Sunday 29 April 2012

Sherlock Holmes and the Hidden Blueberry Chocolate Cake

 

Finding blueberries for this wonderful, moist, dark chocolate cake proved tricky. In fact, I distinctly remember buying at least three boxes of fresh blueberries over the past month. So where did they go and how did I get them into the cake? 

Apologies to anyone who follows me on Twitter; you will know the idea has been with me for awhile. I thought that dark blueberries would look 'hidden' against a dark chocolate sponge not that they would hide from me.

It took all of my detective skills to locate two and then the third box of missing blueberries, eventually. Not quite Sherlock Holmes material but you'd like to know where they were? I had been looking in fridges, freezers, bags, accused children, stores but it wasn't until I went back to the car and had to flip one of the seats up that I found them....a month later.....

Voilà under the seats, hooked in the mechanism that flips the seat up (Citroen C8 MPV). In my defence, I have six seats in there at the moment so they weren't visible until you did this. Unfortunately, not blue blueberries anymore just very, very white and furry! So, feeling that this was a good place to keep looking, I found the third box of blueberries in the passenger door compartment that I had put there to keep safe, these too were a bit too shrivelled after a week. No excuses for that one really.... 

But I was determined to make this cake, I love cherries and dark chocolate in Black Forest Gateau, I love apricot and dark chocolate in Sachertorte so my fourth fresh box of blueberries in you go! This cake did not disappoint. The blueberries weren't that hidden in the end but they looked great bursting into bright, fruity dots all over the cake. It looked like it would make a good tray bake as well but I decided to bake this one for a dessert cake. I carried on decorating with two easy fresh cream and conserve layers then, a cream and chocolate finish. Serve with pouring cream.

Cake :
225g (8oz) Butter
225g (8oz) Golden caster sugar 
1 tbsp Golden Syrup or Corn Syrup
4 Large eggs
200g (7oz) Self raising flour
60g (2 oz) Dark Cocoa powder (Green and Blacks)
125 ml ( ½ cup ) yogurt

100g Dark Chocolate Chips 

115g (4 oz) Blueberries plus 1 


Decoration and Filling
600 ml ( 1 pint ) Double (Heavy) Cream
20g Dark Chocolate Grated
2 tbsp Blueberry Conserve

Method:

Preheat oven 160c/140c Fan/325F/Gas Mark 3.
Grease and line a cake tin ( I used oblong tin size 30cm x 23cm). 

Cream the sugar and butter together. Mix in the golden syrup. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Sift the cocoa powder with flour. Fold in the flour and cocoa. 
Add yogurt to the mix . Stir in the chocolate chips. Toss the blueberries in flour and stir gently into the mix. Put into a lined tin.
Place in the centre of the oven. Check after 20 minutes. Cook until gently risen and a skewer comes cleanly out.  Allow to cool.   Cake needs to be cold before decorating. You can have this cake as a tray bake now or carry and decorate.
Divide cream equally into two containers ; whip one until very stiff and one until spreadable.
Cut cake into three sections.



Spread conserve over first layer and the stiff cream on the next layer. Flip cream layer onto jam one and repeat for the next layer. 


Trim sides. Use spreadable cream for top and sides.


Make light lines over cake using and fork and then flick grated chocolate all over.  Place a piece of grease-proof paper underneath to catch all those chocolate pieces that don't stick the first time.

Use the rest of the stiffer cream to pipe decorations round the edges. Use 1 or more blueberries to add as decoration! Slice and enjoy!




Apart from looking for blueberries I have been busy . 




Yes, it's these guys again, useful aren't they! Come and like on facebook too!

Cupid's Honey Clouds and more Valentine Cupcakes




27 comments:

  1. Ooh I like - it's like a black forest but with better fruit! Lovely.

    Good luck with the business

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    1. Thanks, the blueberries were well behaved in the end ie not too much leakage. Like eating an incredibly posh blueberry muffin :-)

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  2. That is such a cool idea, I love it, very creative. I will definitely have to try this recipe, it looks delicious. I'm following your blog now, looking forward to sharing with you!

    Eric @ Happy Valley Chow

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  3. Thanks Eric, I also use Foodbuzz to cook from, not just promotions. There's some great recipes out there.

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  4. Ahaha, you made me crack up! Looks like an amazingly tasty cake well worth searching for ;)

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    1. Thanks, I don't know why I think it's only going to be a 5 minute job a bit like the blogging, a couple of hours later and I wonder where the time has gone >< however, it's totally worth it!

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  5. Haha hidden blueberries are everywhere these days :P
    This cake looks amazing and is the most creative of ideas!

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, I guess they knew their fate!

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  6. This cake looks too awesome :D
    And hidden blueberries? As long as there are lots I am so game to eat the whole cake and find them ;)

    Cheers
    Choc Chip Uru

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  7. Glad to pop in here and see this, we are on the same wave length with the berries and chocolate. That combo does rate pretty high in my book. Mine has yet to be posted, but I am the post is not a cake-this would surely put it to shame. Amazing post, keep them coming!

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    1. Thanks Tina, I must say my taste-buds were searching for the alcohol where they have been conditioned on Black forest Gateaux
      :-) but I agree berries do lift the chocolate.

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  8. A great idea...this looks delicious. Glad you find your blueberries in the end too! :-)

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    1. Then there were raspberries too..... thanks enjoyed your blog too!

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  9. I had to laugh at your missing blueberries...it sounds like something I would do! I'm glad you finally made this marvelous cake :)

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    1. Thanks Lizzy, you can cook and amazingly! enjoying all your regular posts your brownies will bake on my next bake sale, seems I am surrounded by chocoholics!

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  10. Funny story, I think we all have that happen to us at sometime or another. I can see the blueberries on the photo and this cake looks amazingly delicious. Chocolate and blueberries, yum.

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  11. Funny story, I think we all have that happen to us at sometime or another. I can see the blueberries on the photo and this cake looks amazingly delicious. Chocolate and blueberries, yum.

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    1. Thanks Suzi, it turned out to be rather more expensive to make than I had planned but worth it :-)

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  12. Yuk! I can just imagine the state of those blueberries after their month-long holiday in your car. Never mind, Sherlock, your gorgeous cake makes up for it all. At least those blueberries found a happy home :)

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    1. Cheers Hester, at least they didn't smell ><. I guess kid's clutter is no excuse...Current blueberries are safely in the fridge, thinking about growing them now.

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  13. At least no one actually sat on them! Long time since your last post, glad to see you back! Love this cake!
    www.LinsFood.com

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    1. Thank you ! One day I may catch up with myself >< loving your Nasi Goreng Celup :-D

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  14. Hi Pauline,
    thank you for visiting my site and glad that you did, now i found yours... the only thing is i now want cake and it's only breakfast haha.
    i hope you are enjoying your day as much as i am doing since it's a holiday over here :)
    xo
    malou

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    Replies
    1. Well Malou I have to wait until next week for an extended bank holiday but I'm def going to have that potato salad ;-)

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  15. Chocolate and blueberries sound like a great combination! Your cake looks fantastic Pauline!

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    1. Thank you my friend! Just need to keep tabs on the ingredients!

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