Chocolate Pound Cake And Neapolitan Baked Alaska Food

CHOCOLATE LOVER'S BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• Make the fudge sauce: Combine the heavy cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the chocolate and cocoa powder and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until smooth, thick and glossy, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool.
• Make the ice cream cake: Coat a 3 1/2-quart metal or glass bowl with cooking spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Scoop one kind of ice cream into the bowl and spread in an even layer. Top with a second kind of ice cream and then a third. Use a piece of plastic wrap to pack in the ice cream evenly. Drizzle with half the fudge sauce and arrange half the pound cake slices in a single layer over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
• Uncover the ice cream cake and spread the fourth kind of ice cream on top; repeat with the fifth kind of ice cream. Use a piece of plastic wrap to pack it in. Drizzle with the remaining fudge sauce and cover with the remaining pound cake slices in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Make the meringue: Stir the granulated sugar and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until foamy, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gradually beat in the sugar-cocoa mixture. Increase the mixer speed to high; beat until the sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Uncover the ice cream cake and invert onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Let stand until the cake slips out of the pan easily, then remove the plastic wrap. Spread the meringue over the top and sides of the cake, making the top slightly thicker. Make swirly peaks in the meringue using the back of a spoon. Freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.
• Brown the meringue with a kitchen torch (or bake at 500˚ until golden, 3 to 5 minutes). Use 2 large spatulas to transfer the baked Alaska to a platter and slice into wedges.

CHOCOLATE BAKED ALASKA

Steps:

• For the ice cream: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Brush 1 baking sheet with almond oil; set aside. Place the almonds on another baking sheet and toast them until light golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water and cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until a medium amber color. Remove the caramel from the heat, immediately add the almonds and stir quickly to thoroughly combine. Turn out onto the prepared baking sheet, spreading quickly to an even thickness. Allow the brittle to cool completely. Coarsely chop and reserve. Heat the milk, cream and 1/2 cup sugar in a medium saucepan until the sugar dissolves and the milk starts to simmer. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate and whisk until smooth. Place the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed until pale yellow and ribbons form, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the stand and slowly whisk in the hot chocolate mixture. Pour the egg and chocolate mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thickened and the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow the mixture to boil! Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strain into a bowl set over an ice bath and stir in the coffee liqueur, vanilla and salt. Stir until the mixture is cold. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and chill completely in the refrigerator, at least 4 and up to 24 hours. Pour the chilled custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. Stir in the coarsely chopped almond brittle. Spray a 2 quart glass bowl with cooking spray, line with plastic wrap and spray the plastic wrap. Scrape the ice cream into the bowl and smooth the top. The ice cream will not fill the bowl; you're looking for the larger surface of the ice cream to be about 8 inches in diameter. Press more plastic wrap over the top and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter 1 (9-inch cake) pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract and continue whisking until smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake on the middle rack until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pans on a baking rack for 20 minutes. For the meringue: Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Fill a medium saucepan 1/4 full with water. Set the saucepan over medium heat and bring the water to a simmer. Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer and place over the saucepan. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the whites are warm to the touch, about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high speed, whip until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the chocolate and mix until combined. Immediately fill a pastry bag, fitted with a #5 star tip, with the meringue.
• To assemble: Unmold the ice cream onto the cake and pipe the meringue onto the ice cream in a decorative fashion (or spoon the meringue over the ice cream and swirl with a rubber spatula). If the ice cream starts to soften, return the cake to the freezer for 15 minutes. Place in the oven and bake until the meringue just starts to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

BAKED ALASKA WITH CHOCOLATE CAKE AND CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 12-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and line with parchment. Make the cakes: Sift 1 1/3 cups sugar, the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and 1 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Combine oil, water, and vanilla.
• Whisk egg yolks with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. With machine running, slowly pour oil mixture into yolks, and then add sugar mixture.
• In a clean mixer bowl, whisk egg whites on medium-high speed, gradually adding remaining 2/3 cup sugar, until medium-stiff peaks form. Mix one-third of the whites into cake batter, then gently fold in remaining whites.
• Divide batter between the prepared baking sheets, and spread evenly using an offset spatula. Bake until cakes are set and spring back when touched, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool.
• Assembly: Coat six 11-ounce bowls or ramekins with cooking spray; line with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang. Cut out 6 cake circles to fit in bottoms of bowls (we used a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter), and place one in each bowl. Top each with 1/3 cup chocolate ice cream, smoothing surface. Cut out 6 cake circles to fit on top of ice cream (we used a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter), and place on ice cream. Freeze until set, about 30 minutes.
• Top each cake with 1/3 cup ice cream, smoothing surface. Cut out 6 cake circles to fit on top of ice cream (we used a 4-inch round cookie cutter), and place on ice cream. (This should fit just at the top of the bowl.) Cover assembled cakes with plastic wrap overhang, and freeze for at least 4 hours.
• To remove from bowls, open plastic wrap, flip cakes onto a baking sheet, and remove plastic wrap. Freeze cakes while making meringue.
• Meringue: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Heat egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water, whisking often, until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch, about 2 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 10 minutes.
• Cover each assembled cake with 1 cup meringue. Bake until meringue is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Alternatively, hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of meringue. Move flame back and forth until browned and caramelized.

NEAPOLITAN BAKED ALASKAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray, line with parchment, then coat parchment.
• Beat 1/2 cup sugar and the yolks with a mixer on medium speed until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Beat in vanilla and warm chocolate. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Whisk whites and salt with a mixer on medium speed until frothy. Add remaining 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until sugar dissolves. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Whisk a third of meringue into chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining meringue in 2 additions.
• Spread batter into prepared sheet. Bake until cake is set and top is dull, about 25 minutes. Let cool on sheet on a wire rack. Invert cake onto work surface. Using a 2 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 8 circles and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Reserve scraps for another use.
• Coat eight 1-cup teacups or ramekins with cooking spray, then line with plastic, leaving a 2-inch overhang. Pack 1/2 cup strawberry gelato into bottom of each cup. Top with 1/2 cup vanilla gelato, then 1 cake circle. Cover each with plastic, and freeze overnight.
• Let cakes stand for 2 to 3 minutes. Using plastic overhang, unmold cakes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Wrap with plastic, then freeze.
• Working with 1 at a time, spoon 1/2 cup meringue on cake, spreading it over entire surface with an offset spatula. Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of meringue. Move flame back and forth until meringue begins to brown. Alternatively, heat oven to 500 degrees. Bake cakes on top rack until meringue begins to brown, about 2 minutes. (If ice cream begins to soften, freeze for 15 minutes.) Serve immediately.

NEAPOLITAN POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° (325° for coloured fluted tube pan).
• Using solid shortening or margarine (not oil), grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (non-stick finish pan, too).
• In large bowl, blend cream cheese and eggs until smooth.
• Blend in cake mix and milk.
• Beat 2 minutes at highest speed.
• Add strawberry milk drink mix to 2 cups batter; pour into prepared pan.
• Stir vanilla into 2 cups batter; pour over strawberry batter.
• Add chocolate milk drink mix to remaining batter; pour over vanilla batter.
• Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool upright in pan 45 minutes.
• Loosen edges; remove from pan.
• Cool completely.
• If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with ice cream and chocolate sauce.

BEST CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.
• Cream shortening and butter until light and fluffy, gradually adding sugar. Beat well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.
• Sift flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa and cinnamon together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
• In a clean bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold carefully into cake batter, mixing only until no streaks remain. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10 inch tube pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove from pan, and let cool completely on a wire rack.