Chocolate

Cinnamon chocolate ice cream with warm cherries

August 17, 2017 By linda 16 Comments

Summer berries are usually what I’m most inspired to bake with, but this summer has been different. I feel myself drawn to apples, cinnamon, cardamom, chocolate, rustic pies and so on. You know, comforting things.

Maybe it’s the weather, which hasn’t been very summery. I was craving cinnamon, so I read up on it, and found out there are two types commonly used – cassia bark and “true” cinnamon. I’ve been using cassia bark this whole time, which is WAY more common and still delicious in cinnamon buns and apple pies. But this “true” cinnamon. Oh man, that smell! It smells incredible – super sweet and fruity.

Now, true cinnamon IS hard to get by, but if you do, I highly recommend getting a few sticks to save for a rainy day. I did pair it with warm cherries, but I gotta say I still struggle with the chocolate + berry combo sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, it was totally delicious, but I might try the ice cream without the chocolate and pair it with cherries, or maybe even apples?

CINNAMON CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM WITH WARM CHERRIES

Serves 4-5

If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour the mixture into a freezer container and put in the freezer. When partially frozen (after 2-3 of hours), take it out and whip it with an electric mixer to break up the ice crystals. Repeat 3-4 of times during the freezing process. Freeze until firm enough to scoop. It won’t be exactly the same as when you use a machine for churning but it’ll still be delicious!

INGREDIENTS

ICE CREAM

4-5 ceylon cinnamon sticks (approx. 5-6 cm in length)
200 ml (3/4 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) milk, 3% fat
90 g (1/3 cup + 1 1/2 tbsp.) granulated sugar
pinch of salt
300 ml (1 1/4 cup) heavy cream, 35-40% fat
2 large egg yolks
50 g semi sweet chocolate (55%)
1 tbsp. dark rum (can be omitted)

WARM CHERRIES

300 g cherries, pitted
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS

CINNAMON CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Break up the cinnamon sticks slightly in a mortar and pestle. Put the cinnamon sticks in a saucepan together with milk, sugar, salt and half of the cream (150 ml). Let mixture come to a boil, then remove from heat and put a lid on the pan. Let steep for at least 1 hour.
Pour the remaining cream (150 ml) into a large bowl and set a strainer inside. Keep this close while you go through the next steps.
Whisk the egg yolks in a small bowl. Remove the cinnamon sticks from the milk mixture with a slotted spoon. Reheat the milk mixture over medium heat. Slowly pour the mixture over the egg yolks while whisking – this is to temper the yolks and prevent them from curdling in the next step.
Pour the egg-milk mixture back into the pan. Return the pan to the stove and cook over medium heat while stirring constantly until mixture thickens. The mixture is done when it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in the chopped chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
Strain the thickened egg-milk mixture into the prepared bowl with the cream. Stir until combined. If you wish to speed things up a little, put the bowl in an ice bath and stir until cool. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and store in fridge overnight.
Churn the ice cream in an ice cream maker according to your manufacturer’s instructions.
Transfer ice cream to a freezer container. Smooth the top with a spatula, then loosely cover the surface of the ice cream with wax paper and freeze until almost solid, about 2-4 hours.

CHERRIES

Put the cherries in a sauce pan with sugar and lemon juice. Cook until cherries are slightly soft and liquids become syrupy in texture, about 5 minutes. Stir every now and then.
If the ice cream has been stored in the freezer for longer than 3-4 hours, you might need to leave it at room temperature for a few minutes to soften a little bit before scooping. Serve with warm cherries.

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Chocolate hazelnut tartlets with sea salt

May 24, 2017 By linda 33 Comments

I remember the first time I tried chocolate with sea salt. It sounded weird to me at first, but as soon as I took the first bite, I was delighted. It instantly became a favorite. Nowadays, I rarely make anything chocolatey without a good extra pinch of salt. And the same goes for caramel, which is so intensely sweet on its own. Salt adds depth, and maximizes the flavor to bring out all the good stuff. This notion is something I keep coming back to when I think about food, and life in general. How differences should be celebrated, how they enhance each other. Opposites attract. Our differences are what makes us interesting, and food, in flavor and texture. Sweet and salty. Smooth and crunchy. These tartlets have it all. A crisp, nutty shortbread crust, a crunchy hazelnut filling topped with a rich, smooth chocolate ganache and flaky salt on top. Just the right balance between flavors and textures.

