Chocolate Celebration Cake Food

CHOCOLATE CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
• Grease a deep 23cm loose-bottomed cake tin and line the base and sides with a double layer of greaseproof paper.
• For the sponge, smash up the chocolate and melt in a large heatproof bowl with the butter, oil and sugar over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and leave to cool for 10 minutes, then, using an electric hand whisk at high speed, one-by-one beat in the eggs until combined.
• Sift in the flour and cocoa with a good pinch of sea salt and beat for a short while until just combined.
• Pour into the prepared tin and bake for around 50 minutes, or until an inserted skewer comes out ever so slightly gooey (the top of the cake will rise up and crack slightly, but don't worry, it'll end up covered by all your lovely toppings).
• Leave to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Place on a cake stand, use a long knife to carefully slice the sponge into 3 equal rounds and remove the top two sponges to separate plates (scroll down to watch the how-to video below).
• For your mega-crispy chocolatey rice layer, smash up the chocolate and melt with the butter and cream in a large heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water until smooth and glossy.
• Leave to cool for 5 minutes (to avoid soggy cereal!), then stir in the puffed rice until evenly coated. Divide the mixture onto the 3 cooled sponge layers and spread out evenly across the tops, going right to the edges.
• To make the nougat frosting, place the egg whites in a heatproof bowl with the honey, sugar, cream of tartar, a good pinch of salt and a splash of water.
• Place over a pan of gently simmering water, turn up the heat and, with an electric hand whisk, beat for 6 to 7 minutes or until it starts to form peaks.
• Remove the bowl from the heat, add the vanilla extract, orange blossom or rose water and a dot of food colouring (if using), then carry on beating the mixture until thick.
• Leave to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then evenly top each sponge and stack them up nicely.
• To finish the cake off, use a large knife to shave some extra chocolate, then sprinkle it over the top (scroll down for a video to show you how to do this). Add your candles or sparklers, get them lit and indulge in chocolate celebration cake heaven.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350ºF.
• Prepare cake batter and bake in 2 (9-inch) round pans as directed on package. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.
• Microwave chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP.
• Place 1 cake layer on plate; spread with cream cheese mixture. Top with cookie crumbs and remaining cake layer. Spread top with chocolate glaze; let stand 10 min. or until firm. Decorate with icing. Keep refrigerated.

XTRA SPECIAL CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F Grease 2 round 9-inch pans; dust with flour.
• Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
• Mix oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
• Stir oil mixture and water into flour mixture until well blended, about one minute.
• Immediately pour batter into pans, dividing evenly.
• Bake about 35 minutes, until toothpick insterted in center comes out clean.
• Let cool 10 minutes.
• Remove from pans, let cool completely, and frost. Stack the two rounds together to make a double-layer cake.

CHOCOLATE CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Sift the flour twice with the cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of the sugar.
• With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until soft peaks form when the mixer is removed from the batter.
• Add half of the remaining sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add the remaining sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating after each addition.
• Stir in the vanilla.
• Fold the flour and sugar mixture into the egg whites, 1/4 cup at a time, until just incorporated.
• Put the batter in an ungreased 10" tube pan and bake until the cake is springy to the touch, about 1 hour. Invert the pan and let the cake cool completely before removing from the pan. (This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.)
• For the icing and oranges: Whisk the sugar, milk and vanilla or rum extract together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the coconut.
• Drizzle the icing over the cake.
• Serve each slice of cake with orange sections arranged like a fan on the side of each piece.

TRIPLE-CHOCOLATE CELEBRATION CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 10-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; line each with round of parchment paper or waxed paper. Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend well. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs and egg yolks in large bowl until very thick and heavy ribbon falls when beaters are lifted, about 6 minutes. Add oil, sour cream and vanilla, then dry ingredients all at once to egg mixture. Beat at low speed until just blended, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl. Beat at high speed until well blended, about 3 minutes. Fold in chocolate chips; divide batter between prepared pans (about 3 3/4 cups batter in each).
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes completely in pans on racks. Cover; let cakes stand at room temperature overnight.
• Make ganache:
• Bring cream to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Transfer ganache to glass bowl. Let stand until thick enough to spread, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)
• Make mousse:
• Using electric mixer, beat 3 1/3 cups cream in large bowl until peaks form; refrigerate. Combine remaining 1 cup cream and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan and bring to simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted, smooth, and still warm to touch. Pour warm chocolate mixture directly onto whipped cream and fold in gently. Chill until mousse is set, at least 8 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Assemble and serve cake:
• Cut around pan sides; turn out cakes. Peel off paper. Cut each cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on 9-inch tart pan bottom or 9-inch cardboard round. Place another layer, cut side up, on clean baking sheet. Spread each with 1/3 cup raspberry jam. Chill until jam sets, about 15 minutes
• If ganache is chilled, microwave on defrost setting in 15-second repetitions until just soft enough to spread, stirring occasionally. Drop 1 cup ganache by rounded teaspoonfuls over each jam layer. Using offset spatula, gently spread ganache to cover jam. Drop 3 cups mousse by heaping spoonfuls onto each ganache layer; gently spread to cover. Refrigerate cake layers 30 minutes. Using large metal spatula, place cake layer from baking sheet, mousse side up, atop cake layer on tart pan bottom. Place third cake layer, cut side down, on cake (reserve remaining cake layer for another use). Spread 1 cup mousse over top of assembled cake. Using long offset spatula, spread sides of assembled cake with enough ganache (about 1 1/2 cups) to fill gaps and make smooth surface. Transfer cake on tart pan bottom to platter.
• Turn 1 large baking sheet upside down on work surface. Arrange two 20-inch-long pieces of foil on work surface. Cut two 4 1/2-inch-wide by 15 3/4-inch-long strips from transfer sheet. Lay 1 transfer sheet strip, rough-textured design facing up, onto each sheet of foil. Place chocolate in medium metal bowl; set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Stir until chocolate is smooth and very warm to touch (about 115°F). Remove bowl from over water.
• Pour thick ribbon of melted chocolate (about 2/3 cup) onto 1 transfer sheet strip. Using long offset spatula, spread chocolate evenly over transfer strip, covering completely (chocolate will run over sides of strip). Lift edge of chocolate-coated strip with tip of knife. Slide hands between transfer strip and foil, lift entire transfer strip and place it, chocolate side up, on inverted baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate on strip is set and loses gloss but is still flexible (do not let chocolate become too firm), about 1 1/2 minutes. Using fingertips, lift chocolate-coated strip and attach, chocolate side in, to side of cake. Press strip to seal chocolate to side of cake (strip will stand about 1 inch above top edge of cake). Coat remaining transfer strip with chocolate, transfer to inverted baking sheet; chill until set but still flexible. Arrange 1 end of second strip against (but not overlapping) 1 end of first strip. Press second strip to seal chocolate to side of cake (both strips will just encircle cake). Refrigerate cake until chocolate strips are firm, about 30 minutes. Carefully peel transfer paper off chocolate strips. Chill cake at least 3 hours and up to 1 day. Mound fruit atop cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Cake can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead.)