Tuesday 24 May 2011

Happy Birthday Chef Robert: Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake

Bonjour Y'all....

It is another beautiful day because it is my papa's B-day! I don't think he will be very thrilled with my announcing this tiny fact on the world wide web, but what he doesn't know- yet - is that this post is my birthday present to him!!!!

My papa is cool! I am proud that he is my dad, because he is a succesful, inspiring and wise man with patience and advice at any time of the day. He is my 'go to' in a million different situations and talking to him makes me think twice about whatever is bothering me - saves the € on a shrink eh?! Lucky me! Anyways, he has made his life his own, doesn't mind what others think, all the while remaining the most respectful man I know. I don't think I have ever seen him being rude or angry to anyone (outside of the house), and that makes him an inspiration.

Most importantly, I can share my love and passion for food and wine with him. I will never forget one of the best summers of my life where I spent a month at my parents house in Brussels because of several non- important-to-mention reasons. Many would ask me: 'seriously?? and you enjoyed this?', and I would honestly answer 'YES!' My daily tasks consisted of: sleeping in, breakfasting, choosing recipes to cook, do groceries, tan, walk the dog, sleep some more, read and start cooking.... and drinking once my dad came home and got the bottle of wine to match dinner from the wine cellar'. My idea of a SPA!

The coolest part is that I can enjoy lots of wine with my dad! How many peeps can say that? Priceless are the moments I spent in the garden, on a terrace, in a restaurant getting tipsy with my paps and talking about literally everything in life.

Dad, you're cool and I love you and I am proud to be your daughter!
Happy happy happy birthday!

A birthday deserves a birthday cake:


Ingredients:

  • 200gr softened butter
  • 200gr bio sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 200gr whole weat flour
  • 1 teaspoon soda
  • 12gr baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 250gr strawberries chopped in little pieces
  • 200gr chocolate chips

How to make it:
Start by heating up the oven at 170-180 degrees Celcius.
Grease a circular cake form of circa 24 cm diameter, with some extra butter.
Mix the butter and sugar into a light creamy mixture - make sure you use a big bowl because you need to mix in many ingredients.
After which you add the eggs one by one mixing while you add them.
At this point you add the flower and baking powders into the bowl. Mix well but not too long, as you don't want the cake to become too tall by rising too much.
At the very end, you mix in the strawberries and chocolate chips. Do this manually because if you use an electric mixer you will squash the fresh strawberries and that would be a shame.
Pour the mixture into you cake shape and place it in the preheated oven
Usually it takes around 30-40 minutes to bake a cake, but this one needed an hour because of the wet ingredients. Use pin to check when it's ready - if it comes out clean, it's done!

Outcome: MMMMMMMMMM.... one of the best inventions I have ever created. And many people, whom I made eat the cake can testify! The only thing that bothered me was that the strawberries en choc chips sank to the bottom instead of spread out in the cake --> any suggestions on what I can do to prevent this from happening?????

Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake
Buon Appetito
Chef Steph

3 comments:

  1. Wow. Strawberries and chocolate in a CAKE?? I am SO there!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is one tasty sounding cake Steph! In the past I have always folded the fruit and chocolate bits into a bit of the flour from the recipe which is supposed to help keep them from sinking. It usually works, except when I forget to do it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Marie!!!!! That is a good and much needed tip! Planning on making an apricot cake this weekend and will try to remember to fold them in some flour before adding them to the batter! :)

    ReplyDelete