Bittersweet Chocolate Orange Poppy Seed Layer Cake Food

ORANGE POPPY-SEED POUND CAKE (LIGHTEN-UP RECIPE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and flour 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2" loaf pan.
• Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt; reserve.
• On medium speed beat granulated sugar, oil and egg whites until blended. On low, beat in poppy seeds, 1 1/2 t zest and flour mixture.
• Beat in 3/4 c milk until smooth.
• Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar with remaining 2 t of milk and 1/2 t zest; pour over cake.
• Garnish with orange zest strips, if desired.

DANA'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C Grease cake tin. Put all the main ingredients into a food processor and mix. Pour into the prepared tin. Bake for at least 50 minutes. (I found I need less time than this). The cake will rise a lot and when cooked the centre should spring back when gently pressed.
• ICING: Mix above ingredients together with enough water or milk to make the icing consistency right. NB: You can make extra icing for a filling if you cut the cake in half horizonally.

LEVANA'S ORANGE POPPY SEED CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the cake: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and orange zest.
• Set aside.
• In an electric mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
• Add the oil and vanilla and beat until just combined.
• Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with the 3/4 cup orange juice.
• Mix slightly after each addition, just to incorporate.
• Add the poppy seeds and mix to incorporate the seeds into the batter.
• Pour the batter into a greased 10-inch springform pan.
• Bake for 1 hour, or until the point of a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
• To make the syrup: While the cake is baking, place the syrup ingredients into a small saucepan and heat until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
• When the cake is done, immediately unmold it from the springform pan.
• Prick it all over with a skewer and brush the syrup all over the top and sides of the cake while it is still hot.
• The cake will absorb all the syrup.
• Let the cake cool completely before serving.

FLOURLESS BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper, butter the paper.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and butter.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the chocolate and butter are melted.
• Gently whisk until smooth.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cognac.
• Let cool.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar until well blended.
• Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
• In the 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy.
• Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form.
• One tablespoon at a time, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
• Continue beating until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.
• Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions.
• Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake until the cake is puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
• Using a small sharp knife, cut around the sides of the cake to loosen it.
• Release the panside.
• Invert the cake onto a wire rack.
• Peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completely.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Make the chocolate glaze.
• Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.
• In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil.
• Using a wire whisk, stir in the honey.
• Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate.
• Whisk the mixture until smooth.
• Cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Assemble the cake.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap from the cake.
• Place the cake on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
• Using a metal spatula, spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
• Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, covering it completely; spread evenly with a metal spatula.
• Drizzle the top of the glazed cake with the melted milk chocolate.
• Serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate.
• Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE ORANGE POPPY-SEED LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Filling:.
• 1 day before: In a bowl, stir together the sour cream, heavy cream and sugar and let the mixture stand, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 24 hours.
• At least 1 hour before: In a metal bowl set over barely simmering water, melt the cocolate, stirring until smooth, and let it cool. Whisk the chocolate, the zest, and the Grand Marnier into the cream mixture and chill the filling, covered, for 1 hour.
• Cake:.
• Line a buttered jelly-roll pan (15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch) with wax paper, butter the paper, and dust the pan with flour, shaking out the excess.
• In a small bowl, stir together the buttermilk, poppy seeds, and the zest.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla until the mixture is just combined.
• Add the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and beating well after each addition until the batter is just combined.
• In another bowl with cleaned beaters, beat the egg whites until they just hold stiff peaks; stir 1/4th of them into the batter to lighten it.
• Fold the remaining whites gently but thoroughly into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly, and bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and the cake springs back when touched lightly. Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack.
• Invert the cake onto the rack and remove the wax paper carefully. With a serrated knife, cut the cake crosswise into 3 equal pieces.
• Glaze:.
• In a heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate with the butter and cream over low heat, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Let the glaze cool to room temperature.
• Assembly:.
• On a rack set over a jelly-roll pan, arrange one of the cake layers. Spread it with 1/3 of the filling; top the filling with another cake layer. Spread the cake with half of the remaining filling and top it with the remaining cake layer.
• Spread the remaining filling onto the top and sides of the cake and chill the cake for 30 minutes, or until the filling is set.
• Pour the glaze evenly over the cake, smoothing it over the sides, and chill the cake for 30 minutes or until the glaze is set.