Cooking with Susie Q

14 years ago

Well, I am ready for spring. I’m ready to sit on my porch with my morning coffee on Saturday mornings and watch the cars go by. I can’t do that now, there is too much snow in my chair right now.
    I have a new chocolate cake recipe. We tried this this weekend and it has become one of my most favorite. Can you say Chocolate Truffle Cake? Yummy. I also got a new recipe for muffins from Jackie. She made these, brought them into work and shared the recipe. Excellent. Jackie made these this week using blueberries, but says she uses whatever berry she has on hand and it is her favorite. Thanks, Jackie, I can see why this recipe is one of your favorites!

Chocolate Truffle Cake
2-1/2 cups 2 percent milk
1 cup butter, cubed
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Ganache
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

    Directions: In a large saucepan, cook the milk, butter and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla; stir in chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into the mixture (batter will be thin). Transfer to three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For filling, in a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in confectioners’ sugar and cream until smooth. Set aside 1/2 cup filling for garnish.
For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches a spreading consistency.
Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the remaining filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Decorate with reserved filling. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 16 servings.

Berry Muffins
1 3/ 4 cup flour
2 1/ 2 tsp baking powder
1 cup sugar
1 1/ 2 tsp cinnamon
1/ 4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/ 4 cup butter- melted
1 egg- beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup berries

  Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, combine milk, egg, vanilla, butter and blueberries. Stir mixtures together just until combined; batter will be very thick. Scoop into prepared muffin cups-filling 3 /4 full.
Have a great week and enjoy your family. Keep writing, and we’ll talk more next time. Please contact me at susieqcooking@ainop.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.