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Saturday, 12 May 2018

DAPHNE'S CHOCOLATE YOGHURT CAKE

Good Morning to you,


Do you feel the year is galloping by? No sooner do I blink and it seems the month has gone, with the month of May being no exception.  Not that it has finished, as it has barely started.... or so I thought. 

You see the month of May has really thrown me into a tizz, because I seem to have lost track of the days. On Sunday I had it in my mind that it was the beginning of May.  I have no idea why, it just was.

I was waiting for my nephew to collect me to go to a family bar-b-que.  I had finished packing pasta salad, 3 bean salad and a plum tart into my basket and I was covering each item with an ice block.... please don't ask me why I wasn't using our ice box.... that is a whole other story, so a basket had to do.

Just as I put the last ice block into the basket, the phone rang and it was my niece, Rue, who, after a little chat, mentioned the reason she was ringing, was to ask, if I had the time to make her mum a chocolate cake for her birthday. Which of course I was pleased to do.   Whilst talking to Rue, I was thinking that I had plenty of time to make the cake as it was not needed until a week Thursday.  Just as I was talking to Rue, my mobile rang, so I ask Rue if she would mind holding on, because I knew it was Gloria ringing.  Gloria mentioned that her son was running late and would be with me in 10 minutes, I thanked her, said I was looking forward to seeing her and put the phone down.  I then had a quick chat to Rue and said I would see her a week Thursday and I never gave it another thought.

Of course George was not privy to this conversation because he was already at Gloria's, helping with the bar-b-que and I had forgotten to mention that Rue had rung.  If he had heard the conversation I feel sure he would have said something earlier.

Anyway, Thursday arrived and I was getting myself ready to go to my new craft group. I said goodbye to George, saying I would see him later in the afternoon.

George said, 'Before you go, I just wondered, did you remember to buy a birthday card for my sister, as we can pop over, to wish her a happy birthday, when you get back.'

To which I replied,'Oh yes, I've bought the birthday card, but I think you have got the date wrong, as it isn't her birthday until next week.'

George gave me a strange look and said, 

'It's not next week, I think you will find, it's today.'

I said, 

'Of course it's not today, it's only the beginning of May'. 

George replied, 

'I think you've got yourself in a bit of a muddle, as today's date is the 10th, check the barometer if you don't believe me.'

I checked and the date read, the 10th, but I wasn't having it, I thought maybe the battery had made the clock run too fast.  So I decided to check my trusty paper calendar.... and there it was, the date was certainly the 10th May, to which I howled, yes honestly, I think it is fair to say, I howled, 

'Oh no, I promised to make a birthday cake for today.'

George asked, 'What birthday cake, I don't remember you mentioning that you would make a cake.'

I replied, 'No you wouldn't know, because you weren't here on Sunday, when Rue rang to ask me to bake a cake... and now I feel awful, because I have mixed up my dates.'

George said, 'I don't know what your getting upset about, why don't you just buy a chocolate cake from the bakery.'

.... and it was as if he had blasphemed.... buy a chocolate cake from the bakery. How could he even suggest such a thing, when I had promised to make one.... I know, I was a tad dramatic.

I said, 'Anyway, I couldn't buy a cake, even if I wanted to, because I have bought all the ingredients, ready to make the chocolate cake.' 

I am smiling to myself, because on reflection, that really doesn't make sense, but my mind tends to fixate on the strangest things when I become stressed.

'Yes, but there is nothing that won't keep'. George continued,  'Seriously, you have arranged to go to your craft group, so there is no time to bake a cake. Make it easy on yourself,  pop to the bakery and buy a cake. I would go but I will probably choose the wrong sort of cake.'

I remained in a 'fizz' for a while, but George gently 'stroked my feathers' and I calmed down. Of course I could see the sense in buying a cake, so I decided I just had to get over myself and not feel I had let my sister-in-law down, by not making the cake myself.

