Cookerati

  Once I tried out the orange pudding cakes, I decided to do the Mocha Pudding Cakes from the same cookbook. The recipes are very similar, so if you can do one, you can do the other – it’s really not difficult. The orange are still my favorite, but the Mocha are very close behind. It was right before my daughter left for school again and she loves coffee, this was no exception, she loved these too. 

Ingredients:

• softened butter for the ramekins
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup granulated sugar (2/3 cup & 1/3 cup)
• 3 large eggs (separated at room temperature)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa
• 2 tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 plus 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups strong brewed coffee (at room temperature)
• 1/3 cup whole milk( at room temperature)
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter 8 ramekins and place in a baking dish.  Position a rack in the center of the oven that the baking dish will be place on. 

In a large bowl, whisk cooled butter, 2/3 cup sugar and the egg yolks until smooth and light @ 1 minute.  Add the cocoa, flour and salt and pour in just enough coffee to whisk the flour smoothly into the egg yolk mixture.  then whisk in the rest of the coffee, milk and vanilla until smooth. The mixture will be fluid.

Put the egg whites in a large bowl.  Beat on medium until the whites begin to foam, 30 – 60 seconds.  Increase to high and beat until the whites hold soft peaks, another 1 – 2 minutes.  reduce speed to medium.  Slowly sprinkle in 1/3 cup sugar.  Stop and scrape the bowl.  Beat on high speed until the whites hold medium-firm peaks another 30 secs.

Scrape 1/3 of the egg whites onto the egg yolk mixture, whisk until combined. Gently fold and stir the remaining whipped whites into the batter, using the whisk.  The batter will still be thin. Pour the mix into the ramekins filling them to within 1/8 of the top.  Pull out the center oven rack out and place the baking dish with the ramekins on it.  Pour water in the baking dish around the ramekins up to half way up the sides.  Bake until the tops of the cakes are light golden and slightly puffed.  They should feel spongy and spring back a bit, but hold a shallow indent – about 25 – 30 min.  Using tongs, transfer the ramekins to a cooling rack.  Let cool to room temperature, then put into the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.

I also whipped up some cream for the top, I think the extra creaminess on top made it even more special. Put your bowl and beaters in the freezer for a little bit before whipping.  Put the ingredients into the bowl and with a mixer (and cold beaters) whip until soft peaks form.  Refrigerate until used.

Ingredients:

• 1 pint whipping cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs powdered sugar