Some of my recent favorite flavor combinations are chocolate & salt, rhubarb & cardamom, strawberry & balsamic and coconut & coffee. What are some of your favorite combinations?

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT TARTLETS WITH SEA SALT

Makes 10 small tartlets

I used my Electrolux* blender to mix the toasted hazelnuts into a fine meal but you could also use a food processor if you don’t have a blender. If you don’t have tartlet pans with removable bottoms, you can cut long strips of baking paper and put along the bottom of the pans before you press in the dough. This will make it so much easier to remove them from them from the pans once baked! Crust with nut filling can be made a day ahead.

INGREDIENTS

100 g (25 g for crust + 75 g for filling) hazelnuts

CRUST

25 g toasted hazelnuts
180 g (1 1/4 cup) all purpose flour
1 tbsp. light muscovado sugar
pinch of flake sea salt
150 g (about 1 1/4 stick) salted butter

FILLING

45 g (1/4 cup) light brown muscovado sugar
100 g (1 scant stick) salted butter
2 tbsp. liquid honey
2 tbsp. heavy cream
75 g toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

GANACHE

200 g semi-sweet chocolate (around 55%), chopped
240 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
Flaky sea salt, to sprinkle

INSTRUCTIONS

CRUST

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F).
Spread 100 g hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and lightly browned, about 8-12 minutes. Let cool. Put the toasted nuts in a clean kitchen towel and rub to remove as much of the skins as possible.
Put the nuts in a blender along with the flour, sugar and salt. Mix until nuts are finely ground. Pour mixture into a bowl. Melt the butter and stir into the dry mixture until just incorporated and a dough forms.
Using your hands, press the dough into the tartlet pans (I used about 35 g of dough for each pan, my pans are approx. 10 cm across), smoothing the edges with your fingertips. Prick the bottoms of the dough and transfer the pans to a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool while you prepare the filling.

FILLING

Mix sugar, butter, honey and cream in a saucepan. Stir together and let come to a boil. Let simmer for a minute, then stir in the 75 g of chopped hazelnuts. Divide the mixture between the tartlet shells.
Bake on the lower rack of the oven at 175°C (350°F) for 18-20 minutes or until filling is golden brown and bubbling. Let cool completely.

GANACHE

Place the chopped chocolate in a bowl.
Pour the cream into a saucepan and place it over medium high heat until cream is very hot but not boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate – make sure all the chocolate is covered with cream, if not, press chocolate down with a spoon. Let stand for 30 seconds, then stir with a spoon until chocolate is melted and ganache is completely smooth. Make sure to stir carefully, or you’ll get lots of air bubbles in your ganache. Let cool to room temperature.
Pour the ganache into the tartlet shells. Let stand until set, about 1-2 hours in room temperature (refrigerator will be a bit faster). If you want a shiny surface on the chocolate, use a torch to very carefully toast the chocolate. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes.

*This post was made in collaboration with Electrolux. All opinions are as always, my own! 🙂

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Mocha squares

April 19, 2017 By linda 25 Comments

Mocha squares have about a million names in Swedish. Ok, so I exaggerated a little bit. Maybe not a million, but definitely a lot more than your average cake (Snoddas, Kärleksmums, chokladrutor, mockarutor… the list goes on). Usually they’re made with a super sweet glaze on top but I wanted to make a smooth, creamy buttercream type of frosting instead. And it’s definitely not overly sweet as it sometimes can be. I mean… who can say no to that swirly chocolate frosting? I know I can’t. I’ll happily eat it straight from the bowl.

In case you don’t have a sheet pan, you can make this recipe as cupcakes too! I tried and they were equally delicious. It’s totally up to you! Find instructions in the recipe and photos at the bottom of this post, in case you’re interested.

Still can’t believe I’ll be in the US next month to hang out with my sweet friends Eva, Carey and Maggie (+a bunch of other awesome people)! I’m so nervous and super excited at the same time.. I’ve never traveled that far. Actually I’ve never even been outside Europe. It’s about time! What are some of your best travel tips? Or advice on how to not get super jetlagged? Bring this cake, maybe? I think that would be a little bit suspicious, no? 😉

MOCHA SQUARES

Yields one sheet cake, serves 8-10

You can also make this recipe as cupcakes! Halve the cake recipe (but make the full frosting recipe) and divide the batter between 12 medium sized cupcake liners. Bake at 175°C for 16-19 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

150 g (about 1 1/4 stick) butter
270 g (1 3/4 cups + 3 tbsp.) all purpose flour
30 g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
250 g (1 cup + 3 tbsp.) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla powder
150 ml (2/3 cup) milk

FROSTING

50 g dark chocolate (70%), chopped
75 g (2/3 stick) softened butter
90 g (2/3 cup) powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 tbsp. freshly brewed coffee (cooled)
1 tbsp. cream or milk
shredded coconut, to sprinkle

INSTRUCTIONS

CAKE

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease a 20×30 cm sheet pan or roasting pan and cover it with baking paper.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla powder until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the dry mixture and stir until smooth.
Add in the melted butter and milk and stir until completely smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the lower part of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool under a clean kitchen towel.

