Chocolate Mud Cake With Orange Marmalade And Chocolate Orange Buttercream Food

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE-ORANGE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper rounds. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Cool to barely lukewarm.
• Sift flour and next 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Whisk milk and yogurt to blend in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat brown sugar, butter, and lavender in large bowl until smooth. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in melted chocolate until smooth. Mix in dry ingredients alternately with milk mixture in 3 additions each. Divide batter between prepared pans.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; remove parchment and cool completely.
• For buttercream frosting:
• Stir 8 ounces chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until smooth. Cool until barely lukewarm but still pourable. Mix cocoa powder and 7 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until smooth and thick but still pourable, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if necessary. Cool.
• Beat butter, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and orange peel in large bowl to blend. Add melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt; beat until smooth. Beat in cocoa mixture. Gradually add remaining 3 2/3 cups powdered sugar and beat until frosting is smooth. Mix in Grand Marnier.
• Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread 1 1/2 cups frosting over top of cake. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake, swirling decoratively. Mound chocolate curls in center of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature 2 hours before serving.)
• *Dried lavender blossoms are available at natural foods stores and at some specialty foods stores and farmers' markets.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL

Steps:

• Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream, chocolate and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir in the marmalade. Refrigerate until thick but not set, 1 hour to 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a platter; spread with 1 tablespoon marmalade. Beat the chilled ganache with a mixer on medium-low speed until just fluffy, about 1 minute (do not overbeat). Spread 1 heaping cup of the whipped ganache over the marmalade. Top with the second cake layer. Cover the whole cake with the remaining whipped ganache and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Make the caramel: Bring the sugar and corn syrup to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the mixture turns amber, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully whisk in the heavy cream and butter until smooth. Set aside, stirring occasionally, until cool but still pourable, 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle over the cake and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve the cake within 2 hours; slice with a warm knife.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

WHISKEY- AND BITTERS-INFUSED CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH BITTERS-ORANGE MARMALADE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For the bitters-orange marmalade ice cream: Combine the cream, milk, sugar and salt in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the temperature reaches 140 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whisk the eggs in a small bowl until well blended.
• When the milk mixture reaches 140 degrees F, whisk in the eggs and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the temperature reaches 170 degrees F. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Whisk in the marmalade, bitters and orange zest. Refrigerate until chilled, 2 to 4 hours and up to overnight.
• Freeze the cold base in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Hold in the freezer until ready to serve.
• For the cherry-orange sauce: Combine the cherries, orange zest and juice, sugar, bitters and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until reduced and slightly thickened, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then puree in a blender until completely smooth.
• For the candied orange zest: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the oranges and cut into very fine julienne. Blanch the zest in the boiling water. Remove with a slotted spoon, discard the water and bring a fresh batch of water to a boil. Blanch the orange zest a second time.
• Meanwhile, combine the sugar, whiskey, bitters and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, stirring to make sure that the sugar is completely dissolved.
• After blanching the zest a second time, transfer it to the simmering simple syrup. Simmer until translucent, 20 to 30 minutes.
• For the bitters salt: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Combine the salt and bitters in a plastic container with a lid and shake well until the salt is completely coated. Pour the salt on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until dried, about 20 minutes. Set aside.
• For the cake: Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Spray two 6-cavity 4-ounce pyramid molds (or an 8-inch springform pan) with baking spray
• Heat the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat until melted, then stir in the sugar and mix until well combined. Whisk in the eggs until just mixed. Add the flour and mix until just combined.
• Scoop the batter into the prepared molds and bake for 20 minutes (20 to 25 minutes for the springform pan). The cakes will not look done, but will firm up on cooling.
• For the whiskey-bitters spray: While the cakes are baking, combine the whiskey and bitters in a clean spray bottle.
• As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, spray the tops with the bitters spray. Let the cakes cool slightly, 3 to 5 minutes, then remove them from the molds and let cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Spray the cakes 3 more times as they cool. Dust the cooled cakes with cocoa powder
• Place the cakes onto serving plates and sprinkle each with some of the bitters salt. Spoon some cherry-orange sauce onto each plate next to the cake, then place some of the candied orange zest next to the sauce. Serve with the bitters-orange marmalade ice cream.

CHOCOLATE ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the sugar, flour, cocoa, pinch of salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil and milk. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until you have a smooth mixture. Fold in the dark chocolate and orange zest. Put 12 cupcake cases in a 12-hole tin. Divide the mixture between the cases, then bake for 20 mins until risen. Leave to cool.
• Meanwhile, make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and butter together until pale and fluffy. Whisk in 2 tbsp hot water to loosen and fold in the orange zest. Divide the icing evenly between two bowls. Add a few drops of orange food colouring to one bowl and stir until the icing turns bright orange. In the other bowl, add the cocoa powder and 2 tbsp milk, then beat until combined.
• Fill one side of a piping bag (use one with a large round nozzle) with the orange icing, then fill the other side with the chocolate buttercream. Pipe on top of each cupcake. Decorate with some extra orange zest and a grating of dark chocolate.

CHOCOLATE AND ORANGE MARMALADE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
• Line two baking sheets with baking paper.
• Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add the orange zest.
• Melt 140 g of the chocolate. Do not allow it to overheat. (over boiling water or CAREFULLY in the microwave oven.).
• Add the melted chocolate to the creamed butter and sugar. Stir in the marmalade and the remaining chopped chocolate.
• Fold in the flour and mix.
• Divide into balls, arrange 5cm apart on baking sheet. Press lightly into flattish rounds.
• Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until dry and smooth to touch. Cool on a wire rack.