Sweet Salty Chocolate Cake Food

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.

SWEET-AND-SALTY SNACK-FOOD CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350˚. Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Dust with flour and tap out the excess; set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed, scraping down the bowl as needed, until very light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until combined; continue beating until well blended, 1 to 2 more minutes. Reduce the speed to medium low; beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla in two batches, until just smooth (it's OK if the batter looks curdled at first-it will smooth out). Stir the batter a few times with a rubber spatula to make sure it's blended.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until the cakes are browned, the edges begin to pull away from the pans and the centers spring back when pressed, 35 to 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then remove the cakes to the rack to cool completely.
• While the cakes cool, make the crumble: Toss the potato chips, cookies, coconut, melted butter and brown sugar in a medium bowl until well coated. Spread on a baking sheet and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then stir in the chocolate-covered raisins and/or nuts; set aside.
• Make the frosting: Mix the brown sugar and 2 tablespoons heavy cream in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave, stirring once or twice, until smooth, 45 seconds to 1 minute. Let cool slightly. Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the confectioners' sugar in two batches until smooth and fluffy. Add the brown sugar mixture; beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and spreadable, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Make the ganache: Combine the remaining 1/3 cup heavy cream and the chopped chocolate in a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl; microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted, about 1 minute. Let the ganache cool until it's thickened but still spreadable.
• Put 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with 1 cup frosting, spreading it to the edges. Sprinkle with a heaping 1/2 cup of the crumble, gently pressing it into the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting (this is the crumb coat-it doesn't have to be perfect). Refrigerate until the frosting is set, 15 to 20 minutes. Cover with the remaining frosting. Press some of the remaining crumble around the bottom of the cake. Spoon the ganache over the top of the cake and gently spread, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle with the remaining crumble.

CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°. Beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Gradually beat in flour, mixing well. Press 3 cups of dough onto bottom of a greased 13x9-in. pan. Bake until set, 20-22 minutes. , Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt caramels with cream over low heat until smooth. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with salt, then chocolate chips. Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over top. Bake until light golden brown, 30-35 minutes longer. Cool on a wire rack.

SWEET & SALTY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• To prepare cake: Preheat oven to 325°. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess.
• Combine cocoa powder, hot water, and sour cream. Set aside to cool. Sift flour, baking power, baking soda, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter and shortening on medium speed until ribbon-like, about 5 minutes. Add both sugars and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture, alternating with cocoa mixture, in three portions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
• Divide batter evenly among prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake 35-40 minutes, rotating pans halfway through. Cakes are done when a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean.
• Cool cakes in pans for 20 minutes on wire racks. Remove from pans and let cool completely. Remove parchment paper.
• To Prepare the Salted Caramel: In a small saucepan, combine cream and fleur de sel. Bring to a simmer over very low heat until salt has dissolved. Be careful not to let the cream burn.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup, stirring carefully so as not to splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat about 6-8 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer reads 350°. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.
• Add cream mixture to sugar mixture. Whisk in sour cream. Let caramel cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until time to assemble the cake.
• To Prepare the Caramel Ganache: Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.
• Bring the cream to a simmer over very low heat. Make sure cream does not burn.
• In a medium saucepan, combine 1/4 cup water, sugar, and corn syrup, stirring carefully so as not to splash the sides of the pan. Cook over high heat for 6-8 minutes until an instant-read thermometer reads 350°. Remove from heat and let caramel cool for 1 minute.
• Add cream to the caramel. Stir slowly for 2 minutes. Then, pour caramel over chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute. Then, starting in the center of the bowl, and working out to the edges, slowly stir in a circle until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool, then transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on low speed until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Increase speed to medium-high and gradually add butter, beating until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down sides and beat on high speed until mixture is fluffy.
• To Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer on serving platter. Spread 1/4 cup caramel over the top, letting it soak into the cake. Spread 3/4 cup of ganache frosting over the caramel. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon fleur de sel over the frosting. Top with the second cake layer. Spread with frosting and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fleur de sel. Top with the third cake layer. Spread with caramel. Crumb coat the cake and put cake in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Frost the sides and top with the remaining frosting. Garnish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.
• Cake will keep at room temperature (cool and humidity-free) for up to 3 days. May be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Allow cake to sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

SWEET AND SALTY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter three 8-by-2-inch round cake pans. Line each pan with a parchment paper round, butter parchment paper and flour; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, 1 1/4 cups hot water, and sour cream; set aside to cool, about 10 minutes.
• In another large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and shortening together until smooth and it appears to create strings inside the bowl, about 7 minutes. Add both sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until well incorporated. Add vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and mix again for 30 seconds. Add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Divide batter evenly among the three prepared pans. Bake until cake is just firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes to make level. Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy Susan. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Using about 1/4 cup of the caramel, spread a thin layer on the cake, allowing some of the caramel to soak into the cake. Follow the caramel layer with a layer of about 1 cup of the ganache icing. Place the second layer on top and repeat process with another layer of caramel followed by a layer of ganache icing. Place the remaining layer on top of the second layer bottom side up. Spread entire cake with remaining ganache icing. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

SWEET AND SALTY CRUNCHY NUT BARS

Steps:

• Be still my beating heart! Or perhaps this is not the best thing to say here, given the likelihood of this lusciously over-the-top piece of chocolate excess inducing just such an outcome. I wouldn't want to make this very often, so impossible is it to walk away from with any conviction. I fear it is the kitchen equivalent to crack cocaine.
• Still, as the French say "Everything in moderation, even moderation." This is gloriously intemperate, riotously vulgar. I love it.
• The key is the blaring balance between sweet and salty: it's like several klaxons going off in your head as you eat. And it's strange that while I would normally eschew an all-milk chocolate offering, I prefer it here to the bittersweet-and-milk mixed version. Not that either is bad, and since the jury is matched on this, I feel it only right to alert you to either option. For what it's worth, I like the darker version in the round pan and cut into panforte-type skinny wedges, and my preferred milk chocolate version set in a rectangular pan and cut into chunky, squat slabs (rather as I feel and look like after eating too many of them).
• Line your springform pan with aluminum foil or use a foil pan.
• Break up or chop the chocolate into pieces, and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Add the butter and syrup, put on a low heat, and melt gently together.
• Tip the peanuts into a bowl, and crush the honeycomb candy with your hands, letting the golden-glinting rubble fall into the nuts.
• Take the melted chocolate mixture off the heat and stir in the peanuts and crushed honeycomb candy, then tip straight into the springform pan or foil pan. Smooth the top of the mixture as much as you can, pressing down with a silicon spatula or vinyl-disposable-gloved hand. Put into the refrigerator for about 4 hours, and once set, cut into slices as desired.
• Make Ahead Note: The bars can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer slices to airtight container, layered with parchment paper, and store in refrigerator. Keeps for 3 to 4 days.

SWEET AND SALTY FUDGE

Steps:

• Line an 8-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat the foil with cooking spray.
• In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and spread to even out the surface. Top with spoonfuls of the peanut butter. Using a skewer or butter knife, swirl the peanut butter into the chocolate mixture. Sprinkle over the crushed chips and pretzels. Let the fudge cool for 30 minutes on the counter, then lightly cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Lift the foil out of the pan and peel it from the fudge. Cut into small squares to serve.