Mint Slice Cake

Mint Slice biscuits is definitely up there in my list of favourite sweet treats. I took this recipe from Raspberri Cupcakes, and it's amazing! Mine definitely is not as pretty as hers, so take a look at her blog for better pictures and more delicious recipes.

I made the cake almost exactly according to her recipe, but I halved the mint icing and used less chocolate in the ganache topping.



Ingredients
2 large eggs
55g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
32g cornflour (cornstarch)
17g Dutch-process cocoa
2 tsp plain flour
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp bicarb soda
25g unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the mint icing:
50g butter, removed from the fridge 30 minutes before starting
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp milk
1 tsp peppermint essence

For the chocolate ganache topping:
150ml pure cream
100g 70% cocoa dark chocolate (I used Lindt)


Directions

1. Grease and line one 20cm round cake tin. Preheat oven to 180°C.


2. Whisk eggs and sugar in an electric mixer until thick and pale (5-6 minutes). Sift over cornflour, cocoa, flour, cream of tartar and bicarb soda, fold in with spatula. Fold in butter, spoon into prepared tin.


3. Bake in centre of oven until cake springs back when lightly pressed (this took me 15 minutes). Turn onto baking-paper-covered wire rack and cool completely.


4. Prepare the mint icing: beat butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy, then add mint essence and milk and beat until smooth. Spread over the top of cake and smooth with a spatula.


5. To make the ganache, place cream in a small saucepan on low heat. Just as it starts to come to the boil, remove from the heat and cool for a couple minutes. Pour hot cream over chocolate and set aside to allow chocolate to melt. Mix cream and chocolate together until smooth using a whisk, then cool until it reaches room temperature and thickens.


6. Pour ganache over the top of the cake, using a spatula to ensure the ganache covers all the top and sides of the cake. Chill in the fridge until the ganache sets, then peel off the bottom baking paper and serve cake at room temperature.
   

Katy's Extremely Chocolate Brownie

Katy's Extremely Chocolate Brownie
(adapted from a recipe by Donna Hay)

*picture coming next time I bake this :)*

Ingredients
200g 70% Cocoa Dark Chocolate
250g Butter
1 3/4 cups Brown Sugar
4 Eggs
1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
1 cup Plain Flour
1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
150g White Chocolate Chips

Directions

1. Preheat Oven to 160C.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter together, allow to cool slightly.
3. Place the sugar, eggs, cocoa, flour and baking powder in a bowl.
4. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until combined.
5. Mix in the white chocolate chips.
6. Pour into a 23cm (9 in) square lined tin.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set.
8. Cool in the tin.
9. Cut into slices and eat!

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Make this recipe gluten and lactose free by;

1. Ensuring your chocolate is gluten free - Lindt or Whittakers can be good for this.
2. Using lactose-free margarine instead of butter.
3. Using a gluten-free flour (White Wings gluten free flour is good)
4. Omitting the white chocolate chips, or replacing them with chopped nuts of your choice, or more of the chocolate used in the batter chopped roughly.

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