It’s my 6^th year of blogging with Pepper Delight! Also being the week of Valentine’s Day, I thought a delicious cake would be an apt dessert for the celebrations. So here I am, with a simple one pan chocolate cake which happened to be the one of most requested recipes from my readers.

Cakes are a desert unanimously loved by everyone. I already have a couple of cake recipes with chocolate on my blog, like for example my Chocolate Hazelnut Cake which is perfect for birthdays, anniversaries, or any party for that matter. Also check out my Texas Sheet Cake which is one of the easiest n tastiest sheet pan cakes you can serve a large crowd.

This cake is deliciously soft and tender with a creamy rich chocolate buttercream frosting, and it is perfect for small gatherings or to share with friends and family as a dessert. You can use a 9-inch square pan or an 8-inch round pan for this recipe and customize with your choice of frosting. I personally love chocolate buttercream frosting, but a chocolate ganache would also be a delicious alternative.

Enjoy, Happy Baking…!

Don’t forget to check out my previous years’ Blog Anniversary Special Cakes:

• 2017 – Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache 
• 2018 – Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake
• 2020 – Key Lime Pie
• 2021 – Chocolate Meringue Cake

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Chocolate Cake

A Simple One Pan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword chocolate cake

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 8 pieces

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup oil
• ½ cup buttermilk
• ½ cup freshly brewed warm coffee

For the buttercream frosting

• ½ cup softened unsalted butter
• 1½ cup powdered sugar (sifted)
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line an 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan with parchment paper, apply butter to grease the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat granulated sugar and egg until combined, followed by adding vanilla extract and oil.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beat until they combine well. Add warm coffee and beat well for one last time, the batter will be loose/watery/runny.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Unmold the cake carefully to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.

For the buttercream frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until creamy. Add sifted cocoa powder, powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until it turns out smooth.
• Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.
• If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken.
• Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and style as desired.

Notes

• If your cake feels dry or crumbly after baking, brush some simple sugar syrup over the cake to retain it moistness and texture.
• Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.

The post Chocolate Cake – Celebrating 6 years of Pepper Delight appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Time Flies!! It feels just like yesterday I started my blog, but 5 years have gone by! From a hobby turned into full-time, knowing nobody in the food industry to working with famous Food Bloggers, collaborating and sponsorships with renowned brands, and hundreds of recipes behind… it has been truly an exciting journey!

2020 was a tough year for many, but we were lucky enough to welcome a new much-awaited member into our family; our cutie pie Ishaan! Being pregnant in the middle of COVID wasn’t easy either but we survived, bought a house with my dream kitchen, cooked a lot, delivered a baby, and got to spend 5 months with my mom who flew all the way from India to meet her new grandson. Amidst all this and being MIA from blogging and social media for an extended period, I am immensely grateful to each one of you for all the love and support throughout. Thank you all for the likes, comments, shares, and of course the re-creations from Pepper Delight.

To celebrate my half a decade of blogging, I am sharing a special recipe which I’ve been planning for a long time; a 3-tier Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting, a Dark Chocolate Ganache drip and Meringue Kisses! This dessert is truly a chocolate haven, there are a lot of elements going on in the cake and it tastes absolutely delicious! The Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting is incredibly light n buttery with a glossy texture, and melts right away in your mouth.

So, what is Swiss Meringue?

Swiss Meringue is a common type of frosting which uses egg whites (cooked) along with the usual buttercream frosting ingredients. So why is it special? It’s glossy silky texture with the perfect balance of sweetness is what makes it stand out. Swiss Meringue is also much stable when compared to Italian or French Meringue and is good to pipe and decorate cakes and cupcakes.

Since its preparation calls for cooking egg whites in a double boiler, the steps can be a little tricky and error prone. But whatever goes wrong with the frosting, you can easily fix it with some handy tricks. Mistakes are bound to happen when making a Swiss Meringue Buttercream for the first time, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1. First of all, use a clean bowl and whisker to prepare your frosting.
2. Ensure your ingredients (eggs and butter) are at room temperature (70 degree F). This is super critical, else your frosting can go either way depending upon the temperature.
3. While stirring egg whites and sugar over a water bath, make sure that the sugar dissolves completely in the egg whites. Otherwise, your frosting can end up with a grainy texture.
4. Slice the butter in advance for better time management and to keep up with the pace of the bake.
5. If your buttercream looks curdled, it’s coz it went cold. Heat it up in the water bath and whisk to get the right consistency.
6. If the buttercream looks thin or loose, then it’s too warm. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes and whisk away.
7. Once the frosting is ready, apply it at the earliest. If left idle for long at room temperature, it will lose its consistency.

