Choca Mocha Walnut Cake Food

CHOCOLATE MOCHA WALNUT PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan and set aside.
• For the batter: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and cocoa powder. Add the walnuts. Set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the milk, butter and chopped chocolate, stirring until the butter and chocolate have just melted.
• Remove from the heat, then add the chocolate mixture to the dry ingredients, add the vanilla extract and egg and mix thoroughly to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.
• For the topping: In a small saucepan over high heat, combine the sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder and coffee, and bring it to a boil while whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth.
• Pour the liquid over the cake batter.
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the cake is set in the middle; the pudding may be visible around the edges.
• Spoon the pudding cake into individual bowls and serve warm.

DORIE GREENSPAN'S MOCHA WALNUT TORTE

Steps:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350°F (180°C).
• Coat a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with butter or baking spray. Line the bottom with parchment and butter or spray the parchment, then dust the pan with cocoa powder. Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
• In a food processor, combine the nuts, 2 tablespoons (25 g) of the sugar, the chocolate, coffee, and cinnamon and pulse, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl often and taking care that you don't process for so long that the walnuts become a paste and the chocolate melts. You want to end up with a bread-crumb-like mixture-it's better to have some discernible morsels than to overdo it.
• Separate the eggs, putting the yolks in a large bowl and the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl that you can use with a hand mixer.
• Working with a whisk, beat the yolks until they're homogeneous. Gradually whisk in 3/4 cup (150 g) of the sugar and then beat until the mixture is pale and your whisk leaves tracks, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in the vanilla. Switch to a flexible spatula and stir in the walnut mixture.
• Add the salt to the whites. Attach the bowl to the mixer stand, if using, and fit it with the whisk attachment. Beat the whites until they are foamy, opaque and just a bit thick, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Beat in the remaining 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar, adding it a tablespoon at a time. Once all the sugar is in, the whites should be thick and glossy-lift the beater(s), and the meringue should hold a pretty peak. If it doesn't, continue to beat for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Using a flexible spatula, scoop out about a quarter of the meringue and add it to the bowl with the egg yolk mixture. Stir everything together energetically so that the whites lighten the thick mixture.
• Scrape the rest of the meringue into the bowl and, being gentle, stir and fold it in. (Without overdoing it, you want to get as much of the meringue into the nut mixture as quickly as possible. If there are a few white streaks, it's fine (better to have streaks than to knock all the air out of the meringue.) Scrape the batter into the pan, swiveling the pan from side to side to settle the batter evenly.
• Bake until the cake feels firm to the touch and has risen and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. (The rise might be higher around the edges, but the middle should lift too.)
• Move the pan to a rack and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, then run a table knife between the cake and the sides of the pan to release the cake. Remove the sides of the springform and allow the cake to cool to room temperature on the rack.
• Rinse a small saucepan with cold water, but don't dry it (this helps prevent the cream from scorching). Pour in the cream, set the pan over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Wait 30 seconds and then, working with a small flexible spatula and beginning in the center of the pan, start stirring the chocolate and cream together. Stir in ever-widening concentric circles until you have a thick, shiny, smooth mixture. Piece by piece, blend in the butter until melted and smooth, about 3 minutes.
• When the cake is cool, invert it, remove the base of the pan and the parchment and turn the cake right side up onto the rack.
• If you want to glaze the cake, now's the time. Put a piece of foil or other drip catcher under the rack, pour the ganache over the cake and use an offset spatula or knife to smooth it over the top. (Alternatively, you can drizzle the ganache over the cake. And if you're using toasted walnuts, sprinkle them over the glaze while it's still warm.)
• Refrigerate the cake until chilled, wrapping it well once it's cold. The cake is good at room temperature, but I prefer it straight from the fridge. It also cuts better when it's cold.
• Serve with whipped cream or crème fraîche or, if you prefer, dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Or don't-it's fine just the way it is.

