The term “cake” has a long history. The word itself is of Viking origin, from the Old Norse word “kaka”. The ancient Greeks called cake plakous, which was derived from the word for “flat”. It was baked using flour mixed with eggs, milk, nuts and honey. They also had a cake called “satura”, which was a flat heavy cake. During the Roman period, the name for cake became “placenta” which was derived from the Greek term. A placenta was baked on a pastry base or inside a pastry case.
The Greeks invented beer as a livener, frying fritters in olive oil, and cheesecakes using goat’s milk. In ancient Rome, basic bread dough was sometimes enriched with butter, eggs, and honey, which produced a sweet and cake-like baked good. Latin poet Ovid refers his and his brother’s birthday party and cake in his first book of exile, Tristia.
Early cakes in England were also essentially bread: the most obvious differences between a “cake” and “bread” were the round, flat shape of the cakes, and the cooking method, which turned cakes over once while cooking, while bread was left upright throughout the baking process. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated during the Renaissance, possibly in Spain.
In modern Greece cake in its today appearance started about 200 years ago in big cities like Athens. Cosmopolitan Greeks who traveled around Europe brought this delicious dessert also here. By word of mouth the recipes started circulating and all housewives were trying to make this new delicious dessert. Each one had a recipe of her own and tried to create the best possible alternative. Later on, cakes started to appear in rural areas as well. Always countryside follows what novice shows up in big metropolitan cities.
Today all households have a list of recipes for making all sorts of cakes from chocolate to vanilla, from layered to bundt, from iced to syrupy ones. Cake is an easy sweet snack that appeals to almost everyone. From young to old from men to women everyone has a favorite type, one that he or she likes to make or eat. I have a bunch of recipes that I have tried and continue to try for the sake of variety and flavor. I think for all of us cake is a fairly simple almost no fuss dessert that has the advantage of standing without refrigerating for at least 3 to 4 days. Now if in a full house by the end of day fourth the cake isn’t finished yet, I think you may want to find another recipe! I made this one this past weekend and today I think there are only couple of pieces left. It was delicious fluffy and very easy to make!
- 240 gr. / 8.5 oz. sugar
- 210 gr. / 7.5 oz. brown sugar
- 200 gr. / 7 oz. corn oil
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 60 gr. / 2 oz. Cocoa, sifted after measuring
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 360 gr. / 12.5 oz. All-Purpose Flour
- 450 gr. / 16 oz. Prepared Earl Grey tea
- 100 gr. / 3.5 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
- About 5 chocolate truffles cut in half for topping
- Preheat the oven to 175° C / 350°F.
- Butter and flour a 25 cm / 10 in. round pan.
- In your stand mixer, add the white and brown sugars, the oil, eggs, and vanilla, and beat at medium speed for 1 minute, until smooth.
- In another bowl combine the cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour.
- Add the dry ingredients to the sugar and oil batter alternately with the warm tea, beating steadily to make a smooth, thin batter.
- Add the chocolate chips and with a spatula stir loosely.
- Spoon the batter into the pan.
- Bake the cake for approximately 60 minutes.
- About half an hour after inserting the cake in the oven place gently on top the half truffles making a round motif.
- Continue to bake until a knife inserted comes clean.
- Remove loosen the round edges and let cool.
- Place it on a platter and serve.
- 240 γρ. ζάχαρη
- 210 γρ. καστανή ζάχαρη
- 200 γρ. Καλαμποκέλαιο
- 2 μεγάλα αυγά
- 2 κ.γ. εκχύλισμα βανίλιας
- 60 γρ. κακάο, κοσκινισμένο αλλά μετά τη μέτρηση
- 2 κ.γ. μπέικιν πάουντερ
- 1 κ.γ. μαγειρική σόδα
- ⅛ κ.γ. Αλάτι
- 360 γρ. αλεύρι για όλες τις χρήσεις
- 450 γρ. τσάι Ερλ Γκρέι
- 100 γρ. σταγόνες σοκολάτας
- Περίπου 5 σοκολατάκια κομμένα στη μέση για την επικάλυψη
- Προθερμάνετε το φούρνο στους 175° C.
- Βουτυρώνουμε και αλευρώνουμε μία στρογγυλή φόρμα με διάμετρο 25 cm.
- Στο μίξερ μας, προσθέτουμε τη λευκή και την σκούρα ζάχαρη, το λάδι, τα αυγά και τη βανίλια, και χτυπάμε σε μεσαία ταχύτητα για 1 λεπτό, μέχρι να ομογενοποιηθούν.
- Σε ένα άλλο μπολ ανακατεύουμε το κακάο, την μαγειρική σόδα, το μπέικιν πάουντερ, το αλάτι και το αλεύρι.
- Προσθέτουμε τα ξηρά συστατικά στη ζάχαρη και το λάδι εναλλάξ με το ζεστό τσάι, χτυπώντας σταθερά για να γίνει ένα απαλό, λεπτό μείγμα.
- Προσθέτουμε τις σταγόνες σοκολάτας και ανακατεύουμε χαλαρά με μια σπάτουλα.
- Βάζουμε το μίγμα στη φόρμα.
- Ψήνουμε το κέικ για 60 λεπτά περίπου.
- Περίπου μισή ώρα αφού βάλουμε το κέικ στο φούρνο τοποθετούμε απαλά στην κορυφή τα σοκολατάκια κάνοντας ένα στρογγυλό μοτίβο.
- Συνεχίζουμε να ψήνουμε μέχρι να βγαίνει καθαρό το μαχαίρι που βυθίζουμε στο γλυκό.
- Με ένα μαχαίρι ξεκολλάμε τις άκρες από τη φόρμα και αφήνουμε να κρυώσει.
- Το τοποθετούμε σε ένα πιάτο και σερβίρουμε.
