Chocolate Ganache Topped Pound Cake Food

CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE WITH GANACHE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Position oven rack in center. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit. Butter the paper.
• In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt with a whisk to combine. Set aside.
• In a large bowl combine butter and sugar. Using a mixer, beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and mix slightly. Remove bowl from mixer.
• Next, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in one-half of the dry ingredients until almost fully incorporated. Next, fold in the milk, followed by the remaining dry ingredients, again until just incorporated. Careful not to mix too vigorously or the cake will be tough.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the rubber spatula. Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes. Carefully watch the time at the end so that the cake does not over bake!
• Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Place the rack on top of the cooled cake and invert them together. Lift off the pan and peel off the parchment. Turn the cake domed side up and let cool completely on the rack. Cover the cake with a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel so that the outside does not dry out as it cools.
• Meanwhile, prepare chocolate ganache topping. Chop chocolate into fine pieces if necessary. In a medium saucepan, measure cream and allow to boil on stove top. Once cream comes to boil, add chocolate to saucepan. Stir with spatula until chocolate is completely dissolved. Add chocolate over pound cake and spread. Allow to cool for about an 1 hour before slicing.

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.

YUKON CORNELIUS PULL-APART CUPCAKE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12-cup standard cupcake pans with paper liners.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.
• Combine sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, thoroughly mixing after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
• Mix 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined. Mix in 1/2 of the coffee and 1/2 of the sour cream until just combined. Add remaining flour mixture alternately with remaining sour cream and coffee. Do not overmix. Fill the prepared cupcake cups evenly with batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until they spring back lightly when touched, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely, 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Core cooled cupcakes using a knife or cupcake corer, cutting about halfway down. Save cupcake centers for another use (such as for making a batch of cake balls).
• Prepare ganache. Add white chocolate chips and heavy cream to a large, microwave-safe bowl. Heat at 50% power until chocolate is melted and smooth, in 30-second intervals, stirring after each. Mix in crushed candies and peppermint extract until thoroughly combined. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, stirring often.
• Place ganache in a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with a corner cut off. Fill each cupcake to the top with ganache. Allow them to sit until ganache firms up and doesn't "smudge" when pressed lightly with fingertips, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Prepare frosting. Cream butter until smooth in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in 1 cup powdered sugar at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and salt. Add heavy cream and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. If frosting is too thick, add more heavy cream--or if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar until frosting is a spreadable consistency that still holds its shape.
• Place a small amount of frosting in a separate bowl and add yellow food coloring for the ear muffs. Divide remaining frosting in half. To 1/2 of the divided frosting, add cocoa powder and red food coloring to achieve an auburn color. Divide remaining white frosting in half again. Color 1/2 peach using a very light amount of red and yellow food coloring. Color remaining frosting red. Put each into a piping bag fitted with a coupler.
• Arrange cupcakes on a large cake board or serving platter, starting from the top. Begin with 1 cupcake at the top. Follow with a row of 2 cupcakes, making sure they stay as close as possible. (If cupcakes slide around, affix a small amount of frosting to the bottom of them so they stick to the serving platter or cake board.) Follow with a row of 3 cupcakes, then a row of 5 cupcakes, a row of 4 cupcakes, another row of 5 cupcakes, and finally a last row of 4 cupcakes. Make sure the cupcakes are as close to one another as possible. If there are any large gaps, you can use large marshmallows, trimmed to fit, in order to fill them in and make a flatter, more cohesive surface to frost.
• Beginning with the top 6 cupcakes (the rows with 1 cupcake, 2 cupcakes, and 3 cupcakes in them), frost the hat portion of the cake using the red frosting and large round tip. Smooth center portion using an offset spatula, if desired. Use the peach frosting to frost the center 3 cupcakes in the row of 5 below the hat, leaving a cupcake on each side unfrosted for the ear muffs. Smooth with an offset spatula. Affix 2 dark chocolate chips upside-down for the eyes in the center of the peach frosting.
• Pipe the nose below the eyes, and then the lower lip below the nose using the peach frosting. Frost the cupcakes on each side of the face with the yellow frosting for the ear muffs. To frost the beard, use the auburn colored frosting and cover the remaining unfrosted cupcakes (that contain a row of 4, a row of 5, and final row of 4 cupcakes) with a thin layer of the auburn frosting. Smooth frosting all over the "beard-portion" of the cupcakes until mostly smooth and flat. Place a star tip on the auburn frosting piping bag, and pipe dots of frosting along the side of the face, then pipe the mustache between the nose and lip, and add some swirls on top of the beard, if desired.
• Allow cupcake cake to sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature (or place in the fridge) to allow frosting to crust. Serve.

FRANGIPANE RIPPLE CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Almond Paste Frangipane: In the bowl of a food processor, blend the almonds, almond paste, and sugar until the nuts are finely ground. Add the egg and butter, process until smooth. Cover and freeze for 35 minutes. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• Cake: Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
• Remove the frangipane from the refrigerator. Grease and lightly flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa, set aside. Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds. Add the sugar and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. On low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Spoon about 2 cups of the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. Spoon half the frangipane filling in dollops over the center of the batter. Spread the filling evenly over the batter, avoiding the center tube and the sides of the pan. Spoon about 1 1/2 cups of the batter evenly over the filling and spoon the remaining frangipane over the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the filling. Bake until the cake springs back lightly when touched in the center and just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 60 to 65 minutes. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and cool upright for 15 to 20 minutes. Invert the cake and cool completely on a wire rack. Garnish with Chocolate Bow.
• Chocolate Bow: In the top of a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Let cool 10 to 15 minutes and blend in the corn syrup. Form the mixture into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let set overnight at room temperature. Roll out between sheets of waxed paper. Cut strips with a pastry cutter and form a ribbon. Use spools of thread covered in waxed paper to support the bow. Refrigerate until ready to use.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE AND PRALINE TOPPING

Steps:

• To make the cake:.
• Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 inch cake pan with non-stick spray. Line with parchment paper. Spray parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
• Place butter and cocoa powder in medium bowl. Pour 1/2 cup boiling water over; stir. Let stand 2 minutes; whisk until blended. Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and coarse salt in another medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk, egg, and vanilla in another large bowl. Gradually whisk cocoa mixture into buttermilk mixture; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, whisking to blend between additions (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run knife around pan edges to release cake. Invert onto rack; remove pan and parchment. Cool completely.
• To make the Ganache:.
• Place chocolate and cream in microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. Stir in butter. Let stand until spreadable, about 30 minutes. Spread over top and sides of cake. Chill 2 hours or up to 1 day.
• To make the Praline:.
• Stir first 3 ingredients in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat until butter melts. Boil 1 minute without stirring. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar and vanilla. Add pecans; stir just to incorporate. Quickly pour praline mixture over cake. Spread just to edges (topping sets very quickly).
• Can be made a day ahead. Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.