Enjoy, Happy Baking…!

Don’t forget to check out my previous years’ Blog Anniversary Special Cakes:

• 2017– Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache 
• 2018– Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake
• 2020 – Key Lime Pie

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Chocolate Meringue Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Keyword chocolate cake, meringue, swiss meringue

Prep Time 1 hour hour 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For three 6 - inch chocolate cakes

• 1½ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1½ cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
• 3 tsp milk
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

• 4 egg whites (at room temperature)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1¼ cup butter (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 oz semi-sweet chocolate (melted and cooled)

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

For the Chocolate Meringue Kisses

• 3 egg whites (at room temperature)
• ¾ cup fine sugar
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar (optional)
• 5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted)

Instructions

For making three 6-inch chocolate cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
• Line three 6-inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to grease the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract and milk.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beat until they combine well.
• Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Unmold the cakes carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

For the Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites and sugar, whisk lightly until well combined.
• Set the bowl over a water bath (a saucepan of simmering water), whisk continuously until the sugar dissolves and the batter reaches a temperature of 160-degree F.
• Transfer the bowl back to the stand mixer and beat on high speed for 2 minutes using the whisk attachment, until stiff peaks form and the bowl is cooled.
• Add sliced butter one tablespoon at a time while beating on high until smooth and creamy. Add the next slice only after the previous is completely blended.
• Once you are done with adding butter, beat for a few more minutes to get a smooth glossy frosting.
• Next, melt the chocolate in a microwave at 10 second intervals and whisking it until it is silky smooth (you can also use a double boiler for melting). Allow it to cool down for another 10 minutes (whisk continuously during this time).
• Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract to the bowl of buttercream frosting, and beat on medium speed until smooth.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until the frosting is well combined and reaches a spreadable consistency.

Assembling the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable/cake stand.
• Apply a little frosting on the center of the cake base and spread. This helps the cake to stay tight and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides, if any.
• Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the third cake. Using a spatula, level the top and the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake to form a thin and evenly covered crumb coating.
• Refrigerate the cake 30 minutes for the crumb coating to set properly.
• Now apply the final coat of frosting on top and around the cake, starting from the bottom to the top. Scrape down the excess frosting using a scraper. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes before pouring the chocolate ganache.

For the Chocolate Ganache

• Combine chocolate chips with heavy cream.
• Temper the chocolate mix by either setting the bowl over a pan of simmering water, or microwave at a 30 second interval and stirring continuously until it completely melts.
• Ensure not to overheat or burn the mix as it will split and become unusable. Once melted, keep stirring to bring its temperature down until smooth and silky before pouring over the cake.

For the Meringue Kisses

• Preheat oven to 200-degree F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites using the whisk attachment until foamy. Start by beating on low and increase the speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Add cream of tartar and continue beating while adding the sugar one tablespoon at a time. Once the sugar has been completely added, beat for an additional 5 minutes until it reaches a glossy smooth finishing. Fold in sifted cocoa powder.
• Transfer the mixture to a piping bag with your desired tips and pipe your kisses on to the parchment paper.
• Bake for 1 hour, then turn off the oven and allow it to sit in the oven for an additional 1 hour to cool down.
• You can store meringues in an air tight container up to 2 weeks.

Notes

• If your cake feels dry or crumbly after baking, brush some simple sugar syrup over the cake to retain it moistness and texture.
• Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
• Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
• Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
• Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting from the sides of the cake.
• Refrigerate the crumb coated and fully frosted stages of cake to set properly. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
• Finally, ensure the cake is brought back to a room temperature before serving.

The post Chocolate Meringue Cake – Celebrating 5 years of Pepper Delight appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Did a year just go by in the blink of an eye? It sure did for me indeed, time flies so fast! Three years back when I started this blog, it was all about turning my passion into a hobby. Never did I imagine the amount of support and motivation I’d receive from my friends, family and the blogging community, and that Pepper Delight would become my full-time job. The whole thought of it seriously amazes me and being a self-taught cook and baker, I’m so darn proud of myself looking back at all these years.

