The chocolate cake had a solid form and taste to it.  It was in the middle moisture-wise, not too moist and not too dry.  The Chocolate Toffee Glaze is more chocolate than toffee.  It takes its flavor from the bittersweet chocolate and a slightly firmer, barely chewy texture from the sugar.  I feel that this is a good cake, but I might not make it again since I am not a fan of chocolate in general.  But the Husband liked it, so you never know when it might re-appear on the table.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Fudge Mini Bundt Cakes

Inspired by Chocolate Fudge Cake by Rose Levy Beranbaum in The Cake Bible

The Ingredients

• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 3 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• Chocolate Toffee Glaze (recipe below)

The Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth.  Cool to room temperature.
3. In another bowl mix together the eggs, 1/4 the cocoa mixture and the vanilla just until incorporated.
4. In a large bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt.  Mix for 30 second to incorporate.  Next add the butter and remaining cocoa mixture and mix for 2 minutes.  Add the egg mixture a little at a time and mix after each addition.
5. Pour mixture into mini bundt pans that have been lightly greased.  Fill only 1/2 – 2/3 full as the cake will rise a lot.  Bake for 20 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before releasing them onto wire racks. Glaze with the Chocolate Toffee Glaze.

Chocolate Toffee Glaze

Inspired by Martha Stewart’s Chocolate-Date Cake with Chocolate Sticky Toffee Glaze

The Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

The Steps

1. Bring butter, light-brown sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt to a boil in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Boil 3 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and whisk in cream. Add chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Let cool until thickened, but still thin enough to pour over the mini bundt cakes.

This month’s Daring Bakers tackle the Caramel Cake.  Now the Caramel Cake is near and dear to my heart.  Each family gathering has my Granny whipping up her infamous Caramel Cake.  Yes, there was one on the Thanksgiving table this year.  And it was devoured before any other dessert.  Including German Chocolate Cake, Red Velvet Cake, and Coconut Wet Cake.Granny’s Caramel Cake is the best.  So Shuna’s Caramel Cake was under a lot of pressure.  It’s had a lot to live up to.  Sadly, it was unable to do it.

This cake involved making caramel syrup and incorporating it with both the cake batter and the frosting.  I was afraid of burning the sugar, so the caramel might have been slightly under-developed.  Even so, the cake tasted OK.  It was a dense cake and the frosting was extremely sweet.  Too sweet for me.  I was only able to enjoy one slice myself before sending it off with my parents to hack away at.  It was fun to work with sugar and I will jump at the opportunity to work with it again.  But I also would choose my Granny’s Caramel Cake any day of the year.

On a side note, I had plenty of left over caramel syrup and was wondering what to do with the leftovers.  After storing it in the pantry for about a week, I had a recipe that called for honey.  After realizing that I was completely out of honey, I thought that the caramel syrup would make a great substitute.  And it did.  I used it in a salad dressing and to caramelize walnuts.  Feel free to experiment with a variety of uses for the caramel syrup!

CARAMEL CAKE with Caramelized Butter Frosting

The Ingredients:

• 10 Tablespoons UNSALTED BUTTER, ROOM TEMP
• 1 1/4 Cups SUGAR
• 1/2 teaspoon KOSHER SALT
• 1/3 Cup CARAMEL SYRUP*
• 2 EGGS, ROOM TEMP
• splash VANILLA EXTRACT
• 2 Cups AP FLOUR
• 1/2 teaspoon BAKING POWDER
• 1C MILK, ROOM TEMP
• *Caramel syrup recipe follows

The Steps:

Preheat oven to 350F
Butter one tall 9″ cake pan.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter until smooth.
2. Add sugar and salt & cream until light and fluffy.
3. Slowly pour room temperature caramel syrup into bowl.
4. Scrape down bowl and increase speed. Add eggs/vanilla extract a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl again, beat mixture until light and uniform.
5. Sift flour and baking powder.
6. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and add one third of the dries.
7. When incorporated, add half of the milk, a little at a time.
8. Add another third of the dries, then the other half of the milk and finish with the dries. {This is called the dry, wet, dry, wet, dry method in cake making. It is often employed when there is a high proportion of liquid in the batter.}
9. Take off mixer and by hand, use a spatula to do a few last folds. making sure batter is uniform.

