Is this not the most exciting thing in the world ever??? A whole big DOUBLE 00 of posts regarding the most amazing ingredient in the world. Truly, it is a great moment in every girl’s life when she reaches her 100th tribute to the sweetest (pun intended to some extent) of all ingredients.
Chocolate.
You know what? I like picnics. The more the I think about it, the more I enjoy its memories, present and past. Daydream about future picnic adventures too I suppose.
I love the idea that you have so much in one. There are so many fun elements to enjoy as part of the one. I love that you can never have too many, that it brings friends and family alike closer together. That it just brings a huge grin to your face in anticipation (at least, it does mine!)
Shhhh… it’s a secret.
“What, where, why?”
Shhh… follow me…
“Look, my mum told me not to follow strangers”
Your mum is part of it.
“WHAT?”
Can I trust you?
That is the question I should be asking you.
*disgruntled* I am trustworthy. I’m Chocolate, for heavens sake!
Stop being everyone’s friend. Be our friend. Cocoa Powder has told me all about you. You will be a great asset.
Asset to what? *exasperated*
We all get those days. Days where your toothpaste gets in your hair, where the hot water runs out just as your about to wash your waist-length hair and you miss the bus to school or work.
It’s those days where we often need to depression eat, shop, cry – sometimes all three. But more often than not, just before delving into that hot fudge brownie sundae after maxing out three credit cards, someone will come up to you and take your hand. Someone will take you, sit you down in a plush chair and just look at you until your pour your heart out.
And then they will sympathise, tell you the truth, smile weirdly at you for worrying over anything so small and give you a hug, before giving you a piece of brownie.
What is a vegan? We all know the basics of this right? No eggs, no dairy, don’t wear silk and love raw cookie dough balls. Didn’t know the last one? Well now you do 😀
Veganism is truly defined as: “The practice of abstinence from using animal products” – I used to think every vegan in the world was a saint. I am not even kidding you. After all, how could one manage to live in harmony without chocolate, ice cream and fluffy sponges which need eggs?
Now, after starting blogging, I met many a vegan blogger. And yes, while these guys are still saints, I learnt from them that they enjoy life just as much as us vegetarians and omnivores 😉
Yoda: “Only the Dark Lord knows of our weakness”
In a galaxy not so far far away, the dark lord returned. Garbed in a dark covering, he beckoned using his force and the influence he wielded over the weak, the powerless to turn them into his minions.
Darth Vader: “You don’t know the power of the dark side!”
He crackled open, releasing a fresh intoxicating yet dangerous aroma and entrapping us in his aura. He hid his inner self behind a thick coat, but I could almost taste the creaminess of…
Wait. You thought I was talking about Star Wars? Emperor Palpatine come to turn Earth into a Death Star? Flashing neon light sabers with clashing cool colours? The death of Liam Neeson… I mean Qui-Gon Jinn?
Hahaha, this is far worse.
And it feels so good 😀 – I missed you all! I missed the foodie community, the commenting and checking out hundreds of wonderful delicious posts 🙂
All’s well that ends well? We’ll see…
I guess you want and deserve an explanation – let me tell you in a little series:
1. I went on holiday for a week – my school term finished, I needed a break so I had an awesome time chilling out (literally it was snowing!) in Tasmania 🙂
2. I actually have 3 weeks’ worth of exams starting in 1 1/2 weeks time so I have to study more than cook (*sigh*)
Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh – IT IS CHOCOLATE SEASON MY FRIENDS 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
No joke I get a little bit excited (and a little bit hyper) because
Even though today is April Fool’s Day (Happy April Fool’s Day!) I am not fooling you when I say I baked up a little bit of a disaster two nights ago 😛
I am serious, I was almost cringing but in the end, masked it real fine 😀
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Meet my subconscious mind. Most of the time she is a happy person but has a tendency to get a little temperamental when it comes to things I really adore, such as chocolate (I think you got a little whiff of her dangerous side here)
The cake I was planning was to be a graduation present. I mean honestly, that is awesome right? Graduation and cake go together like apples and pie, chocolate and peanut butter, just as much as birthdays and cakes 😀
So while my conscious mind was getting all excited, I have come to believe my subconscious mind got pricked in the wrong spot.
