Eat and Run Chronicles: 2014

The famous cake which I have known has been a part of my life. For so long, I have been wondering what's in these Mocha cake that makes it addictive to majority. I know, there's a lot of "better mocha cakes" but believe me, this classic mocha cake never fails to tickle the taste buds of many. That is why, I tried my best to look and research on how it is made and I am sharing it for those cake lovers as well as to those beginners (like me).

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CAKE:
For the Yolk Mixture:
6 large egg yolks (room temperature)
1 cup sugar

For the Mocha Flavoring:

1 tsp espresso/coffee granules

1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp water

½ cup canola oil

For the Dry Ingredients:
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

For the Meringue Mixture:
6 egg whites, at room temperature
1 tsp cream of tartar

FOR THE MOCHA BUTTERCREAM:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, soft, at room temperature
1 tsp coffee/espresso granules
1 tsp cocoa powder
5 tsps water
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 tsps amaretto liquer

FOR THE TOOLS & EQUIPMENT:

-2 9”x2” cake pans or 2 square cake pans or a 10.5”x15.5”x1” jelly roll pan if making a roll

-2 baking sheets

-hand mixer or stand mixer

-parchment paper

-cake comb (this is optional, for decoration purposes only)

PREPARATION:

1. For the Cake:

-Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in the upper middle and lower middle positions.

-Spray/Grease two 9”x2” round cake pans with baking spray

-line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.

2. For the Yolk mixture:

-Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl (or bowl of a stand mixer) over low, then medium speed, until creamy and light yellow in color.

3. For the Mocha Flavoring:

-Dissolve espresso or coffee granules (Nescafe is recommended) and cocoa powder in water and vanilla in a small bowl getting rid of lumps while stirring.

-Pour into the egg-sugar mixture (Yolk Mixture) with the canola oil then beat until well combined.

4. Sift cake flour and baking powder over it. Stir with a wooden spoon until well blended, scraping the sides of the bowl once.

5. For the Meringue mixture: Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar into stiff peaks in a medium bowl

-Fold into the mocha batter (Yolk & Mocha Flavoring combined), a dollop or two first to liquefy the thick batter and then in thirds.

6. Divide the batter between two cake pans and place each pan on a baking sheet. Bake on two racks for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans and exchanging the pans between racks halfway through. The cake is done when the tops become golden brown and the cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

7. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully turn over on the wire rack, right side up. Cool completely before icing.

8. For the Mocha Butter Cream: Whisk sugar and egg whites for 3 to 5 minutes in a medium heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (water should not touch the bottom of the bowl), until meringue is hot to the touch (or until it registers into 160 degrees Celsius). The sugar granules will be dissolved when you put in between your fingers and you will be left with a fluffy marshmallow cream-like froth.

9. Remove bowl from heat and beat for 5 minutes with a hand mixer set to medium speed, or pour into a bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment to mix. This is the time when the meringue mixture is cold to touch.

10. Add half of the butter (6 ounces or 1.5 sticks) and beat with a hand mixer (or paddle attachment for stand mixer) until smooth before adding the next half to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and give it a quick stir. Beat again on medium-high for another 6 to 10 minutes to thicken.

11. Dissolve cocoa and coffee granules in water, vanilla extract, and amaretto in a small bowl. Pour into the butter cream and beat for 2 minutes, scraping the sides at least once.

12. Assembling the cake : Dot 3 3”-wide parchment paper strips with butter cream. Use the icing to stick the 3 strips into a triangle on a plate or cake stand. Dot the center bottom of the cake with icing, and place cake on top of the strips. These will keep your plate clean while frosting the cake.

13. Spoon about ½ cup of frosting on top and spread it evenly with a flat metal spatula. Place the second layer of cake and spread a thin layer of icing over the entire cake and let it stand for 15 minutes.

Spread a thicker layer of frosting over the side, working from the bottom up to the top. Frost the top by placing a mound of icing and spreading it to the side. You can decorate the cake with the remaining frosting as you wish.
You can use a cake comb to create ridges on the side of the cake.

On my case, I didn't use a cake comb.

