April 2009 – Page 3 – Realniches.com

The Best Belgian Chocolate Cake Recipe

When you are looking for the best chocolate cake recipe you can find, you should look no further than a Belgian chocolate cake recipe. This particular Belgian chocolate cake recipe is especially delicious, and a real treat to eat and look at.

Ingredients

There are a few different ingredients that you will need for this Belgian chocolate cake. For it you will need 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, ? cup unsalted butter cubed and softened, 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 4 eggs separated, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, and chocolate topping.

For the chocolate topping you need ? cup unsalted butter softened, 1/3 cup superfine sugar, 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate melted, and 1/3 cup canned evaporated milk.

Preparation

The preparation of this Belgian chocolate cake is incredibly simple. For the cake, in the top of a double broiler you want to melt the chocolate over simmering water until smooth with no lumps at all. Then you want to let it cool slightly, and in a bowl cream the softened butter and sugar until fluffy, after which you beat in the melted chocolate and egg yolks until smooth.

Sift flour over the chocolate mixture and fold in, and then in another bowl you need to beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture using a whisk until no white streaks remain, and then butter a nine-inch spring-form pan, dusting lightly with cocoa powder.

Make sure that you shake off the excess and then you evenly spread the cake batter into the pan, and bake in a preheated oven at 350?F for about 35 minutes until you can place a cake tester in the middle of the cake and have it come out clean.

Now for the topping of the Belgian chocolate cake, you simply cream the butter with the sugar in a bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy, and then stir in the melted chocolate and evaporated milk until smooth. Spread over the top and sides of the cake.

Just make sure that both the cake and icing are smooth separately before trying to ice the cake, otherwise the frosting will end up getting hot and melting right off the cake, leaving it looking ugly and leaving you with a big mess.

This is absolutely one of the most delicious Belgian cake recipes you will ever prepare, and one that everyone is absolutely going to love. It is sure to become a staple in your home after you make it for the first time.

Collecting the Sun’s Rays with Solar Power Water Heating

Converting over to solar power water heating takes some research to make sure the proper water heating unit is being installed for the climate in which the individual lives. The majority of the solar power water heating units are designed to work well in climates where is does not drop to freezing temperatures much, if any, during the course of the year.

The reason for this is because the water in the pipes of the system will freeze and damage the system, as the sun’s rays are not enough in freezing temperatures to keep it moving through the pipes without freezing. These solar power water heating systems are effective means of heating the water supply for a home or for commercial use, and also can be used for solar pool heating, thus saving expenses and the environment.

Types of Materials and Systems

One piece of equipment that all solar power water heating systems need is the solar collector which enhances the sun’s rays and converts them to energy. There are three different types of solar collectors on the market today. The first is the flat plate collector which has a glaze on it and is insulated. They contain a plate that is designed to absorb the sun’s rays and lies beneath at least one cover plate, which is usually made of either glass or plastic, although with swimming pool plates they are often made of metal. Another type of collector in solar power water heating is the integral collector or batch system. In this system the water passes through the tubes that are contained in an insulated, glazed box which collects the sunlight and preheats the water. The third system uses evacuated tube solar collectors, and is usually only used in commercial settings.

There are two basic types of systems in solar power water heating: active and passive. The active systems have a sort of pump that moves the water or the antifreeze through the pipes so that it can be heated by the collection plates. The passive systems hold the water in a collection container where the solar panels are so that it can be heated and then move by way of the hot water rising to the top, into the storage tank. Each system has its benefits, with the active systems being more effective at heating the water and the passive systems typically lasting longer and being more reliable. Both systems use a backup heater in the storage tank so that it can be used when there are a series of cloudy days outside and the water cannot be heated by the sun.