Latest news with #chocolatecake
The Guardian
07-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
Heated treats: eight warm winter dessert recipes
(Pictured above) Cheap, easy and energy efficient, microwave baking has its upsides, the food writer Meera Sodha says. This salty-sweet chocolate mug cake is elevated into a rich and indulgent dessert with the addition of white miso paste. Be careful not to overcook it, lest it end up dry and rubbery. Sodha uses a plant-based cream on top, and it's just as delicious with vegan ice-cream. These caramelised bananas hit that sweet spot when you're craving a little treat but don't want to bake a whole cake. Grilled bananas are 'low effort, high-reward', Benjamina Ebuehi says, and with just three minutes on a pan, they are transformed into a crunchy, buttery delight. The classic combination of nuts and bananas makes this a simple, satisfying dessert. Bake these for the smell alone. Julia Busuttil Nishimura's buns are made with ground cardamon in the dough and cinnamon in the filling, making this a spicy delight. It's a recipe that requires a morning or afternoon, but it is a fun activity the whole family can get involved in. Ensure your heater is on to allow the dough to properly rise. Overripe fruit gets a second life in this quick-to-prepare dessert. Peaches (or any fruit that is looking too soft in your fruit bowl) can be transformed with a slather of honey and cinnamon and roasted in the oven for half an hour. What emerges is a golden, warm base that is then topped with coconut cream, crumbled gingernut biscuits and cinnamon. It's a light, tropical twist on a winter dessert, in a hopeful reminder of warmer days to come. There are many dishes that are hard to master, but thankfully Felicity Cloake's rhubarb crumble is not one of them. 'Perfection here is not difficult,' she writes. In her version, the sourness of the rhubarb is complemented by the buttery nutty crumble as it gets nice and jammy. This is a flexible recipe, she says, so any fruit can be subbed for the rhubarb. But as Cloake notes, make sure to adjust the sugar according to the sweetness of the fruit. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion According to Lara Lee's brownie connoisseur husband, these are the best brownies ever. The tamarind paste is heated with golden syrup, sugar, butter and cream and, as Lee says, it creates a distinctive 'sweetly sour profile that offsets the richness of the caramel'. In her recipe, gooey rivers of caramel lace the surface of the brownie, making every square delicious. No more fights over who gets the corner, middle or edge. Straddling the line between breakfast and dessert, Benjamina Ebuehi's galettes tick all the boxes for winter: they're warm, gooey and decadent. You'll need to set aside about three hours for the prep and cooking, but it's a perfect weekend-morning treat. The toffee-like filling combines honey, almonds, cream, sugar and butter. It's best served warm with a side of cold cream. A set and forget it pudding, Ravneet Gill's cherry bakewell pudding is a crowd-pleaser with minimal effort. The recipe has just four steps, so the hardest part is waiting for it to finish baking. The tanginess of the cherries and creaminess of the custard reminds Gill of the simple pleasure the dessert brought her in her first days of motherhood. She hopes it brings you the same comfort.
Washington Post
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
The latest signature dish in ‘The Bear'? Hamburger Helper with a twist.
Gorgeous food — silky braised short ribs and tender ravioli and flawless chocolate cake — has been a mainstay of 'The Bear,' the TV dramedy centered on the doings of the chef and staff of a fine-dining restaurant in Chicago. But in the FX show's fourth season, released last week, the food itself is relegated to a bit player. Of course there are pastas and pastries being prepared on-screen, but the dishes themselves don't seem to matter much compared with past seasons.