So I went to the bakery and I bought a lovely chocolate cake and we delivered it to my sister in law later in the afternoon.... and guess what, she was over the moon with her surprise.  I apologised to Rue, and she laughed and said she didn't know why I was so upset, to which I replied, that I felt awful because I had promised to bake her mum a cake.

When George relayed the story to the rest of the family, he of course, embellished it quite a bit, which made everyone roll around laughing, saying I was silly to get myself in such a tizz.

.... and of course they were absolutely right.... but it's just the way I am.

So today, on 12th May 2018, we are making the Chocolate Yoghurt Cake, which should have been made for 10th May 2018.


Which secretly pleases George no end, as this cake is an added extra, as I was not going to bake a cake this weekend. 

So it's on with the pinnie and I know I've not chosen any music for a while, but today, is an exception. I have chosen this  video for George, for being so nice.


Neil Young singing Harvest Moon.... are you swaying yet.... I am.... I love, love, love this song.

I really must stop  listening to Neil and organise my ingredients.


INGREDIENTS
YOU WILL NEED
TO
MAKE 
DAPHNE'S CHOCOLATE YOGHURT CAKE


100g plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
175g unsalted butter ~ room temperature
200g dark Muscavado sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
3 large eggs ~ beaten
150ml Greek yoghurt
150g self raising flower ~sifted


TO DECORATE


1 tablespoon cocoa powder 
Chocolate stars


YOGHURT, BUTTER FROSTING


100g plain chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
50g unsalted butter
350g icing sugar ~ sifted
6 level tablespoons Greek yoghurt

YOU WILL NEED


23cm loose bottom cake tin
baking parchment
Small saucepan 
Pyrex dish to fit the saucepan


HOW TO MAKE
DAPHNE'S 
CHOCOLATE YOGHURT CAKE


Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan

Butter the cake tin and line with baking parchment

Boil a kettle of water and pour into the saucepan until quarter full.  Place on the heat.

Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in the Pyrex bowl. Place the bowl over the saucepan and allow the chocolate to slowly melt.
Set aside.

Place the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and whisk until light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla essence, then gradually add the beaten eggs.  Continue whisking the mixture.  If you find it is beginning to curdle, add a tablespoon of flour to the mixture.

Pour the melted chocolate into the bowl and the yoghurt and continue to whisk until both have been fully incorporated.

Using a metal spoon, gently fold the sifted flour into the mixture.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is thoroughly cooked.




Leave the cake to cool for 10 minutes then run a palette knife around the edge of the cake to make sure the edge is released.  Leave the cake in the cake tin until it is cooled.

When cooled.  Take a second cooling tray and 




turn the cake upside down, so that the top becomes the bottom and the bottom becomes the top. This gives a nice flat surface to decorate.


HOW TO MAKE THE 
CHOCOLATE, YOGHURT FROSTING


Using a low heat, melt the butter and chocolate in saucepan.

Pour the butter and chocolate mixture into a bowl.

Add the icing sugar and the yoghurt and whisk until smooth. 




Continue whisking until the frosting cools. At this point you will also see it thickening.




Spread the frosting over the top of the cake and if you like you can spread the topping down the side of the cake.


Sprinkle with sifted cocoa and decorated with chocolate stars.


Then all there is left to do,


is,




cut a slice and enjoy.




As you can see, this cake has a lovely, moist texture. It looks as if the cake has sunk in the photograph, but as you could see, when I turned the cake upside down, the surface was flat.  The frosting has decided to run down the centre of the cake.


If you do not fancy yoghurt in your frosting, just make your usual frosting.  I however, love the flavour of this chocolate frosting, as the yoghurt stops the frosting from being too sweet.


Whether you make this Chocolate Yoghurt cake on a Thursday or Friday.... I feel sure you will thoroughly enjoy it.

Until next Saturday, take good care of yourself.

As Always,















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Dear Friends,

It is so wonderful to know you enjoy reading Ivy, Phyllis and Me! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment. I really do appreciate it.

Best wishes to you.

Daphne

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