Chocolate Ganache For Miniature Chocolate Cakes Food

MINI CHOCOLATE GANACHE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Make the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 24-cup mini-muffin pan with paper liners. Combine the chocolate, cocoa powder and brown sugar in a large bowl; add the hot coffee and whisk until smooth. Let cool to room temperature.
• Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk the egg, egg yolk, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla into the melted chocolate mixture. Add the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. Spoon a scant tablespoon of batter into each mini-muffin cup. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Combine the heavy cream, corn syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat; add the chocolate and whisk until smooth, then let cool to room temperature. Fill a large bowl halfway with ice water. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a medium bowl; then carefully place it in the ice water and let sit, stirring every few minutes, until the frosting is thick enough to spread, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe onto the cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FOR MINIATURE CHOCOLATE CAKES

Steps:

• Put chocolate in a dry metal bowl. In a small saucepan, scald cream; pour immediately over chocolate. Let stand for a few minutes, then stir gently until smooth.
• Pour half the ganache into a bowl and refrigerate until cold but not solid. Whip until lighter in color and stiff enough to spread; use as soon as possible. Keep remainder over a bowl of warm water until ready to use.

MINI CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH DARK-CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Cakes: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush mini muffin tins with butter, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, in a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water; remove from heat and let cool. Stir together cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl until a smooth, loose paste forms; set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat together butter and sugars with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated. Beat in vanilla, cocoa mixture, and melted chocolate. Beat in half of flour mixture, then sour cream. Beat in remaining flour mixture just until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
• Spoon 2 tablespoons batter into each mini muffin cup. Bake until puffed and a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out with moist crumbs attached, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cakes cool in tins 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to let cool completely.
• Ganache: Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over high heat. Place chocolate in a small bowl. Pour cream over chocolate, let stand 1 minute, then stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.
• Assembly: Pour 1 teaspoon ganache over each cake. Let stand until ganache is set, about 30 minutes. Shave block chocolate with a peeler and place curls on top of cakes.

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Make génoise:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Butter an 9-inch round cake pan (about 2 inches deep) and line bottom with a round of parchment paper or foil.
• In a small bowl whisk together cocoa powder, flour, cornstarch, and baking soda.
• In a metal bowl whisk together whole eggs, yolk, sugar, and salt until combined. Set mixture over a saucepan of simmering water and continue to whisk until lukewarm. Remove bowl from heat and with an electric mixer beat mixture at high speed until it has cooled and doubled in volume.
• Sift one third cocoa mixture over egg mixture and fold together. Sift and fold in remaining cocoa mixture, half at a time, in same manner. Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Bake génoise in middle of oven for 30 minutes, or until it is firm to the touch and pulls away slightly from side of pan. Invert génoise onto a rack and immediately invert onto another rack to cool right side up. Génoise may be wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled 1 week or frozen 1 month. Thaw génoise before assembling cake.
• Make ganache:.
• In a saucepan bring cream, butter, and corn syrup to a boil over moderate heat and remove pan from heat. Add chocolate, swirling pan to submerge chocolate in hot mixture, and let stand 3 minutes. Whisk ganache until smooth and transfer to a bowl. Chill ganache, covered, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
• Assemble cake:.
• Let ganache stand at room temperature until slightly softened and pliable but still cool. With a whisk or electric mixer beat ganache just until light and fluffy.
• Remove parchment paper from génoise and with a long serrated knife cut cake horizontally into 3 rounds.
• Invert top layer of génoise onto a springform pan base or a 9-inch cardboard round and brush with one third syrup. Spread layer with half of jam and spread one third ganache over jam. Top ganache with middle layer of génoise and repeat layering of, jam, and ganache. Top with third layer of génoise. Spread top and side of cake with remaining ganache. Chill cake until ganache is set, about 30 minutes. Cake may be assembled ahead, wrapped in plastic wrap, and chilled 5 days or frozen 1 month. Thaw cake before proceeding.
• Make glaze:.
• In a saucepan bring cream to a boil and remove pan from heat. Add chocolate, swirling pan to submerge chocolate in hot cream, and let stand 2 minutes. Whisk glaze until smooth and pour through a sieve set over a bowl. Cool glaze to room temperature.
• With cake on a rack set over a pan (to catch drips) pour glaze through sieve onto center of cake. Quickly spread glaze evenly over top and sides of cake with a long, narrow, metal spatula. Let cake stand until glaze is set, about 5 minutes.
• Garnish cake with raspberries and keep at cool room temperature until ready to serve.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE MINI-CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Place miniature paper baking cup in each of 60 mini muffin cups. Make cake batter as directed on box. Fill muffin cups three-fourths full (about 1 heaping tablespoon batter each).
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Place chocolate in medium bowl. In 1-quart saucepan, heat whipping cream just to boiling; pour over chocolate. Let stand 3 to 5 minutes until chocolate is melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in liqueur. Let stand 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture coats a spoon.
• Meanwhile, by slowly spinning end of round handle of wooden spoon back and forth, make deep, 1/2-inch-wide indentation in center of top of each cupcake, not quite to bottom (wiggle end of spoon in cupcake to make opening large enough).
• Spoon jam into small resealable food-storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut 3/8-inch tip off 1 corner of bag. Insert tip of bag into opening in each cupcake; squeeze bag to fill opening.
• Spoon about 1 teaspoon ganache onto each mini-cake. Garnish each with raspberry. Store loosely covered.