Cakes #1 and #2 - Birthday Party for the Hubby with Black Heart

Well, The Husband... he is not black-hearted at all, rather the opposite. We just call him black-hearted because he thinks there are no other colours in the world but black. 

Unfortunately there are not too many edible things that would be black but whenever I can, I do cook him black food. - Black pudding, black beans, licorice, salty licorice, cakes burned black in the oven decorated with black icing, pata negra ham, blackberries, back olives and squid ink spaghetti. - However, how consistent he may be with the colour of his clothing, he does not drink his coffee black!

This birthday cake I made for him was a basic chocolate sponge, exactly same recipe I used when making my Chocolate Dream Tree Cake. For filling I used three chopped bananas, 200 g raspberries and whipped cream (of about 250 ml cream). The topping was also whipped cream (500 ml) and icing (coloured with black food colouring) which I piped randomly over the cake and then slightly mixed it with the whipped cream to create a "tie dye" -look.

The second cake I made for The Husband's birthday - for birthday dinner appetizer - was a Smoked Salmon Cheesecake. It is fairly easy to compile (don't be afraid of using gelatine leaves and whipping egg whites!!) and it takes only 3-4 hours to set in the fridge before serving. It looks good on a coffee table, too.

Smoked Salmon Cheesecake

Base
300 g wholewheat soda bread, crumbed
100 g butter, melted

Filling
400 g Philadelphia Salmon & Dill Cream Cheese
200 g creme fraîche
100 g smoked salmon, finely chopped
1-2 pickled dill cucumbers, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
lemon pepper, black pepper
6 gelatine leaves
juice of 1 lime
2 egg whites

Garnishing
Smoked salmon, lime wedges, fresh dill, red onion

1. Mix the breadcrumbs and melted butter together and press firmly on the base of a springform pan covered with baking parchment. Put in the fridge while you make the filling.

2. Soak the gelatine leaves in water for 5 minutes.
3. Mix together cream cheese, creme fraîche, chopped salmon, pickled dill cucumber and red onion, and season with pepper to taste.
4. Heat the lime juice together with the gelatine leaves in microwave so that the gelatine leaves melt. Add to the cream cheese mix.
5. Whip the egg whites until stiff and  fold them very gently into the cheese mixture trying to keep it ‘airy’.

6. Pour the filling on the crust and chill in the fridge for at least three hours until firm.
7. Remove the firm cake from the pan very, very carefully on a serving plate and decorate it with smoked salmon strips, dill, lime wedges, red onion...
8. Serve with salad as appetizer or enjoy with your afternoon coffee or even brunch.