Chocolate Cake With Whiskey Cream Food

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH WHISKEY CREAM

Steps:

• Line the base and sides of a 20cm/8" round deep cake tin with greaseproof paper. Lightly oil and dust with a mixture of 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon caster sugar.
• Beat the eggs with the sugar until thick and pale. Sift the flour with the cocoa powder. Fold gently into the egg mixture one third at a time, adding the water with the last third. Pour into the prepared tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees, gas mark 5 for 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• When cold, slice the cake horizontally into three layers. Place bottom layer on serving plate, spread with some apricot jam, drizzle half the whiskey (the other half save for the chocolate topping) and cover with half the cream. Cover with second layer of sponge and the remaining cream. Top with the last layer.
• At this point you can choose whatever topping you prefer. You can just dust with icing sugar, or cover with the chocolate topping (see below) and garnish with rosettes of whipped cream, chocolate flakes or grated chocolate.
• TO MAKE CHOCOLATE TOPPING , break 250 grams (8oz) dark chocolate into a bowl over a pan of hot water, add 1 tablespoon of whiskey, add 15 grams (1/2 oz) of butter and stir until the chocolate has melted. Add one beaten egg and 1 tablespoon of double cream.

CHOCOLATE WHISKEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350~F.
• Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with wax paper; butter and flour paper.
• Combine raisins, walnut and whiskey; let stand 30 minutes.
• In double boiler over hot, not simmering water, melt chocolate.
• In bowl with mixer at high speed beat butter and 1 cup granulated until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until light and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium; beat in chocolate.
• Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour and salt. Stir in raisins and walnuts.
• In another bowl beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Beat in remaining granulated sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, until stiff peaks form. Stir 1/3 of mixture into chocolate batter to lighten; fold in remaining mixture. Spoon batter into pans.
• Bake 35-45 minutes or until inserted toothpicks comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; peel of waxed paper and cool on racks.
• Frosting:.
• In bowl with mixer at high speed beat cream with confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form.
• Spread top of 1 cake layer with whipped cream; top with other layer. Spread top and sides of cake with remaining whipped cream. If desired, sprinkle cake with chocolate shavings and curls.
• Let chocolate stand in warm place 1 square on wax paper. In short strokes, slide vegetable peeler across surface; repeat with second square.
• Press shavings onto sides of cake. For curls; place remaining chocolate on wax paper; pull peeler across in long, thin strokes.

WHISKEY- AND BITTERS-INFUSED CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH BITTERS-ORANGE MARMALADE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For the bitters-orange marmalade ice cream: Combine the cream, milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the temperature reaches 140 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a small bowl until well blended.
• When the milk mixture reaches 140 degrees F, whisk in the eggs and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 170 degrees F. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Whisk in the marmalade, bitters and orange zest. Refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Freeze the cold base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Hold in the freezer until ready to serve.
• For the cherry-orange sauce: Combine the cherries, orange zest and juice, sugar, bitters and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until reduced and slightly thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then puree in a blender until completely smooth.
• For the candied orange zest: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the oranges and cut into very fine julienne. Blanch the zest in the boiling water. Remove with a slotted spoon, discard the water and bring a fresh batch of water to a boil. Blanch the orange zest a second time.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, whiskey, bitters and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, stirring to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved.
• After blanching the zest a second time, transfer it to the simmering simple syrup. Simmer until translucent, 20 to 30 minutes.
• For the bitters salt: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Combine the salt and bitters in a plastic container with a lid and shake well until the salt is completely coated. Pour the salt on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until dried, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• For the cake: Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Spray two 6-cavity 4-ounce pyramid molds (or an 8-inch springform pan) with baking spray
• Heat the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted, then stir in the sugar and mix until well combined. Whisk in the eggs until just mixed. Add the flour and mix until just combined.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared molds and bake for 20 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for the springform pan). The cakes will not look done, but will firm up on cooling.
• For the whiskey-bitters spray: While the cakes are baking, combine the whiskey and bitters in a clean spray bottle.
• As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, spray the tops with the bitters spray. Let the cakes cool slightly, 3 to 5 minutes, then remove them from the molds and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Spray the cakes 3 more times as they cool. Dust the cooled cakes with cocoa powder
• Place the cakes onto serving plates and sprinkle each with some of the bitters salt. Spoon some cherry-orange sauce onto each plate next to the cake, then place some of the candied orange zest next to the sauce. Serve with the bitters-orange marmalade ice cream.

CHOCOLATE WHISKEY CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 10-inch springform pan. Dust with 2 tablespoons cocoa powder.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm coffee, Irish whiskey, 12 tablespoons butter and remaining cocoa powder, whisking occasionally, until butter is melted. Whisk in sugars until dissolved. Remove from heat and cool completely.
• In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and cloves. In another bowl, whisk together eggs and vanilla. Slowly whisk egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Add dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Transfer to oven and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack, then remove sides of pan. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if you like.

CHOCOLATE GUINNESS® BUNDT® CAKE WITH WHISKEY WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®). Fit the bottom with a trimmed sheet of parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment.
• Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Whisk beer, buttermilk, and butter together in a separate, small bowl. Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients all at once. Whisk just until the batter is smooth; pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the top gently springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• While the cake is still warm, run a thin metal spatula around the sides of the pan to loosen it; leave in the pan to cool for 5 minutes. Gently remove the cake and let cool completely on a rack before removing the sheet of parchment.
• Whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and whiskey together in a small bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks have formed, about 3 minutes. Serve alongside the cake.