Chocolate Sour Cream Coffee Cake for Mom (or You)

Here's a perfect treat to bring to Mom on Mother's Day.  Easy to make and so delicious!  Chocolate Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

Better yet, bring a pot of coffee and some flowers and share it her :)  She would love that.

My husband's grandmother made the best Sour Cream Coffee Cake.  When she made it, she would always make enough for the church bake sale plus send small aluminum tins of it home with any family member who visited her.  I think this one may have just bested Grammie's.

There's a good chance you have everything you need to make this already in your pantry and frig.

Wishing all of my lovely friends a Happy Mother's Day!

Chocolate Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Printable Recipe

Serves 8 to 12 using a 9-inch square baking pan

Topping:

1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I coarsely chopped them)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted and cooled

In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, chocolate chips, pecans and butter. Set aside.

Cake:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup plus 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (6.4 ounces) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Prepared topping

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each one until incorporated.  Slowly mix in the sour cream and vanilla until smooth.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl.

Fold the dry ingredients slowly into the butter and egg mixture to form a lumpy batter.  Continue folding until no large lumps remain.

Spoon one-half of the batter into a greased 9-inch-square baking pan, then layer with half of the topping. Layer with the remaining batter, then the remaining topping.

Bake until the coffee cake is puffed and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven).  Cool slightly before serving.

Adapted from the LA Times and Heirloom Bakery

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake with Chocolate Whiskey Ganache

Christmas Day is only three weeks away!  It's a busy and exciting time of year. No doubt, some of you having already begun your Christmas baking.  This is the time of year we like to count our blessings and not our calories ;)

We are blessed with a wonderful family and wonderful friendships.  Last weekend, we were invited to watch the Big Ten football championship game between our Wisconsin Badgers vs Ohio State at the home of one of those good friends.  Sadly, the Badgers lost to Ohio State (congrats to them).  I offered to bring dessert and already knew the cake I wanted to bake to inaugurate my Kugelhopf bundt pan.  The dessert was definitely a winner!

I had recently received a wonderful new cake cookbook called Cake, I Love You that I had won from one of my long-time blogging buddies, Debbie, at Mountain Breaths and wanted to use something from that cookbook also. 

So, I went ahead with the cake I had planned to make and picked a delicious ganache recipe from my new cookbook!  It was truly wonderful dessert that received rave reviews from everyone.

This bundt cake recipe has been adapted by many...Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker, Food and Wine, etc.  It's a chocolate-sour cream cake that is moist and rich.  The ganache is dark and creamy with a hint of Irish Whiskey and Espresso. 

I did make a silly mistake though.  I waited a little to long to pour the ganache over the cake and it 'puddled' in spots.  I can tell you from my experience, do not try to take a hair dryer to soften the ganache.  It starts to separate :(  I should have added a little more warmed cream instead.  It certainly didn't affect the taste though, thankfully.  So good!

Another wonderful recent surprise was receiving this adorable tea cozy from another long-time and dear friend,  She knows how much I love MacKensie-Childs, as you can tell from my cake platter above and Christmas platter in the background of this photo.  Hand made from a talented knitter who created the design for her and just for me! So Stinkin' Cute! ♥ A gift I will cherish for years.

If you need a simple but very delicious recipe to bring to a holiday party that will feed 8-10, this is it!  Add a little whipped cream, vanilla ice cream or raspberries for an very special treat.

And, the whiskey is totally optional :)

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake with Chocolate Whiskey Ganache

Printable Recipe

For the cake:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa (I used Ghirardelli)

½ cup brewed espresso or, 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved into 1/2 cup water

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream

2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Ganache Glaze:

½ cup plus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream

6 oz  60% bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghirardelli), chopped

2 tablespoon butter, softened 

1 Tablespoon Lyles Golden Syrup or light corn syrup

1 teaspoon brewed espresso (or ½ teaspoon instant espresso powder)

1 Tablespoon Irish whiskey, such as Jamesons or Bushmills

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Spray a 10-12 cup bundt pan or Kugelhopf pan with nonstick spray (I prefer Bakers Joy).  You may also butter the interior with softened butter and dust with flour.

Over medium heat, melt butter in a large saucepan (large enough to hold all cake ingredients). Add the cocoa powder and whisk until any lumps have disappeared.  Stir in the espresso and remove from heat.

Add the sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs to the cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Pour it into the cocoa mixture and whisk until well blended, scraping the bottom and sides to incorporate any remaining dry ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake has slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the bundt pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Place a large platter over the bundt pan and carefully invert the cake onto the platter. Allow to rest for a few minutes. The cake should release itself onto the platter at which time the pan cake be carefully removed.  Allow to cool completely before adding the ganache. 

For the Ganache (Adapted from Black Irish Whiskey Cake from Cake, I love You by Jill O’Connor)

Place the chopped chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl 

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream and espresso.  Bring just to a boil, and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1 to 2 minutes to soften and then stir, starting from the center and stirring outwards, until the chocolate is melted and combined with the cream.

