Milano® Cookies Chocolate Cake

Hi everyone! Since this is my first post for 2015, allow me to wish you a Happy New Year! Hope all of you had a great start into the new year. ^_^ Time flies indeed, I can't believe that we are half way into February! Gosh~ It was a pity I didn't get to update my blog in January as I fight hard with time to get things done after settling down from an almost two-week long road trip which I went with my husband (and three other friends) last year end till the early days of January. I was practically hands-tied with the crafts-making in preparation of a wedding gift for my sister and the "intense" packing for my "secret" trip home. Haha! Glad that I managed to pull off a surprise for my family with my appearance on my sister's big day and having spent good quality time catching up with my dear friends during my two weeks home. Despite the long haul flight to and fro (which I dread most), everything else was worth it!

Today is the fifth day since my return to this foreign city and I'm still (very much) feeling the jet-lag. >,< But this may well be a blessing in disguise because I finally get to finish up this long overdue cake recipe which I have created from my Milano® cookies indulgence. This cake is definitely an absolute LOVE - so appropriate for the Valentine's day occasion tomorrow! I hope you'll like it as much as I do! ^_^

Milano® Cookies Chocolate Cake

Here's wishing all a Happy Valentine's Day! Hope you'll spread the love and share this with all your loved ones. Cheers!

Milano® Cookies Chocolate Cake
The Dream Baker's Creation

Ingredients Required

Cake layer
Recipe referenced and modified from: Joy of Baking's Black Forest Chocolate Genoise

3 tablespoons (42 grams) hot melted unsalted butter
1/2 cup (60 grams) cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup (30 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large eggs
2/3 cup (135 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Sugar Syrup
Recipe referenced and modified from: TDB's Strawberry Shortcake

20 ml hot water
1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

Chocolate frosting
The Dream Baker's Creation

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Fillings & Decorations

Milano® Chocolate cookies - 8 to 9 pieces, chopped into smaller pieces (1 cup of chopped cookies for filling, remaining for top garnishing)
Chocolate malted milk balls, or any chocolate candies as desired

Chocolate rice

Bakeware Used

9-inch round pan

Preparation Steps

Cake layer

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (or 180 degrees C). 
2. Butter or spray the round cake pan with a non stick spray, and line the bottom of pan with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, sift the flour, salt and cocoa powder and set aside.
4. In a heatproof mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, and whisking constantly, heat until lukewarm. 
5. Remove from heat and beat mixture on high speed using an electric mixer until the mixture is thick (the batter will fall back into the bowl in a ribbon-like pattern). 
6. Beat in the vanilla extract. 
7. Sift about 1/3 of the dry mixture over the egg mixture and gently folding using a rubber spatula or whisk. Sift and fold in another third, and then folding the rest. 
8. Take 1 cup of the batter and fold it into the melted butter (to lighten it the mixture). Then gently fold the butter-batter mixture into the egg batter. 
9. Pour batter into the cake pan and smooth the top.
10. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean (cake will start to shrink from sides of pan when it's about baked). 
11. Remove and cool with the cake in the pan on a wire rack for a few minutes. 
12. Run a knife around the edges of the cake and invert cake over a wire rack. Gently peel off the parchment paper on the back of the cake and let cool completely. The cake can be stored for two days or frozen for a month.

Chocolate frosting

1. In a microwaveable mixing bowl, add chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of heavy cream and microwave at high for about 30 seconds. Stir till all chocolate chips are melted and mixture is cooled.
2. Add the remaining cold heavy whipping cream along with sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.
3. Place the bowl over a cold water bath and whisk the mixture until stiff peak form.
4. Transfer about 1/3 cup of the frosting into a piping bag fitted with a large flower tip. This is based on the cake design as shown in the picture and is optional.
5. If not using the frosting immediately, cover with cling wrap and keep it refrigerated until ready to use.

Assemble the cake

1. Using a cake leveller or serrated knife, slice the cake into half crosswise and place the bottom layer on a cake board.
2. Gently brush the sliced surface of the cake with sugar syrup. This helps to keep the cake moist.
3. Coat the top surface of the cake with an even layer of chocolate frosting.
4. Take one cup of the rough chopped Milano® cookies and spread over the top of the frosting.
5. Brush the other layer (sliced side) of the cake with sugar syrup and place the syrup coated side down over the bottom layer of the cake.
6. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining chocolate frosting.
7. Place the cake over a larger baking sheet. Grab a handful of chocolate rice with an open palm and gently coat the sides of the cake with the chocolate rice. The frosting will help to stick the chocolate rice. Gather the excess chocolate rice that have fallen off and repeat until the sides of the cake are well coated.
8. Pipe the frosting in the piping bag (set aside earlier) around the edge of the top of the cake and top each flower frosting with a chocolate malted milk ball (or any chocolate candies as desired).
9. Carefully distribute the remaining chopped Milano® cookies in the inner space on top of the cake.
10. Refrigerate the cake for 1 to 2 hours before serving (this helps to cut into the cake easily).

The Dream Baker's Experiment

1. I used large eggs weighing approximately 60 grams each (with shell on).
2. I placed the pan on the lower rack of the oven and baked for 22 minutes. Baking time varies across different oven. It is advisable to check the doneness of the cake after more than half way into the baking time.

So yummy~ 

And I am pleasured to share this cake love with the following blog events:

• Little Thumbs Up (Feb 2015: Chocolate) organised by Doreen of my little favourite DIY and Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Grace of Life Can Be Simple;
• Foodie Friday organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello and Otilia of Romanian Mum; 
• Recipe of the Week hosted by Emily of A Mummy Too;
• CookBlogShare hosted by Lucy of Supergolden Bakes; and
• Bake of the Week organised by Helen & gang of Casa Costello

 

  

Dare to dream
The Dream Baker