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Moist sponge and a decadently thick layer of dark chocolate mousse, this cake to filling ratio is a game changer.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

115g self raising flour

115g caster sugar

115g cake margarine

2 medium eggs

2tsp cocoa mixed with 1tsp boiled water

For the filling:

200g dark chocolate

6 eggs, separated

25g caster sugar

Pinch of salt

For the topping: 200ml double cream

20g dark chocolate, grated

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 160C/140C (fan)/gas mark 3. Grease and line two 15cm round cake tins in preparation.
  2. Whisk together the baking margarine and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in the flour, 2 medium eggs, and cocoa until a smooth batter has formed.
  3. Divide the batter between the two cake tins. Bake in the oven for 20-25 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool completely.
  4. Break the dark chocolate into squares. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl suspended over a pan of simmering water (being careful not to let the bowl touch the water). Set aside to cool.
  5. Separate the egg whites and yolks into two bowls. Whisk the caster sugar into the egg yolks.
  6. Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and whisk until soft peaks form.
  7. Whisk the melted chocolate into the egg yolk mixture. Add the egg whites a third at a time, gently folding into the chocolate mixture to retain as much of the air as possible. Refrigerate for one hour.
  8. Line a cake tin with a strip of greaseproof paper. Place one of the cakes at the bottom of the tin. Add the mousse and top with the second cake. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
  9. Whip the double cream until firm peaks form. Remove the cake from the tin and paper. Top the cake with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings. In the unlikely event of having any left over, refrigerate and consume within 2 days.

While the debate is still going about how we can safely return to our favourite pubs and restaurants, we shine the light on the coolest London restaurants bringing their culinary offerings straight to your couch. Because who says you can’t add a gourmet twist to your Thursday night takeaways?

Casa Calavera brings modern Mexican to your couch

Hakkasan Group has launched an authentic Mexican (virtual) pop-up that you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home.

Casa Calavera was inspired by the traditional Mexican holiday ‘Día de Los Muertos’ and takes delicious culinary cues from the street side taquerias and beachfront restaurants of Mexico.

We can’t stop raving about the mouth-watering tacos which include the Chipotle beef brisket, grilled yellowtail with sirracha and pico de gallo, and grilled cactus with salsa verde and guacamole. Is it Taco Tuesday yet?

Casa Calavera is available online via Supper, Deliveroo, and UberEats.

Mac & Wild serves up the Venimoo DIY Burger Box

Mac & Wild has launched the D-I-Y burger of our dreams and is just the perfect thing to impress at your next socially distanced backyard barbecue.

Mac & Wild’s Venimoo DIY Burger Box includes four beef patties, four venison patties, four brioche buns, and a hefty serving of pickles, lettuce, cheese, onions, bearnaise and red job sauce. Now that’s how you fire up a grill.

Bar Douro delivers the perfect summer sundowner

To accompany those delicious Venimoo burgers, Bar Douro has launched a DIY White Port and Tonic Kit that will soon be your favourite summer sundowner. The cocktail is made with Churchill’s White Port, Fever Tree, and with a zesty orange peel that makes it the just the right drink for afternoons in the sunshine.

Yauatcha unveils rainbow dumplings in support of Magic Breakfast

One of our favourite Chinese dim sum teahouses, Yauatcha, has launched rainbow pot stickers in support of charity Magic Breakfast. The rainbow dumplings are available to order via Deliveroo, Supper and UberEats throughout the month of June, with each box funding a month of breakfasts for a child in need.

The red dumpling is filled with Szechuan tenderloin, the orange with cumin spiced lamb; the yellow with chicken and chive; the green with mushroom and bamboo pith; the blue with seafood and spinach; the indigo with pork and prawn and finally, the violet with truffle sweet potato.

Yauatcha and Magic Breakfast have set the goal of funding 8,000 breakfasts in June. One bite into this colourful array of dumplings, and we’re certain they’ll reach their goal in no time.

Crisp, buttery pastry, salty bacon, tart goats’ cheese and sticky onion jam. Forget what you thought you knew about profiteroles.