Instead I put Almonds:

To make a mocha roll:

-From Step 6 onwards...pour batter into a 10.5”x15.5”x1” jelly roll pan (greased with cooking spray and lined with a sheet of wax paper, and another coat of cooking spray) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes with the rack on upper middle position, rotating the pan halfway through. It is done when the top is golden brown and cake tester will come out clean.

-Lay flat a dry kitchen towel (slightly larger than the pan and dust with a thin layer of powdered sugar).

-Remove cake from the oven and turn pan over onto the towel. -Carefully peel the wax paper and scooping the towel from underneath, slowly roll the towel and cake together.

-Cool on a wire rack with the seam side down.

-After about an hour, unroll and remove the towel, spread a generous layer of mocha butter cream.

-Re-roll the cake and frost the outside and sides. (Follow same instructions in making a butter cream)

Now you can enjoy this Mocha Roll right at your home :)

Bake and Enjoy!

-xoxo-

For so long, I am an avid fan of anything made up of egg: whether it's a quiche, an eggpie, or even a simple sunny side up will definitely make my day. That is why there is no wonder why I was inlove with this cake:

Wayback 2010, this is the first time I got to have an oven (gas oven), which is named Baby Westy ^_^. I was so excited to bake a Brazo de Mercedes, but unfortunately, it was very hard for Westy to cope up with my beginning skills and the pressure she got makes her upset, producing an undercooked (sticky merengue). Those were the moments that kills my enthusiasm in creating/baking anything related to egg white T_T I can clearly remember how random people (who have a better oven) tells me (I never had a problem with baking). That's the starting point that I constructively think why does it went wrong.
I was right, it was not my way of cooking, it was the limitations of my baby (Westy) which was not pointed out to a novice baker like me (I just realized I should have asked at least a culinary student that time haha).

My first trial of Brazo the Mercedes (see how it failed BIG TIME) O_o

Now, I am a proud baker (which until now, I am considering myself novice), to present my recipe for Brazo de Mercedes, to share for those who wanted to bake simple cakes and inspire them to bake more. (Don't worry peeps, I know the feeling and I completely understand how it feels to be frustrated for I have been there MANY MANY TIMES *_^). I hope this simple post of mine would encourage and our starters out there to love baking :)

BRAZO DE MERCEDES RECIPE: (inspired by PANLASANG PINOY RECIPE)

Ingredients for the Custard Filling:

-10 egg yolks

-1/2 c. condensed milk

-3/4 c. evaporated milk

-1/4 c. ground almonds (optional)

-1 tsp. vanilla

-2 tbsps. unsalted butter

-lemon juice/lime juice

Ingredients for the Merengue Roll:

-10 egg whites

-1 tsp. cream of tartar

-1 c. sugar

-1 tsp. vanilla

Procedure for the Custard Filling:

1. Separate egg whites with the egg yolk. Make sure that the bowls are clean and free from oil

2. Beat the yolks, condensed milk & evaporated milk until desired consistency. It should be done on a heavy saucepan or a double boiler. Keep on stirring to avoid scorching.

3. When desired consistency was achieved, add the butter, vanilla and the lemon juice. Lemon or lime juice should be according to your taste. Fold in the almonds.

4. Cover with a plastic food wrapper or a parchment paper to avoid forming of skin.

5. Let it cool.

Procedure for the Merengue Roll:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 340° F/170° C.

2. Line a 15" x 10" baking tray with baking paper. Baking paper must be higher than the sides. Grease it or spray with a non-stick baking spray.

3. Beat the egg whites and the cream of tartar until frothy (bubbles form).

4. Gently pour sugar until stiff peaks form (but not dry). You will be able that it is in it's peak form if the merengue doesn't fall down when the bowl is in it's upside down position.

5. Whisk in the vanilla extract.

6. Spread evenly the merengue batter. Using a cake comb, draw a line to make a design. (You may use a fork)

7. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until the merengue is golden brown.

Procedure in assembling the Brazo de Mercedes Cake Roll:

1. Let the merengue cool down. You will notice that the merengue deflates but do not panic. That is normal.