Chocolate Ganache Buttercream Food

PERFECT CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE WITH GANCHE BUTTERCREAM- RICH, DENSE AND DELICIOUS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 345 (370 for high altitude)
• Prepare three 8 or 9 inch round cake pans (if doing 8 inch pans I suggest 3 inches tall pans, or four of the 2 inch tall 8 inch pans) I use parchment paper circles on the bottom and a non stick spray on the sides
• Melt the baking chocolate in double broiler (or in a bowl over a simmering pot of water) then let it cool.
• In a large bowl, or bowl of a mixer add the sugar, flour, soda and salt and whisk together.
• In a separate bowl (or a large glass measuring cup) mix the boiling water and cocoa and let sit for a min (this lets the cocoa bloom and bring out a richer flavor)
• Then add the sour cream and oil and whisk.
• Add the wet mixture in a stream to the dry ingredients and mix until blended.
• Add the lightly beaten eggs slowly while beating on low.
• Add the cooled melted chocolate and mix until uniform in color.
• Bake at 345 40-45 mins (raise the heat by 25 degrees and lower the time by 5 mins for high altitude)
• Place the chocolate into a large bowl
• in a saucepan heat the cream - until just about to simmer
• Pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 mins - then stir
• Let the ganache cool to room temp
• Beat butter and add 1 C powdered sugar
• beat in the corn syrup
• add more powdered sugar 1/2 cup as a time until you achieve a thick buttercream
• pour the ganache into the buttercream and beat.
• Chill for 5-15 mins in the fridge, beat again, chill, beat, chill, beat - until your happy with the thickness

CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE WITH VANILLA BUTTERCREAM FROSTING AND CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE

Steps:

• To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil 3 (10-inch) cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Alternately, oil the pans and then flour them.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the brown sugar and oil. Turn on the mixer to a low speed and mix in the eggs. Let the sugar, oil, and eggs mix while sifting together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Set this mixture aside.
• In another small bowl, mix the vanilla into the milk and set this aside as well. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the cocoa and whisk it until it is smooth. To the egg mixture, alternately add the flour mixture and the milk mixture beginning and ending with flour. With the mixer off, scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition. With the mixture at a low speed add the cocoa. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and pour this mixture into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cake for approximately 15 minutes or until tester comes out clean. When cake layers have cooled, remove from pans and refrigerate until cold.
• To make the frosting: In an electric mixing bowl place the soft butter and beat it on a low speed while adding powdered sugar. When all the sugar is mixed in, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the vanilla and salt and let the mixer beat for 5 to 7 minutes on a medium speed. Fill and frost the cake and refrigerate it for 10 to 20 minutes to set up the frosting.
• To make the ganache: In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips and the corn syrup. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk it until smooth then set it aside.Pour ganache over the top of the cake and, with a cake spatula, smooth the top of the cake and allow ganache to spill over the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer.
• Serve the cake cold or allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth. Stir in the rum if desired.
• Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

VANILLA SHEET CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE-GANACHE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9‐by‐13‐inch baking pan. Beat butter with sugar, baking powder, and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and yolks, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition and scraping down sides as needed. Beat in both vanillas, then flour in three additions, alternating with milk and beginning and ending with flour. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until a tester inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cool completely.
• Buttercream: Place chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream and corn syrup to a boil. Pour mixture over chocolate; let stand 2 minutes, then stir until smooth. Let cool 30 minutes.
• Beat, gradually adding butter, until all has been added and buttercream is silky and smooth. Continue beating, scraping down bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 1 minute more. Makes about 3 cups. Use immediately.
• Assembly: Spread buttercream evenly over cake. (Leftovers can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, up to 3 days.)

