Ultimate Chocolate And Nutella Cake Food

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE AND NUTELLA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C (325F). Grease and line three 20cm (8in) cake tins and dust with flour, shaking any excess.
• Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl and set over a pot of barely simmering water. Allow them to gradually melt and stir together until smooth.
• Add the coffee and use a hand whisk to mix it in.
• Combine the eggs and buttermilk in a measuring jug and briefly whisk together to combine. Add to the chocolate and whisk it in.
• Combine all the dry ingredients and then sift them over the chocolate. Use a hand whisk to mix the batter together until completely smooth.
• Divide evenly between your prepared cake tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cakes are firm on top and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Cool in the tins for 15 minutes and then carefully remove from the tins and cool on a wire rack. Be gentle as the cakes can be a little fragile.
• Make the filling: put the Nutella and vanilla to the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk for 3-4 minutes on high speed and then use a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
• Lower the speed and add the cream in a steady stream. Increase the speed to maximum and whip until you have firm peaks - be watchful as the cream will split if you overdo it.
• Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a round tip and pipe over the cake layers. Sandwich together and pop in the freezer (or fridge) for 10 minutes.
• Use a palette knife to add a crumb coating of the Nutella cream over the entire cake. Return to the freezer (or fridge) while you prepare your glaze.
• Make the glaze: put the cream, milk and golden syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-low heat.
• Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl and as soon as the cream comes to the boil pour it over the chocolate and set aside for a couple of minutes.
• Use a small balloon whisk and stir very gently in the centre of the bowl using very small motions. Be patient and keep stirring very gently until the chocolate melts and turns into a glossy glaze.
• Add the butter and stir together until completely smooth. By now the glaze should be still warm enough to be runny but not so hot that it melts your crumb coating.
• Take your cake out of the freezer and then pour the glaze over it until it starts to drip down the sides. You can cover the entire cake or reserve some of the glaze for decoration. Let the glaze cool and set slightly before adding any decorations.
• If you have reserved some of the glaze leave it to cool completely (in the fridge) then transfer to your stand mixer and whisk until it forms firm peaks. Put in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe some rosettes on the cake (be careful if the glaze is still wet).
• Serve the cake at room temperature but keep in the fridge until 30 minutes before you are ready to serve.

NUTELLA® CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with baking spray.
• Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and espresso powder in a large bowl and whisk until well combined. Add milk, vegetable oil, eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract to flour mixture and mix together using an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined. Reduce speed and carefully pour boiling water into cake batter. Beat on high speed for about 1 minute to add air to the batter. Distribute cake batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert cakes carefully onto serving plates or cooling racks. Let cool completely. Trim tops of cakes to level, if necessary.
• Place 8 ounces chopped chocolate in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer and set aside. Whisk together 3/4 cup cream and 1 tablespoon shortening in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour boiling mixture over chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature. Beat using an electric mixer on high speed until chocolate mixture is lighter in color and fluffy in texture, about 1 minute. Immediately proceed to assemble the cake before the the whipped chocolate fudge filling hardens, which makes it difficult to spread.
• To assemble the cake, place 1 cooled cake layer with the trimmed side up on a cake pan or serving plate. Spread 1/2 the whipped chocolate fudge filling evenly on top. Add the next layer and spread remaining chocolate fudge filling on top. Top with third layer, trimmed side down.
• To prepare the buttercream frosting, use a stand mixer affixed with the paddle attachment. Beat together butter and confectioners' sugar on low speed until well blended. Add chocolate-hazelnut spread and increase the speed to medium. Beat for 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and kosher salt and whip for an additional 30 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream and beat until the frosting lightens slightly in color and texture, about 1 more minute.
• Frost entire cake with buttercream frosting and chill for at least 1 hour.
• For the chocolate drippys, place 4 ounces chopped chocolate in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer and set aside. Whisk together 1/4 cup cream and 1/2 tablespoon shortening in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour boiling cream mixture over chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Let cool slightly, then pour mixture into a clean squeeze bottle. Let set until it has the consistency of thin ranch dressing. Squeeze on top of the frosted cake and allow to drip down the sides. Chill until chocolate is set. Decorate the top of the cake with assorted confections of your choice and serve at room temperature.

THE ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Scratch: Grease and flour bottoms of 2 (9") layer cake pans. Mix first 4 ingredients; set aside. In large bowl with mixer at high speed beat next 3 ingredients 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. At low speed beat in mayonnaise .Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with water, beginning and ending with flour. Pour into pans. Bake in 350 oven 30-35 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove; cool on racks. Frost. Makes 2 (9") layers.
• From A Mix: Grease and flour bottoms of 2 (9") layer cake pans. In large bowl with mixer at low speed beat together cake mix and cocoa. Add remaining ingredients; beat just until blended. Beat at medium speed 2 minute. Pour into pans. Bake as directed in scratch recipe at above. Frost. Makes 2 (9") layers.
• The Ultimate Chocolate Frosting: In small bowl with mixer at medium speed beat 6 tablespoons margarine to soften. Add 3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa and 3 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar alternately with 6-7 tablespoons of milk. Beat until of spreading consistency, adding an additional 1 tablespoon milk, if needed. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Makes 2 3/4 cups.