Salted Dark Chocolate Cake With Ganache Frosting Food

JOHN WHAITE'S CHOCOLATE CHIFFON CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL BUTTER CREAM

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 25cm round deep cake tin with baking parchment. In a large bowl, mix the oil, egg yolks, vanilla paste, caster sugar and 200ml water until well combined. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.
• Sift in the flour, bicarb and 1 tsp salt. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold into the batter with a large metal spoon and mix until everything is well combined.
• Gently pour the mixture into your cake tin, then bang it on the work surface twice to expel any large air pockets. Bake for 1 hr 10 mins or until the cake springs back when gently prodded and an inserted skewer comes out clean. (Cover with foil after 1 hr if the cake starts to get too dark.) Remove from the oven, cool in the tin for 10 mins, then transfer to a large wire rack and peel off the parchment. Leave until the cake is completely cool.
• Make the salted caramel icing while the cake bakes. Heat the brown sugar, ½ tsp salt and cream in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Bubble for a few mins, then leave to cool completely. Beat the butter until smooth, pour in the cooled cream mixture and continue mixing until softly whipped. Chill until needed.
• To make the ganache, heat the cream until just boiling. Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate. Leave to stand for a few mins until the chocolate has melted and you have a smooth sauce consistency. Leave to cool at room temperature until the ganache is a pipeable thickness, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. To finish the cake, slice in half and fill with the salted caramel buttercream. Pipe tall spikes of chocolate ganache on top and decorate with the sea salt crystals. Will keep for up to 2 days in a cool place.

DARK-CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans; dust with cocoa, tapping out excess. Line bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition; beat in chocolate and vanilla. With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture in three parts and buttermilk in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth tops. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pans 15 minutes; run a knife around edge of each pan, and invert cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Set a rimmed baking sheet upside down on a work surface. Place one cake on sheet, and spread top with 1/3 of ganache. Place second cake on top, and spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. Using two wide metal spatulas, carefully transfer frosted cake to a serving platter.

SALTED DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 8-inch round cake tins with parchment paper. Place the flour, cocoa, sugar, eggs, milk, butter, dark chocolate and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. (You may need to use a spatula to start, but use a whisk once the ingredients begin to combine.) Divide the mixture evenly between the tins and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.
• Make the ganache: Place the sour cream and melted chocolate in a large bowl. Whisk to combine and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes or until firm. Place 1 of the cakes on a cake stand or plate. Spread with half the ganache. Top with the remaining cake and ganache. Sprinkle with the salt to serve.

SALTED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter that as well. Dust with cocoa powder, being sure to tap out the excess. Set aside.
• Whisk together the cocoa, flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until there are no large lumps. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, instant espresso and 1 1/2 cups water. Slowly start to work everything together, adding the dry to the wet ingredients as you go until everything is combined and you have a smooth batter. Do not over mix. Divide evenly in the prepared cake pans and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Unmold onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter in a medium bowl on medium speed using a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla and kosher salt and continue to beat on medium speed until light, fluffy and creamy.
• Place one layer of cake on a plate or cake stand. Spread one-quarter of the frosting on the cake evenly all the way to the sides using a small offset spatula. Place the other layer of cake on top and press gently. Spoon the remaining frosting on top and spread evenly, pushing the frosting over the edge and spreading it around the sides. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the top evenly with the flake salt to serve.

DECADENT DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE FROSTING

Steps:

• grease and flour pans. Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Stir in 1 Cup boiling water. (batter will be thin) Pour into pans. Bake 30 minutes at about 350. cool and freeze cake.
• For the chocolate ganache frosting: combine chocolate chips and heated whipping cream and stir until smooth. Put over the frozen cake and the ganache will set faster. Store in the fridge.

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE

Steps:

• Heat the heavy cream and the butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil. Place the semisweet chocolate in a 3-quart stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.
• CHOCOLATE MINT XXX'S
• The fantasy begins by placing the chopped chocolates in a medium-size bowl. Heat the cream, sugar, and chopped mint in a 1 1/2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar; bring to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream through a medium-gauge strainer into the bowl of chopped chocolate. Discard the mint. Use a whisk to gently stir until the cream and chocolate come together in a smooth and glistening pool. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet with sides and use a rubber spatula to spread the chocolate to the edges. Refrigerate for 40 minutes remove the chocolate mint mixture from the refrigerator and transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Line a clean baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the mint leaves on the baking sheet. Form the kisses by piping about 1 tablespoon of chocolate mint mixture onto each leaf, creating a spiral conical shape, about 1- inch high for each kiss Refrigerate the kisses for 30 minutes until firm. Store the kisses, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a hour remove the chocolate mint mixture from the refrigerator and transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Line a clean baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the mint leaves on the baking sheet. Form the kisses by piping about 1 tablespoon of chocolate mint mixture onto each leaf, creating a spiral conical shape, about 1- inch high for each kiss. Refrigerate the kisses for 30 minutes until firm. Store the kisses, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.