Chocolate Bourbon Cake Wcaramel Whipped Cream Food

CHOCOLATE BOURBON CAKE WITH CARAMEL WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• for frosting: Stir sugar and water in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar disolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until syrup turns a deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pot with wet pastry brush (about 12 minutes). Add 2 c. whipping cream (mixture will bubble up). Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 c. cream and stir until all caramel bits are melted and mixture is smooth, about 4 minutes. Pour into large bowl and refrigerate overnight (can be made 2 days ahead). for cake: Preheat oven to 350. Butter two 9-inch cake pans with 2-inch high sides. Add parchement paper to bottoms and butter them. Dust with cocoa. -Melt unsweetened chocolate chips slowly on low power in microwave. Set aside to cool. -Sift cake flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. -Beat unsalted butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add brown sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix in melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix in 1 c. boiling water and blend well. Divide between cake pans. Bake about 35 minutes, or until tester comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and cool completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (can be made 2 days ahead). Beat frosting to stiff peaks. Add 1 Tbsp. bourbon. Cut each cake layer in half horizontally, creating 4 layers. Place one layer on cake plate. Brush with 2 Tbsp. bourbon and then frost. Repeat process with remaining layers and then frost outside. Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Refrigerate.

JOHN WHAITE'S CHOCOLATE CHIFFON CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL BUTTER CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 25cm round deep cake tin with baking parchment. In a large bowl, mix the oil, egg yolks, vanilla paste, caster sugar and 200ml water until well combined. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
• Sift in the flour, bicarb and 1 tsp salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold into the batter with a large metal spoon and mix until everything is well combined.
• Gently pour the mixture into your cake tin, then bang it on the work surface twice to expel any large air pockets. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins or until the cake springs back when gently prodded and an inserted skewer comes out clean. (Cover with foil after 1 hr if the cake starts to get too dark.) Remove from the oven, cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a large wire rack and peel off the parchment. Leave until the cake is completely cool.
• Make the salted caramel icing while the cake bakes. Heat the brown sugar, ½ tsp salt and cream in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Bubble for a few mins, then leave to cool completely. Beat the butter until smooth, pour in the cooled cream mixture and continue mixing until softly whipped. Chill until needed.
• To make the ganache, heat the cream until just boiling. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for a few mins until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth sauce consistency. Leave to cool at room temperature until the ganache is a pipeable thickness, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. To finish the cake, slice in half and fill with the salted caramel buttercream. Pipe tall spikes of chocolate ganache on top and decorate with the sea salt crystals. Will keep for up to 2 days in a cool place.

BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft mounds form. Gradually add sugar, whipping until cream forms stiff peaks. Gently fold in bourbon. Chill until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY CAKES WITH BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut out 4 rounds of parchment paper to fit just inside bottom of each mold, then set rounds aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, then brush molds with some of it. Line bottom of each mold with a round of parchment and brush parchment with some melted butter. Chill molds 5 minutes (to set butter), then brush parchment and side of each mold with more melted butter. Chill molds 5 minutes more. Dust molds with flour, knocking out excess, and set aside.
• Simmer cranberries and 1/4 cup bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat until cranberries are tender and bourbon is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Melt chocolate and remaining stick butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.
• Pulse pecans with flour (2 tablespoons) in a food processor until finely ground, being careful not to process to a paste.
• Beat together yolks and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until just combined, then stir in pecan mixture and cranberries.
• Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl using cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Divide batter among molds (they will be very full), then put molds in a shallow baking pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a cake comes out with tip wet and remainder of pick dry, about 25 minutes. (Batter will rise above rims but will not spill over.) Transfer cakes to a rack and cool in molds 30 minutes. (Cakes will continue to set as they cool.)
• Beat cream with confectioners sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons bourbon in a small bowl using cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.
• Remove side from each mold, then slide each cake from bottom onto a dessert plate, discarding parchment. Lightly dust each cake with confectioners sugar and serve with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream.

BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• In a chilled small glass bowl and using chilled beaters, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar, bourbon and vanilla; beat until soft peaks form. Store in the refrigerator.