Add the butter, golden syrup and whiskey and stir until combined.   Allow the ganache to cool for about 10 minutes before pouring over the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides and interior.  If your ganache is too thick, add a little more warmed cream.

Keeps at room temperature, covered, for 4 days. 

Skillet Brownie Pie ~ Treat! No Trick.

Need a quick and easy treat? This one comes together fast!

This is my favorite brownie recipe.  I decided to make it in a skillet to take to a friend's home recently so it could be cut into wedges and served with raspberries and vanilla ice cream.  This time, I decided to add some caramel bits to the batter. Sound good?

Right after baking, the brownies are very moist and the caramel bits were melted and soft.  

After a night in the refrigerator, these babies can be cut neatly and served like a candy bar.  They will last for several days refrigerated if you don't eat them before that.  

In the darker months, we like to place up-lights under several trees in our yard to make the night not feel so gloomy, but last night, I noticed this one looked just a little spooky.  Just don't walk to close....you never know. 

I also made some Witch Fingers for my grandsons who were here for dinner last night.  You can find lots of recipes online such as this one. 

Happy Halloween, everyone and Hello November! 

Skillet Brownie Pie

Adapted from Bakers

Printable Recipe

6 oz bittersweet baking chocolate (I like Ghiradelli baking bars)
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups toasted chopped pecans (optional) Reserve some whole, untoasted pecans for decoration.

1 cup caramel bits (the small round ones)

Heat oven to 340 F.

Prepare a 9-10 inch oven proof skillet, preferably cast iron, by lining it with parchment paper. 

Place pecans on a baking sheet and toast them in the preheated oven for about 7-8 minutes.  Cool slightly and chop coarsely.

In a large, heat proof bowl (big enough to fit sugar and flour too) microwave all chocolate and butter on high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring halfway through. Keep stirring until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. You can also use a double boiler to melt the chocolate, if necessary.

Stir sugar into chocolate mixture until blended. Mix in eggs and vanilla in same bowl.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Stir in nuts and caramel bits, if using.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until set. DO NO OVERBAKE. Brownie will continue to bake in hot cast iron for a few minutes.  

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely in pan. Cut into wedges and serve with raspberries and ice cream, if desired. 

You may wrap the rest of the brownie pie in cellophane wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate.

Chocolate-Espresso Semifreddo

This past weekend my husband and I hosted our gourmet group as we normally do during the summer.  Saturday was the first day of summer and there were high hopes for this Summer Solstice Gourmet which was scheduled months in advance to accommodate the schedules of 5 couples. 

If you live in the Midwest or have heard about our weather, it was been very rainy here this month and the past couple of weeks in particular.  Golf courses have been closed due to flooding, flood watches issued, tornadoes and other mayhem resulting from the weather.

Up until 30 minutes before our guests were to arrive, there was an 85% chance of rain on Saturday night.  We set the dining room table and arranged a cocktail area under the porch to keep dry and tried to keep our spirits from being dampened by the weather. Then, suddenly, all chance of rain was taken out of the forecast!  The rain clouds simply dissipated as they approached from the west.

Our guests arrived and helped us set up the dining table outside and we moved all of the silverware, napkins, glassware and flowers to the patio table.  Before long, we were dining under the stars on a somewhat humid but nonetheless DRY evening.

Although I wasn't able to photograph every course during our party, the menu was delicious.  I hope to share a few of the recipes in the future.  The main entree was a whole, prime New York strip loin roast from Costco.  It took an hour to grill and was fantastic and provided us with left-overs for two days while my husband and I took a needed rest. 

This Chocolate-Espresso Semifreddo from Food & Wine was the grand finale. 

Crisp ladyfinger cookies layered in a espresso-flavored frozen chocolate mousse is a perfect summer dessert. It was served with a dollop of creme fraiche and raspberries that night but also tasted delicious the next day with fresh cherries soaked in Kirschwasser. 

Fingers crossed for a dryer month of July! 

 

Chocolate-Espresso Semifreddo

Adapted from Food & Wine

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 cups sugar
Water
1 1/4 cups strongly brewed espresso
1/2 cup whole milk
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin dissolved in 2 teaspoons of water
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 large eggs
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
18 dry (crisp) ladyfingers or amaretti cookies
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa, for sprinkling
Raspberries and Whipped Cream or Crème Fraiche for serving

In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the sugar with 3/4 cup of water and ¼ cup of the espresso. Bring to a simmer over moderate heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Let the espresso syrup cool.

In a small saucepan, boil the remaining 1 cup of espresso over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 8 minutes. Pour into a medium heatproof bowl. Rinse and dry the saucepan.

In the same saucepan, warm the milk with the vanilla bean and seeds over moderate heat until bubbles form around the edge, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the gelatin mixture until melted. Discard the vanilla bean. Add the hot milk to the reduced espresso and whisk in the chocolate until melted.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the eggs at high speed until light yellow and foamy. In the small saucepan, bring the corn syrup, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 tablespoons of water to a simmer. Cook over moderately high heat until the syrup registers to 235° on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. With the mixer at medium high speed, gradually beat the hot syrup into the eggs. Continue beating until the mixture is very pale and has tripled in volume, about 4 minutes. Fold in the espresso mixture.