This beautiful space has gifted me so many achievements and of course some good relationships too. I am fortunate enough to find many talented and inspiring people through the online world; those who follow my social media, read my blog, message me about my photos, recognize me at stores and stop by to talk about food n recipes… those are surreal moments and truly the most rewarding…!! So, I take this opportunity to thank all my dear friends and followers for the unconditional love.

I would also like to take a moment to give a big shout out to my dear friend Makos from The Hungry Bites who has been a constant support and guide throughout my whole journey. If you love Mediterranean food, then you must definitely check out his blog.

I am so excited to see what 2019 has in store for Pepper Delight. Thank you all for supporting and following…Cheers to many more years of Yummilicious Food…!!

Coming back to the highlight of today’s celebration – the Cake!

An Ombre cake had been on my to-do list for a long time, but I was a bit intimidated on how the whole thing would turn out. You know, all of my usual confusions before trying out any new cake style! But I am so glad that I tried it, coz it did turn out pretty well…!!

So, what’s a Neapolitan cake? Well, I am not going to dig into its history at the moment, but visually it’s a tri-colored 3 tier cake with each layer being a different flavour; strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. Even before I got to know about Neapolitan cakes, I have been inspired to do a multi colored cake and that arose from my love for Cassata ice-cream which we used to get in India; a 3-tier vanilla, strawberry and pistachio ice-cream layered over a sponge cake with candied fruits n nuts. In those days, a cassata slice was the ultimatum…I was in heaven!!

So, I guess the first question on your mind after seeing the cake pics and the recipe would be, “this is a lot of work, three sets of batter & frosting?” Well, not exactly. The three different flavors are incorporated using a single bowl of batter. First, you have to make a base vanilla cake batter and pour it equally into three cake pans. Leave one pan as is for the original vanilla cake, mix into the second pan the cocoa powder for making the chocolate cake, and into the third the strawberry jam with few drops of food color for a pretty pink strawberry cake. Fresh strawberry puree also works. Bake… and your cakes are ready!

Happy Cooking…!

Don’t forget to check out my previous years Blog Anniversary special cakes:

• 2017 – Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache 
• 2018 – Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate us if you love it!

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Neapolitan Cake

A Neapolitan Ombre Cake with an absolute delight of flavors – Chocolate, Vanilla & Strawberry Cakes in a Pink Buttercream Ombre!

Course Dessert

Cuisine French

Keyword blog anniversary, cake, neapolitan cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Cooling Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1¾ cup flour
• 1¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup softened butter (at room temperature)
• 1¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder (sifted)
• ¼ cup strawberry jam (pref. seedless)
• 5-7 drops red food color (optional)

For the filling and crumb coat

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp milk cream
• 3 drops of red food color

For the outer ombre frosting

• ¾ cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp milk cream (or more if needed)
• 6-7 drops of red food color
• Fresh flowers (for decoration)

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350-degree F.
• Line three 6-inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and beat until combined.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with milk and beat until they combine well. The batter will be thick, creamy and smooth.
• Pour the batter equally into three prepared pans (approx. 3 ladle batter per pan).
• Add the sifted cocoa powder to one pan for making the chocolate cake and mix well using a fork or a spatula. Keep aside.
• Whisk strawberry jam until it is completely smooth. You can microwave it for 15 seconds if thick, and whisk it for a smoother texture. Add it along with 6-7 drops of red food color to the third pan for making the strawberry cake, and mix well using a fork or spatula.
• 10. Place all the three pans in the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 30–35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. The cooking times may vary per cake, for me the vanilla and chocolate cakes took 30 minutes and the strawberry cake took 35 minutes to bake.

For the filling and crumb coat

• Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until it turns out smooth.
• Add red food color and milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.
• If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken.

Assembling the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable / cake stand.
• Apply a little frosting on the center of the cake base and spread. This helps the cake to stay tight and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides, if any.
• Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and apply a thin layer of frosting on top of the third cake. Using a spatula, level the top and the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake to form a thin and evenly covered crumb coating.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes for the crumb coating and filling to set properly.

