Dark Chocolate Cake With Caramel Filling And Marshmallow Frosting

Dark Chocolate Cake With Carmel 

Filling And Marshmallow Frosting 

Servings:10 Recipe by Maureen Abood
This cake is based on one from Cook's Illustrated. There are some options here if you want to simplify: while the recipe calls for slicing each 9-inch cake into two rounds for four total layers, the cake is equally wonderful as two layers, without slicing it (use just 1/3 of the caramel to fill between the two layers). The caramel filling is special, yet that can be replaced with more of the meringue frosting instead.

The cake can be made a day in advance; if you’re making the caramel filling, fill the cake layers, then build and refrigerate the cake, covered with plastic wrap. If you’re not using the caramel filling, just wrap the layers uncut in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for up to one day. Make the frosting and frost the cake the same day it is going to be served. Frosting a cold cake straight from the refrigerator is much easier than frosting a room temperature cake (fewer crumbs).

Ingredients:

Ingredients For The Cake
1 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (dutch process or natural)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup neutral oil, such as canola, vegetable, or safflower
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon espresso powder
For The Caramel Filling
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in 8 pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For The Marshmallow Filling:
6 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

For the cake:

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl.

Whisk in sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk buttermilk, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and espresso powder together in a second bowl or large measuring cup. Whisk buttermilk mixture into flour mixture until a smooth batter forms. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula.

Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 22 to 28 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking. Let the cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, at least 2 hours.
For The Caramel Filling

Lightly grease 8-inch square baking pan. Combine sugar, corn syrup, and water in medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook, without stirring, until mixture is amber colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, swirling saucepan occasionally, until dark amber, 2 to 5 minutes longer. (Caramel will register between 375 and 380 degrees.)

Off heat, carefully stir in cream, butter, vanilla, orange blossom water, and salt (mixture will bubble and steam). Return saucepan to medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until smooth and caramel reaches 240 to 245 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer caramel to prepared pan and let cool until just warm to touch (100 to 105 degrees), 20 to 30 minutes.

For The Marshmallow Filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. I use the whisk attachment to stir. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bowl has some clearance above the water (we're cooking very gently with the residual or steam heat here). Heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 175 degrees, about 8 minutes. 

Transfer the whites to the stand mixer with the wire whisk attached. Beat, starting slow and increasing the speed steadily, until the mixer is on full. Whip until the stiff, glossy peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and beat briefly.

Assemble The Cake:

Using long serrated knife, score 1 horizontal line around sides of each cake layer; then, following scored lines, cut each layer into 2 even layers, or use as two layers.

Using rubber spatula or large spoon, transfer 1/3 of caramel to center of 1 cake layer and use small offset spatula to spread over surface, leaving 1/2-inch border around edge. Repeat with remaining caramel and 2 of remaining cake layers. (Three of your cake layers should be topped with caramel.)

Line edges of a cake stand or platter with 4 strips of parchment to keep the cake platter clean. Place 1 caramel-covered cake layer on platter. Top with second caramel-covered layer. Repeat with third caramel-covered layer and top with final layer. Now you can cover and refrigerate the cake for up to one day.

Spread the marshmallow frosting thickly and evenly over sides and top of cake, making peaks and valleys with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Take care not to get chocolate crumbs in the beautiful white meringue. 

Toast the marshmallow by lightly skimming the surface with a culinary torch.

Carefully remove parchment strips. Leave the cake out at room temperature until serving, same (special) day.

No Churn Vietnamese Iced Coffee Ice Cream

Vietnamese Iced Coffee In ice Cream Form!

Servings: 4 (makes about 2 cups)
Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Total Time: 10 Minutes, plus 5 to 6 hours to freeze

Ingredients:
1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Brimming 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
Fine sea salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Brimming 1/3 cup full-fat sweetened condensed milk
Scant 1 tablespoon molasses


Directions:
In a medium bowl combine: 

1½ teaspoons of the vanilla 

the espresso 

a pinch of salt  

Stir to mix well it will seem slightly sludgy. 

Add the cream, 

condensed milk, 

molasses. 

Taste and, if you want to boost the flavor a touch, add more vanilla, ¼ teaspoon at a time; the amount required depends on the vanilla and your palate. An extra pinch of salt sometimes helps too.

With an electric handheld mixer fitted with two beaters or a whisk attachment, whip the mixture at high speed for about 3 minutes, until you get a firm, spreadable texture like fluffy whipped cream or frosting. 

