I believe the smell of Chocolate increases theta brain waves, which triggers relaxation. lol!!
When I wanted to make a come back post( I am not a new bee, you must have seen me blog at www.thefoodielovers.com, details here) the only thing that came into my mind was Chocolate. All I wanted to make was a decadent Chocolate Walnut Cake. I knew it had to be an Eggless one!. After several attempts, I perfected this recipe. Texture of the cake was never a problem but appearance is what I was worried about. The first time I tried, the cake sunk in the center because of the weight of the walnuts on top. The second time I baked it without walnuts and it ended up being a regular chocolate cake without any walnut flavors. I was only successful the third time around as I did not have to worry about a sinking cake. I added very finely chopped walnut in the batter and used the large walnut pieces on the top only after baking the cake. And this worked like a charm!
To make this cake eggless, I decided to use Vinegar. One tablespoon of vinegar plus enough milk to measure a cup. This is actually a substitution for buttermilk. When vinegar comes in contact with baking soda it starts a chemical reaction which is what makes the cake light and airy.
This recipe is quite easy to make. Just mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients together and bake them to perfection:). Using ganache was mainly to stick the walnut on the cake. I was left with some ganache and my kids just licked them:) You may want to reduce the quantity of the chocolate chips as you will not need all of them. Its always 1:1 ratio for cream and chocolate.
Chocolate is the only edible substance to melt around 32°C ( 90°F), just below human body temperature. That’s why chocolate melts in your mouth!
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 cup + 2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup minus one table spoon milk
1/3 cup walnuts plus more for topping
For the Ganache :
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy whipped cream
Preheat oven at 350F. Sieve the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in a bowl. Set aside. In a bowl add sugar, oil, vinegar, milk and vanilla extract. Whisk it well. Gradually fold in the flour mixture. Finally add the finely chopped 1/3 cup of walnuts and blend it to the batter. Pour the mixture into a greased baking pan and bake for 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Make the ganache - Place chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in a sauce pan until it is simmering. Do not bring it to a boil. Pour this onto the chocolate chips and mix them gently. It will be a bit runny and that is fine. Set aside on the counter for a couple hours and you will see it thickening. You may also place it in the refrigerator to speed up the process. Once the ganache is ready, apply a thin layer on the cake. This is just to stick the walnuts. Spread the walnuts on top as needed. Feel free to drizzle some ganache on top as well. Enjoy!