For the outer ombre frosting

• Once the crumb coat is set, you can prepare the frosting for the outer ombre coat.
• Beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat until it turns out smooth. Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable. If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken.
• Divide the prepared frosting into 4 pans; the 1st for the flat top surface coat in white, 2nd for the side top coat in white, 3rd for the side center coat in pink, and the 4th for the side bottom coat in dark pink.
• To the 3rd and 4th pans add the red food color as desired and whisk to make the pink and dark pink colored frostings respectively.
• Using a spatula, start applying the dark pink coat from the 4th pan on the side bottom of the cake. Using a scraper, scrape off excess frosting.
• Now move on the center side coat from the 3rd pan. Repeat applying coat & scraping, and continue to the top side and top flat coats using pans 2 and 1 respectively.
• Once your ombre coating is complete, refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes for the frosting to set.
• Decorate as desired with flowers, your cake is ready to serve!!

Notes

1. If your cake feels dry or crumbly after baking, brush some simple sugar syrup over the cake to retain it moistness and texture.

2. Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.

3. Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.

4. Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.

5. Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting from the sides of the cake.

6. Refrigerate the crumb coated and fully frosted stages of cake to set properly. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.

7. Finally, ensure the cake is brought back to a room temperature before serving.

The post Neapolitan Ombre Cake – Celebrating 3 years of Blogging appeared first on Pepper Delight.

So that’s how I celebrated my weekend; with friends, family, a birthday, potluck, loads of fun, and this delicious cake! It was our friend’s birthday, a good friend of mine, my hubby’s colleague, and he also happens to be one of my critiques and taster of Pepper Delight recipes. Happy Birthday to you Apoorv!!

I baked this one pan Chocolate Cake for his birthday, which happens to also be one of the most requested recipes from my friends and followers. The cake is coated with a Chocolate Frosting and I topped it with slivered almonds for some crunchiness. And to finish it off, a drizzle of the delicious Dulce De Leche…!!

Dulce de leche is a popular Latin dessert which originated in Argentina and is made by caramelizing milk and sugar through a slow cooking process. It is amber colored, thick and a rich sauce similar in taste and consistency to that of caramel. If you like caramel, then you are definitely gonna love Dulce de leche, it’s a sauce to die for!

You can top it on cakes, cookies, toasts, or even in ice creams. Its preparation is a time consuming process but is surely worth it, you can make it at home or buy readymade from stores.

There are several ways to cook dulce de leche at home. The most common one is the stove top method, but oven cooking is also preferred. After doing some research I did understand that there are risks associated with stove top, especially if you are cooking unopened cans. As this is my first attempt I didn’t want to take any chances and so I chose the safest option which is the oven method. And I am happy that it turned out well.

The cake altogether is the right balance of flavours; the chocolaty from the cake, sweetness of the frosting, smoky caramelized dulce… it’s a Chocolate Lover’s Delight!

Enjoy, Happy Baking!!!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate below if you love it…!

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Chocolate Cake with Dulce De Leche

Rich n Moist one pan Chocolate Cake… coated in Chocolate Frosting, Slivered Almonds, with a drizzle of Dulce De Leche…!!! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, dulce de leche

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 11

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg (at room temperature)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup oil
• ½ cup milk (at room temperature)
• ½ cup boiling water

For the Chocolate Frosting

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• 2½ cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup milk (or more)

For the Dulce de leche

• 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Toppings

• Slivered almonds

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line a 9 inch round baking pan with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar, beat until combined.
• Beat in the egg, followed by adding vanilla extract and oil.
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with milk and beat until they combine well.
• Pour the boiling water; beat on low speed for few seconds until it is mixed well.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30-37 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely.

For the chocolate frosting

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy.
• Add cocoa powder, powdered sugar and vanilla extract; beat until it turns out smooth.
• Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure your frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.
• If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken.

For the Dulce de leche (oven method)

• Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
• Pour condensed milk into a baking pan. Cover it tightly with foil.
• Pick a roasting pan big enough to water bath the baking pan, and place the baking pan in it. Pour hot water into the roasting pan till it reaches halfway up the baking pan.
• Carefully place the roasting pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for a total of 1½ hrs. Check every 30 minutes to ensure there is enough water in the roasting pan and add more water if necessary. Bake until the milk thickens and gets a deep caramel color.
• Once cooked and removed from the oven, whisk continuously to smoothen and remove any lumps from the sauce. It will start to thicken as it cools down.
• To store, pour it into a closed container and keep refrigerated.

