This month's We Should Cocoa challenge was to create something lovely using both rose and chocolate. Choclette really does like to keep us on our toes!!
My first thoughts were to team the rose with some white chocolate - there is something so delicate about a rose (and rose water) that I immediately thought to pair it with the subtle vanilla sweetness of some good white chocolate. White billowy meringues, perhaps? But then life got in the way (as it does), I was getting short on time and I needed a kid friendly, throw it all together type bake.
The kids are not great fans of white chocolate - milk chocolate gets the vote every time! So I decided to play around with one of my stock recipes - add some rose water and see what happens!!
I had a hit and a miss - the cake was very popular, the hint of rose being very subtle, gave an extra dimension (just a little something that stopped you wolfing down a slice and encouraged you to nibble it thoughtfully), it married very well with the milk chocolate, one flavour not overpowering the other. The icing on the other hand was not popular (even with me!!) Firstly the cake was sweet enough and did not need the extra sweet injection of the icing. Secondly the rose and orange flavours (which I thought would be fantastic together) just didn't jell, and thirdly it was all just too much when combined. Luckily I only iced a small section of the cake - so there was plenty of happy munching!!
Chocolate Rose Cake
200g butter
200g caster sugar
200g milk chocolate
250g self raising flour
1.5 tsp rose water
3 eggs, beaten.
Prepare a 24x33cm (13x10inch) tin by lining with baking parchment paper
Preheat oven to 180 C
Melt the butter and 75g of the chocolate.
Add the sugar and combine.
Gently stir in the flour.
Chop up the remaining 125g of chocolate and add to the batter.
Add the eggs, stirring gently.
Pour into the shallow tin.
Bake for 20 - 30 minutes.
Icing (though I wouldn't bother!)
100g icing sugar, sieved
1 tsp rosewater
orange juice to get to correct texture.
Combine.
Enjoy!
20 comments:
You know you're right, sometimes it is hit or miss. It's really about all the time ,effort and money you put into the recipe, you want it to come out perfect. I'm glad the cake was yummy.
hmm milk choc and rosewater! sounds interesting! i've yet to cook with rosewater yet and def keen to get a bottle when i can get my hands on one!
you're very adventurous and creative in the kitchen it seems :) glad the cake was yummmy!
What a GREAT recipe idea, and Rose Water must have added a very exotic taste to the white chocolate too....funny, I am not a huge icing fan either....looks and sounds delightful!
Karen
Did the cake taste a bit like a Fry's Turkish Delight? My favourite chocolate bar! Pity the icing didn't work but then it means you can save yourself a bit of time next time you make this ;-).
Can't beat kid friendly ... especially when I'm just a big kid at heart ;0)
Looks fab!
Well I don't want you all getting bored ;-) Milk chocolate and rose is my favourite combination. I think it might be rather too sickly in white chocolate - not that I've tried that one. Sorry the icing didn't work out, but glad the cake did. It sounds delicious. Thanks for taking part.
Looks like a beautifully moist cake, and intersting flavours too!
Looks like a great combination. I had a less than perfect frosting on my entry this month as well. At least the cake was good. Icing can be picked off!
oh fun flavors
That looks really lovely, I've never tried rosewater before in a recipe. I must pick up a bottle next time I go shopping :-)
I adore using rose water in recipes Brownieville Girl - I've only done a little experimenting though. Good for you for giving it a go, sounds like it was certainly more 'hit' than 'miss' :)
yum !!!! looks great...
kary
xx
Sounds delicious!!! gloria
oooh, i've never before cooked with rose water, how yummy!
It sounds perfect for a family cake. Children can find plain chocolate rather daunting!
I have tried rose water and it didn't do it for me.
Rita
I would have thought rose and orange would have been exceptional together... cake looks really good though... very sweet but very good!
Yum - rose and chocolate. I'm thinking Fry's Dark Choc Turkish Delight. Very sophisticated flavours in your lovely cake. Sounds like the icing was just gilding the lily.
You were wise not to ice the whole cake ... good thinking when you're experimenting with new flavour ideas! Good that you took the risk on the idea, frustrating that it didn't work. Good try, though!
Chocolate and rose are definitely a winning combination. Shame about the icing but glad everyone enjoyed the cake.
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