Spiced Molten Chocolate Grand Marnier Cake Food

SPICED CHOCOLATE MOLTEN CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. In a microwave, melt butter and chocolate; stir until smooth. Stir in wine and vanilla., In a small bowl, beat the egg, egg yolk and confectioners' sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in the flour, ginger and cinnamon until well blended. Gradually beat in butter mixture., Transfer to 2 greased 6-oz. ramekins or custard cups. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake until a thermometer inserted in the center reads 160° and sides of cakes are set, 10-12 minutes., Remove from the oven and let stand for 1 minute. Run a knife around edges of ramekins; invert onto dessert plates. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

ALMOST-FAMOUS MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the cakes: Brush four 1 1/4-cup brioche molds (or use 10-ounce ramekins or jumbo muffin cups) with the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Dust the molds with cocoa powder and tap out the excess.
• Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Bring the milk and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; set aside.
• Combine the vegetable oil, 4 tablespoons room-temperature butter and the sugar in a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder and the vanilla; beat 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl. Add 1 egg and beat 1 minute on medium-low speed, then add the remaining egg and beat 1 more minute.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture, then the hot milk mixture. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the molds, filling each slightly more than three-quarters of the way.
• Transfer the molds to a baking sheet and bake until the tops of the cakes are domed and the centers are just barely set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack; let the cakes cool until they pull away from the molds, about 30 minutes.

CHOCOLATE GRAND MARNIER CAKE

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan; line bottom with parchment paper round. Stir chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl 2 minutes. Beat in egg yolks, Grand Marnier, orange peel, and vanilla. Stir in lukewarm chocolate. Add flour and salt; stir to blend. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Transfer batter to prepared springform pan.
• Bake cake until top is dry and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 45 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (top will fall slightly). DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely; cover and let stand at room temperature.
• For icing:
• Place chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl. Bring cream to boil in small saucepan. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; stir until mixture is melted and smooth.
• Run thin knife around inside of cake pan; remove pan sides. Invert cake onto 10-inch removable tart pan bottom or cardboard round. Place on rack set in rimmed baking sheet. Remove cake pan bottom and parchment. Pour icing over cake and spread to cover top and sides (any icing that drips onto baking sheet can be reused). Chill until glaze sets, about 30 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.
• Cut into wedges and serve.

GRAND MARNIER MOUSSE CAKE

Steps:

• Place cake or lady fingers in the bottom of a springform pan.
• In a saucepan, over medium heat, stir water and sugar together until the sugar dissolves completely and mixture is hot.
• Remove from heat, and allow to cool completely.
• Stir in Grand Marnier.
• Drizzle surface of cake with Grand Marnier syrup, and set cake aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine Grand Marnier, Cognac, and gelatin.
• Stir over low heat until gelatin dissolves.
• In a food processor, blend sugar with orange zest for 1 minute.
• Add cream cheese; process until smooth (30 seconds).
• Add orange juice, lemon juice, and vanilla; process for another 30 seconds.
• Using an electric mixer, whip cream until fluffy.
• With processor running, add gelatin mixture to the cream cheese mixture through the feed tube of the processor, and blend until well mixed (5 seconds).
• Add whipped cream and pulse to combine (about 3 pulses).
• Pour mixture over cake; smooth surface.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• Garnish with whipped cream, orange segments, and mint leaves.
• Cut and serve.

GRAND MARNIER CAKE

Steps:

• Cream sugar and butter.
• Add egg yolks and 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier.
• Continue to beat. Sift flour, baking soda and baking powder.
• Add flour to mixture with sour cream, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
• Add orange rind, walnuts and stiff beaten egg whites.
• Butter and flour an angle food cake pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.
• Spoon topping over baked cake while still in hot pan.
• Cool and invert onto serving plate.

WINTER-SPICED MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH RUM-GINGER ICE CREAM

Steps:

• For ice cream:
• Place softened ice cream in medium bowl. Using plastic spatula, fold ginger and rum into ice cream. Transfer to airtight container. Freeze ice cream mixture until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.)
• For cakes:
• Generously butter eight 3/4-cup soufflé dishes. Stir chocolate, butter, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and white pepper in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 3 cups powdered sugar, then chocolate mixture, then flour. Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to top and dividing equally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake cakes until batter has risen above dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or about 18 minutes for refrigerated batter. Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Allow cakes to rest in dishes 5 minutes. Using hot pad and holding dish very firmly, place plate gently atop 1 cake and invert onto plate. Repeat with remaining cakes. Dust with powdered sugar. Top with crystallized ginger. Serve cakes with rum-ginger ice cream.

CHOCOLATE & GRAND MARNIER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of two greased 8-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper., In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder; add to creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition., Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., In a chilled large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until very cold., For filling, in a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over orange juice concentrate; let stand 1 minute. Stir in sugar. Heat and stir over low heat until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir in 1/4 cup Grand Marnier and orange zest. Let filling stand at room temperature just until spreadable, stirring occasionally. (If mixture becomes too firm, warm in microwave to soften, about 10-15 seconds.), Meanwhile, using a long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half. Brush layers with remaining Grand Marnier. Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with one-third of the filling. Repeat twice. Top with remaining cake layer., To frost cake, cut a hole in the tip of a pastry bag or in a corner of a food-safe plastic bag and insert #829 or other large star pastry tip. Gently stir whipped cream; spoon into bag and pipe onto top and sides of cake. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.