Spread the Chocolate frosting over the cake. Sprinkle some slivered almonds and drizzle Dulce de leche. Enjoy!

Notes

• Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.

• Make sure to use butter, eggs and milk which should be brought at room temperature.

• Do not open oven in the middle of baking time. This allows bringing cool air inside oven which eventually affects baking process.

• While cooking the condensed milk, you may vary the cook time depending on how caramelized you want your sauce to be. Usually it takes 1½ hours to get a light brown color. I baked it for an extra 30 minutes to get a darker color.

• To reuse refrigerated/stored Dulce de leche, microwave it to loosen the sauce.

The post Chocolate Cake with Dulce De Leche appeared first on Pepper Delight.

This is a Chocolate Celebration straight from Heaven! Trust me, you are gonna say the same if you have a slice… this is the Best Chocolate Cake ever..!!

So, you might be wondering, how come a sheet cake all of the sudden? Well that’s right, my blog has all round pan cakes (except for one on a loaf pan) and the whole idea to do this came from my husband’s request. He wanted to treat his colleagues with some cake delight, and I knew that he had a decently sized team working with him. I started going through my cake recipes and the number of pans I had to bake a few at a time, and that’s when I saw this brand new sheet pan, unused and lying there since a long time. Silly me, that’s perfect for a crowd and was what I have been looking for … so that’s it, a Sheet Cake! My husband loves anything with chocolate, and also is fond of pastries, so thinking all that through, the Texas sheet cake recipe turned out to be the right pick for my bake.

This cake has many Wows; its aroma, the looks, moistness, gooeness, ease of preparation, and of course its taste…! Right from taking it out of the oven, to the time you open the lid of its box to grab the last bite, the cake is soo aromatic! The cocoa flavor, cinnamon and the butter toasted pecans, together emanate such a wonderful aroma that everybody around you inhales a deep breath in pleasure! Every bite of it is moist and feels like a light version of a brownie, and the credit for that goes to the hot cocoa mix used in this recipe unlike the other chocolate cakes.

This cake is so easy to prepare and requires neither fancy equipment nor any special decorating skills. Just whisk the ingredients together in a bowl, bake, pour frosting and your delicious cake is ready!!!

Enjoy, Happy Baking!!!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate below if you love it…!

Recipe adapted from Texas Sheet Cake.

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Texas Sheet Cake

Classic Texas Sheet Cake topped with a Gooey Chocolate Frosting and Toasted Pecans…! Intensely Moist and Incredibly Delicious, a Perfect Crowd Puller...! 

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, texas sheet cake

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 12

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For the cake

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup buttermilk

For the chocolate frosting

• 6 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 tbsp heavy cream
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1¾ cup + 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 cup pecans (chopped and toasted)

Instructions

For the cake

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Line a 9x13 inch sheet cake pan with parchment paper extending it a few inches over the sides. Grease the pan properly with cooking spray or butter and set aside.
• Sift dry ingredients in a bowl; flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add granulated sugar into the mix and whisk together well. Keep aside.
• In a midsized saucepan, melt butter on a medium heat. Add cocoa powder and water; bring the mixture to a boil while whisking periodically. Turn off the flame and pour the mix over the flour mix and stir to combine.
• Add eggs, vanilla extract and buttermilk; whisk well to mix everything to a smooth batter. The cake batter is smooth and loose.
• Pour the batter carefully into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the chocolate frosting

• Melt butter in a saucepan. Add cocoa powder, milk cream, and bring the mix to boil by stirring occasionally.
• Remove the pan from the heat and beat in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth without any lumps.
• Pour the prepared frosting over the warm cake, spreading it towards the edges using a spatula. Sprinkle pecans over the cake immediately so that it sets along with the frosting.
• Allow the cake to cool before serving.

Notes

Toasting pecans is optional, but I highly recommend it. Heat 1tbsp butter in a pan on a medium flame, add chopped pecans and toast it by stirring continuously for 4-5 minutes until it turns aromatic. Turn off the flame and allow it to cool. Make sure your nuts are ready before preparing the frosting.

