Chocolate Ganache Frosting For Chocolate Velvet Cake Food

CHOCOLATE GANACHE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the chocolate syrup and vanilla. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Don't overbeat, or the cake will be tough.
• Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until just set in the middle. Don't overbake! Let cool thoroughly in the pan.
• For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and instant coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
• Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides. You can tilt the rack to smooth the glaze. Decorate with candied violets, if desired, or gently crumble the gold leaf and place it on the center of the cake. Do not refrigerate.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boil- that's too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate.
• With a metal spoon or small rubber spatula, very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. If it's not melting, do not microwave it. See Troubleshooting Chocolate Ganache in blog post above.
• Ganache can be ready to use as a drizzle or you can let it sit at room temperature to cool and thicken. It will fully cool within 2 hours. Refrigerating speeds this up, but the ganache will not cool evenly. Stir it a few times as it sets in the refrigerator so it remains even and smooth.
• Once completely cool and thick, the ganache can be piped with a piping tip or scooped with a spoon. You can also beat the cooled thickened ganache with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until light in color and texture, about 4 minutes on medium-high speed.
• Cover tightly and store ganache in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once ganache cools completely, you can cover it tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator. To rewarm or thin out again, stir constantly over low heat on the stove in either (1) a double boiler or (2) in a heatproof bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. Don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the simmering water.

GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• Place the chopped chocolate into the bowl of a food processor.
• Heat the heavy cream in a quart-sized, microwavable container and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 2 minutes. Process by pulsing several times until chocolate mixture is smooth. Use as is for glazing. If you wish to make a lighter frosting, allow it to come to room temperature, approximately 2 hours. Once at room temperature, place in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk on high for 2 to 3 minutes.

WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small, heavy saucepan, heat the cream just until it starts to simmer.
• Add the white chocolate, shaking the pan gently to immerse it into the cream, then add the butter.
• Let the mixture stand for 1 minute, then beat with a wire whisk until the chocolate and butter dissolve and the mixture is smooth.
• Refrigerate until mixture is cold, then whip with a wire whisk again until fluffy.
• Use frosting as desired; refrigerate your frosted goodies to firm up the frosting.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• Chop chocolates and transfer into a heat proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Pour cream over the chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, and then stir using a rubber spatula until combined. Add the butter to the chocolate, stirring until combined.
• Sift the powdered sugar and whisk together with salt, milk and vanilla in another bowl until combined. Pour the sugar mixture onto the chocolate mixture, then stir until combined and smooth.Let sit at room temperature until thickened. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes.

CHOCOLATE-RASPBERRY GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat, bring the heavy cream to a simmer; remove pan from heat.
• Add the chocolate chips, preserves, and butter, shaking the pan to immerse the chocolate and as much of the preserves and butter as possible.
• Let stand for 1 1/2 minutes, or until the chocolate has melted.
• Beat the mixture with a wire whisk until smooth.
• Cool until thick enough to use as a glaze; or, cool completely and whip to desired spreading consistency using an electric mixer on medium speed.
• *Trywith milk chocolate or white chocolate chips.
• *.

BOSTON CREAM CUPCAKES WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• MAKE THE CUSTARD: In a small bowl, whisk 1/4 cup milk with the cornstarch until smooth.
• Add the egg yolks and whisk until blended.
• Combine the remaining milk and sugar in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Remove pan from heat and whisk 1/2 the milk mixture into the yolk mixture.
• Return yolk mixture back to the pan and bring to a boil again; boil gently for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
• Remove pan from heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla, and salt; transfer filling to a covered container and refrigerate for several hours, until thickened and completely cool.
• (It's probably easier to make this one day ahead.) MAKE THE CUPCAKES: Preheat oven to 350*F.
• Line 12 jumbo muffin cups with paper liners.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
• Place the sugar in a small bowl; split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a small paring knife into the sugar.
• Mix with a fork to distribute the seeds evenly throughout the sugar; set aside.
• Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together the butter and sugar mixture for 5 minutes, until light and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolks 2 at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping bowl occasionally.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the milk in 2 additions; blend until smooth.
• Reserve a scant 2 cups batter; spoon remaining batter into the prepared muffin tins.
• Center about 2 Tbsp.
• custard filling over the batter in each cup; completely cover with reserved batter.
• Bake cupcakes for 22-24 minutes, in 2 batches, or until the tops are golden brown and set.
• Cool for 10 minutes in the tins on wire racks; carefully remove cakes and cool completely.
• MAKE THE GANACHE: Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat.
• Remove pan from heat and add the chocolate, swirling the pan so that the cream covers the chocolate.
• Let stand for 3 minutes, to melt the chocolate; whisk gently until smooth, making sure to incorporate as little air as possible into the mixture.
• Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Spread an even layer of ganache (about 2 Tbsp.) over each cupcake; refrigerate for 40 minutes to set the frosting.
• Serve at room temperature.

CHILI CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat the cream over medium heat until it bubbles around saucepan edge.
• Place pepper and chopped chocolate in a medium sized bowl.
• Pour heated cream over the chocolate.
• Let the mixture sit for about 30 seconds then start whisking it until smooth.
• Add butter in pats and mix until combined.
• Set aside mixture and stir occasionally with a wooden spoon until cool.
• Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Optionally you can add sifted powdered sugar and beat until combined. This will sweeten the frosting and make it less rich and intense. Also helpful if you are low on chocolate and want to stretch the frosting a bit further.