Chocolate Cake With Chocolate Orange Frosting Food

ORANGE OMBRE BIRTHDAY CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F; position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Spray three 9-by-2-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line the bottom of each with parchment paper. Spray the parchment. Set the pans aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk, oil, orange juice and zest; set aside.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the wet ingredients, and beginning and ending with the dry.
• Pour one-third of the batter into a medium bowl, add 1 or 2 drops of orange food coloring, and stir to combine. Pour into one of the prepared cake pans.
• Pour another third of the batter into the same bowl and add 3 or 4 drops of food coloring. Stir to combine, then pour into the second cake pan.
• Add 5 or 6 drops of food coloring to the remaining batter and stir to combine. Pour into the third cake pan.
• Bake the cake layers until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Cool in the pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Then invert the cakes, peel off the parchment and let cool completely on wire racks. Trim the tops if domed.
• To assemble the cake: Place the darkest cake layer on a cake stand and frost the top completely. Stack the next darkest layer and again frost the top. Stack the final layer and frost the top and sides of the cake. Slice to serve.
• Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl set over (not in) a pan of gently simmering water. Heat until the chocolate is melted, then stir until smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and let the chocolate cool to room temperature.
• In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar on medium speed until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Add the cream and beat until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.

CITRUS LAYER CAKE WITH ORANGE AND CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease two nine-inch round pans, line bottoms with parchment paper and grease the paper. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
• In a separate bowl, cream butter and grated orange and lemon zests. Sift dry ingredients into creamed butter and add about 3/4 cup (177 milliliters) milk. Mix until flour is dampened then beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Add remaining milk and eggs and beat on low for 1 minute more.
• Divide batter between two pans and smooth the top. Bake for 25 minutes or until the cake rebounds to touch when pressed.
• Cool cake in pans on cooling rack for 10 minutes, and then remove from pan. Discard parchment paper and turn cakes right side up on racks. Let cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Cream butter and gradually add about a third of the confectioners sugar, blending well after each addition. Add pasteurized egg, then remaining sugar and milk, using enough liquid to give a good spreading consistency. Add orange extract and salt and blend thoroughly.
• Remove 1/2 cup of frosting to a small bowl and stir in melted chocolate. Cover with a damp cloth or paper towel and save for decorating cake. Place one round on cake plate and spread with orange frosting. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate or candy corn, if using. Top with second cake layer. Frost sides from top edge down over the sides. Spread remaining orange frosting on top and spread to edge. Pipe chocolate frosting. Let stand till frosting is dry.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE-ORANGE FROSTING

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Sift all purpose flour, sugar, whole wheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Add 3/4 cup water, oil, juice concentrate, vanilla, and vinegar and whisk to blend. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack. Carefully cut around pan sides and turn out cake onto serving platter.
• For frosting:
• Place chopped bittersweet chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted and smooth. Carefully transfer bowl to work surface. Cool melted chocolate to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat "butter" in large bowl until smooth. Add powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon juice concentrate, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons juice concentrate; beat until blended. Beat in agave nectar, then chocolate. Let stand 10 minutes. Frost top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made up to 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.
• Also called whole grain pastry flour; available at some supermarkets and at most natural foods stores.
• ** A natural sweetener made from the sap of agave succulent plants; sold at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Beat 1 1/2 cups of unsalted butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle or whisk attachment until smooth.
• Mix in 1 1/2 tsp orange emulsion or extract, 2 Tbsp fresh orange zest and 1/2 tsp salt on a low speed.
• Slowly mix in 3 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup dark cocoa powder on a low speed. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream halfway through adding the powdered sugar to make it easier to mix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl as need with a rubber spatula.
• Pour in 2 cups of cooled, melted chocolate. Mix on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
• If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, add in another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Repeat until the frosting is the right consistency.
• Stir by hand with a rubber spatula to get the frosting SUPER smooth. Then cover the plastic wrap and set aside until you're ready to use it. This frosting tastes delicious on cupcakes, layer cakes, macarons, and cookies.

