powdered Sugar

1 tablespoon Instant Coffee Powder

6 ounces Semisweet Chocolate, chopped

1 Extra Large, Egg Yolk, room temperature

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Espresso Cake with woodland theme

Adorbs animal sugar decorations!

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.

Line 2, 8" or 9" cake pans with parchment paper and use baking spray (such as Wilton) or butter and flour; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; set aside.

Brew hot coffee and measure 1 cup; set aside.

Allen about to blow out his candles and make a wish

Yay, happy birthday hubster! 

Using a hand held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low, add the flour mixture and combine; about 1 minute.

Add the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed; about 2 minutes.

Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and mix again for 5-10 seconds.

Add hot coffee and mix until combined.

Mixing the dry ingredients

Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 5-10 seconds.

Pour batter into cake pans, 2/3 full.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My cake baked in 30 minutes. Oven temperatures vary so check the cake at the 30 minute mark and adjust baking time accordingly.

Remove from oven and cool in pans for 30 minutes, and then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling make the chocolate coffee frosting.

Batter ready to bake

Baked cake

Chop the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl over a medium size pan with simmering water.

Stir chocolate just until melted, turn off heat, and set aside to cool completely.

On medium speed using a hand held or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth; about 3 minutes.

Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix; about 3 minutes.

Ready to frost the cake

Turn off mixer, add the powdered sugar, cover mixer with large kitchen towel, and beat on low speed until incorporated; about 2 minutes.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 5-10 seconds.

Dissolve coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of hot water.

On low speed, add the melted/cooled chocolate and hot coffee, and mix until incorporated.

Great to use on cakes and cookies!

Place the first cake layer top side down on cake stand or plate, and cover with the chocolate coffee frosting.

Add the second cake layer top side up and frost the cake, and decorate as desired.

Place the cake in fridge to set.

Remove 1/2 hour before serving.

Store covered cake up to 5 days in the fridge.

Adapted from Ina Garten, Beatty's Chocolate Cake recipe:
https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe-1947521

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Southwestern Pasta Salad

I came across this Southwestern Pasta Salad in Taste of Home. This is a vibrant, colorful and hearty pasta salad. I bumped up the flavor, added cracked black pepper, and increased some of the ingredients for a bold and kicked up taste. The original recipe has sliced avocado on top but mine was not ripe, so if you have avocado, slice it and add it just before serving. This dish is perfect for a backyard BBQ and as an accompaniment to chicken or burgers, and for sharing with your family. See the adapted recipe below.

Close-up,  Southwestern Pasta Salad

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 cup Salsa, Medium

1 cup Lime Juice, Freshly Squeezed

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 tablespoons White Wine Vinegar

2 teaspoons Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1/2 teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper

1 package (16 ounces) Uncooked Cavatappi (or Spiral) Pasta

So yummy!

Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2-3 hours

1 1/2 cups Fresh or frozen whole kernel Corn, thawed

1 can (15 ounce) Black Beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, whole or sliced in half

1 can Black Olives, sliced and drained

1 Green Pepper, chopped

1 Red Pepper, chopped

1 small red onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, divided

Delish!

Pasta salad perfection

Directions
In a small bowl, whisk together the salsa, lime juice, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic cloves, cumin, cayenne pepper, black pepper and salt;  set aside.

In a large pot, boil water, add salt and cook pasta according to package directions. 

Drain the pasta and rinse with cold water; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix with a spatula or wooden spoon the pasta, tomatoes, corn, beans, olives, peppers, onion and 1/2 cup cilantro. 

Pour salsa dressing over salad and combine. 

Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours to set. 

Before serving sprinkle the rest of the the cilantro.

For the Southwestern Pasta Salad recipe, visit Taste of Home:
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/southwestern-pasta-salad/

Enjoy!

Sophia/Two Frys

Mom's 90th Birthday

Mom's 90th Birthday

Today was my Mom's 90th birthday. Many months ago, my brother planned to throw her a big bash at a restaurant in NYC, but due to COVID-19 and the current state of affairs, sadly we had to postpone it. Hopefully, we can plan a celebration for her if things get better. I cannot believe my Mom turned 90 today. She has dementia but thankfully is at the stage that she still knows us all. I am ever so grateful she is still with us. She is feisty, stubborn and it is difficult to get her to eat these days, but I love her very much.

Mom's 90th Birthday - German Chocolate Cake by Sonia Moura Diamantis

My sister-in-law baked a lovely German Chocolate Layer Cake. It was a rich and decadent chocolate cake, and the coconut pecan filling was sublime. The chocolate frosting was not too sweet and velvety smooth. So yum! My Mom definitely enjoyed her cake and seeing us all together. We had to celebrate maintaining social distancing protocols and wore masks. We called my cousin Pati and uncle Rodrigo in Florida to sing happy birthday with us. My brother also bought her huge 90 balloons which she loved.

Mom's 90th Birthday!

90 - a milestone

During these uncertain times, we need to be thankful for special moments like this. I know I am. Especially now more than ever we need to keep our family close and cherish each day we have together. Happy birthday, Mom.

