7 very bad desserts
Chocolate truffle star cake
This makes a stunning centrepiece. And the bonus is you can make the whole thing ahead and freeze until you need it.
Ingredients
For the cake
140g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, broken into pieces
140g butter, cut into pieces
2 tsp coffee granules
50g self-raising flour
50g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
140g light muscovado sugar
140g golden caster sugar
1½ tbsp cocoa powder
2 medium egg
3 tbsp soured cream
For the stars
100g white chocolate
25g dark chocolate
5-6 small chocolate truffles
For the white chocolate icing
100ml double cream
50g white chocolate, very finely chopped
1 tbsp boiling water
For the dark chocolate icing
100ml double cream
2 tsp golden caster sugar
50g dark chocolate, very finely chopped
1½ tbsp boiling water
Method
The cake and stars are best made a day ahead (the cake is easier to slice and fill, and the stars have time to set). Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and base-line a deep loaf tin (22 x 11 x 6cm). Put the chocolate and butter for the cake in a saucepan. Mix the coffee with 50ml water, then pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat, just to melt – be careful not to overheat.
While the chocolate melts, mix both flours with the bicarbonate of soda, both sugars and the cocoa. Break down any lumps in the sugar with your fingers. Beat the eggs, then stir in the soured cream. Pour this and the melted chocolate over the flour mixture, then stir everything together – the mix will be very soft. Pour it into the tin, then bake for about 1½ hrs, or until firm on top. Let the cake cool in the tin (it may crack if you turn it out too soon), then loosen the sides and carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the stars, line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Melt both chocolates separately. Pour and spread the white chocolate thinly into a rectangle on the parchment. Drizzle the dark chocolate off the end of a teaspoon in bold squiggles over the top. Leave in a cool, dry place (not the fridge) until almost set but not hard, then lightly press down with a star cutter, about 5.5cm across, to make at least 6 star outlines. (Make a few extra in case of breakages and wipe the cutter each time you press a star shape.) When completely set, cut through the star outlines with a small sharp knife, then carefully lift them off onto baking parchment.
For the white chocolate icing, heat the cream just to boiling. Remove from the heat, tip in the chocolate and swirl so it starts to melt, then pour in the boiling water and stir to melt completely. Pour into a small bowl and chill in the fridge for about 1 hr to cool and thicken slightly. Beat with an electric hand mixer until thick and glossy.
When the cake is completely cold, place it into the fridge to chill (this makes it easier to slice). Take the cake out of the fridge and turn it over so the flat base becomes the top of the cake. Slice the cake horizontally into three. Sandwich back together with the white chocolate icing, not quite up to the edges. (This can be done a day ahead and chilled.)
For the dark chocolate icing, heat the cream with the sugar just to boiling. Remove from the heat, tip in the chocolate, then stir in the boiling water. Leave to cool and thicken a little. Put the cake on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath (to catch any drips). Pour and spread the icing all over the cake. Leave to set slightly, then arrange the truffles down the centre and prop 5 or 6 of your best stars against them.
Banoffe Trifle
takes 5 minutes EASY SERVES 4
A little cheating but this will still impress your friends, a made-in-moments banoffee pud
6 tbsp tropical fruit juice (from a carton) (this ingrediant seems to healthy for me, I shall be adding a iittle more rum or brandy instead!!!)
2 tbsp rum or brandy
2 firm banana
8 thin slices from a bought Madeira cake (or something you have at home, any flavour you like ginger bread muffins might go well)
2 tbsp Belgian chocolate sauce
4 heaped tbsp dulce de leche
225g tub mascarpone (or double cream if thats what you have in the fridge)
250ml chilled custard (from a tub) (or do it the old fashion way, make it!!)
a block of dark chocolate (any type or size will do)
No cooking is needed, this clever pudding makes the most of good quality ready-made cake and sauces.
In a large bowl, stir the tropical fruit juice with the rum or brandy. Slice the bananas into the fruit juice mixture and toss together. Sandwich the slices of Madeira cake with the chocolate sauce, dice it into squares and pile in the bottom of 4 pretty glasses. Top with the bananas and rum mixture then add a heaped spoonful of dulce de leche to make another layer. Next, beat the mascarpone and custard together until smooth, then spoon on top of the mixture. Chill until ready to serve for up to 2 hours. Before serving, run a potato peeler down the flat back of the bar of chocolate to make shavings and scatter indulgently on top of the trifles.
Black Forest trifle
PREP: 25 MINS COOK: 5 MINS plus cooling and chilling EASY SERVES 8
500ml tub ready-made chilled custard – look for one with real vanilla seeds
100g plain chocolate, broken into pieces
400g chocolate brownies
2 x 390g jars cherries
in kirsch or similar
300g tub double cream
200ml tub crème fraîche
25g icing sugar
grated chocolate, to decorate, and fresh cherries (optional)
Put the custard into a pan with the chocolate pieces. Gently heat, stirring, until the chocolate has melted into the custard. Cover with cling film and cool.
Arrange the brownies in the base of a trifle bowl. Drain the jars of cherries, reserving the liquid, and scatter over the brownies. Drizzle over 100ml reserved liquid. Spoon the cooled chocolate custard over and chill while you make the topping.
Lightly whip the cream with the crème fraîche and icing sugar until soft peaks form. Chill until ready to serve, then pile on top of the trifle and decorate with grated chocolate and fresh cherries, if you like.
