Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Hot Chocolate Cake

For the people who are from America or Asia (let me call them "we" :) :)) when we order a cup of hot chocolate at cafe or restaurant in Barcelona, we can't get what we want.

For us hot chocolate is chocolate milk being heat up, how hard to understand? No? Yes...

In Barcelona, they give us a cup (regular coffee cup) of melted chocolate (think of fondue, or ganach...). People usually would order a pastry as well: dip it in the melted chocolate, the chocolate keeps dripping when the pastry is being sent to the mouths. Very messy, but very sinful, very delicious.

But we still want our cup of "hot chocolate (milk)"... just like what we use to have in America, or in Asia, particularly during the winter time.

I tried using other names when I ordered it.

Like, 'chocolate caliente (hot)', and emphasized 'chocolate con (with) leche (milk)'. The waiter gladly said 'si (yes)', then gladly sent me their type of hot chocolate. Why?!!! (because the chocolate they melted in not from dark chocolate but milk chocolate, they are right again!)

Sort of a silent protest. I ordered their type of hot chocolate, plus one more cup of hot milk, then mixed them together (but they couldn't combine...), just wanted to show how weird I was, or how inadequate their menu was. May be that would make them feel interested, and ask me what I really want? Nope. waiters here are very professional, they faithfully do my order...

Don't get me wrong. I never feel upset, or frustrated. Do you know how happy I was when I finally found out how to order our hot chocolate? Life is full of surprises while venturing a new living, new custom, new language and new cooking.

By the way, the chocolate used in this cake simply is our type... chocolate milk, being heat up :)

To make this cake as-always, combining dry ingredients with wet ingredients. One thing is really surprising... although I came across this (old) technique some years ago, until today I still feel excited while doing it... the wet ingredients include a cup of boiling liquid. The cake will be slightly taller, and lighter.

I would like to thank the author of the following recipe, however, I got it off from internet sometimes ago and now cannot find out his/her name. The original recipe uses boiling water, I replace it with boiling chocolate milk, just to make the cake more rich, it is already good enough for me even without frosting.

Hot Chocolate Cake

(note: thanks for Helen telling me the source of this recipe. It is from Hershey's)

Ingredients: (yield 13" x 9" cake)

  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • a good pinch of salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup skim milk
  • 2 tsps vanilla essence
  • 1 cup of chocolate milk
  • 2 cups of sugar

How-to

  • Pre-heat the oven to 350
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In another bowl, whisk the eggs, the skim milk, vanilla and the oil until cooperated.
  • Bring the chocolate milk and sugar to boil, keep simmering when you're doing the following steps.
  • First to combine the flour mixture with the egg mixture, then pour the boiling chocolate milk in, (you have to do the next very quick), use a mixing spoon or a sturdy whisk to blend everything. Immediately pour the batter into a baking pan, send it to oven right away.
  • Bake it about 35 minutes. Check the doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake, when it comes out (almost) clean, the cake is done.

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20 comments:

Rosa's Yummy Yums said...

That cake looks incredibly moist and delicious! I love the pics!

Cheers,

Rosa

Corynne Escalante said...

Wait! You never told us how to order our kind of hot chocolate! :-) i was really pulled in there to see how you resolved the situation and then... suspense!

Patricia Scarpin said...

Gattina, my dear, this is too much - I'm about to drool over the keyboard... :)

For us here in Brazil hot chocolate is made with both chocolate bar and chocolate powder... It is a mess to order, too. :D

Meeta K. Wolff said...

gattina i would take the melted chocolate over "our" hot chocolate any day! I love the sound of this cake- looks moist and waiting for me to bite into!

Anonymous said...

It you are still in Barcelona, try ordering " leche chocolatada" . That should work.
But you have to admit that your "hot chocolate" as a great discovery.

Anonymous said...

I was trying to type: But you have to admit that your "hot chocolate" was a great discovery.


Sorry

FH said...

WOW!! That's so new and creative of you!! My kids love hot chocolate, this would so great to bake for them. Thanks! :))

Anonymous said...

Delicious! But how do you order "our" kind of hot chocolate milk?

pigpigscorner said...

Looks really delicious! I love melted choc with churros! So delicious! hmm...maybe try Colacao? That's what they gave me in south of Spain when I ordered hot chocolate.

Anonymous said...

I love those tall, thin slices. Very elegant!

redmenace said...

This looks simply amazing!

Chefspiration said...

Welcome back! I've been missing your beautiful posts :)

Food For Tots said...

Nice to see you again! Missing all your mouth-watering recipes & excellent shots! Gong Xi Fat Chai & Happy Niu Year to you and your family!

Anonymous said...

Gattina,
I made the same chocolate cake (last night, in fact), and I see you are using the same recipe. I got the recipe from the back of the Hershey's cocoa powder box. Instead of hot chocolate, they suggested hot water. Different times I've made it with hot coffee, hot water, and hot earl grey tea. The outcome is the same. I'll try your idea of hot chocolate next.

Gattina Cheung said...

Rosa, thank you sweetheart :*

Corynne, :) :) please see the next post, thanks.

Patricia, oh really? I think it is quite fun to have discussion with the barman on the different names :)

Meeta, oh you!!! Just listening to you I feel I am in paradise!

Pia, sure I will try, thank you!

Asha my dear, this recipe is pretty good, hope you will like it as well.

Lydia, hehe... please see the next post.

pigpigcorner, thanks for letting me know. Here too, with (but very similar) name.

anna, thanks for the lovely compliment.

redmenace, thank you!

Food for Tots, kung-hai-fat-choy to you too! Hey, I am so envious of you, able to see Susie Wong's show... love her!

Gattina Cheung said...

helen, thnak you so much for the advise. and I have already updated the recipe.

ChichaJo said...

That looks fantastic! I've also used that method (with the boiling water and really loved the results!

Over here (Philippines) we have both types of hot chocolate...because the Spanish were once here too!

Food For Tots said...

Hahaha! I have found a Susie Wong's fan here! U can also watch her shows at Youtube & v.Youku.com. ;)

Anonymous said...

that's one sinfully looking cake! i like my hot chocolate not too sweet, but then again i seldom one in a store :)

Anonymous said...

As someone said before, the ususal term in Spain for hot chocolate is "ColaCao" or "Leche con Colacao",is a well spread product that many people have for breakfast instead of coffe.The only difference is that you have to stir it in, they usually serve the hot milk and the powdered chocolate in a small package.

The thing about "Cacaolat" is that first of all it is not available in the rest of Spain, you would have to ask for a "batido de chocolate", and secondly I am pretty sure that both Cacaolat or any other "batido de chocolate" are suposed to be a cold drink,at least where I live, it is a bit odd to ask the waiter to warm it. On the other hand you can always ask for a Colacao with cold milk (Colacao con leche fría).

So if you ask for a Colacao, anywhere in Spain, you can be a 100% sure you will get your hot milk, since it is widely available in any "bar" that serves coffee.

I hope I made myself clear!