Times
17-06-2025
- General
- Times
5 simple sweet treats: cake and dessert recipes from Italy
The Italians, as a nation, have a very sweet tooth. This passion is said to have been inspired by the seafaring Venetians, who were among the first in Europe to trade in sugar. Married with their love of celebrating, this fondness for all things sweet means that cakes, pastries and biscuits are intuitively associated with birthdays, christenings, weddings, saints' days and religious festivals. But it goes even further: Italians love sugar so much that they often indulge on a daily basis — a small pastry with their coffee for breakfast, perhaps, or a slice of something delicious in the afternoon. Here are five of my favourites. Chocolate sin cake Serves 10 I first encountered this cake in Sicily and since then it has become a regular feature in my repertoire. The combination of chocolate and coffee — along with its squidginess — make this irresistible. Ingredients • 250g dark chocolate • 2 tsp vanilla extract • 1 tsp sea salt • 1½ tbsp cold Italian espresso coffee • 6 large eggs • 200g soft brown sugar • Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting • Poached fruit and crème fraîche, to serve (optional) Method 1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas 4. Grease the base and sides of a 25cm cake tin, then either flour the tin or line with baking parchment. 2. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water — making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Add the vanilla and salt to the chocolate, then the coffee, mix and leave to cool. 3. Whisk together the eggs and sugar for 8 minutes until thick and creamy, using either a handheld or stand mixer. Add the chocolate mixture to the eggs and sugar and combine on a low speed. 4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin and bake for 30 minutes, then leave it to cool in the tin. Remove from the tin, dust with cocoa powder and enjoy with poached fruit and crème fraîche, if liked — it is ridiculously good. CLARE WINFIELD Blood orange and almond cake Serves 8-12 A gluten-free cake that hits the spot. The blood orange season is short, but normal oranges also give fantastic results. Ingredients • 280g unsalted butter • 225g caster sugar • 6 large eggs, separated • 175g ground almonds • 175g coarse polenta • Zest and juice of 4 blood oranges • Blood orange slices and chopped almonds, to decorate (optional) Method 1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the base and sides of a 25cm loose-bottomed round cake tin with baking parchment. 2. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and thickened. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the ground almonds, polenta, orange zest and juice and mix well. 3. In a clean separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Using a metal spoon, carefully fold the whites into the mixture. 4. Pour into the prepared cake tin and bake for about 50 minutes until golden and firm to the touch. Leave on a wire rack to cool completely in the tin. 5. Before serving, decorate the cake with blood orange slices and chopped almonds, if liked. CLARE WINFIELD Fig, amaretti and ricotta tart Serves 8-10 When the figs are ripe and succulent, this tart demands to be made. Full of classic Venetian tastes and textures, a small slice with an espresso is enough to lift your day. Ingredients • 130g unsalted butter • 250g amaretti biscuits • 175g full-fat soft cheese • 500g ricotta • 100g caster sugar • 1 tbsp vanilla extract • Grated zest of 1 lemon • 2 tbsp amaretto liqueur • 12 ripe figs, trimmed and sliced • 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds (optional) Method 1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan/gas 4. Lightly grease the base and sides of a deep 23cm loose-bottomed tart tin. 2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Blitz the amaretti in a food processor, then add to the pan with the butter and mix well. Tip the mixture into the base of the prepared tin, then press down with the back of the spoon to evenly distribute the crumbs and cover the base and sides. Bake the tart base for about 10 minutes. Leave to cool. 3. Mix together the soft cheese, ricotta, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and amaretto liqueur. Spoon the mixture evenly over the tart base. Chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours, then top with the sliced figs in a circular pattern. Scatter over the fennel seeds to finish, if liked. Note You may like to top the tart with a fig leaf syrup, as I have done here. To make the syrup, combine 1 litre water, 3 fig leaves and 150g caster sugar, then boil together until thick and syrupy. Drizzle over the tart to finish. CLARE WINFIELD Peach and pistachio slice Makes 14 slices A strong recipe for a novice baker, as the method is simple and easy to master. Milk provides a tender crumb for all cakes, and this is no exception. Adding pistachios makes this a bright, colourful, cheerful cake to enjoy in the Italian peach season. Ingredients • 185g Italian 00 flour • 170g caster sugar, plus 2 tbsp extra for sprinkling • 1 tsp baking powder • Pinch of salt • 50g pistachios, chopped, plus extra to decorate • 3 large eggs • 60ml milk • 2 tsp vanilla extract • Grated zest of 1 lemon • 180g butter, softened • 2 ripe peaches, each stoned/pitted and cut into 6 pieces Method 1. Preheat the oven to 140C fan/gas 3. Grease the base and sides of a 20cm x 30cm baking tin. 2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, add the sugar, baking powder, salt and pistachios and make a well in the centre. 3. Put the eggs, milk, vanilla and lemon zest in another bowl and mix to combine. Pour the egg mixture into the well in the dry ingredients, add the butter and beat for 2 minutes until smooth. 4. Spread the mixture evenly into the baking tin. Push the peach pieces into the cake mixture in two rows of six. Bake for 20 minutes. 5. Sprinkle over the extra sugar and cook for another 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Decorate with pistachios and cut the cake into fingers to serve. CLARE WINFIELD Classic tiramisu Serves 10-12 Literally translated, this means 'pick me up' as the sugar and alcohol lift the spirits. Make in a large serving dish or in individual portions: it looks impressive when presented in small tumblers. • 6 large eggs, separated • 100g caster sugar • 200ml double cream • 250g mascarpone • 200ml freshly brewed espresso coffee • 100ml marsala • 24 Savoiardi biscuits or sponge fingers • Cocoa powder, for dusting Method 1. In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric whisk. Using the same whisk but in another bowl, whip the cream to firm peaks, then add the mascarpone and briefly whisk again to combine. Now use a hand whisk to mix this into the egg yolk mixture until just combined. 2. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks, then — using a metal spoon or a whisk – mix into the cream mixture, incorporating as much air as possible. 3. Pour the espresso and marsala into a large bowl ready for dipping the biscuits. 4. Use 10-12 individual glasses or a 25cm serving dish to assemble the tiramisu. Cover the base of your glasses or dish with a 2cm layer of the cream, then a layer of the biscuits that have been dipped quickly into the espresso mixture. You have to do the soaking and layering as you go or they will become soggy — and traditionally Italians do not like soggy biscuits. 5. Continue to build the layers of cream and biscuits, ending with a layer of cream. Chill in the fridge, ideally for 6-24 hours. Dust with cocoa powder to serve.