The post Texas Sheet Cake appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Its celebration time… My blog turns 1 today…!! Wooohoooo……

That was pretty fast, it’s still unbelievable how a year went by. I still remember the many “firsts” during my blog journey, all as if they happened just yesterday; right from my blog going live, the first comment I received (I screamed with joy that day), being able to view my recipe in google search, Facebook, FoodGawker, Instagram and so on… Everything felt so special! Those were some of the best days of my life and I thank you everyone for your wonderful support! You guys are awesome, my inspiration to keep going with Pepper Delight and bring out the best of me…

As part of my blog’s anniversary celebrations, watch out for my “Behind the scenes” and “1 year as a blogger” posts to know all about my experiences and the fun I’ve had over the year. But for now, let’s celebrate with this beautiful cake which I have been planning for a long time, my chocolate hazelnut semi naked cake with chocolate ganache!

Semi-naked/Naked cake is one of the most preferred styles especially for celebrations, apart from the usual fondant cakes. These cakes are simple to bake and also have a finished surface but with a casual look unlike the fully frosted ones. Their highlight is being able to view the different cake layers through the finished cake, beautifully stacked on top of each other with the rich frosting in-between. And finishing off with the right ganache or toppings makes it even more elegant and party perfect! This is my first attempt with a semi naked style cake and, Boy am I happy with the outcome; It was damn delicious!!!

Mastering the art of baking a semi naked cake is quite easy as long as you keep an eye on the details. Here are a few valuable tips from my kitchen:

1. Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
2. Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
3. Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
4. Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting on the sides to create the semi naked effect.
5. Refrigerate the frosted cake to set properly before topping with ganache. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
6. And make sure to bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.

This is one of the best cakes I have ever tasted. They are moist inside, and the layered frosting makes it so rich with flavour. The dark chocolate ganache levels out the sweetness of the frosting and balances well with the chocolate cake and hazelnut flavour. And the crunchy Ferrero Rocher makes it perfect for any party/celebrations or even as your dessert.

Enjoy baking, Happy Caking…!!!

Don’t forget to check out my other Blog Anniversary special cakes:

• 2018 – Matcha Cake with Buttercream Frosting and White Chocolate Matcha Drip
• 2019 – Neapolitan Ombre Cake

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare. Rate below if you love it…!

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Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Chocolate Cake with a Chocolate Hazelnut frosting in a semi naked style, topped with crunchy Ferrero Rocher and a dark chocolate ganache dripping around the edges.  

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword cake, chocolate cake, hazelnut cake, naked cake

Prep Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 2 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For three 6 inch chocolate cakes

• 1½ cup flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs (at room temperature)
• 1½ cup buttermilk (at room temperature)
• 3 tsp milk
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

• 4 oz mascarpone cheese (at room temperature)
• 1¼ stick unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup chocolate hazelnut spread (like Nutella)
• 1-3 tbsp milk

Chocolate Ganache

• 4 oz dark chocolate
• ½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)

Decorations

• Ferrero Rocher chocolates

Instructions

For making chocolate cake

• Preheat oven to 350 degree F. 
• Line three 6 inch pans with parchment paper, apply butter to the pan and set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Set aside. 
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth and creamy. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beat until combined. 
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by adding vanilla extract and milk. 
• Add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and beat until they combine well. 
• Pour into the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 mins until a toothpick or a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Unmold the cakes carefully to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely. 

Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

• Beat butter until smooth and creamy. 
• Add the powdered sugar, mascarpone cheese and hazelnut spread, beat until it turns out smooth and creamy.
• Add milk as needed for desired consistency. Make sure that the frosting is not runny or too thick, it should be spreadable.
• If the frosting seems loose, refrigerate it for some time to thicken. 

Chocolate Ganache

• Break the chocolate into small pieces and combine with heavy cream.
•  Temper the chocolate mix by either setting the bowl over a pan of simmering water, or microwave at a 30 second interval and stirring continuously until it completely melts. 
• Ensure not to overheat or burn the mix as it will split and become unusable. Once melted, keep stirring to bring its temperature down until smooth and silky.

