Throughout history there have been natural pairings that work together seamlessly. In the culinary world, one of those is definitely coffee and chocolate.
Although both ingredients have independently complex tastes, when they are paired together delicious combinations are created, with the coffee enhancing the flavours of the chocolate.
Try it for yourself – two delish treats using chocolate and coffee.
DELICIOUS COFFEE CHERRY CHARLOTTE
- Oil for the mould
- 175g Boudoir finger biscuits
- 2-3 tablespoons brandy
- 1 small cup strong Jacobs coffee
- 300ml cream
- 200g mascarpone cheese
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, additional for dusting
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, additional for dusting
- 300g cherries, pitted and halved, additional 3 cherries for garnish
- 100g of good quality dark chocolate
Step 1: Brush a deep bowl lightly with oil. Cover bottom of bowl with a baking paper circle. Set aside 5 biscuits. Mix together brandy and coffee, soak remaining biscuits in this mixture for a short time. Line bottom of bowl with halved biscuits and the edge with whole biscuits (sweetened sides facing upwards).
Step 2: Whip cream until stiff, fold in mascarpone. Put half the cream mixture in a second bowl. Mix cocoa powder and powered sugar in one portion, and cherries into the other portion of cream and mascarpone mix.
Step 3: Layer the cream mixtures in the bowl. Place spoonfuls of biscuits on the last cream layer, pressing down firmly. Place bowl in refrigerator for several hours or overnight to set.
Step 4: Before serving, place a flat plate on the bowl, turn the bowl over and lift off the Charlotte. Dust with cocoa and powered sugar and garnish with cherries. Finally drizzle over the chocolate, and you are ready to serve.
CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ESPRESSO
You will require 2 springform cake tins, each 20cm in diameter
- 100g soft butter, plus more for the cake tins
- 275g sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 200g flour
- 75g cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 125ml brewed, cooled Jacobs Freeze Dried Instant coffee
- 125ml milk
- vanilla extract
Buttercream
- 125g cold butter, diced
- 25g cocoa powder
- 125g powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- good quality dark chocolate for garnishing
Step 1: Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease cake tins and cover the bottom with baking paper. Beat butter and sugar with a whisk until frothy.
Step 2: Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each egg thoroughly before adding the next one. Sift flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into a second bowl. Stir in cooled coffee, milk and vanilla essence in a third bowl.
Step 3: While stirring, add flour and coffee mixture to the butter-egg mixture, and mix to a smooth dough. Fill the two cake tins with mixture.
Step 4: Bake cakes at 180°C until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. The cakes are ready when they spring back to light finger pressure and when a stick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, allow to cool in the cake tins for a few minutes, then remove cakes and allow to cool on cooling trays.
Step 5: For the buttercream, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add cocoa powder and simmer for 1-2 minutes stirring, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Add powdered sugar to cocoa butter and mix thoroughly. Stir in milk, one tablespoon at a time, until a smooth, shiny mass has formed, allow to cool (it will thicken). Spread about one-third of the buttercream on to one of the cakes. Layer with the second cake and spread the remaining cream on to the top and sides of the cake. Finally, using a peeler or grater, garnish the cake with chocolate shavings.
© Dorling Kindersley Publishing Company GmbH, Munich, May 2015
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