Mom's 90th - German Chocolate Cake

Yay Happy 90th Mom!

3 layers of German Chocolate Cake

-Sophia/Two Frys

Spiced Carrot Cake

Spiced Carrot Cake

Happy Easter! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Allen and I are celebrating Easter Sunday at home and not with our family this year. At least I saw my brother and Mom yesterday for a little while so that was nice! I understand "social distancing" is necessary right now to "flatten the curve," but I do not like to be confined! Working from home 5 days a week, and staying in and only going out to pick up groceries or to go to the pharmacy is a bit much for me. Even though I am an introvert and generally love being home, isn't it ironic I just want to be outside. I tend to stare out my window these days and people watch. I see them walking and going about their business. Most wear masks or some kind of face covering and others do not. I just pray for it to be over sooner than later. I long to be able to go out again around my neighborhood and do shopping in the stores I used to frequent. I am not a fan of riding the train and prefer taking the bus, but it has been over a month since I used public transportation for fear of catching this virus. I am always fearing catching the virus... I use a car service when I have to, but I am even scared of doing that even though drivers wear a mask. I am afraid of being around people in public now. I do not want this to be the new normal. My heart goes out to everyone that is sick and lost their life from all age groups due to this virus. I am so thankful and appreciative to the doctors, nurses and healthcare workers, home health aides, EMT, FDNY, and NYPD and everyone working during this time all putting their health at risk. I have not ordered takeout in over a month due to fear of catching the virus, but I am tired of cooking everyday and crave Chinese takeout and NY Pizza.

Spiced Carrot Cake

I digress... To get my mind off this, I baked today to destress and calm my nerves and because baking makes me happy. Last month, I was gifted by my colleague Carole, The Beekman 1802 The Cookbook by Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell with Sandy Gluck. The Beekman is a historic farm in Upstate New York and features over 100 heirloom recipes. I look forward to making many of the recipes from this cookbook. The Spiced Cake recipe was very appealing to me as it has a wonderful array of spices. The recipe uses cashews but I use pecans as that was what I had in my pantry. I also added pure vanilla extract and substituted granulated sugar for dark brown sugar for more depth of flavor. The crumb is a bit dense, but with each bite you get nuts, grated carrots, and the aromatic spices making this a rich and flavorful cake. The cream cheese frosting is not too sweet, and with the addition of lemon curd filling it is a great balance of tart and sweet. All in all, this is one spectacular cake. You can make the lemon curd a day ahead as I did. Just take it out of the fridge to come to room temperature when you are ready to add as filling in the center of the cake. I hope you are all enjoying some time in the kitchen cooking and baking with your loved ones.

Cake Ingredients
2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Ground Cardamom

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Ground Ginger

1⁄4  teaspoon Ground Allspice

1⁄2 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1⁄2 cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 cup Granulated Sugar (I use Dark Brown Sugar)

4 Large Eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

3 cups Carrots, grated

2⁄3 cup Roasted Salted Cashews, coarsely chopped (I use Toasted Pecans)

Spiced Carrot Cake

Directions
Heat oven to 350°F.

Spray cake pans or lightly butter/flour 2, 8" or 9" cake pans; set aside.

Place pecans on baking sheet.

Bake for 6-8 minutes until slightly browned.

Remove from oven, cool completely and chop; set aside.

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or use a small pan over medium heat and turn off stove once melted.

Cool completely; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt; set aside.

With a hand held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the melted butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy; about 1 minute.

Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula and mix again for 5-10 seconds.

Add eggs one a time and mix until combined.

Add the vanilla extract and mix just until incorporated.

Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for 5 seconds.

Fold in with a spatula the carrots and pecans.

The batter is somewhat thick. Don't be alarmed.

Pour batter into cake pans, 2/3 full.

Tap pans on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. My cake baked in 25 minutes.

Remove from oven and after 10 minutes run a knife or small spatula along the edge of the pans.

Cool cake in pans for 30 minutes, and then invert onto a wire rack lined with parchment paper to cool completely.

Spiced Carrot Cake

Lemon Curd Ingredients
1 1⁄2 cups Granulated Sugar

1⁄4 cup Cornstarch

1⁄4 cup Lemon Zest

1 teaspoon Coarse Salt

10 Egg Yolks

1 cup Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed

Spiced Carrot Cake

Directions
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, and salt in a medium sized sauce pan on low heat.

Add yolks, and whisk until smooth.

Stir in the lemon juice.

Stirring often, bring to a boil over medium heat.

Cook, stirring constantly, until very thick; about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and let cool completely.

Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Chill the lemon curd in the fridge overnight or for 3-4 hours before adding as filling in the center of the cake.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients
16 ounces Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened

3⁄4 cup Powdered Sugar

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 drop Turquoise Chefmaster Gel Food Color, optional

Spiced Carrot Cake

Directions
While the cake is cooling make the cream cheese frosting.

With a hand held or stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment on medium speed, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and fluffy; about 2 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until well combined; about 2 minutes.