FROSTING

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in a microwave. Let cool to room temperature.
Beat the butter and powdered sugar until mixture becomes light and fluffy.
Stir in the melted chocolate and beat until smooth. Add salt, cocoa powder, coffee and cream and beat some more until completely fluffy and smooth.
Spread the frosting on the cake and top with shredded coconut. Cut in squares and serve.

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Saffron bundt cake with white chocolate coconut ganache

December 5, 2016 By linda 26 Comments

So the second Sunday of advent passed by in a flash.. the whole month of December goes by so quickly. And suddenly it’s a new year. I feel like I’m not as efficient as I used to be. Maybe it’s just the fact that I’m trying to be at bit more mindful of where I spend my energy. I know I mention this every year but it’s just so DARK. You kind of forget!

In December, baking Lussekatter (saffron buns) is an absolute must for me (and for maaany other Swedes of course). But this year I wanted to try something a bit different. Namely a soft saffron cake. So I baked this cake twice. One with “regular” milk and one with coconut milk and both turned out incredible. The one with regular milk is possibly a bit fluffier. Just ever so slightly. Both delicious. And then I made a white chocolate ganache with coconut milk instead of cream. Oh my! So good! I will definitely be trying that again with dark chocolate as well. Maybe for another blogpost!

SAFFRON BUNDT CAKE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE COCONUT GANACHE

Yields one bundt cake, serves 8-10

I highly recommend making this cake with coconut milk (full fat), but if you’re not a fan of coconut, you can use regular milk in the cake in place of coconut milk and heavy cream in the ganache. I’ve tried it and it works beautifully! I usually soak my saffron for about a week before baking with it to extract as much flavor as possible, but doing it an hour or so before is better than not doing it at all. If you don’t have dark rum, you can use any hard liquor. If you don’t want to use any type of alcohol, you can let it soak in 1 tbsp. warm water for an hour before using. Cake recipe adapted from here.

INGREDIENTS

BUNDT CAKE

0,5 g (approximately 1/4 tsp) saffron
1 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. dark rum
200 g (1 3/4 sticks) butter
150 mL (2/3 cup) coconut milk
240 g (1 2/3 cups) all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
270 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar

GANACHE

50 g (1.8 oz) white chocolate, finely chopped
60 mL (1/4 cup) coconut milk
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla powder
Powdered sugar, for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS

BUNDT CAKE

Grind the saffron with 1 tsp. sugar and put in a small jar. Add dark rum and cover with a lid or plastic wrap and leave it in room temperature for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour a 4 1/2 – 5 cup bundt pan (recipe makes approximately 4 cups of batter).
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the coconut milk and saffron mixture and set aside.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat together the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the butter mixture and stir until combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until batter is smooth.
Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 40-45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool in its pan for 15 minutes before inverting it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

GANACHE

Put the finely chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the coconut milk in a saucepan until hot, but not boiling. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.
Stir with a small spoon until chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth. Add the salt and vanilla. Leave to cool until slightly thickened (it won’t thicken a lot though). Dust cake with powdered sugar and drizzle with ganache.

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Citrus ginger cake with honey chocolate frosting

November 28, 2016 By linda 15 Comments

As you can see, I’ve been really into making cakes lately. For the longest time now, I’ve been kind of sick of cake. I have no idea why! I guess I go through these weird creative cycles where I can only think about one type of recipe and right now, my obsession seems to be cake. I hope you don’t mind… Actually I know you don’t mind 😉

I can’t believe it’s almost December! Yesterday was the first of advent here in Sweden.. Christmas still feels very distant. This cake is kind of suitable for Christmas/winter actually. Orange and chocolate is a combination I adore. And with the addition of ginger, and honey in the frosting, it’s even better!