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Supermarket launches 24-layer ‘Matilda' chocolate cake inspired by Bruce Bogtrotter
One of the biggest food trends of late has been the Dubai chocolate bar, which pays homage to the traditional Knafeh dessert. But we've spotted another craze within the foodie scene: childhood nostalgia. Case in point: Tesco is now selling a new 'Matilda' chocolate cake inspired by the classic Nineties movie. Yes, that scene of Bruce Bogtrotter devouring a gigantic cake at the cruel bidding of Miss Trunchbull. It's a scene that has lived rent-free in many of our minds ever since – and now, you've got a chance to recreate it for yourself. The sweet treat comes from Lancashire-based family-owned Studio Bakery. With 12 layers of chocolate sponge and 12 layers of chocolate ganache, it nods to the 24-layered cake in the movie. Though still a chunky slab, it's smaller in size and serves 10 people. It's gone viral on TikTok with some praising its taste but others criticising its high price. You'll have to see for yourself whether it's worth the splurge. Here's everything you need to know about the cake stocked at Tesco. The chocolate cake is the brainchild of a Lancashire family-run bakery Studio Bakery, which is much-loved for its innovative takes on sweet goods. It's been so popular that it's sold out on the bakery's website, so you'll want to act fast if you want to try it. The 12 layers of sponge are made using dark chocolate and are sandwiched between layers of chocolate ganache – and it sounds like the afternoon sweet treat. It serves 10, but we're not to judge if you indulge like Bruce Bogtrotter.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Major supermarket launches dupe of viral Matilda chocolate cake for £4 less
A MAJOR UK supermarket has launched a dupe version of the viral Matilda chocolate cake for £4 less. Tesco has unveiled its own version of Get Baked's famous "Bertha" chocolate slice for £16. 2 And the dessert comes in £4 cheaper than the Leeds -based company's £20 original slice. The Bertha cake, formerly known as Bruce and now with a tweaked recipe, has taken social media by storm since its launch. Instagram and TikTok videos of people trying the cake have notched up millions of likes. Now, Tesco shoppers can't get enough of the supermarket's own version, which launched this week. Instagram account newfoodspotteruk posted about the new £16 cake, with shoppers quick to comment. Some can't wait to give the supermarket's dupe a try, with one posting: "Running to Tesco for these." Another added: "This is actually the most exciting new food post I've ever seen oh my god." A third chipped in: "Get in I can't wait to get it." But not everyone is convinced by the new arrival, with one posting: "Get Baked UK does it better. Bertha supremacy." Meanwhile, another posted: "Pass, I'll stick to the original Bertha thanks." SAVE HUNDREDS AT TESCO Tesco said the Bertha chocolate cake dupe comes with 10 servings each containing 375 calories. It is available across 480 stores in the UK while shoppers can order it online too. The cake is a permanent addition. The cake is made up of 24 layers and made by Studio Bakery. OTHER TESCO NEWS Tesco recently sparked shopper fury after axing a dinner staple from shelves. The supermarket has discontinued eight packs of own-brand beef sausages. Customers were left equally miffed after finding out Southern Fried chicken flavour noodles were axed. Confused eaters took to social media to find out where the popular snack had gone. Writing in a Reddit thread one shopper said: "These are my go to quick food and my local Tesco has none on the shelf and they've disappeared off of the website too. "I'll be gutted if they've discontinued them." Another fan replied: "Probably, if you liked them, these stores always stop what people like." Meanwhile, Tesco customers have been taking to social media to reveal how they're getting free items by checking receipts. How to save money at Tesco EVERY little helps when it comes to saving money at Tesco. The Sun's Head of Consumer Tara Evans explains how you can save money at the UK's biggest supermarket. Clubcard points Tesco first launched it's loyalty scheme back in 1995. You get one point for every £1 you spend in store. If you spend points in store then 100 points is worth £1. You can spend your points via its reward partners and get triple and even sometimes quadruple the value. Extend Clubcard points You can find lost Clubvcard points and find the last two years of unused vouchers by logging into the Tesco Clubcard site. Clubcard prices If you don't have a Clubcard then you will miss out on its cheaper Clubcard prices. However, don't forget to check prices before you shop because it might not be cheaper than elsewhere, especially on big value items like washing powder and loo roll. Yellow stickers Shops do vary the time they reduce groceries with yellow stickers but Tesco tends to be between 7pm and 9pm. Save money if you shop online If you get your Tesco food shop delivered then it might be worth buying a delivery saver pass to help cut the cost of delivery fees. If you live near a Tesco then you can get click and collect slots of as little as 25p, so it might be cheaper than getting your food delivered.
