Chocolate Decadence Cake
Yield:
Makes one 9-inch cake
Active time:
1 hour
Total time:
2 hours
Special equipment:
three 9-inch cake pans, small offset spatula
This recipe appears in:
Let Them Eat: Chocolate Decadence Cake
Ingredients
a.. Butter for greasing
b.. 2 cups (about 8 ounces) sifted cake flour
c.. 1 cup (about 4 ounces) Dutch process cocoa powder
d.. 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
e.. 1 teaspoon baking soda
f.. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
g.. 1 teaspoon salt
h.. 3/4 cups (about 5 1/3 ounces) granulated sugar
i.. 3/4 cups (about 7 1/4 ounces) packed brown sugar
j.. 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
k.. 3 large eggs
l.. 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) sour cream
m.. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
n.. 1/2 cup (8 ounces) sour milk or buttermilk
o.. 3 cups of chocolate buttercream frosting
p.. 3 cups of vanilla buttercream frosting
q.. 2 cups of chocolate ganache, gently warmed and of pouring consistency
Procedures
Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 325°F. Grease three 9-inch
cake pans generously with butter and dust with flour. Set aside.
In medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda,
baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Use an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted
with a paddle attachment to cream together white sugar, brown sugar, and
butter, beating until light and airy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time,
incorporating entirely before adding the next. Beat in sour cream and vanilla.
Add one third of the dry ingredients to the wet, then half of the sour milk or
buttermilk, beating well. Add the second third of the dry ingredients, followed
by the rest of the sour milk, again beating well. Add the rest of the dry
ingredients and mix just until there are no more white whisps of flour. Divide
the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake until a toothpick
inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minute.
Allow cakes to sit in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a
cooling rack to cool completely.
To construct the cake: Level each cake with a cake leveler so they are
perfectly flat. Set your first layer of cake on a cake board and apply half of
the chocolate buttercream to the top, smoothing it around the surface with an
offset spatula. Stack the second layer of cake on top and apply the rest of the
chocolate buttercream to the top, again smoothing it perfectly with an offset
spatula. Top with the third layer of cake and apply a small amount of pressure
to the cake to gently compress the layer. Don't press too hard.
Apply half of the vanilla buttercream to the sides of the cake only, creating a
crumb coat. Set the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. After the icing
has chilled, apply the remaining vanilla buttercream to just the sides of the
cake. Use an offset spatula heated under warm water and then wiped dry to
smooth the vanilla buttercream to a fine finish.
1..
Set the cake onto a cooling rack that has been placed over a rimmed baking
sheet. Carefully pour the warm ganache into the center of the cake, allowing it
to run out and cover the top of the cake. Stop pouring once the ganache reaches
the edges of the top, and allow some-but not a lot-of the ganache to dribble
down the sides. Set the cake in the refrigerator to firm up for 1 hour. This
cake will stay fresh for up to three days if well sealed and kept in the
refrigerator.
Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Classic Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Prep time: 2 mins
Cook time: 3 mins
Total time: 5 mins
Serves: 2.5 cups
Classic American Buttercream frosting. This recipe uses powdered sugar, butter,
vanilla and milk. This is a great recipe for decorating and piping on cupcakes
and cake.
Ingredients
a.. 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks or ½ pound), softened (but not melted!)
Ideal texture should be like ice cream.
b.. 3-4 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, SIFTED
c.. ¼ teaspoon table salt
d.. 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
e.. up to 4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
Instructions
1.. Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on
medium speed. Add 3 cups of powdered sugar and turn your mixer on the lowest
speed (so the sugar doesn't blow everywhere) until the sugar has been
incorporated with the butter. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla
extract, salt, and 2 tablespoons of milk/cream and beat for 3 minutes. If your
frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add remaining sugar. If your frosting
needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk 1 tablespoons at a time.
Super Easy Chocolate Ganache Recipe
Serves: 2 cups
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 15 mins
This chocolate ganache recipe is quick and easy to make. Use it as a lovely,
luxurious chocolate cream to frost pastries and cakes.
Ingredients
a.. 12 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely (or use
chips)
b.. 1/2 pint of heavy whipping cream
c.. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
d.. 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
e.. 1 tablespoon of flavoring, such as espresso or bourbon (optional)
Instructions
1.. Pour chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) into a metal mixing bowl.
Find a pot large enough to comfortably seat the metal mixing bowl without the
whole bowl dropping down inside - you are creating a double-boiler here. Set
the chocolate aside. Fill the pot halfway with water and set over heat to boil.
Once boiling, let sit over low flame to keep hot.
2.. Set the chocolate aside. Fill the pot halfway with water and set over
heat to boil. Once boiling, let sit over low flame to keep hot.
3.. Stirring constantly, heat whipping cream, butter, vanilla, and flavoring
in a small saucepan to just about boiling, but don't let it actually come to a
boil. You should see bubbles forming around the edges of the pot. If you're
using a thermometer, heat it to about 180 degrees.
4.. Set the bowl of chocolate into the pot of boiling water, creating a
double boiler. Immediately pour hot cream over chopped chocolate and whisk
until completely smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
5.. See below for frosting tips!
That's it! I told you ganache was easy, didn't I? You don't even have to
directly heat the chocolate, so there's no chance of scorching or seizing it.
In fact, if you're ever made truffles, you've made ganache. And if you've never
made truffles, see how easy it is?
When frosting a cake - with any type of frosting - you'll want to create a
crumb coat, which will prevent random crumbs from ruining the smooth coating on
your cake:
1.. Place cake on a wire rack, which is placed over a piece of parchment to
catch any falling ganache.
2.. Brush away any loose crumbs.
3.. With a cake spatula, spread a few tablespoons of ganache over the top and
sides of cake, then refrigerate for a few minutes to set the coating.
To finish frosting your cake, pour the rest of the ganache in the center of
your cake and quickly spread with a spatula. Use sweeping strokes to push the
ganache over the sides and create an even layer over the whole thing. Cover any
bare spots with extra icing.
Refrigerate any leftover ganache for future use, but seal it well and use it
quickly as it will capture bizarre flavors in your refrigerator!
a.. To make a glaze or coating: use one part cream to three parts chocolate.
b.. To make a truffle filling: use one part cream to two parts chocolate.
c.. To make a light filling: use one part cream to one part chocolate.
d.. Refrigerated ganache can be whipped for fillings and frostings or formed
into truffles.
e.. When warm, it can be poured over whatever you like to make a smooth,
shiny glaze.
f.. When chilled it can be spread like regular frosting.
g.. If covering a cake with ganache that is to be refrigerated, make sure the
cake is cold before frosting. This will ensure that the ganache does not dull
when stored in the refrigerator.
~ Enjoy the recipes and bon appettit ~
Arlette Arthur
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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