CITRUS GINGER CAKE WITH HONEY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Yields one 8-inch cake, serves 8-10

What I really like about this cake, besides the moist, buttery crumb, is the frosting. It’s perfect if you don’t like it super sweet. As for which citrus fruits to use, it’s up to you! I used zest from 1 orange and 1 clementine but you could also use lemon, blood orange or lime. Make sure to not throw away the fruits after using the zest. Save them for the topping!

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

270 g (barely 2 cups) all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
175 g (1 1/2 stick) softened butter
270 g (1 1/4 cups) granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla powder
3 large eggs
225 mL (barely 1 cup) sour cream
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp. finely grated citrus zest (save the fruits for the brûlée topping)

FROSTING

200 g semi sweet- or dark chocolate (50-70%)
300 g cream cheese, at room temperature
pinch of salt
4-5 tbsp. fluid honey

BRÛLÉED CITRUS

1 orange
1 clementine
handful of kumquats if desired
3 tbsp. turbinado sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

CAKE

Preheat oven to 175°C (350f). Grease and flour a 20 cm (8 inch) cake pan.
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla powder until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add the flour mixture, sour cream, zest and ginger to the butter mixture and stir until batter is smooth.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the lower part of the oven for 48-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

FROSTING & ASSEMBLY

Coarsely chop the chocolate, then melt it and let it cool for a few minutes until lukewarm.
Beat the cream cheese, honey and salt until smooth, then add the melted chocolate and beat until smooth again. If the cream cheese is too cold, the mixture might harden quickly. If it does, carefully heat the mixture in a pan so a small part of the chocolate melts, then beat smooth and creamy again.
Split the cake in half so you have two layers. Place the first layer on a plate or cake stand, then spread with a layer of frosting. Put the second layer on top and cover the cake with the rest of the frosting.

BRÛLÉED CITRUS

Slice the fruit and cut away the remaining peel and pith from each slice. Pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle sugar on top and using a kitchen torch, slowly and evenly caramelize the sugar until it bubbles and browns. Let cool for a minute, then place brûleed slices on the cake. Decorate with kumquats.

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Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting

November 18, 2016 By linda 43 Comments

By popular demand… here it is. The chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting and dark chocolate glaze. Or to be more specific- chocolate heaven. I didn’t make it for the blog and wasn’t initially going to post the recipe, but that would have been kind of selfish, wouldn’t it? I made it for my brother who turned 20 the other day aaand let’s just say he and my other little brother had two pieces each in one go. He later said that he dreamed about it that night and that he had a piece for breakfast too. Apparently it was even better the day after. I didn’t want to cut into his birthday cake just to take photos, which is the reason I only have photos of the outside of the cake. But at least you can see all the layers!

I know I’ve been swearing by my other go-to chocolate cake recipe (find it HERE) but I’m kind of leaning towards this one being my new favorite. It bakes up beautifully and comes out fairly flat on top. I adapted the cake recipe from one of my own books, My sweet kitchen (my third book, originally Sweet food & photography in Sweden), which will be out in the US on February 17. You can pre-order it on Amazon already! I adapted this cake from the stout cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and chocolate pretzels (yum!). I doubled the recipe and used milk and coffee in place of stout. Feel free to try out stout in this recipe too! I bet it would be delicious.

On another note, I usually only use two pans when I make cake but this time I used three. If you only have two pans and want to make this cake, I say go ahead and bake it in two pans, then split the layers in half so you end up with four layers. There should be enough frosting for it. Just make sure to adjust the baking time which will be a little longer, but start checking at 35 minutes anyway. Oh, and make sure to use baking pans that are not too shallow. Just FYI!

Chocolate cake with chocolate hazelnut frosting & dark chocolate glaze

Yields one 6-inch cake, serves 8-10

Ingredients

Chocolate sour cream cake

200 g (~1 3/4 sticks) butter
125 mL (1/2 cup) milk
240 g (1 2/3 cups) all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
68 g (2/3 cup) cocoa powder
315 g (1 1/2 cups) granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 medium eggs
150 mL (2/3 cup) sour cream
125 mL (1/2 cup) hot coffee

Chocolate filling

75 g (2.6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate (50%)
35 g (2 1/2 tbsp) butter
pinch of salt

Chocolate hazelnut frosting

150 g (~1 1/4 sticks) butter, softened
100 g (~1/2 cup) cream cheese, cold
60 g (1/3 cup + 2 tbsp) powdered sugar
250 g (3/4 cup + 2 tbsp) chocolate hazelnut spread (such as Nutella, or make your own -recipe HERE)
pinch of salt