This isn’t a recipe, it’s a revelation. When I was younger, I always viewed profiteroles as the grown up’s version of the chocolate éclair. Small and dainty, I didn’t understand why anyone would want a bitesize version of what I considered to be patisserie perfection. But then I grew up and, on becoming the master of my own kitchen, realised that I can make my profiteroles as big as I want, eat as many as I want, and fill them with whatever weird and wonderful combinations that come to mind. That’s when I got what all the fuss was about.

Makes 30 profiteroles

Ingredients:

Choux pastry:

150g plain flour

100g unsalted butter

1tsp granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

4 eggs

Filling:

200g soft goat’s cheese

100g double cream

Black pepper, to season

Topping:

6tbsp red onion chutney

2 rashers smoked streaky bacon

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C(fan)/gas mark 6. Line a tray with baking paper in preparation.
  2. Start the choux pastry by combining the butter and water in a pan and bringing to a rapid boil. Sieve together the flour, sugar and salt in a separate bowl.
  3. Remove the pan from the heat, add the dry ingredients and stir briskly with a wooden spoon. You want to keep stirring until the dough forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the pan. Leave to cool slightly.
  4. Whisk the eggs together in a separate bowl. Pour the beaten eggs into the dough mixture, stirring continuously until it comes together. Use a large spoon or an ice cream scoop to drop large balls of dough onto the baking paper.
  5. Bake the profiterole shells for 30-35 minutes, or until crisp and golden. Leave to cool on a wire rack, poking a hole in the base of each shell to release any steam.
  6. Whip the double cream until soft peaks form. Fold in the goat’s cheese, add some black pepper, and try a little of the mixture to gauge the seasoning. Keep adding and tasting until the balance of pepper to cheese is just right for your palate.
  7. Scoop the cheese filling into a piping bag fitted with a long, thin nozzle. Insert the nozzle into the holes you made in the profiteroles whilst they were cooling, dispensing a generous amount of filling in each shell.
  8. Lightly grill the bacon until the fat is glisteningly crisp. When the bacon is cool, snip it into small pieces using a pair of kitchen scissors. Spread a layer of chutney over each profiterole and sprinkle with bacon confetti whilst resisting the urge to gobble up the entire batch yourself.

With lockdown keeping us from grabbing our morning coffee on the go and forcing us to brew up at home, Sam Trevethyen, Head of Beverage Training & Development at GRIND, shares a nifty skin-saving recipe for those leftover grounds.

Being stuck indoors, lack of fresh air, and general confinement is no fun for our skin. The morning stroll down to the coffee shop for a freshly brewed espresso and catch up with friends has been reduced to Netflix and, well, nothing. If your skincare routine has slipped due to lockdown lethargy and you’re missing your finely roasted coffee hit, the good people at cult East End coffee brand, Grind, have a deliciously eco-conscious solution that’s great for your skin too.

With Grind at Home Nespresso pods, ground or whole bean coffee, you can satisfy your caffeine cravings before using the leftovers to create a spa-worthy skin treatment. Sourced all over the world at better than fair trade prices, Grind coffee uses no pesticides, chemicals or solvents, and features compostable packaging. So now your tastebuds and conscience are satisfied, let’s get your skin ready for some post-lockdown rays.

GRIND Coffee Scrub:

Ingredients:
– 1/2 cup / 64g used Grind coffee grounds
– 1/4 cup / 32g pink Himalayan salt
– 1/4 cup / 32g coconut oil
– Drops of rose extract or vanilla

Method:
Take each of the ingredients and pour them into a bowl, stirring until completely mixed together. You can add more grounds depending on how coarse you want the scrub to be. I made a rough version for my legs/elbows and a finer concoction for chest and shoulders.

Once it’s all mixed, decant it into a reusable jar/pot of your choice. I poured mine into mason jars, but you could also use clean jam jars or an old pot
from Lush Cosmetics (they are already made from recycled plastics). Use once or twice a week to keep your skin beautifully smooth.

Grind at Home can be purchased at Selfridges, Ocado, Holland & Barratt, or direct at www.grind.co.uk