COOK'S CORNER : CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES HAVE TRAVELED FAR AND NEAR.Byline: Marge Powers In response to North Hollywood reader Mila Hernandez's request for an incredible chocolate cake, we are providing two recipes. The first one is from Nick Malgieri's recently released chocolate cookbook and comes via France. Although we haven't tried it yet, it sounds good and easy. The second recipe, designed for chocophiles, is a favorite of Daily News food editor Natalie Haughton, who developed it for the Restaurant Replicas column and makes it often. It's a copy of a cake sampled at the Cheesecake Factory. The cake is fabulous, moist and fudgy and is great with any frosting frosting the slight graying of the haircoat around the face, particularly muzzle, in dogs with aging and as a regular feature of some breeds such as the Belgian shepherd dog. desired. Give it a try - it won't disappoint you. Make one of these decadent cakes and surprise your valentine. GRAND-MAMAN'S CHOCOLATE CAKE In France, this popular chocolate cake is one of the simple desserts almost everyone prepares at home. This version is adapted from ``Le Patissier Chocolatier'' by Daniel Giraud (Edition S.E.G E.G For Example .G., 1986), who has a beautiful pastry shop in Valence, not far from Lyons in France. 3 large eggs 3/4 cup granulated sugar Noun 1. granulated sugar - sugar in the form of small grains powdered sugar - sugar granulated into a fine powder refined sugar, sugar - a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative granulated sugar 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, very soft 4 1/2 ounces bittersweet bittersweet, name for two unrelated plants, belonging to different families, both fall-fruiting woody vines sometimes cultivated for their decorative scarlet berries. chocolate, melted and cooled 3/4 cup all-purpose flour Powdered sugar for finishing 1 (8-inch) round cake pan, 2 inches deep, buttered and lined with parchment OR wax paper In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip eggs and granulated sugar on medium speed 4 to 5 minutes, until very light and increased in volume. Whip in butter, then chocolate, beating until smooth after each addition. Remove bowl from mixer and use a rubber spatula spatula /spat·u·la/ (spach´u-lah) [L.] 1. a wide, flat, blunt, usually flexible instrument of little thickness, used for spreading material on a smooth surface. 2. a spatulate structure. to fold in flour by hand. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake on middle rack in preheated 350-degree oven about 30 minutes, until well risen and still moist in very center. Cool in pan 5 minutes, then invert in·vert v. 1. To turn inside out or upside down. 2. To reverse the position, order, or condition of. 3. To subject to inversion. n. Something inverted. onto a rack to cool. When cool, peel off paper and slide onto a platter. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving. This plain cake is great with any kind of ice cream accompaniment. To store, keep cake at room temperature under a cake dome or wrap and freeze for longer storage. Makes 1 (8-inch) round cake, about 8 servings. From ``Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers'' by Nick Malgieri, HarperCollins. CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE A fudge cake is a small chocolate pastry that contains fudge. They are shaped as small round cakes, hence the name. "This recipe is also known as "Death By Chocolate, if topped with chocolate ice cream and lashings of whipped cream. 1 3/4 cups flour 2 cups sugar 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder Noun 1. cocoa powder - the powdery remains of chocolate liquor after cocoa butter is removed; used in baking and in low fat and low calorie recipes and as a flavoring for ice cream chocolate - a food made from roasted ground cacao beans 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda baking soda: see sodium bicarbonate. 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup milk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup boiling water Chocolate Ganache ga·nache n. A rich icing made of chocolate and cream heated and stirred together, used also as a filling, as for cakes or pastry. [French.] (recipe follows) Chocolate sprinkles (optional) OR chopped toasted almonds OR pecans In a large mixer bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat in eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. On lowest speed (to avoid spattering), beat in boiling water (batter will be thin) until well blended. Pour into 2 greased 9-inch round layer cake pans, dividing evenly. Bake in preheated 350-degree oven about 30 to 33 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool in pans 15 to 20 minutes, then remove to racks to cool completely. When cool, with a long-serrated knife, cut each layer in half horizontally. Spread a layer of Chocolate Ganache over bottom layer and over tops of 2 more cake layers and stack together on a large serving plate. Place remaining cake layer on top of cake stack. Frost top and sides of cake with Chocolate Ganache. Press chocolate sprinkles into ganache around sides of cake, if desired. Refrigerate re·frig·er·ate tr.v. re·frig·er·at·ed, re·frig·er·at·ing, re·frig·er·ates 1. To cool or chill (a substance). 2. To preserve (food) by chilling. cake until serving time. Makes 1 (9-inch) cake. CHOCOLATE GANACHE 4 cups semisweet sem·i·sweet adj. Having a small amount of sweetening: semisweet chocolate. Adj. 1. semisweet - having a taste that is a mixture of bitterness and sweetness bittersweet chocolate chips (two 12-ounce packages) 2 cups whipping cream Noun 1. whipping cream - cream that has enough butterfat (30% to 36%) to be whipped light whipping cream cream - the part of milk containing the butterfat 3 tablespoons butter, cut up 2 teaspoons vanilla In a large microwave-safe bowl or measure, combine chocolate chips and whipping cream. Heat on high power in microwave oven 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove from microwave, stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is well blended. Add butter and vanilla stirring until butter is melted and mixture is well blended. Cool in refrigerator, stirring occasionally until of good spreading consistency to spread over cake layers. Use to fill and frost top and sides of a 4-layer 9-inch cake. Can you help If you have recipes that can help these readers, please send them along to us at the address below to share in a future column. Several months ago you printed a recipe for a lemon butter that took about two hours to simmer. It was wonderful - just like a lemon curd. I lost my copy. Help! - Joan Boyd Santa Clarita Does anyone have a recipe for a green sauce similar to the one served at Baja Fresh restaurant? - Tracy Woodland Hills |
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