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Family Meal

Mother, Homemaker, Baker

NM

Niloufer Mavalvala

Niloufer is a cookbook author and cooking instructor with a great passion for food and a love of world travel.

My mother, Shireen Jamshed Wania, was born 28th November 1937 in Karachi Pakistan and died on 15th May 2021 in Mississauga, Ontario Canada.

She was married for 31 years to a man who worshipped the ground she walked upon. From their home in Karachi they travelled the world together, London being the constant, visiting Kyoto, Tokyo, New Zealand and Australia, the remote Fiji Islands, Africa, and Asia. In Europe they visited almost every country. Trips were made to Hong Kong, India, Jakarta, Iran and Oman and umpteen more — including Canada and the United States, where they even visited Spokane and Amarillo.

Baker extraordinaire, her passion of being a gracious hostess simply transitioned to a very successful home business, baking professionally for friends in Karachi. Her reputation of serving only the finest at her much loved dinner parties gave her the advantage that turned her business into an overnight success story. From simple cookies and brownies, to the most complicated layered terrines like the Fantasia (alcoholic cherry and chocolate mousses covered in chocolate ganache), her creations were so popular her clients flew out her desserts to Islamabad and Lahore on a regular basis.
Perfection ran through her blood, and there was little she let anyone help her with. She suffered from insomnia and sometimes worked 15 to 18 hour days well into the wee hours. A self-confessed chocoholic, her range of chocolate desserts were unmatched. Imported French chocolate was her favorite ingredient and she made a wide range of chocolate cakes. She is still remembered for the best classic cheesecake with and without toppings. Her self-taught decorations were neat and tidy – proudly telling they were homemade and not store bought.

Here I share her Chocolate Dream Cake which all her grandchildren loved and I hope you will too.

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Chocolate Dream Cake

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This cake is dense and rich. One can only eat little slivers. Although this cake will make 10 generous slices, more can eat from it depending on the age group. A bowl of fresh berries, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, a cup of coffee all go well with it.

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 200 grams (7 ounces) butter
  • 200 grams (7 ounces) dark chocolate
  • 9 large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 198 grams (1 cup) fine white sugar*
  • 6 large egg whites, at room temperature

For the ganache:

  • 237 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
  • 15 ml (1 tablespoon) butter
  • 15 ml (1 tablespoon) granulated sugar
  • 375 grams (12 ounces) dark chocolate
  • A few drops of cognac or rum, optional **

*If your sugar is slightly large, run it through a grinder you may have.

**I often like to add a few drops of cognac or rum in my chocolate ganache. It cuts the sweetness and enhances the chocolate flavor.
Add this after it has all melted and before you allow it to cool and turn into the right consistency to become a ganache.

Preparation

  1. For the cake: Preheat oven to 177°C (350°F). In a double-boiler or in a pan over the lowest heat, melt together the butter and chocolate; it should not boil. Set aside.

2. In a large metal bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until light in color and it leaves ribbon-like trails, about 8 minutes. In another large bowl beat the egg whites until soft peaks form (see Note).

3. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg yolks. Once it is all mixed in, start folding the egg whites in thirds. Start with one third and gently and lightly fold them into the egg yolk-chocolate mixture. Repeat with the remaining two thirds. Pour into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 22 minutes. While the cake is baking prepare the ganache.

4. For the ganache: In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter and sugar. Heat  until just warm; do not allow to boil. Add the pieces of chocolate into it. Cover, remove from heat, and and leave to melt for 10 minutes. If desired, add cognac or rum. Mix lightly just until smooth. Allow to cool until it is thick yet soft enough to apply on the cakes.

5. Once the cakes are cooled, loosen the sides, overturn on a cake plate and pour one third of the ganache over the cake. Place the second cake over the ganache and continue to ice the cake with the remaining chocolate ganache.

6. Refrigerate if the cake is for the next day. Remove for at least an hour or two before serving.
The cake will be dense, yet soft to eat.

Note: Egg whites must be clean as a whistle. Even a drop of egg yolk will not allow them to beat well. The bowl and the beaters must be clean for success.

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NM

Niloufer Mavalvala

Born and raised in Karachi, with London, Toronto and Dubai all part of her life, Niloufer has travelled extensively. Passionate about culture through its cuisine she enjoys all cuisines of the world. Self taught, her experience through the years has driven her to write a blog NiloufersKitchen.com and publish two Parsi cookbooks – receiving 3 awards. She strongly believes that while we are identified by race, religion and colour, we share the tightest bonding through food. Her umpteen zoom demos through this pandemic have picked up momentum worldwide making #revivinganancientcuisine one recipe at a time her priority. Niloufer runs regular cookery lessons via Zoom.

Courtesy photo

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