Transfer to a 3-to 4-cup storage container, cover, and freeze until firm, 5 to 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks.

Let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes to soften to a scoopable texture before serving.

Note: For coffee and chocolate ice cream, hand chop 1½ ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate into very small bits so they will disperse well. After whipping up the ice-cream mixture, use a spatula to gently fold in the chocolate. Freeze as directed. Your yield will be a little more than the original recipe.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the vanilla, espresso powder, and salt; stir until the espresso powder is mostly dissolved.

Add the cream, condensed milk, and molasses.

Using an electric handheld mixer fitted with the beaters or whisk attachment, whip the mixture at high speed until just thickened to a fluffy whipped cream-like consistency, 2½ to 3 minutes. Do not over-whip.

Transfer to a 3-to 4-cup storage container, cover, and freeze until firm, 5 to 6 hours, or up to 2 weeks.

Let the ice cream sit out at room temperature for a few minutes before scooping.

Double Date Cake With Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce

Date cake tastes like holidays, will 

make you forget fruitcake jokes

Despite the jokes, we enjoy fruitcake in our house. Likewise, the dark fruit flavors of mincemeat, plum puddings, stollen and lebkuchen. They prove a bold contrast to all the sugar cookies, peppermint bark and homemade fudge — which we also love.

Cakes made with dates are relatively new to our repertoire. We’ve had a few good ones this year — most recently at The Vanguard in Indianapolis. They served a warm wedge of a robust, super moist date cake with a generous ladle of warm toffee sauce. Tasted like the holidays to us!

At home, I pureed pitted dates with hot water and a bit of espresso powder for an even darker, pleasantly bitter flavor in this simple one-layer cake. A topping of diced dried dates (look for packages of diced dates with oat flour; the pieces stay separate), mixed with walnuts and cacao nibs, adds a great texture and an attractive appearance. The cake keeps well for several days. I like to it warm; slices can be heated very briefly in the microwave.

The whiskey-spiked toffee sauce gilds the lily. The sauce makes a nice packaged in small jars. Microwave the sauce until it’s warm, so it flows over the cake nicely.

   Double Date Cake With Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce
Makes: 10 to 12 servings
3/4 cup diced dates with oat flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons cacao nibs or small bits of dark chocolate, optional
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (8 ounces) whole pitted dates, about 1 3/4 cups
2 tablespoons rye whiskey or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
Powdered sugar, optional.
*Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce, see recipe below 

Diretions:
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. For the topping, mix diced dates, walnuts and cacao nibs in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Mix flours, baking soda, spice blend, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Put pitted dates, whiskey and espresso powder in a heat-proof bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water and let stand until dates are super soft, about 10 minutes. Pour date-whiskey mixture into a food processor; process to a smooth puree. Let stand to thicken, about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, put butter into a large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes total. Add half of the flour mixture and all of the date-whiskey puree. Beat to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just enough to combine. Do not over-mix.

4. Scrap the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle the reserved diced-dates-and-walnuts mixture evenly over the batter. Bake until cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan and a wooden pick inserted in several places comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

5. Let the cake cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour. Remove the sides of the springform. Cut cake into wedges to serve. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar, if desired. Drizzle with the whiskey butterscotch sauce.
  

Whiskey Butterscotch Sauce

Makes: 1 1/2 cups
You can sub bourbon or brandy for the rye whiskey, if you prefer.
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup dark agave syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup rye whiskey 

Directions:
1. Put sugar, syrup, butter, salt and 1/4 cup water into a medium-size deep saucepan. Heat to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and let simmer, 2 minutes. 

Uncover the pan. Add cream and continue to simmer on low, stirring often, until sauce is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. 

Stir in whiskey, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Allow sauce to cool at room temperature. Transfer to jars or microwave-safe container. Sauce will keep for up to one month in the refrigerator.

Microwave on medium (50 percent power) to warm the sauce. Serve warm.

Mocha Almond Fudge

Mocha Almond Fudge

Yield: 4 dozen
Ingredients
1 (12 oz.) bag dark chocolate chips
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup toasted almonds, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

*

Directions:
Line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on both sides.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine chocolate chips with butter and condensed milk and, stirring continuously, cook until mixture is totally melted and smooth. 4-7 minutes.

Once smooth, stir in vanilla and almond extract, and espresso powder and salt.  Fold in toasted almonds and pour mixture into lined baking sheet.

Place in refrigerator and let set at least 3 hours before extracting from baking dish and cutting into squares.