Place cake pan on cookie sheet or 1/2 sheet pan. Set first timer for 30 minutes, rotate pan and set timer for another 15-20 minutes. Your own oven will set the pace. Bake until sides pull away from the pan and skewer inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing it. Cake will keep for three days unrefrigerated.

CARAMEL SYRUP

The Ingredients:

• 2 Cups SUGAR
• 1/2 Cup WATER
• 1 Cup water for “stopping”

The Steps:

1. In a small stainless steel saucepan, with tall sides, mix water and sugar until mixture feels like wet sand.
2. Brush down any stray sugar crystals with wet pastry brush.
3. Turn on heat to highest flame.
4. Cook until smoking slightly: dark amber.
5. When color is achieved, very carefully pour in one cup of water. Caramel will jump and sputter about! It is very dangerous, so have long sleeves on and prepared to step back.
6. Whisk over medium heat until it has reduced slightly and feels sticky between two fingers. {Obviously wait for it to cool on a spoon before touching it.}

For safety reasons, have ready a bowl of ice water to plunge your hands into if any caramel should land on your skin.

CARAMELIZED BUTTER FROSTING

The Ingredients:

• 12 tablespoons UNSALTED BUTTER
• 1 Pound CONFECTIONER’S SUGAR, SIFTED
• 4-6 Tablespoons HEAVY CREAM
• 2 teaspoons VANILLA EXTRACT
• 2-4 Tablespoons CARAMEL SYRUP
• Kosher or sea salt to taste

The Steps:

1. Cook butter until brown.
2. Pour through a fine meshed sieve into a heatproof bowl, set aside to cool.
3. Pour cooled brown butter into mixer bowl.
4. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, add confectioner’s sugar a little at a time. When mixture looks too chunky to take any more, add a bit of cream and or caramel syrup. Repeat until mixture looks smooth and all confectioner’s sugar has been incorporated. Add salt to taste.

Caramelized butter frosting will keep in fridge for up to a month.
To smooth out from cold, microwave a bit, then mix with paddle attachment until smooth and light.

Have you heard of the Daring Bakers?  A long, long time ago, a group of adventurous food bloggers got together and decided to challenge themselves in the kitchen.  The Daring Bakers were formed and every month they (now we) try a new, challenging, hand-picked recipe.  Interested in joining? Learn more at The Daring Bakers website.

This month it is Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream.  We are allowed to make substitutions and slight variations, depending on the recipe.  I stayed pretty close to the recipe, only omitting the alcohol-based ingredients and changing the frosting from a Swiss buttercream to a cream cheese and butter frosting.

My biggest problem occurred when slicing the single cake into three layers.  The center layer ended up being too thin, split in half, and started sliding out the sides.  That left portions of the cake without the middle layer.  Also, the buttercream was originally too runny for the filling in between the layers.  The firmness was corrected for the decorative frosting.  All in all, I have enjoyed my first leap in to The Daring Bakers and look forward to participating again.

The recipe is very, very long, so I have put it after the jump!

Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream
From Great Cakes by Carol Walter

• 1 Filbert Genoise
• 1 recipe sugar syrup, flavored with dark rum
• 1 recipe Praline Buttercream
• ½ cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
• 1 recipe Apricot Glaze
• 1 recipe Ganache Glaze, prepared just before using
• 3 tablespoons filberts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Filbert Genoise
Because of the amount of nuts in the recipe, this preparation is different from a classic genoise.

• 1 ½ cups hazelnuts, toasted/skinned
• 2/3 cup cake flour, unsifted
• 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
• 7 large egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar, divided ¼ & ¾ cups
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• ½ tsp. grated lemon rind
• 5 lg. egg whites
• ¼ cup warm, clarified butter (100 – 110 degrees)