Dark chocolate glaze

75 g (2.6 oz) dark chocolate (70%)
45 g (3 tbsp) butter
pinch of salt

Decoration

chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

Chocolate sour cream cake

Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Butter three 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans and dust them with cocoa powder.
Melt the butter, add milk and set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Add the butter mixture, eggs and sour cream to the dry ingredients and beat until just smooth.
Add the hot coffee and stir until smooth (batter will be quite liquid).
Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans. Bake the cakes on the lower rack for 32-35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Chocolate filling

Coarsely chop the semi-sweet chocolate and place it in a saucepan together with butter, over low heat. Stir often until everything is melted. Add a pinch of salt. Let cool to spreadable consistency – meanwhile you can prepare the frosting.

Chocolate hazelnut frosting & assembly

Beat butter until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, chocolate hazelnut spread and salt and beat until frosting is completely smooth and fluffy. If frosting feels loose, put the bowl in the fridge for a while.
Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread with chocolate filling, then pipe or spread a layer of frosting on top (make sure to save some frosting for piping the top of the cake). Don’t pipe or spread all the way out to the edge as the weight of the cake will make it spread.
Place the second layer on top of the first layer. Spread second layer with chocolate filling, then pipe or spread a layer of frosting on top. Put the third layer on top. Put the cake in the fridge to stabilize it while you prepare the dark chocolate glaze.

Dark chocolate glaze & decoration

Coarsely chop the dark chocolate and place it in a saucepan together with butter, over low heat. Stir often until everything is melted. Add a pinch of salt. Let cool to room temperature (but make sure it doesn’t thicken too much, it should still be liquid). Pour the glaze over the cake and quickly spread it over the edges of the cake to make it run down the sides.
Pipe some blobs of frosting on top of the cake and decorate with chocolate sprinkles.

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Gluten free chocolate chip cookies

August 26, 2016 By linda 15 Comments

I’ve been thinking about making these cookies for a couple of weeks now. I’m pretty bad at planning posts for my blog – I bake and shoot whenever inspiration hits me. But with these, I simply couldn’t get them out of my head.
I’m probably not presenting anything new or innovative with this recipe, but it is a pretty darn good cookie, and sometimes that is better and more delicious than anything (and did I say addictive too?). I adapted the recipe from my regular chocolate chip cookies, I just added a bit more butter. Oh, I added pecans too, because I had chopped pecans in my pantry and I wanted to use them for something.

If you haven’t baked with buckwheat before, you definitely should! It has a particular flavour, almost a little hazelnutty. As for the texture, they’re definitely just like the “real” deal. We ate them all in one go. Except one that I saved for the next day, you know, just to check the texture. I think I liked them even better the next day.

I also have some exciting news to share with you! If you look in the menu up here you can see “shop”. If you press that you will be redirected to my little shop where I sell vintage and second hand props, and some of my photos in print. So excited about this, and I hope you’ll like it too! You can check out the shop here too: http://printsandprops.se/

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
Makes 10-12 cookies

Ingredients
100 g (1 scant stick) salted butter
1 cup (150 g) buckwheat flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
3 tbsp (45 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp (65 g) light brown muscovado sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla powder or 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
100 g dark chocolate (70%) or chocolate chips, chopped
40 g chopped pecan nuts (can be omitted), chopped

Directions
1. Melt the butter and let it cool.
2. Mix buckwheat flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
3. Beat together sugars, vanilla, egg yolk and melted butter until smooth and slightly paler in color. Add the dry ingredients, chocolate and nuts and stir until combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 1 hour or overnight.
4. Heat oven to 175°C (350°F). Line a baking sheet with baking paper. Divide the dough into 10-12 pieces (I use 35-40 g per cookie) then place them on the baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10-13 minutes. Let cool completely.

Pear cardamom cake with brown butter frosting & chocolate glaze

November 17, 2015 By linda 52 Comments

Ok, so I’m officially in Christmas mode from now on. I took the plunge yesterday and started listening to Christmas music.. I felt kind of guilty for some reason. Lit candles, clementines and Christmas music is the best way to get myself into the spirit so that’s what I’ve been doing even though it’s still quite early (who am I kidding, bring on the Christmas tree already!).
And obviously, this cake which really is the best cake I’ve had in a while. It might not look like much but, oh, those flavors! Again with the cardamom, I know, but I just can’t help myself. And browned butter, pear and chocolate of course.

