Today's my first culinary post. Generally the only thing I do in the kitchen is tea :P Ok, I might be exaggerating a bit but I'm really not gifted in the cooking department so the following recipe is not mine nor is it carried out by me - I've gorged myself on the Ambassador since I was a kid, my great grandmother made it, my grandmother made it and my mother still does, too. I may give it a try one day but for now I'll just share with you the way to create a truly delicious dessert as described by my mum.
I associate autumn and winter with cozy evenings by the fireplace, with tea and... chocolate which is why I consider the Ambassador perfect for these seasons and cold days, it just melts easily in summer :P
Just looking at these photos makes my mouth water :D But let's get down to work, what you'll need is:
Dough:
1 cup margarine
2 cups white sugar
¾ glass water
baking soda
2 cups flour
3 spoons cocoa
5 eggs
Cream:
3 eggs
6 spoons white sugar.
2 spoons cocoa
1,5 cup margarine
To decorate:
coconut shavings
drilled cherries (about 1,5l jar)
chocolate topping
First the dough:
In a bowl mix 2 cups sugar, 3/4 glass water and 3 spoons cocoa, bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Wait until it cools down and in the meantime beat 5 egg whites until stiff, leave the yolks to use later. Add alternately the rest of the ingredients: 2 cups of flour, yolks and whipped egg whites. Make sure you don't put everything at once but in small doses eg. one yolk, some flour and egg whites, again one yolk and so on until you've added everything. Then add 3 teaspoons baking soda. Mix everything and put on your baking tray covered with bakery paper. Bake for about 25 minutes at 180-200 degrees C.
At this point I should warn you that the Ambasador dough is quite capricious, one day it will grow bigger while another day it'll barely move. But fear not, it doesn't affect the taste or even the look of your dessert :)
After taking your cake out of the oven allow it to cool down. Then cut it in half across the tray like this:
Cut both of the cake pieces into two thinner layers/slices like this:
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| view from the side |
Put two of the slices in your baking tray (layered with tinfoil). Now it's time for the cream.
Mix two spoons cocoa with hot water until the mixture has the consistency of cream. Leave to cool.
Beat 3 eggs and 6 spoons sugar until stiff (it's best to do in a small bowl placed over a pot of hot water). Allow to cool. Take another bowl and mix 1,5 cup margarine with your egg and sugar stiff foam adding it gradually. Make sure it's really well mixed. Then add your cream cocoa.
Let's get back to the baking tray. Spread half of the cream on the previously prepared layer of cake. Cover with the second cake layer and spread the other half of your cream. Cover with drilled cherries. Sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts. Finish up with chocolate topping and decorate with some more walnuts and coconut shavings. Enjoy! :)
The dessert tastes best after a day or so, you may also want to leave in the fridge for some time just to let the ingredients 'settle in' :)
I really hope it was clear enough to follow, if not please ask and I'll try to answer all of your questions.
Have a delicious week and see you soon :)
P.S.
Here's a peak into my little work in progress:
I'm linking this post to:
