Chocolate Olive Oil Cake (for Sophia)

As you have probably gathered with my previous blogs, I associate the dishes that I make with certain people. This cake is one that I discovered a couple of weeks ago courtesy of the voluptuous Nigella so it probably should come with a warning about how sickeningly delicious it is. Anyway, enough of Nigella, this cake is one that I made with my especially awesome friend Sophia in mind. Like Alev, Sophia doesn’t eat wheat, but this comes with the added bonus (complication?!) of the fact that she also doesn’t eat any dairy either. Yes bakers, I know what you are thinking- worst nightmare and all that! But fear not, help is at hand in the form of this really quite surprising Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, which is a future staple of the City Kitchen. Sophia, this one is for you...

Ingredients:

150 ml olive oil (or any good quality vegetable oil)

50 grams of cocoa powder

125 ml boiling water

2tsp vanilla extract

150 grams of ground almonds

½ teaspoon of bicarb

Pinch of salt

200 grams of caster sugar

3 large eggs

Method:

Preheat your oven to 150 degrees (if using a fan oven like me, 170 otherwise) and grease a 9 inch spring form cake tin (or standard sponge tin works just as well)

Pour the boiling water into a heat proof bowl and sift the cocoa powder into this and whist vigorously. Add the vanilla and set aside to cool.

In another bowl, combine the almonds, bicarb and salt. Meanwhile beat the eggs, oil and sugar until you have a light yellow, creamy batter.

Following this, slowly pour in the cocoa mixture and continue mixing, then slowly add the almond combination to this as well.

Pour this into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Country Boy says:

This cake should still look a bit moist when it is finished, and it does have a bit of a funky texture even when cool. When removing from the oven, slide a sharp knife into the centre and it should come out clean.

Serving suggestions:

This cake is so versatile you can either serve it warm with a spoonful of Greek yoghurt or crème fraiche, or cold with a cup of tea. I also found that this cake was at its best 24 hours after cooking as its had time to settle properly, so try and resist the temptation for that long, but if not, enjoy it when it’s warm and seductive.

I’ve also debated changing this up a bit with the addition of some crystallised ginger, finely chopped, when you mix in the three main ingredients. Have a go and let me know what you think. 

The Double Whammy: Boston Tea Party and Loki Wine (with Jess)

So it’s the school holidays, a time for teachers to catch up on their social life and hone their drinking skills during the 6 weeks of freedom. Invariably during the holidays, I manage some sort of alcohol and food filled afternoon with Jess as we meander around Birmingham putting the world to right. Our usual haunt is the chic and trendy Bodega (on Bennett’s Hill which I will be mentioning in a future blog), but today, seeing as it is the first week of the summer hols, we went for the double whammy.

First port-of-call: Boston Tea Party, 190, Corporation Street. I’ve come across this chain before in Exeter and was impressed then, so when I heard that a new branch of it had opened in Birmingham, I immediately added it to my list of places to visit. Located slightly out of the town centre, BTP Cafe is situated in a converted pub and still shows a slight inclination to its Victorian past. The interior is reminiscent of an American diner, with distressed red leather booths, but pays homage to the largely young professional clientèle with a trendy vintage décor.

Between Jess and I, we managed to try a good spread. Jess plumped for the tuna melt on a whole-wheat bread which met her approval, especially with the addition of capers, adding a welcoming tanginess which really set off the tuna’s flavour. Along with her standard Coke, she also sampled the Meantime London Lager, which she described as ‘light and hoppy’. Being more of a wine drinker, I will have to take her word for this!

I on the other hand, went for the current trend of super juices, with a Raspberry, Lemon and Mint Cooler. At £3.20 I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed. The flavours complimented each other beautifully and provided a zingy, yet refreshing summer beverage. Along with this, I decided try to homemade wheat-free brownie (in keeping with the wheat-free theme started by the Chocolate Fondant). This again surpassed expectations, and whilst maybe a little dense, the inclusion of dark chocolate made a very rich, indulgent and satisfying afternoon diversion. At £5.80 for the two, it is in line with the typical hipster cafes that seem to be springing up all over the place, but this one really delivered.

Stop two: Loki Wine, 36, Great Western Arcade. What a way to pass an afternoon! For all you fellow winos out there, Loki is a must. Offering a range of up to 24 different wines to taste via an innovative swipe card system, Loki makes wine tasting accessible, yet maintains a level of sophistication that tasting en masse often lacks. A minimum of a £10 top up is required to taste, and with this you can either charge your glass with a shot, ½ glass, or full glass of your favourite tipple. With my more robust palette I started with an 2009 Frescobaldi Chianti (which was probably a bit too full bodied for afternoon drinking without food), followed by a fantastic 2012, Amalaya Reisling which was simply stunning! Slightly more acidic, yet with a pleasing floral note, this is the perfect bevy for a warm afternoon. I might well go back for a bottle of this next time I whip up a Seafood Linguini.

Loki not only offers the tasting experience to passers by, but also various different events and speciality tastings. Also on offer are a range of Gins, Ports and Champagnes. For a more personal service than Selfridges and Harvey Nic’s, Loki will not disappoint

Wheat Free Chocolate Fondant (for Alev)

I found this absolute gem of a recipe for my friend Alev when she came over for her birthday recently as she can’t eat wheat. I can hear that collective groan released when you realise that this awesome looking fondant is wheat free as yes, we all know that this means that it will probably have a texture somewhere between cement and sand paper. However, this is a real moist treat that knocks the socks off standard fondants. I think this is probably down to the condensed milk which is added to the recipe which keeps it moist and decadent. Now I will say that this photo is a second attempt at the first batch of these turned out a little bit like chocolate soup (which I was told tasted awesome nonetheless) but you do need to be strict with your oven timer when you make this one.

Ingredients:

55 grams butter

85 grams caster sugar

170 gram tube of condensed milk

4 large eggs

Pinch of salt

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1 tsp of coffee powder, dissolved in 1 tbsp of hot water

350 grams of dark chocolate (approx 50% cocoa solids)

85 grams of wheat free flour (I use Doves Farm, but you can equally make this with the same quantity of plain flour)

4 greased pudding tins (I grease in a downwards direction, then dust with cocoa and chill)

Variations:

This recipe can also be delicious with a couple of small additions. For a slightly boozier, more grown-up taste, a shot of Tia Maria can be substituted for the coffee, or perhaps jazz it up with the grated zest of an orange and a squeeze of fresh orange juice. Let me know what you think!

Method:

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk until smooth. Add the condensed milk.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time then add vanilla and coffee.

Add the melted chocolate and the flour and whisk until the mixture forms a smooth, loose batter.

Spoon into the pudding moulds and chill. Place into a pre heated oven (150 fan assisted, 200 conventional) and cook for 12 minutes (the pudding should have formed a slight dome that wobbles slightly when touched. Some cracks might appear, but don’t worry!) If it needs longer, check it every minute until it has reached this stage.

The joy about this pudding is it’s sauce is hidden in the centre, but if you do want to indulge a little more, this is delicious served a spoonful of clotted cream.

Country Boy says:

When turning these out, run a knife around the top edge of the pudding only to loosen the pudding. Turn these over and cover with a tea towel and give it a good tap to ensure it has popped out neatly. Sometimes a tap can be a little less than required, so don’t be afraid of being quite firm. If it is sticking, ease it out gently with a thin knife.