1. Position rack in the lower 3rd of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10” X 2” inch round cake pan.
2. Using a food processor, process nuts, cake flour, and cornstarch for about 30 seconds.  Then, pulse the mixture about 10 times to get a fine, powdery mixture.  You’ll know the nuts are ready when they begin to gather together around the sides of the bowl. While you want to make sure there aren’t any large pieces, don’t over-process.  Set aside.
3. Put the yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, and beat until thick and light in color, about 3-4 minutes on med-high speed. Slowly, add ¾ cup of sugar.  It is best to do so by adding a tablespoon at a time, taking about 3 minutes for this step.  When finished, the mixture should be ribbony.  Blend in the vanilla and grated lemon rind.  Remove and set aside.
4. Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl of the electric mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed, until soft peaks. Increase to med-high speed and slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of sugar, over 15-20 seconds or so.  Continue to beat for another ½ minute.
5. Add the yolk mixture to the whites and whisk for 1 minute.
6. Pour the warm butter in a liquid measure cup (or a spouted container). * It must be a deep bottom bowl and work must be fast.*  Put the nut meal in a mesh strainer (or use your hand – working quickly) and sprinkle it in about 2 tablespoons at a time – folding it carefully for about 40 folds.   Be sure to exclude any large chunks/pieces of nuts. Again, work quickly and carefully as to not deflate the mixture. When all but about 2 Tbsp. of nut meal remain, quickly and steadily pour the warm butter over the batter.  Then, with the remaining nut meal, fold the batter to incorporate, about 13 or so folds.
7. With a rubber spatula, transfer the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with the spatula or back of a spoon.  **If collected butter remains at the bottom of the bowl, do not add it to the batter!  It will impede the cake rising while baking.
8. Tap the pan on the counter to remove air bubbles and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know the cake is done when it is springy to the touch and it separates itself from the side of the pan.  Remove from oven and allow to stand for 5 minutes.  Invert onto a cake rack sprayed with nonstick coating, removing the pan.  Cool the cake completely.
9. *If not using the cake right away, wrap thoroughly in plastic wrap, then in a plastic bag, then in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. If freezing, wrap in foil, then the bag and use within 2-3 months.

Sugar Syrup
Makes 1 cup, good for one 10-inch cake – split into 3 layers

• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. dark rum or orange flavored liqueur

1. In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the liqueur. Cool slightly before using on the cake.  *Can be made in advance.

Praline Buttercream

• 1 recipe Swiss Buttercream
• 1/3 cup praline paste
• 1 ½ – 2 Tbsp. Jamaican rum (optional)

1. Blend ½ cup buttercream into the paste, then add to the remaining buttercream.  Whip briefly on med-low speed to combine.  Blend in rum.

Swiss Buttercream

• 4 lg. egg whites
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly firm
• 1 ½ -2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier or liqueur of your choice
• 1 tsp. vanilla

1. Place the egg whites in a lg/ bowl of a elevtric 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.
2. 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 dissolved.  The mixture should look thick and like whipped marshmallows.
3. Remove from pan and with either the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and sugar on med-high until its a thick, cool meringue – about 5-7 minutes. *Do not overbeat*. Set aside.
4. 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. *Do not overbeat or the butter will become toooooo soft.*
5. On med-low speed, blend the meringue into the butter, about 1-2 Tbsp. at a time, over 1 minute.  Add the liqueur and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds longer, until thick and creamy.
6. Refrigerate 10-15 minutes before using.

• Wait! My  buttercream won’t come together! Reheat the buttercream briefly over simmering water for about 5 seconds, stirring with a wooden spoon. Be careful and do not overbeat. The mixture will look broken with some liquid at the bottom of the bowl. Return the bowl to the mixer and whip on medium speed just until the cream comes back together.
• Wait! My buttercream is too soft! Chill the buttercream in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes and rewhip. If that doesn’t work, cream an additional 2-4 Tbsp. of butter in a small bowl– making sure the butter is not as soft as the original amount, so make sure is cool and smooth. On low speed, quickly add the creamed  butter to the buttercream, 1 Tbsp. at a time.
• Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or can be frozen for up to 6 months. If freezing, store in 2 16-oz. plastic containers and thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for several hours.

Praline Paste

• 1 cup (4 ½ oz.) Hazelnuts, toasted/skinless
• 2/3 cup Sugar

1. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment and lightly butter.
2. Put the sugar in a heavy 10-inch 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.
3. 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.  **Remember – extremely hot mixture.**
4. 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.

