Dark Chocolate Bacon Cake Food

DARK CHOCOLATE BACON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, buttermilk, eggs, oil and coffee until well blended. In a small bowl, combine the flour, 3/4 cup cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in two-thirds of the bacon., Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., Frost cupcakes. Sprinkle with remaining bacon; dust with remaining cocoa. Refrigerate leftovers.

DARK CHOCOLATE BACON CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, buttermilk and oil. Stir just until blended. Mix in 3/4 of the bacon, reserving the rest for garnish. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting and sprinkle reserved bacon crumbles on top. Dust with additional cocoa powder.

DARK CHOCOLATE BACON CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease 3 - 9 inch round cake pans. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. (I place bacon on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes,at 350, or until brown and crispy)
• 2. In medium bowl, pour hot coffee over cocoa, and whisk until smooth.
• 3. Add buttermilk and whisk until combined, set aside to cool.
• 4. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.
• 5. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• 6. Beat in the eggs one at time, then mix in the vanilla.
• 7. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture to the sugar/butter mixture.
• 8. Mix in 3/4 of the bacon, reserving the rest for garnish.
• 9. Spread the batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
• 10. Cool for 10 minutes on wire racks then remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on the wire racks.
• 11. FROSTING: Place the butter, granulated sugar, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally.
• 12. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer the mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Small bubbles will form around the edge of the pan.
• 13. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the chopped dark chocolate and dark cocoa powder. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and all of the chocolate is melted.
• 14. Return the saucepan to low heat for 1 minute, if necessary, to melt the chocolate completely.
• 15. Pour the chocolate mixture into the large bowl of an electric mixer. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and dissolved coffee and mix on low speed just to blend in the powdered sugar.
• 16. Press plastic wrap onto the surface of the mixture and refrigerate until it is cool to the touch, about 35 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure the mixture cools throughout.
• 17. Beat the cooled chocolate mixture on medium-high for 1 minute, or until the frosting is creamy and lightens slightly in color.
• 18. Place on layer of your cooled cake onto a serving platter and cover the sides and top with the frosting. Place a layer on top of this and repeat with the frosting. Place the top layer on and repeat. Now spread remaining frosting over the sides to remove any splits on the layers. Spread the rest over the top layer and sprinkle remaining bacon over the top and dust with more cocoa powder if desired.

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch cake pans and dust with cocoa powder, shaking off the excess.
• Mix the chocolate into the hot coffee in a medium bowl and stir to melt. Set aside to cool completely.
• In another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
• Combine the sugar, oil, salt and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed, 3 to 5 minutes. (This batter is fluid and tends to get lumps; mix carefully with the paddle, or even use the whisk attachment on low speed to avoid lumps.) With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bowl and continue mixing on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. (Don't worry about overmixing at this stage; you need to make sure the batter base is fully mixed.)
• Stir the buttermilk into the coffee mixture. In alternating batches, add the flour and buttermilk mixtures to the batter base. Mix until just combined, being careful not to overmix. The batter should be thick but fluid. Stir or mix by hand to get rid of any lumps; strain if you feel compelled.
• Divide the batter among the prepared cake pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, 20 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely.
• For the toffee: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine the butter, sugar and salt in a heavy-bottom saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Heat over medium-high heat to 300 degrees F (the hard crack stage), 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour over the prepared baking sheet and let cool completely. Break into small pieces, then process into a powder using a food processor or coffee grinder.
• For the buttercream: Combine 339 grams of the sugar, the water, corn syrup and salt in a heavy saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Heat over medium-low heat until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium, being careful not to let the flames go up the sides of the saucepan. The target temperature for the syrup is 250 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When the syrup has reached 230 degrees F, run the mixer on medium speed until the egg whites get frothy. Sprinkle the remaining 30 grams sugar into the egg whites and continue to whip on medium speed. (The egg whites should increases in size and form soft peaks by the time syrup reaches 250 degrees F.) Once the syrup reaches 250 degrees F, increase the mixer to high speed and carefully pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl, being sure not to hit the whip. Whip the mixture until it has cooled to room temperature, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Replace the whisk with the paddle attachment. Gradually beat in the butter, a few cubes at a time, on medium-low speed. Mix until the buttercream comes together, then mix in the vanilla bean paste.
• Mix 3 to 4 ounces of the powdered toffee into 1 cup of the buttercream and set aside.
• For the chocolate feuilletine crunch: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Melt the dark chocolate and milk chocolate in a double boiler. Remove from the heat and mix in the feuilletine. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and let cool. Crumble into bite-size pieces. Set aside.
• To assemble the cake: Set one cake layer on a serving plate. Spread with a thin, even layer (about 1/4 inch) of the buttercream, then spread with a thin, even layer (1/8 to 1/4 inch) of the toffee-buttercream mixture. Top with feuilletine crunch. Repeat with the remaining layers. Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream.

DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour two 9 inch round baking pans or one 13x9 inch pan.
• In large mixer bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
• Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Stir in boiling water by hand (batter will be thin). NOTE: I have tried it with 1/2 cup, 2/3 cup and 3/4 cup boiling water and we prefer it with less than 1 cup water. I usually use between 2/3 & 3/4 cups. The cake is still very moist but it doesn't seem to "fall" as much as it cools. This might have to do with our high humidity or brand of flour or other factors so I don't know if it will work for everyone.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round 9-inch pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. (Do not use 8-inch pans or the batter will overflow.).
• Because they have a tendency to overflow if you fill them more than 2/3 full, I usually get about 27-28 cupcakes per batch. Bake for approximately 18-20 minutes.
• Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to wire racks.
• Please note: baking cocoa isn't hot chocolate drink mix! Baking cocoa contains no sugar and it is found on the baking aisle. Chocolate drink mixes that you add to milk or water to drink WILL NOT work in this recipe.

CHOCOLATE BACON BARK

Steps:

• Line a 15x10x1-in. pan with parchment; set aside. , In a double boiler or metal bowl over hot water, melt chips until two-thirds are melted. Remove from heat; stir until smooth. Stir in three-fourths of the bacon. Spread into prepared pan; top with remaining bacon (pan will not be full). Refrigerate until firm, 15-20 minutes. Break or cut into pieces. Store in an airtight container; refrigerate until serving.