This weekend I was lucky enough to have my sweet friend Joann Pai visit me in my little town. We had a really great time together, shooting, talking, eating cake, pancakes, cinnamon buns, Indian food and whatnot. Funny thing is, I’m just so used to working alone that I get kind of nervous when someone is watching me work. I’m almost asking for permission to move things around, like “Ok, so I’m gonna put this here….?”. I’m glad we were able to get some shots of the cake since the weather wasn’t showing its’ best side that day. We were also glad to have this cake, obviously.

PEAR CARDAMOM CAKE
WITH BROWN BUTTER FROSTING & CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Serves 8-10
Cake recipe adapted from StylesweetCA

INGREDIENTS
CAKE
1 1/2 cups (225 g) all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup (225 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) corn oil or canola oil (I very much prefer corn oil)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup (75 ml) sour cream
1 cup grated pears, drained (about 2 unpeeled pears)

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING
2 sticks (225 g) unsalted butter
2/3 cup (90 g) powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of salt
3 tbsp heavy cream

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
3 tbsp heavy cream
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp (15 g) butter
1 tbsp cocoa powder
35 g semi sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp cognac (can be omitted and replaced with 1 tbsp heavy cream)

INSTRUCTIONS
CAKE
1.
Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour two 5-inch (12-13 cm) cake pans.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and sugar. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, whisk together oil, egg, egg yolk and sour cream.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until smooth. Add the grated pear.
5. Divide the batter between the cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes (if you’re using a 6-inch pan, start checking around 30 minutes) or until a cake tester comes out clean.
6. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing the cakes from the pans to cool completely.

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING
1. Place butter in a small saucepan on medium heat and stir until it melts completely.
2.
Continue cooking, stirring frequently until the milk solids turn brown
and the butter smells nutty, about 5-10 minuter longer. Take care not to
burn (it will continue to brown even after you remove it from the heat,
so take it off early).
3. Scrape the melted butter and browned
bits into a small bowl and chill until almost solidified but still soft
enough to be beaten with an electric mixer (about 20-30 minutes in the
freezer, an hour or so in the fridge).
4. Put the butter in a mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the powdered sugar, cardamom and salt and beat until completely smooth and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the cream until frosting is fluffy.

ASSEMBLY
1. If cakes are rounded on top, even out with a knife. Cut both cakes in half using a sharp serrated knife (you’ll end up with four layers). Put the first layer on a cake board or a cake stand.
Spread
frosting on the first layer. Add the next layer and repeat until you’ve
used up all four layers
2. Spread frosting all over the cake. If the cake feels unstable, put the cake in the fridge while you prepare the glaze.

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
1. Put cream, honey, butter and cocoa powder in a sauce pan. Heat until very hot but not boiling. Remove pan from heat and add the chopped chocolate. Stir until smooth. Add the cognac if using.
2. Let glaze cool. If you find that the glaze is too thick to pour when cool, reheat it very carefully – just make sure it’s not warm when you pour it over the cake.
3. Pour glaze over the cake and spread it out with an offset spatula to make sure it runs down the sides.
4. Leave cake in room temperature for 15 minutes before serving to make sure the buttercream isn’t hard.

At the table workshop in Dala-Floda and a triple chocolate cake

October 9, 2015 By linda 52 Comments

After what seemed like a long, long wait, it was finally time to host our very first At the table workshop. It’s been exactly one month since me, Made by Mary, Cashew Kitchen and Rania Maria met up on that sunny Friday in September at Dala-Floda värdshus. We immediately started preparing everything for our ten guests who were arriving in just a few short hours. I was filled with anticipation, but it was also pretty nerve-racking to say the least. I have never taught styling before and knew that it was going to be a challenge to put words on why, and how I do things without just stating the obvious “uhmm, because it looks good”. I knew that I had this chocolate cake up my sleeve though, to sway the guests just in case I would forget everything I was supposed to say (which is something I tend to do when I’m nervous). I didn’t get to see Maria’s styling session but I know she’s a natural teacher and really awesome at explaning her creative process. I did get to see Agnes’ session though and she was just fantastic.

I brought my favorite chocolate chip cookies for the guests styling session. It was so much fun to see them all at work, they were all so creative, talented and kind. I wish we had a couple more days to spend together!

I didn’t take a lot of photos this weekend, simply because there was no time with all the preparations. But I did get a few good ones. Rania filmed and photographed every move we made though so make sure to check that out!

