Dark Chocolate Sour Cream Hazelnut Cake Food

DARK CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT CANDIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Put the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the hazelnuts to a cup and line the baking sheet with wax paper.
• Meanwhile, combine the confectioners' sugar, rice cereal and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, about 20 times. Add the chocolate-hazelnut spread and melted butter. Pulse until the mixture comes together in clumps, about 15 times; the mixture should be dry to the touch but hold together when pressed.
• Roll the mixture into teaspoon-size balls and place on the prepared baking sheet. Press a hazelnut into each ball and then press the dough back into a ball shape, leaving part of the hazelnut exposed at the top. Freeze the balls at least 20 minutes to let them firm up.
• Put the chocolate chips, shortening and a pinch of salt in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the chips on the bottom start to melt, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir until the mixture is melted and smooth. Gently stick a toothpick into the upper half of a ball, avoiding the hazelnut, and dip into the melted chocolate, leaving the top half uncoated. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off and return the ball to the baking sheet. Smooth over the hole from the toothpick with your fingertip. Repeat with the rest of the balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. You can store the balls covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM MARBLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add yolks, incorporating well.
• Sift together flour and baking powder. On low speed add flour to butter mixture alternating with sour cream and half and half. In a clean bowl, whip whites until stiff. Gradually add sugar and whip until glossy. Fold into batter. In separate bowl stir together cocoa, coffee and baking soda. Take off 1/3 of the batter and stir in cocoa mixture. Drop spoonfuls of each colored batter into 6 nonstick mini bundt cake pans. Bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes or until firm to the touch. Let cool in pan then turn out. Serve with warm chocolate sauce and banana-walnut ice cream

DARK CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SABLES

Steps:

• Pulse the chocolate in a food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a bowl. Add the hazelnuts to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped; transfer to the bowl with the chocolate.
• Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture and chocolate and hazelnuts, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until combined.
• Divide the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper; roll each into a 1-by-9-inch log, using the parchment to help you. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap the logs and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds; arrange 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE CHIP SOUR CREAM SNACK CAKE

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the sides (to make it easier to remove the cake after baking) and grease the parchment.
• Combine the all-purpose flour, sweet rice flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
• Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and cream the mixture until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until combined. Scrape the bowl once more, then beat in the vanilla. Sift half of the dry ingredients over the egg mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in the sour cream and milk, then sift in the rest of the dry ingredients and beat just until the batter is smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top. Bake the cake, rotating the pan halfway through, for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then gently loosen the edges with a small offset spatula and carefully transfer the cake (using the parchment sling to assist) onto a rack to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together cookie crumbs, melted butter, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a medium bowl. Press crumb mixture firmly onto bottom and up 1 inch on sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.
• Melt chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
• Put cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With mixer on low speed, add remaining cup sugar in a slow, steady stream. Add salt; mix until combined. Add sour cream, cocoa, vanilla, and melted chocolate; mix until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each until just combined (do not overmix). Pour cream cheese filling over crust.
• Bake until set but still slightly wobbly in center, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, 6 hours or overnight. Before unmolding, run a knife around edge of cake.

CHOCOLATE AND HAZELNUT BROWNIE CAKE

Steps:

• You will also need a baking tin, 6 x 10 x 1 inch deep, the base and sides lined with parchment paper. Make sure the paper stands up at least an inch above the edge of the tin.
• Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).
• Place the chocolate and butter together in a large, heatproof bowl fitted over a saucepan of barely simmer water, and allow the chocolate to melt, making sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water. Then beat the mixture until smooth, remove it from the heat and simply stir in all the other ingredients till thoroughly blended. Now spread the mixture evenly into the prepared tin and bake on the centre shelf for 30 minutes. Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes to cool, then remove it from the tin, and turn it out on to a cooling rack. Strip off the lining paper, and, when it's absolutely cold, carefully cut the cake in half, down the centre lengthways, so you are left with two oblongs.
• Now, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks and spread half ot it thickly along one half of the cake. Position the other half of the cake on top, and then spread with rest of the cream all over the cake, covering it completely. then decorate with the roughly chopped nuts and, if you like, a dusting of cocoa powder. If all the cake isn't eaten, to keep it fresh, store inside a polyurethane container in the fridge.

HAZELNUT BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine flour and baking powder. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips; add to creamed mixture and stir until well mixed., Pour into a greased 6-cup fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

DARK CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cocoa and cornstarch. Stir in milk and coffee until smooth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla. Store in the refrigerator.