“If this cake is a gift, that I means I do not get to eat it. Not happy. Not happy at all”
Churning out angry vibes…
Meanwhile, I am happily planning an extravagant over the top deal filled with deliciousness. So I come up with this plan
“Nooooooooooooo… I will not let her give away my cake, no, I want it. Two types of chocolate – NEVER!”
I collect ingredients, organise the bench and get to work…
“Eureka…..”
Ruins my cake – pre baking…
I do think now my subconscious mind thinks she is cleverer than my conscious mind. What she does not realise is all that bombardment of English analysis on my conscious mind does help in thinking outside the square when it comes to cooking… and now mistakes 😉
Back to the story…
I am happily making my chocolate batter, mixing melted butter and chocolate, attempting to not eat the packet of choc chips and fiercely keeping a spoon away from the batter.
No problems? Check
Beautiful devour-me batter? Check
Moving on to the white chocolate batter my subconscious mind comes in for a chinwag… not a jolly one either 😉
“You will add 2 eggs, not one”
I was making half of both mudcake recipes to layer them. The chocolate cake had 4 eggs. The white chocolate cake had 2. And I added 2 eggs to the batter made for 1 egg. And it got liquidy. Very very liquidy.
Before adding eggs…
I begin freaking out. Silently in my head while keeping a cool composure 😉
“Mwah hahahahahaha. Now the chocolate mudcake will be baked and all for me…”
So I work quick and randomly add in an extra 1/2-3/4 cup flour into the batter.
“What is going on….”
Dump in a couple of extra tbs caster sugar. Taste the batter and although I have no idea what the consistency should be like, I give it a shot anyhow because it tastes alright 🙂
In a greased-sugared Bundt tin, I pour the chocolate batter, add a tunnel of jam and then pour on the white chocolate batter.
The white chocolate batter engulfs the dark chocolate batter and I know there will not be any layering. And that the ‘natural’ swirling will not be a pretty sight.
“It will look too ugly to give… and I get a full cake – could this day get any better”
This is how my cake comes out. A patchy marbled mudcake complete with a jam swirl. Oh dear… My cake is bleeding…
Post refrigeration: The final step
Icing – I use white chocolate icing and drizzle it over. Ok not absolutely ugly anymore. Popped in some strawberries. Hmm…
“You are a perfectionist U, you won’t give something that looks so blah to anyone, save it for yourself [me] and relax…”
I needed some green – the strawberry leaves were pretty average and brown-green. No thanks. And then mummy dear swoops in for the win. “Why not colour some icing green and do a design on top of the white?”
“No, no, noooooooooooooooooooooooo” – Defeated subconscious mind…
And that is what I did. And it actually made a very, um, mistakable cake, quite presentable as a graduation cake. Taste? Obscenely delicious reviews all round 😀
Conscious mind: Uno
Subconscious mind: Zero
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Honestly here is what I learnt from all my baking mistakes
Always into self improvement my friends!
Marbled Jam Swirled Mudcake
Anyhow, so you know what this cake was meant to be all about. Here is how I would make it now if I wanted it to look pretty sans icing 😉
To swirl
Sorry I took a bite out but just look at that crumbiness!
This recipe was a keeper – it was soft, moist and the two mudcake flavours complement each other considerably while the jam surprise in some bites is awesome! Of course the icing too is a killer 😀
Enjoy mes amis! I look forward to properly trying this cake again one day 😉
P.S Thank you Heidi (@ The Young Grasshopper) for awarding me with the Versatile Blogger award – it is much appreciated 😀 – I will be posting about it next time 🙂 – Thanks again my friend!
Don’t tell me you have never done it before. Don’t go pushing your glasses up your nose and flicking an imaginary speck off your business suit. You are not making eye contact, just staring at your screen typing away, mouth set in a grim line while I accuse you. Don’t lie to me. I don’t know why you are lying to me. When everyone has done it before.
You look up at me sharply when I say that. You subtly look both directions before giving me a slight nod to continue. And I do.
Go Bake Yourself 
