The task and an intro recipe...

After dinner, The Specter asked me when am i going to blog. And so here it is.

I am an Analyst Programmer/IT Trainer, i am not very sure how to write for a blog. I may have done some writing but those were technical documents. With technical documentation, i already know how to organise my thought as each company I worked at already have their template. But food blogging, though i have read a lot of food blogs, is quite scary for me. So now i am just thinking that this writing for blog will be as "anything goes."

But since this is a food blog, i may write about the following:
- Personal opinion on restaurants/food stalls that I and The Specter visited.
- Since i am very much interested in baking then I would be posting recipes from books and sites that i have read. Of course, i will have to do the baking as proof that i can do it.. :) Or even if the effort is a very big failure. heheh.

As part of my introduction to food blogging, I would to share this really nice (as per those who already tasted it) chocolate cake. The recipe may be found in Allrecipes.com and Hershey.com. But though the recipe is from Hersheys, i only have Van Houten Cocoa available so i substituted. Also, since i didn't have much time to make the One Bowl Buttercream Frosting, i replaced it with chocolate ganache that is also just a substitute because i did not have cream. Added some strawberry and mint leaf as decoration.

By the way, I would like to thank Ate Mayet, as she's the one who shared the original recipe for this cake.

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar 
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 cup cocoa 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2  eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. 
2. Combine together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of electric mixer 2 minutes (or you can just use a wire whisk if you are scared of over-beating, like me :) ). Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans. 
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Chocolate Ganache Substitute
Ingredients:

• 100 g chocolate
• 25 g butter
• 60 ml milk.

Procedure:

1. Combine milk and butter in a small sauce pan and place on stove in low heat.
2. When butter has been melted, take the pan out from heat an put the chocolate. Let rest for 1 minute then stir.
3.  Let cool and pour over the cake.