DEEP DARK CHOCOLATE SOUR CREAM BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Spray the bottom only of a 13 x 9 inch metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix; set aside.
• In a large bowl place remaining cake mix, 1 of the eggs, and 1/4 cup melted butter.
• Blend 1 to 2 minutes with an electric mixture on low speed until well blended.
• Press mixture into prepared pan.
• In medium bowl mix remaining 3 eggs, sour cream, brown sugar and remaining 1/2 cup melted butter with electric mixer set on low speed until well blended.
• Add reserved cake mix, beating 2 minutes on medium speed until mixture is smooth; stir in chocolate chips.
• Pour over prepared crust.
• Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until just set and light golden on top.
• Cool completely.
• Cut into bars and sift with cocoa powder if desired.

SOUR CREAM DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9-inch round baking pans.
• Dissolve cocoa powder in boiling water in a bowl; set aside to cool completely.
• Beat white sugar and canola oil together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth; add eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Stir vanilla extract into creamed mixture.
• Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Mix flour mixture and sour cream alternately into the creamed mixture. Beat cocoa mixture into batter until incorporated. Pour batter into the prepared baking pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap cakes in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator.
• Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth; scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, into the creamed butter until sugar is incorporated. Add salt and beat on medium-high until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
• Place one cake on a serving plate; spread 1/4 the frosting on the top of cake. Place second cake on the frosting layer; spread 1/4 the frosting on second cake. Place the third cake atop the second cake. Spread the remaining frosting on the top cake and around sides of entire layer cake.

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE WITH HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (nonfan)/375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the bottom of 2 (20-centimeter/8-inch) cake pans (tins) with a removable base with parchment paper and grease the sides. Alternatively, grease the bottoms and sides of 2 (20-centimeter/8-inch) regular cake pans, line with parchment, and grease the parchment.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugars. In a separate bowl, add the oil, eggs and kefir, and whisk just to combine. Add to the dry mixture and use a spatula to gently fold through. Add the 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons/220 grams hot coffee and mix gently to combine. It'll look very runny at first, but will soon come together into a glossy, pourable batter.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, about 21 ounces/600 grams per pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Set aside to cool for about 30 minutes, then slide a butter knife along the sides to help release the cake. Brush the tops lightly with the remaining 1 tablespoon/14 grams extra coffee (discard any extra).
• Invert one cake onto a board, remove the parchment, then invert it again onto a cake stand or the platter you intend to serve it on (domed side up now). Invert the other cake onto a board (don't remove the paper). Invert it again, onto a plate, so that it's paper side down. (This will help prevent it from sticking.) Set both cakes aside to cool completely.
• Make the praline: With the oven still at 200 degrees Celsius/375 degrees Fahrenheit, spread the hazelnuts onto a parchment-lined medium baking sheet (tray) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until deeply golden, shaking the pan halfway through baking. Set aside, keeping the tray and parchment paper. You'll use them again later.
• Place a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and, once quite hot, sprinkle in a third of the caster sugar to cover the base. It should immediately start to melt at the sides but not brown too quickly. Swirl the sugar in the pan a little, then add another third of the sugar, allowing it to melt a little before adding the remaining third. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until the sugar is an amber caramel, stirring with a spatula just a couple times (but not much more). Add the hazelnuts and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring to coat, then quickly transfer the mixture to your parchment-lined tray and leave to cool completely.
• Once cool, roughly break apart the praline and add it to a food processor. Pulse a few times until you have very coarse crumbs, then measure out about 1/2 cup/75 grams of the mixture and transfer to a bowl. Blitz the remaining mixture in the food processor for about 5 minutes or until it turns into the consistency of a smooth nut butter, stopping to scrape the inside of the bowl as necessary. Transfer this to a separate bowl.
• Make the mascarpone cream: Add all the ingredients to a stand mixer and beat on medium-high speed for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until you have medium peaks. Refrigerate if not assembling right away (you want it nice and cold).
• When ready to assemble, top the cake on your cake stand with half the cream mixture. Spoon over about 2 tablespoons of the smooth praline and gently swirl it through the cream with your spatula. Top with another 2 tablespoons of the praline, this time without swirling. Sprinkle with half the praline crumble. Carefully invert the other cake on top now, removing the paper. Top with the remaining cream and repeat the same process with the smooth praline and praline crumble. Serve right away, or refrigerate overnight to firm up the cream before serving. (The cake will keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.)