Optional: Add 1 drop of the gel food color and mix until combined.

Place strips of parchment or wax paper over the edges of cake plate, cake turntable or cake stand.

Place bottom layer top side up (use serrated knife if top is not flat to remove excess) and spread the lemon curd with a spatula or knife all over the top leaving half an inch around the edge.

So yummy!

Place the other layer top side down over it, gently press down, and frost the cake with a spatula.

Add sprinkles, sugar decorations if desired. I use bunny and chick sugar decorations and M&M Eggs.

Place the cake in fridge to set.

Remove 1/2 hour from fridge before serving so it comes to room temperature.

Store cake up to 5 days covered in the fridge.

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys

Valentine's Day Strawberry Cookies

Valentine's Day Strawberry Cookies

Happy Valentine's Day. A few months ago, I ordered strawberry extract as I had this recipe in mind. The cookies came out amazing with a chewy texture, and tastes like strawberries in cookie form. Adding a little cream makes these cookies taste a little like strawberries and cream.

Yield: 2 to 3 Dozen Cookies (depending on cutter size and thickness of dough) 

Valentine's Day Strawberry Cookies

Valentine's Day Strawberry Cookies

Ingredients
3 cups King Arthur All Purpose Flour

1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Coarse Salt

1 cup, 2 sticks Unsalted Butter, softened

1 Large Egg, room temperature

1 tablespoon Heavy Cream (or Whole Milk)

3 teaspoons Strawberry Extract

Valentine's Day Strawberry Cookies

Yummy tasting strawberry cookies

Directions
Whisk together the flour, and salt; set aside.

Cream butter and sugar in a hand held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed; 1-2 minutes. Do not overmix.

Scrape sides of bowl with spatula and mix for 10 seconds.

Add egg, strawberry extract, cream (or milk), and mix until incorporated.

Scrape sides of bowl and mix for 5 seconds.

Turn the mixer off, and add the flour mixture, and then cover with a large kitchen towel and on low speed incorporate.

Valentine's Day Strawberry Cookies

Pretty strawberry lips

The dough is ready when it begins to clump around the paddle attachment.

Roll dough into disk shape, cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight.

Take half of the dough leaving covered unused dough in fridge until ready to use.

Heat oven to 400°F.

Use two sheets of parchment paper with dough in between and roll with rolling pin until desired thickness is reached.

Lovely hearts and they taste so good

Trying to stencil

If needed, dip cutters in flour, shake off excess, and make shapes.

Place onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper, and put in freezer for 20 minutes. The cookies hold their shape when you do this.

Bake 8-12 minutes or until the edges have slightly browned. My cookies baked in 12 minutes.

Oven temps vary so check at the 8 minute mark.

Wait 5 minutes before transferring cookies on wire racks to complete cooling; about 1 hour.

Decorate once cookies have cooled completely.

Red strawberry hearts

Pretty hearts

Royal Icing
Ingredients
1/3 cup Meringue Powder (I use Genie's Dream Meringue Powder)

1/2 cup Warm Water

1 tablespoon Clear Vanilla Extract

7 1/2 cups, 2 lbs. Powdered Sugar, sifted

Hearts

Valentine hearts

Directions
In a bowl, whisk together the meringue powder, and warm water until frothy.

Transfer to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and mix for 3 minutes. Do not over mix.

Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar, and cover with a large kitchen towel. On low speed incorporate and then turn to high speed and mix for 3 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract and mix for 15-20 seconds.

This icing is thick and perfect for detail and stencil work.

Yummy hearts

I love the edible gold glitter

I transfer the icing into plastic containers with lids according to the amount of color and how much of each one I need.

I use Gel Paste Food Color in various colors. Start with 1-2 drops at a time until you have the color you need and stir with spatula until combined.

I place the thick icing I need of each color and immediately transfer to tipless bags and/or icing bottles.

Mini strawberry hearts

For the remaining icing color, I take a spritz bottle filled with room temperature water and spritz 1-2 times (or as needed)* until the desired consistency is reach. I do this with each container and transfer to tipless bags and/or icing bottles. I repeat until I am done.

*Be careful adding water as too much can cause the color to bleed, and you do not want the icing runny.

Keep the other containers covered.

Icing in tipless bags

I do a border on each cookie and immediately fill it.

I use a cookie stick to reach edges and to pop any air bubbles.

Add sprinkles: sanding sugar, coarse sugar, jimmies, confetti, quins, sugar pearls, nonpareils, dragees, etc... over wet icing.

My sprinkles set up for these cookies

If you plan to use food decorating pens, stencils, airbrush, or add a second layer of icing designs/piping work, let the cookies dry overnight. For this, I use the thick icing.

If it is humid, you may need more time for the cookies to dry. A fan will help dry the icing.

To order Genie's Dream Premiun Meringue Powder, visit The Cookie Countess:
https://www.thecookiecountess.com/collections/genies-dream-meringue-powder

Enjoy!

-Sophia/Two Frys