Thursday, April 30, 2015

A Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe and a Wild Sydney Storm


If you are here for the scrumptious moist chocolate cake recipe scroll down, but first a bit about the wild week we have had.

And Wah what a week.  Category two cyclonic winds buffeted Sydney for up to 48 hours this week. Only they don't call them cyclones this far south in Australia, they are called gale force winds and east coast lows. Being the wife of a sailor who survived the 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race, when it comes weather, we call it and we call it early round here.  Mr Beach House reckons that's what saved his life in that yacht race, because they pulled out at lunch time and had the ability to see the huge waves, as they sailed out of Bass Strait and back to the mainland.  Those who were killed in the same race, by and large pulled out just before dark and could not see what hit them by night. So very sad.



Anyway, as a result of that hellish experience, he at least has a full understanding of what a storm warning, with a gale force warning means.  We both slept with one eye open on Monday night as the wind was howling and I was expecting the roof to fly off at any minute. When the alarm went off at 6am I called the day off and told my son to go back to sleep, as there was no way I was going to let him travel across Sydney on the school bus that day. With trees crashing down in our own suburb and his impending journey through the leafy North Shore, it was not just not worth the risk. When I saw the news that night, it was clear it was the right decision. 


This was just the end of our street.  There were trees down all over the region and we were declared a disaster area.  It was astonishing that no one was killed around here.  Although sadly others were in some regions.

As the week wore on, the weather improved and we were able to take part in the local ANZAC Day celebrations.  The little one marched with her grandfather's and great grandfather's medals.  The service was really well attended and a fitting tribute to all who have served.


The day made me want to find out about my grandmother's two brothers, who served in WWII in Tobruk and New Guinea, so I promptly came home and ordered their war service records from the National Australian Archive.  I look forward to seeing what that throws up.


So now for this terrific fudge cake recipe.  It's moist, easy to make and most importantly completely delicious

A Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

250g/1 cup butter
200g/1cup dark chocolate broken into pieces
1/3cup firmly packed  brown sugar
3/4 cup castor sugar
6 eggs seperated
3 tablespoons plain flour
3 tablespoons almond meal
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Icing sugar and mascarpone to serve

Pre heat the oven to 180 C or 350 F
Grease the sides of a 25cm spring form cake tin
Line the base with baking paper.
Melt butter in a pan with the chocolate over a low heat.
Stir to combine.
Beat sugars into the egg yolks.
While chocolate is still warm, whisk in the egg yolk mixture, then stir in flour and almond meal.
Add cream of tartar into egg whites and beat them til soft peaks form.
Fold half the egg whites into chocolate mixture gently .  Then fold in the other half gently.
Pour mixture into the prepared tin.  Bake for 35-45.Or until sides are set and the middle is still slightly wobbly.
Cool thoroughly in the tin
Served dusted with icing sugar and mascarpone on the side.

This is easy and very delish.
For more easy and delicious sweet treats go here.

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6 comments :

  1. Bonjour chère amie,

    Je déplore tous les dégâts et la peur que vous avez certainement eu avec de tels cyclones... Heureusement que tout va bien pour vous et je regrette infiniment pour ceux qui malheureusement sont endeuillés.

    Je me régale en regardant la photo de ce superbe gâteau au chocolat... Merci pour le partage de la recette.

    ❀ Gros bisous ❀

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  2. I am sorry for all the disaster that happened in your area!Glad you are all ok!I looked up the 1998 race and it was a miraculous escape for your husband as I can see it!AriadnefromGreece!

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  3. OMG, I was so distracted by that cake I was halfway through the post before I realised we weren't talking about it yet. Glad you are all well, I think a home day was just what the weather man ordered! Rough is an understatement. Now about that cake, yuuuum!

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  4. Wow you have been having some wild weather, we got our first drops of rain last night, its been dry for weeks in the wild west. Autumn is definately here now!

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  5. Wow, Carolyn I had no idea about your husband being a sailor in that dreadful and deadly storm in Sydney to Hobart. As a northern beaches family we followed the Sydney to Hobart with interest as there were friends of my parents' involved in the 1960s and 1970s. One neighbour was Dick Hammond, navigator for decades on so many yachts. Back to the storms. We are now living (renting!) on the Central Coast at Empire Bay and they were scary, scary days and nights. I have never heard nor experienced such winds. We had no power for 68 hours so everything in freezer/fridge was ditched. We became owners of a generator and a camp stove half way through the awful week. I hope never to experience anything like it again...but, weather wise, we will never know. Take care, Denyse x

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  6. Wasn't that storm just crazy?? Glad to hear that you all kept safe.
    On a lighter note, I've been looking for a new chocolate cake recipe. Thanks for sharing this one!

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