CHOCOLATE GANACHE DRIP CAKE

Steps:

• Butter three 20cm round cake tins and line with non-stick baking paper. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and smooth. Gradually beat in the eggs until combined, then mix in the vanilla. Fold in the flour and baking powder until everything is combined. Stir in the milk to loosen.
• Bake the sponges for 20 mins until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 mins, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the Swiss meringue buttercream. Put the egg whites and sugar into a heatproof bowl over a small pan of gently simmering water. Make sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk for 3-4 mins until the sugar dissolves. Put into an electric mixer and whisk for 10 mins over a medium-high speed until you have a thick meringue.
• Gradually add the butter into the meringue mixture for 5 mins until incorporated and the buttercream is fluffy.
• Put one sponge onto a plate or cake stand, top it with a few tablespoons of the buttercream and spread into an even layer. Add the next sponge, and repeat. Top with the final sponge.
• Smooth a thin layer of the buttercream around the cake, so all the sides are coated - this is called a crumb coat. Chill in the fridge for 45 mins. Remove and smooth a thick layer of the remaining buttercream around the cake using a palette knife, reserving a little for decoration. Put back in the fridge for 45 mins-1 hr to set.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache. Put the dark chocolate in a bowl and heat the cream in a small pan until just steaming. Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave to melt for 5-10 mins. Stir to make a glossy ganache, then set aside to firm up a little - you want it to be pourable but not too runny. Spoon the ganache over the top edge of the cake, encouraging it to drizzle down the side with your spoon - start at the back of the cake to get the hang of it. Fill in the middle of the top of the cake with chocolate too. Leave to set for 10 mins.
• To decorate, put the leftover buttercream in a piping bag with a round nozzle and pipe little dots on top of the cake. Decorate as you like, remove any flowers before eating.

CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE WITH SWISS BUTTERCREAM AND GANACHE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Put the cocoa powder and chocolate in a medium bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until the chocolate is melted. Whisk in the sour cream until smooth; let cool to room temperature.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla, beating well after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Beat in the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cocoa mixture in 2 additions. Finish mixing gently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. Tap the pans against the counter to eliminate any air bubbles. Bake until the cakes spring back in the center when gently pressed, 35 to 40 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edges and turn out the cakes onto a rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment.
• Make the frosting: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the egg whites, granulated sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over the saucepan (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water); cook, whisking, until the sugar dissolves, the egg whites are frothy and the mixture is warm, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and beat with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form and the mixture cools to room temperature, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time, waiting for them to incorporate before adding more. (The mixture will become liquidy, then it will get thick and shiny once the butter emulsifies. It may also look curdled as you add the butter. It's OK: Keep adding butter and beating.) Add the vanilla and beat until combined and fluffy, 3 to 5 more minutes.
• Cut each cake in half horizontally to create 4 layers. Place 1 layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Spread about 2/3 cup frosting on top, then repeat with the remaining cake layers, spreading more frosting in between them. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the top and sides of the cake (this is the crumb coat - it doesn't have to be perfect), then refrigerate until the frosting sets, about 30 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting all over the top and sides of the cake, smoothing it with a bench scraper.
• Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming, then pour over the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Set aside until cool but still pourable, 20 to 40 minutes (the time will vary depending on the temperature and bowl). Pour the ganache on top of the cake and spread with a small offset spatula, letting it drip down the sides. Let the ganache set 20 to 30 minutes before slicing.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CARAMEL IRISH CREAM BUTTERCREAM AND DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• For the chocolate cake layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment, then spray with nonstick baking spray.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and coffee and mix on low speed until the butter "grabs" a lot of the dry ingredients--otherwise you will have a poof of cocoa powder and flour to contend with! Turn the speed up to medium and mix until well blended, about 1 1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn the mixer to low and add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until each one gets incorporated. Scrape down the bowl, add the vanilla and mix a little longer, 10 to 15 seconds.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool on racks for 10 to 15 minutes, then invert onto plastic wrap and wrap well. Place in the freezer for 8 hours or overnight. When ready to use, thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, for 1 hour before cutting.
• For the caramel Irish cream buttercream: Place the egg whites and sugar in a metal bowl and set over simmering water. Whisk constantly until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is very thin and warm. Remove from the heat and pour the sugar mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Turn to low speed and continue to whip until the bowl is cool to the touch.
• Turn the speed to medium and beat in the chunks of butter. (The mixture may appear curdled at first, but continue beating and it will come together.) Add the vanilla extract, then the liqueur and a little bit of the dulce de leche until it achieves a creamy texture.
• (If your buttercream has sat for a while and lost its creamy texture, re-beat it before using.)
• For the dark chocolate ganache: Place the chopped chocolate and cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir thoroughly with a fork or whisk, then microwave on 50-percent power for 1 minute; stir again. If there are some chunks in there, allow to sit for a few minutes, then re-stir. If necessary, continue with one or two more 15-second intervals at 50-percent power, being careful not to overheat the mixture. Add the vanilla if using.
• Spray a piece of plastic wrap with nonstick spray, then cover the bowl, with the sprayed portion pressed directly against the surface of the ganache to prevent a skin from forming. Allow to sit until completely cool and set.
• Assemble the cake: Use a serrated knife to cut the cake layers horizontally into 4 layers total. Smear a little buttercream on a serving plate, then top with a cake layer. Spread some ganache on the first layer, then spread some buttercream about 1/4-inch-thick on top of the ganache. Spread some buttercream on a second cake layer, then invert it to top the cake layer on the serving plate (buttercream will face buttercream). Repeat with the remaining layers of cake, topping each layer with ganache and then buttercream, and covering with a layer spread with buttercream, buttercream-side down. Once you have topped the cake with the last cake layer, use an offset spatula to smooth out any icing squishing out of the sides of the cake. Coat the entire cake with a thin layer of ganache for a "crumb coat." Place the cake in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to firm up. Ice the cake with the remainder of the buttercream. Serve right away, or keep chilled. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water.
• In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, milk, vanilla and icing sugar until smooth.
• Add the cooled melted chocolate and beat again until thick and creamy. If the mixture looks too runny, continue to beat.

CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE WITH TOFFEE SAUCE, CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND VANILLA ICE CREAM BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Whip the granulated sugar and eggs with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Meanwhile, put the coffee, butter, vinegar and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the chocolate and butter are melted, about 3 minutes; then whisk together until well-blended. In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; whisk together. Add the oil and sour cream to the bowl with the chocolate mixture and mix well.
• Add a third of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix well to incorporate. Then mix in half of the chocolate mixture. Continue to alternate with the flour and chocolate mixtures, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally and finishing with the flour. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Fill each pan slightly below the top edge (you may not use all the batter). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the top of each. Bake until the centers bounce back when touched, 30 to 35 minutes.
• For the toffee sauce: Melt together the butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepot and cook until simmering. Remove from the heat, then add the heavy cream and vanilla, and stir. Return to the heat and allow the sauce to boil for another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a metal mixing bowl. Cool completely, then refrigerate.
• For the chocolate ganache: Place the chocolate chips, heavy cream and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 3 minutes. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ingredients are incorporated. Cool in the fridge until the consistency is like a paste.
• For the buttercream: Add the egg yolks to a mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until light.
• In the meantime, mix the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Wet a pastry brush with water and wash down the sides of the pan to avoid crystallization. Continue to cook until the sugar syrup registers 235 degrees F (softball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and, with your mixer running constantly at medium speed, immediately but slowly pour the hot sugar into the egg yolks in a steady stream.
• Continue to beat with the mixer until the mixture cools down completely. Add the butter, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Continue to beat until all of the butter is incorporated and the icing is smooth, glossy and spreadable (see Cook's Note). Add some buttercream to a pastry bag.
• To assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate. With the pastry bag, pipe a border around the top edge of the cake layer for a "frosting dam" to hold in the toffee sauce. Poke holes into the top of the cake layer and pour at least 1/4 cup toffee sauce (or more to taste) over the top so that it penetrates the cake. Then spread a thin layer (about 1/8-inch thick) of ganache over the top. Put in the freezer for 5 minutes to make the ganache solidify. Then spread a layer of buttercream over the top of the chilled ganache. Generously sprinkle some English toffee bits over the buttercream and drizzle with more toffee sauce and ganache. Place the second cake layer on top and ice with the buttercream. Drizzle the top with more ganache and toffee sauce, then sprinkle toffee bits over the top. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered. Take out of the fridge 1 hour prior to serving, to bring to room temperature.