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE WITH ORANGE CREAM-CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F; lightly butter three 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with an 8-inch circle of parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Set aside.
• Make the batter: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside.
• Beat butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer set on medium speed until fluffy.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light.
• Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.
• Divide the batter among the pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean - about 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove cakes and cool. (For cupcakes: Heat oven to 375°F; place cupcake liners in standard cupcake tins and fill each with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 22 minutes).
• When cakes are cool, trim each of the layers. Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one third of the frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. (To ensure that cake layers do not shift, cut three skewers to 1/4 inch shorter than the full height of the cake and insert them before icing the top layer). Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• To prepare frosting: Blend the cream cheese, butter, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy - about 3 more minutes. Add the food coloring and gently stir until the color is uniform. Chill the frosting until ready to ice the cupcakes or cake.

WACKY CHOCOLATE-ORANGE CAKE WITH ORANGE FROSTING

Steps:

• ---- THE CAKE ----.
• Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
• Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt into an 8" x 8" baking pan.
• Make 3 holes in the dry ingredients.
• Place oil in the first hole, vinegar in the second hole, and vanilla in the third hole (again, I kid thee not- trust me on this one!).
• Pour orange juice over everything and mix well.
• Spread batter evenly in the pan and bake in dish that the batter was mixed in.
• Bake 30 minutes or until center is firm.
• Allow to cool.
• Refrigerate leftovers (if any).
• ---- THE FROSTING ----.
• Combine gelatin, orange juice, and cold water in small saucepan.
• Let stand until thick.
• Place over low heat, stirring constantly, just until gelatin dissolves.
• Remove from heat and cool, but do not allow to set.
• Whip cream, sugar and vanilla until slightly thickened.
• While beating slowly, gradually add gelatin to whipped cream mixture.
• Whip at high speed until stiff.
• Spread thickly on the cake.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven. Grease the cake pans with 1 tablespoon butter, then dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, tapping out any extra. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and remaining 1 1/2 cups cocoa powder. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar and remaining 3 sticks butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs one at a time. On low speed, add the salt directly to the wet ingredients, then add half of the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Add the sour cream and mix until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently incorporate the remaining flour mixture with a rubber spatula. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Spread half of the batter in each of the prepared pans. Tap the pans lightly on the counter so that the batter settles. Place the pans on the center rack of the oven and bake until a tester or small knife inserted in the center emerges clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool for at least 30 minutes. Unmold onto a rack. Cool to room temperature, 1 1/2 to 2 hours more.
• Mix together the bourbon and the simple syrup in a bowl. Set aside.
• For the frosting: In a medium pot, bring the heavy cream to a simmer. In a medium oven-safe bowl, combine the chocolate and sugar. Place the bowl on top of the pot with the heavy cream to melt. Once the cream is simmering, pour it over the chocolate mixture and stir until all of the chocolate has melted and you have a glossy ganache. Gently stir in the vanilla, followed by the butter pieces. Set aside to let cool to room temperature.
• Transfer the chocolate mixture to the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the frosting for 1 to 2 minutes to lighten the texture.
• Put the cake layers on a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Using a pastry brush, brush about half the bourbon mixture on each cake layer. Frost the top of the bottom layer, then stack the other layer on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Beat first 5 ingredients with mixer until blended.
• Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Stack on plate, spreading 3/4 cup frosting between each layer. Frost top and side with remaining frosting.
• Microwave chocolate and COOL WHIP in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool 15 min.; spread over top of cake, allowing excess to drizzle down side. Keep refrigerated.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE-ORANGE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper rounds. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Cool to barely lukewarm.
• Sift flour and next 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Whisk milk and yogurt to blend in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, butter, and lavender in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in melted chocolate until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; remove parchment and cool completely.
• For buttercream frosting:
• Stir 8 ounces chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Cool until barely lukewarm but still pourable. Mix cocoa powder and 7 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until smooth and thick but still pourable, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if necessary. Cool.
• Beat butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and orange peel in large bowl to blend. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gradually add remaining 3 2/3 cups powdered sugar and beat until frosting is smooth. Mix in Grand Marnier.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over top of cake. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. Mound chocolate curls in center of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.)
• *Dried lavender blossoms are available at natural foods stores and at some specialty foods stores and farmers' markets.