Thanks to our amazing sponsors Broste Copenhagen (for the beautiful bowls and linen napkins for our guests, and bowls and plates for our welcome table below), Saltå Kvarn (for the delicious snacks and drinks for the guests welcome gift), Arla (for the delicious dairy products for our meals) & Wålstedts Gård (for the gorgeous biodynamic veggies)! This wouldn’t have been possible without you!

For more info on upcoming events, check out atthetable.se, and for more photos from this event, check out the photo gallery! Also, make sure to follow us on Facebook. Check the tag #atthetableworkshops on instagram to see all the photos from the event!

Organic milk from Arla.
Photo by Rania Maria

Organic juices from Saltå Kvarn.
Photo by Rania Maria

Bowls from Broste Copenhagen.
Photo by Rania Maria

Biodynamic veggies from Wålstedts Gård

TRIPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Makes one delicious 6-inch (15 cm) cake
Adapted from one of my own recipes, from my book Sweet food & photography

This cake is known as my favorite chocolate cake ever, the one I bring to almost all events and the cake that converts all the chocolate haters out there to chocolate lovers. Everyone who tries this frosting ask me exactly how I made it, and if it’s actually a mousse. Try it, it’s the best!

INGREDIENTS
CHOCOLATE CAKE
75 g butter (I use salted)
barely 1 1/2 cups (315 g) granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups (180 g) all purpose flour
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (60 g) cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup milk (175 ml), at room temperature
3/4 cup hot water (175 ml)

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
100 g milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
100 g dark chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped
2 3/4 sticks (about 300 g) softened butter (I use salted)
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (90 g) powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla powder

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
75 g dark chocolate (70%), coarsely chopped
3 tbsp (45 g) butter

TOPPING
Chopped/crushed maltesers

INSTRUCTIONS
CHOCOLATE CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter and flour two 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans.
2. Melt the butter and set aside.
3. Put sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add melted butter, milk and eggs and beat until just smooth.
4. Add the hot water and stir until smooth (batter will be very liquid, don’t worry, it’s supposed to be like that).
5. Divide the batter between the two cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes, checking doneness with a tootpick before removing from the oven.
6. Let cool in pans for 15 minutes, the invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
1. Melt all the chocolate in the microwave or in a double boiler. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Beat the butter until very pale and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla and beat for 1 minute.
3. Add the melted chocolate and beat for another 2 minutes or until very fluffy.

ASSEMBLY (check out my guide on how to fill and cover a cake here)
1. If cakes are rounded on top, even out with a knife. Cut both cake
layers in half using a sharp serrated knife (you’ll end up with four
thinner layers). Put the first layer on a cake board or a cake stand.
Spread buttercream on the first layer. Add the next layer and repeat
until you’ve used up all four layers
2. Spread a thin layer of buttercream all over the cake (this is the
crumb coating layer, to hold all the crumbs in place) using an offset
spatula. Put the cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until the
crumb coating layer has firmed up a bit (leave the bowl of frosting in
room temperature).
3. Spread the remaining buttercream all over the cake until cake is
smooth. For a totally even and smooth surface, dip an offset spatula in
warm water and dry it between every pass. Works like a charm!
4. Put the cake in the fridge while you make the chocolate glaze (this will make sure that the glaze will firm up quickly when you pour it over the cake, so don’t skip this step).

CHOCOLATE GLAZE
1. Place the chopped dark chocolate and butter in a saucepan and melt on low heat. Set aside until room temperature (but still liquid, not firm!).
2. Pour the glaze over the cake and quickly spread it over the edges of the cake to make it run down the sides.
3. If you have left over buttercream, pipe some blobs on top of the cake. Decorate with maltesers.

Brown butter chocolate chip cake with bourbon caramel frosting

July 30, 2015 By linda 75 Comments

The same thing happens every year, I forget my blog birthday. Poor Call me cupcake. So neglected. So last week was Call me cupcake’s 6th birthday. SIX YEARS of blogging. That’s a long time! And it’s still just as fun. Six years calls for cake.

To be honest I struggled to come up with something to bake, which is usually never a problem for me. Often I have too many ideas floating around in my head, but I’ve been lacking inspiration lately, and most of all I’ve been procrastinating everything. And I mean everything.
Anyway, I started thinking of brown butter. I really like brown butter. Why not bake something with it? Ok, I’ll bake something with it. That’s pretty much how it went down in my head. Because who can sit around and wait for inspiration? I know I can’t. I just have to make something and hope it turns out well. And it turned out really, really well I think.
So here’s to Call me cupcake and all you lovely people who have followed along on this journey, I hope we get to spend many more years together in this little space I decided to create six years ago.

BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
WITH BOURBON CARAMEL FROSTING

INGREDIENTS
BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
Recipe adapted from Raspberri cupcakes

Remember that the brown butter needs to be prepared ahead of time as it takes some time for it to solidify!

300 g unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups (360 g) all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup (240 ml) milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup (330 g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
150 g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (I used 75 g milk chocolate and 75 g dark chocolate)

BOURBON CARAMEL
2/3 cup (150 ml) heavy cream
1 cup (225 g) granulated sugar
1 scant stick (100 g) cold butter, in cubes
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes
2 tbsp bourbon (can be omitted)

BOURBON CARAMEL FROSTING
4 large egg whites (approximately 150 g)
3/4 cups + 1 1/2 tbsp (180 g) granulated sugar
2 sticks + 2 tbsp (250 g) butter, at roomtemperature, cut in cubes
1/2 cup bourbon caramel (recipe above)

TOPPING
Apricots
Peaches
Cherries

INSTRUCTIONS
BROWN BUTTER
1. Place butter in a small saucepan on medium heat and stir until it melts completely.
2. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until the milk solids turn brown and the butter smells nutty, about 5-10 minuter longer. Take care not to burn (it will continue to brown even after you remove it from the heat, so take it off early).
3. Scrape the melted butter and browned bits into a small bowl and chill until almost solidified but still soft enough to be beaten with an electric mixer (about 20-30 minutes in the freezer, an hour or so in the fridge).

BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
1. Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour three 15 cm (6 inch) cake pans.
2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside. Mix milk and vanilla in a measuring jug, set aside.
3. Beat browned butter and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy, about 5 minutes.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Alternately add flour mix and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until smooth. Add the chocolate chips and stir until blended.
6. Pour equal amounts of mixture into prepared tins and bake until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean and the outside is golden, about 34-37 minutes. Make sure not to over bake (or the cake will be very dry) so start checking after 30 minutes.
7. Let the cakes cool in the tins for 15 minutes, then carefully turn them out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

BOURBON CARAMEL
1. Gently heat the cream in a small saucepan. Set aside.
2. Put the sugar in another saucepan and heat on medium high until the sugar starts melting around the edges. Carefully swirl the sugar with a heatproof spoon until all the sugar has melted. If you’re using a baking thermometer, the sugar should be about 338°F (170°C).
3. Add the butter, piece by piece, and stir until melted. Carefully add the warm cream (it will bubble up!) little by little and stir until smooth.
4. Pour caramel into a jar and let cool 10 minutes before adding salt and bourbon. Leave the caramel to cool to room temperature while you make the frosting.

BOURBON CARAMEL FROSTING
1. Pour egg whites and sugar in a clean and heatproof bowl (preferably stainless steel or glass). Put the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. The bowl should fit snugly, and the water should not be touching the bowl.
2. Whisk the sugar and eggs with a whisk constantly until the mixture reaches about 65°C (about 140-150°F). If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, just rub some mixture between your fingers. If the sugar has melted and mixture is hot to the touch, it’s ready.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat, beat until white, fluffy and cool with a stand- or electric mixer. This step can take about 5-10 minutes.
4. When the bowl feels cool to the touch, start adding the butter, piece by piece. Don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled and soupy just keep beating until smooth! Add the caramel and beat until completely smooth.

ASSEMBLY
1. If cakes are rounded on top, even out with a knife. Cut all three cake layers in half using a sharp serrated knife (you’ll end up with six thinner layers). Put the first layer on a cake board or a cake stand. Drizzle a couple of teaspoons of caramel on top of the layer. Spread frosting on the first layer. Add the next layer and repeat until you’ve used up all six layers
2. Spread a thin layer of frosting all over the cake (this is the crumb coating layer, to hold all the crumbs in place) using an offset spatula. Put the cake in the fridge for about 10 minutes or until the crumb coating layer has firmed up a bit (leave the bowl of frosting in room temperature).
3. Spread the remaining frosting all over the cake until cake is smooth. For a totally even and smooth surface, dip an offset spatula in warm water and dry it between every pass. Works like a charm!
4. Decorate the cake with halved apricots and slices of peach, cherries and pour some extra caramel over the cake (just make sure it’s cold enough or the buttercream will melt). Serve each cake slice with extra peach slices (this cake is absolute heaven paired with peach!) and caramel sauce.

Spara