I’ve been preparing some ingredients for the next cake… and so I decided to bake some layer cakes and put them in the freezer.  I like to use this method (baking and then freezing cake layers) bcz I’ve found that the cakes are much more dense and moist this way.  Could be, however, that such is not the case at all and all I really need to do is learn to bake the perfect cake.  Thus, this journey.

I researched recipes for making “homemade” Nutella.  If you’ve never bought or tasted Nutella, you’re in for a tremendous treat the first opportunity you have to get some and dip a spoon into a jar!  There are many ways to eat Nutella — but right from a spoon is my favourite.  Or on vanilla wafers or between layers of cake!  So, since we have hazelnut trees here and have access to chocolate!, I will attempt to make Nutella at home.  The recipes vary somewhat — but most call for the same ingredients: Hazelnuts (toasted and finely ground), rich chocolate, some sweetener (honey, sugar or maple syrup) and some sort of oil (olive, coconut, hazelnut or vegetable).   So… I’ll tell you how this works out.

I also made up some Ganache.  Love it.  I make mine using the 50%/50% ratio of dark chocolate chips and heavy whipping cream.  I bring the cream just up to boiling and then, using my KitchenAid or my Bosch mixer, I slowly begin to blend and then whip the Ganache till smooth.  I use standard Nestle’s dark chocolate chips bcz they’re easy for me to keep on hand and don’t cost as much as fine dark chocolate.  But in the case of making a very-very special cake, I will go the “extra mile” so to speak and buy the ‘better’ chocolate.

So, the Ganache is nice and firm now in the fridge and I will have it all ready for the cake I’m planning to assemble next week!! 🙂

♥ love.