MOCHA-WALNUT MARBLED BUNDT CAKE (DORIE GREENSPAN)

Steps:

• GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F Butter a 9- to 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. (If you've got a silicone Bundt pan, there's no need to butter or flour it.) Don't place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven's heat to circulate through the Bundt's inner tube.
• Whisk together the flour, ground walnuts, baking powder, and salt.
• Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Put 2 tbsp of the butter, cut into 4 pieces, into the bowl, along with the chocolate, coffee and instant coffee. Heat the mixture, stirring often, until the butter and chocolate are melted and everything is smooth and creamy - keep the heat low so that the butter and chocolate don't separate. Remove the bowl from the heat.
• Working with a stand mixer, preferably with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining 2 sticks of butter and the sugar at medium speed for about 3 minutes - you'll have a thick paste; this won't be light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. The mixture should look smooth and satiny. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients and the milk alternately, adding the dry mixture in 3 portions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients).
• Scrape a little less than half of the batter into the bowl with the melted chocolate and, using a rubber spatula, stir to blend thoroughly.
• If you want to go for the gingko pattern, scrape all of the white batter into the pan and top with the chocolate. If you want a more marbled pattern, alternate spoonfuls of light and dark batter in the pan. When all the batter is in the pan, swirl a table knife sparingly through the batters to marble them.
• Bake for 60 to 70 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the Bundt pan to a rack and let cool for 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool the cake completely on the rack.

FLUFFY COFFEE AND WALNUT CAKE WITH MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325°. Lightly butter three 8"-diameter cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds. Toast 2 cups (250 g) raw walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing halfway through, until golden brown, 12-14 minutes. Let cool. Set aside 1 cup walnuts for serving.
• Meanwhile, cook ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until it foams, then browns, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately stir in ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil or refined coconut oil, melted. Set brown butter mixture aside.
• Pulse remaining 1 cup toasted walnuts in a food processor until coarsely ground (it should be the texture of panko). Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, 2¼ tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ½ tsp. baking soda.
• Process 4 large eggs, 1¼ cups (250 g) sugar, 2 tsp. vanilla extract, and 1 tsp. instant espresso powder in food processor (no need to clean bowl) until mixture is lightened in color and thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir 2 Tbsp. whole milk into reserved brown butter mixture. With motor running, gradually stream brown butter mixture into egg mixture and process until combined. Add dry ingredients and process just until a smooth batter forms. Divide batter among prepared pans.
• Bake cakes, rotating pans front to back after 15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to pull away from the sides of pans and a tester inserted in the centers comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Transfer pans to wire racks and let cakes cool 15 minutes. Run a small knife around edges of each cake to release from pan if needed. Turn out cakes onto racks and remove parchment paper; discard. Turn cakes right side up and let cool completely.
• Combine 8 large egg whites, 2¼ cups (450 g) sugar, ¾ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set over a medium saucepan filled with 1½" of simmering water (bowl should not touch water). Heat, stirring and scraping often with a heatproof rubber spatula, until sugar is dissolved and an instant-read thermometer registers 185°, 10-15 minutes.
• Fit bowl onto stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high, until meringue is shiny and stiff, 8-10 minutes. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla extract.
• With mixer on medium speed, add 3 cups (6 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces, a piece at a time, mixing until incorporated before adding more. Once all the butter has been added, increase speed to high and beat 1 minute. Transfer buttercream in bowl to refrigerator and chill 30 minutes.
• Fit bowl with buttercream back onto stand mixer and add ¼ cup (21 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted if needed, and 2 tsp. instant espresso powder. Beat on medium-low speed, scraping down sides as needed, until combined.
• Using a large serrated knife and long sawing strokes, remove tops of cakes to level if needed. Place a cake layer, right side up, on a cake stand or large plate. Using an offset spatula, spread ¼ cup buttercream over cake, working all the way to the edges. Place second cake layer, right side up, on top; spread another ¼ cup buttercream over cake, working all the way to the edges. Place third cake layer, cut side down, on top, and press lightly to adhere. Spread top and sides of cake with ½ cup buttercream in a thin, even layer. Chill, uncovered, at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours. (If chilling cake longer than 1 hour, cover remaining buttercream in bowl and chill. Bring to room temperature and beat again before using.)