Croquant cake

This is one of my favourite cakes, and i usually reserve it for celebrations. It is fairly easy but involves several steps. It is basically a sponge cake with a praline butter cream filling topped with caramel and chocolate ganache.
This recipe was adapted from this link

http://www.mahjoob.com/en/forums/showthread.php?t=260503

Sponge Cake: (23 cm pan)
Ingredients:
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• vanilla
• 4 tbps melted and cooled butter
Method:
- beat eggs and sugar until color is pale and they double in size
- add vanilla
- mix together in a separate bowl the flour and baking powder, and then add to egg mixture
- fold in butter
- bake in 350 for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Butter Cream:
Ingredients:
• 4 egg whites
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 cup butter, room temperature..soft
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
Method:
-Place the egg whites in a large bowl of a electric mixer and beat with the whisk attachment until the whites are foamy and they begin to thicken
(just before the soft peak stage)
-Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water, making sure the bowl is not touching the water. Then, whisk in the sugar by adding 1-2 tablespoon of sugar at a time over a minutes time. Continue beating 2-3 minutes or until the whites are warm (about 120 degrees) and the sugar is dissolve...The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows
-Remove from pan and with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on
med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes
-Place the butter in a separate clean mixing bowl and, using the paddle attachment, cream the butter at medium speed for 40-60 seconds, or until smooth and creamy. On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2
Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute. Add the vanilla bean seeds and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.

Praline Paste:
Ingredients:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup almonds
Method:
-Line a pan with parchment and lightly oil so that the praline doesn’t stick to the paper
-Put the sugar in a heavy skillet. Heat on low flame for about 10-20 min until the sugar melts around the edges. Do not stir the sugar. Swirl the pan if necessary to prevent the melted sugar from burning. Brush the sides of the pan with water to remove sugar crystals. if the sugar in the center does not melt, stir briefly.
-When the sugar is completely melted and caramel in color, remove from heat...Stir in the nuts with a wooden spoon and separate the clusters. Return to low heat and stir to coat the nuts on all sides. Cook until the mixture starts to bubble.
-Then onto the parchment lined sheet and spread as evenly as possible. As it cools, it will harden into brittle.
-Break the candied nuts into pieces and place them in the food processor. Pulse into a medium fine crunch or process until the brittle turns into a powder. To make paste, process for several minutes. Store in an airtight container and store in a cook dry place.
Do not refrigerate

Caramel Sauce: (double the quantity)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
30 grams butter
1 cup heavy cream (heavy cream=whipped cream...one envelope makes 2 cups of whipped cream, we need one cup for the caramel sauce and another one for the chocolate ganache)

Method:
-In a heavy saucepan set over low heat, combine the sugar and water and heat just until the sugar is dissolved. Add the butter.
-Let it come to a boil and cook until it reaches a golden caramel color. Remove from the heat and add the cream ( it will splatter and get crazy but don't fear and trust the
recipe ). Whisk to combine and put back on the stove. Let it come to a boil again over low heat and cook 10-15 minutes until you reach a nice creamy consistency.

Chocolate Ganache:
Ingredients:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate ( the whole pack it
• 5oo gram so chop out 3 lines=9 blocks
Method:
-Heat the cream and chocolate blocks in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle
boil. then slowly stir..add oil if necessary(I added 1 teaspoon)The glaze will thicken, but should still be pourable. If it doesn’t thicken, refrigerate for about 5 minutes, but make sure it doesn’t get too cold


To assemble:
Brush some coffee on the cakes instead of syrup. Mix the butter cream with the praline paste , spread between the two cake layers. Cover the cake with the caramel sauce , then when it cools cover with ganache. Let the cake cool before you eat it

Pound cake

Although I was skeptical about the success and taste of this cake due to its high butter content and little ingredients, it turned out very nice and just as perfect as the different recipes described it. While it may be a dense cake, it is very smooth in texture and has a distinct buttery flavor. While most recipes don't use baking powder I prefer to use 2 tsp as I don't like cakes that don't rise well. You can also add chopped dried fruits, chocolate chips or nuts to the cake by adding them with the flour before it is combined with the butter.


Adapted from an allrecipes.com recipe

Ingredients:
• 2 cups butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 6 eggs
• 4 cups flour
• 1 cup milk/cream
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp محسن كيك (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Grease 2-3 loaf pans (depending on their size). Sift the flour and baking powder together, in a large bowl cream the butter & sugar until light & fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add in the محسن كيك. Beat in the flour alternating with the milk/cream, mixing until incorporated. Pour evenly in pans, and bake for 70 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool for at least 30 min then take out the pan and let it cool for at least a day or few hours in the fridge before slicing it.