Baileys banana trifles
PREP: 10 MINS EASY SERVES 6
300g pot extra-thick double cream
7 tbsp Baileys
6 chocolate brownies (about 250g/9oz), broken up, or use crumbled chocolate biscuits or loaf cake
3 bananas, sliced
500g pot vanilla custard
6 tbsp toffee sauce
25g chocolate, grated
Mix the cream with 1 tbsp Baileys, and set aside. Divide the brownie pieces between 6 glasses, then drizzle each with 1 tbsp Baileys. Top with the sliced bananas, custard and Baileys cream, dividing equally, then drizzle with toffee sauce and finish with grated chocolate. Can be made a few hours ahead.
Boozy brownie trifle
PREP: 25 MINS - 30 MINS COOK: 5 MINS - 10 MINS EASY SERVES 10 - 12
500ml pot ready-made chilled custard (look for one with real vanilla)
100g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
400g shop-bought chocolate brownies
3 tbsp coffee
100ml Irish cream liqueur, plus 1 tbsp extra for soaking the brownies
121g bag Maltesers
500ml double cream
25g icing sugar
Put the custard and chocolate in a saucepan. Gently heat, stirring, until the chocolate has completely melted into the custard. Cover the surface with cling film to stop the custard forming a skin, then cool.
Sit the brownies in a trifle bowl and mix together the coffee with the 1 tbsp Irish cream liqueur. Drizzle all over the brownies. Use a rolling pin or saucepan to gently bash the bag of Maltesers a few times to crush a little, then sprinkle about three-quarters over the brownies. Spoon the cooled chocolate custard all over the top, then cover and chill.
Make the final layer by combining the cream and 100ml Irish cream liqueur in a bowl. Sift over the icing sugar, then whip until soft peaks form. Cover and chill until you’re ready to serve.
To serve, give the cream a quick mix, then spoon on top of the chocolate custard. Scatter over the last few crushed Maltesers to decorate.
White chocolate berry cheesecake
PREP: 25 MINS plus 6 hrs or overnight chilling EASY SERVES 8
A stunning no-cook pudding bursting with summer flavours - great for relaxed entertaining
2 x 150g bars white chocolate
2 x 300g tubs soft cheese (we used Philadelphia)
284ml pot double cream
50g caster sugar
170g punnet raspberries
5 tbsp raspberry jam
85g amaretti biscuits
200g small strawberries
a few blueberries (optional)
Break the chocolate into a glass bowl, then put it over a pan of just simmering water to melt, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Line a lightly oiled 900g loaf tin with cling film.
Whisk the cheese, cream and sugar together, preferably with electric beaters, then stir into the almost-cool melted white chocolate until well combined.
Stir 50g raspberries with 2 tbsp of the jam. Spoon half the cheese mixture into the loaf tin, then spoon the jammy raspberries down the centre. Top with the rest of the cheese mixture, level the top, then press in the biscuits. Cover and chill for 6 hrs or overnight.
Set aside about 6 strawberries. Halve the rest, then warm in a pan with the remaining jam until soft. Whizz in a food processor or with a hand blender, then rub through a sieve to remove the seeds and make a sauce. Add a drop of water if the sauce is too thick.
To serve, carefully turn the tin onto a plate, lift it away and strip off the cling film. Halve the remaining strawberries, then arrange on top of the cake with the remaining raspberries and blueberries (if using). Pour over a little sauce and serve the rest separately for drizzling over.
Salted caramel chocolate torte
PREP: 1 HR, 15 MINS COOK: 10 MINS plus cooling and chilling EASY SERVES 8
Indulge guests at your next party with this impressive dessert. A touch of salt really sets off the caramel and dark chocolate
175g digestive biscuits
85g butter, melted
397g can caramel (I used Carnation caramel)
1 tsp sea salt, plus extra to serve
300g plain chocolate (70% solids), broken into chunks
600ml tub double cream
25g icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
salted caramel chocolates, to decorate (find them in Waitrose, Sainsbury’s or Marks & Spencer)
single cream, to serve (optional)
Line the base of a deep, round 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin with a circle of baking parchment. Line the sides with one long strip that comes just above the sides of the tin – staple or paper clip where the strip overlaps to hold it in place.
Crush the biscuits in a plastic bag or bowl with the end of a rolling pin. Stir into the melted butter, then evenly press into the bottom of the tin. Chill for 10 mins.
Reserve 2 tbsp of the caramel. Stir the sea salt into the remainder and spoon into the centre of the biscuit base. Gently spread so the base is evenly covered but a visible 1-2cm border of biscuit remains around the edge. Chill for 20 mins while you make the chocolate layer.
Gently melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir 1 tbsp of the cream into the reserved caramel, then cover and chill until ready to decorate. Once the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat but leave the bowl where it is, and gradually stir in the remaining cream until you have a smooth, shiny, thick chocolate sauce. Sift in the icing sugar and stir in with the vanilla extract. Lift off the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 mins.
Ladle or pour the chocolate mixture around the edge of the torte first, so it fills the biscuit border, sealing the caramel in the centre. Then ladle or pour in the rest and gently shake to smooth the surface. Chill for at least 5 hrs or up to 24 hours until firm.
Remove the torte from the tin, then carefully peel off the strip of paper and transfer to a serving plate. Dot the chocolates on top. Spoon the reserved caramel-cream mixture into a small food or freezer bag. Snip off the tiniest tip of the corner to make a very small opening, then squiggle lines of caramel over the top. Chill until ready to serve. Scatter with a pinch or two of sea salt before serving, then thinly slice. Eat with a drizzle of single cream, if you like