Final Assembly of the cake

• Level the top surface of all the cakes by shaving off the uneven portions.
• Place your cake base on a turntable/cake stand. 
• Apply little frosting on the center of the base and spread. This helps the cake to stick and not slide off.
• Place the bottom cake on the center on the cake base.
• Apply a generous amount of frosting on top of the cake in the center and level it leaving ½ inch gap from the edges of the cake with a ¾ to 1 inch thickness.
• Place the middle layer cake on top and press gently so that the excess frosting oozes out of the sides. Repeat step 5.
• Place the third/final cake upside down on top of the frosting, so that the flat bottom of the cake faces upwards. Gently press and using a spatula spread the oozed out frosting around the sides of the cake. 
• Now apply a very thin layer of frosting on top and around the cake, starting from the bottom to the top. Scrape down the excess frosting using a scraper to create the semi naked effect. Finish with a small coating on top. 
• Refrigerate it for 30 minutes to set properly. 
• Pour the ganache over the chilled frosted cake. Quickly spread the ganache to the sides to create a polish finish on the top and to create the drip effect. Avoid further spreading.
• Decorate with Ferrero Rocher.

Notes

1. Grease your pan properly to avoid any cracks or holes in your cake. This helps the cake to slide through the sides of the pan easily.
2. Pick the cake with the prettiest bottom for your topmost layer. Use the ones with cracks or holes for the middle or bottom layers.
3. Decorate the cake after placing on a turntable.
4. Use a strong/sturdy scraper to scrape down the excess frosting on the sides to create the semi naked effect.
5. Refrigerate the frosted cake to set properly before topping with ganache. You can even bake the cake in advance and frost the next day to manage time.
6. And make sure to bring the cake back to room temperature before serving.

The post Chocolate Hazelnut Semi Naked Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache appeared first on Pepper Delight.

One of the biggest surprises since I started my blog was a gift I received from my brother n sister in laws recently; a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer…!! Though I am a beginner and still exploring, it was such a beautiful piece of gift to my baking dreams…

The timing of the mixer was perfect as my friends anniversary was around the corner as I was still half minded on what to cook. And that answered my confusion; a Cake it is, with all Chocolate. Perfect to kindle the sweet memories for this lovely couple…

Chocolate cake is best known for its taste, and is unbeatable when combined with a chocolate frosting. It is super soft, moist, has the perfect balance of cake and frosting, and is light and creamy.

So here I am sharing my best chocolate cake recipe with a yummy delicious chocolate frosting. Try it out, and you will surely love it…

Prep time: 1 hr 30 mins
Serves: 6-7 servings

INGREDIENTS

For chocolate cake

• 2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1½ cup buttermilk
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For chocolate frosting

• 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (tempered)
• 1½ cup butter
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup water
• 1½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation of cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and grease with butter using a brush.
3. To prepare the cake, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl by sifting flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Keep aside.
4. In another bowl, beat butter until it is softened. Ensure that the butter is brought to room temperature before softening.
5. Beat granulated sugar and brown sugar into the butter, until blended well.
6. Add eggs one at a time to the butter and beat well. Add the vanilla extract too.
7. Slowly add the prepared dry ingredients to the bowl in portions, alternating with buttermilk, until the cake batter is mixed well without any lumps.
8. Pour the batter evenly into the pans and place in the oven. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes and until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Once the cakes are done, take them out of the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
10. Unmold the cakes by running a knife or a rubber spatula over the sides of the pan. Carefully flip them over.

Preparation of chocolate frosting

1. In a small bowl, whisk cocoa powder with water until smooth and keep it aside.
2. To temper the chocolates, place it in a double boiler, or in a metal bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
3. Stir it continuously using a rubber spatula while it melts and keep measuring the temperature. The mix should not be too runny and should melt uniformly. Ensure that the temperature does not exceed 120 degrees. Set aside.
4. In another large bowl, whisk butter until soft, followed by whisking and adding cocoa mix and salt. Stop the mixer and scrape down its sides.
5. Add powdered sugar, whisk well.
6. Turn mixer into medium and add tempered chocolate and half of the heavy whipping cream slowly, and beat well. Add the remaining mix until you have reached the desired consistency. It should be light and creamy and spreadable.
7. It can be stored in an airtight container, make sure to bring to room temperature before apply for frosting.

The post Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting appeared first on Pepper Delight.