Apricot Glaze
Good for one 10-inch cake

• 2/3 cup thick apricot preserves
• 1 Tbsp. water

1. In a small, yet heavy saucepan, bring the water and preserves to a slow boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the saucepan, add water as needed.
2. Remove from heat and, using a strainer, press the mixture through the mesh and discard any remnants. With a pastry brush, apply the glaze onto the cake while the cake is still warm.  If the glaze is too thick, thin to a preferred consistency with drops of water.

Ganache Glaze
Makes about 1 cup, enough to cover the top and sides of a 9 or 10 inch layer or tube cake

• 6 oz. (good) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, like Lindt
• 6 oz. (¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 tbsp. light corn syrup
• 1 Tbsp. Grand Marnier, Cointreay, or dark Jamaican rum (optional)
• ¾ tsp. vanilla
• ½ – 1 tsp. hot water, if needed

1. Blend vanilla and liqueur/rum together and set aside.
2. Break the chocolate into 1-inch pieces and place in the basket of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Transfer into a medium sized bowl and set aside.
3. Heat the cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, on low, until it reached a gentle boil.  Once to the gently boil, immediately and carefully pour over the chocolate.  Leave it alone for one minute, then slowly stir and mix the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate is melted and incorporated into the cream. Carefully blend in vanilla mixture. If the surface seems oily, add ½ – 1 tsp hot water. 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!

Assembling Cake

1. Cut a cardboard disk slightly smaller than the cake.  Divide the cake into 3 layers and place the first layer top-side down on the disk. Using a pastry brush, moisten the layer with 3-4 Tbsp. of warm sugar syrup. Measure out 1 cup of praline buttercream and set aside.
2. Spread the bottom layer with a ¼-inch thickness of the remaining buttercream.  Cover with ½ of the whipped cream, leaving ¼-inch border around the edge of the cake.  Place the middle layer over the first, brush with sugar syrup, spreading with buttercream. Cover with the remaining whipped cream.
3. Moisten the cut side of the third layer with additional sugar syrup and place cut side down on the cake.  Gently, press the sides of the cake to align the layers. Refrigerate to chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. Lift the cake by sliding your palm under the cardboard. Holding a serrated or very sharp night with an 8-ich blade held parallel to the sides of the cake, trim the sides so that they are perfectly straight. Cut a slight bevel at the top to help the glaze drip over the edge. Brush the top and sides of the cake with warm apricot glaze, sealing the cut areas completely.  Chill while you prepare the ganache.
5. Place a rack over a large shallow pan to catch the ganache drippings.  Remove the gateau from the refrigerator and put it the rack. With a metal spatula in hand, and holding the saucepan about 10 inches above the cake, pour the ganache onto the cake’s center.  Move the spatula over the top of the ganache about 4 times to get a smooth and mirror-like appearance.  The ganache should cover the top and run down the sides of the cake. When the ganache has been poured and is coating the cake, lift one side of the rack and bang it once on the counter to help spread the ganache evenly and break any air bubbles. (Work fast before setting starts.) Patch any bare spots on the sides with a smaller spatula, but do not touch the top after the “bang”.
6. Let the cake stand at least 15 minutes to set after glazing.
7. To garnish the cake, fit a 12 – 14-inch pastry bag with a #114 large leaf tip. Fill the bag with the reserved praline cream.  Stating ½ inch from the outer edge of the cake, position the pastry tube at a 90 degree angle with the top almost touching the top of the cake. Apply pressure to the pastry bag, moving it slightly toward the center of the cake.  As the buttercream flows on the cake, reverse the movement backward toward the edge of the cake and finish by pulling the bag again to the center. Stop applying pressure and press the bag downward, then quickly pull the tip up to break the flow of frosting.  Repeat, making 12 leaves evenly spaced around the surface of the cake.
8. Make a second row of leaves on the top of the first row, moving the pastry bag about ¾ inch closer to the center.  The leaves should overlap.  Make a 3rd row, moving closer and closer to the center. Add a 4th row if you have the room. But, leave a 2-inch space in the center for a chopped filbert garnish.
9. Refrigerate uncovered for 3-4 hours to allow the cake to set. Remove the cake from the refrigerator at least 3 hours before serving.
10. Leftover cake can be covered with foil and kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.