In a bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Fold into the mousse mixture until no streaks remain.

Spoon about one-fourth of the espresso mousse into a 9-inch spring-form pan. Dip 6 lady fingers into the espresso syrup until just soaked through. Arrange the lady fingers over the mousse in rows. Repeat the process two more times with the mousse and the remaining lady fingers, then top with the remaining mousse. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours.

Before serving, warm a thin sharp knife under hot water. Run the knife around the edge of the semifreddo and remove the ring. Sift the cocoa over the top of the semifreddo. Cut the semifreddo into wedges and serve, garnished with fresh berries or fruit and a dollop of whipped cream or crème fraiche. 

Make Ahead The semifreddo can be frozen for up to 3 days.

My Note:  I would take the semifreddo out of the freezer about 15 minutes before serving to allow it to soften a bit.

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Here is a show-stopping dessert for a Superbowl party or to woo your special someone on Valentine's Day.  It can be made entirely the day before which makes it perfect for no-stress entertaining.

 

I brought this to my daughter's home for Christmas day dinner.  It fed eight happy people but could have served 12-14 easily.  There wasn't a crumb left on anyone's plate :)  I was able to leave a large slice with my daughter and bring one home to enjoy the following day. 

The bottom layer is a flourless chocolate cake, the middle layer is chocolate mousse and the top layer is white chocolate mousse.  Each layer is made, then cooled or chilled completely before making the next layer.  I decided to serve it with fresh raspberries but the recommended topping was shaved chocolate.  I think either or both would be wonderful! 

This recipe does take a little time consuming but the do-ahead aspect is wonderful and the results are so delicious.  

Shop springform pans with 3 inch sides HERE.  (Affiliate Link)
  

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Printable Recipe

Serves 12 to 16

Notes: You will need a 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch high sides.  The entire cake can be made and refrigerated up to a day in advance.  I removed the cake from the pan the day before, put it on a cake pedestal, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated it overnight. I used a thin knife dipped in hot water to release the edge of the cake from the spring-form pan and also to cut each slice when serving. I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet chocolate for the two bottom layers and Ghirardelli White Chocolate Chips for the top layer. 

Bottom Layer:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces, plus extra for greasing pan
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3/4 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon fine table salt
1/3 cup packed (about 2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar

Middle Layer;
2 tablespoons cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
5 tablespoons hot water
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 1/2cups cold heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon table salt

Top Layer:

3/4 teaspoon powdered gelatin
1 tablespoon water
6 ounces white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

Fresh raspberries or shaved chocolate for serving, optional

1. FOR THE BOTTOM LAYER: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter bottom and sides of 9-1/2-inch spring-form pan with 3" high sides. Melt butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in large heat-resistant bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool mixture slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and egg yolks; set aside.

2. In stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites and salt at medium speed until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add half of brown sugar and beat until combined, about 15 seconds. Add remaining brown sugar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, about 1 minute longer, scraping down sides halfway through. Using whisk, fold one-third of beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining egg whites until no white streaks remain. Carefully transfer batter to prepared springform pan, gently smoothing top with offset spatula (a smooth-bottomed cake server also works). 

3. Bake until cake has risen, is firm around edges, and center has just set but is still soft (center of cake will spring back after pressing gently with finger), 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cake to wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour. (Cake will collapse as it cools.) Do not remove cake from pan.

4. FOR THE MIDDLE LAYER: Combine cocoa powder and hot water in small bowl; set aside. Melt chocolate in large heat-resistant bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly, 2 to 5 minutes.

5. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, granulated sugar, and salt at medium speed until mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds.

6. Whisk cocoa powder mixture into melted chocolate until smooth. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold in remaining whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into springform pan over cooled cake and gently tap pan on counter 3 times to remove any large air bubbles; gently smooth top with offset spatula. Wipe inside edge of pan with damp cloth to remove any drips. Refrigerate cake at least 15 minutes while preparing top layer.

7. FOR THE TOP LAYER: In small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand at least 5 minutes. Place white chocolate in medium bowl. Bring ½ cup cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add gelatin mixture and stir until fully dissolved. Pour cream mixture over white chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes (mixture will thicken slightly).

8. In clean bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip remaining cup cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when whisk is lifted, 15 to 60 seconds. Using whisk, fold one-third of whipped cream into white chocolate mixture to lighten. Using rubber spatula, fold remaining whipped cream into white chocolate mixture until no white streaks remain. Spoon white chocolate mousse into pan over middle layer. Smooth top with offset spatula. Return cake to refrigerator and chill until set, at least 2½ hours.

9.  Run thin knife between cake and side of springform pan; remove side of pan. If desired you can use a very large, flat turner such as a cake lifter to remove the bottom of the cake from the cake pan. Run a cleaned knife along outside of cake to smooth sides. Cut into slices and serve using a thin knife dipped in hot water for each slice.

Torta Caprese with Lemon Mascarpone

As promised, I'm finally posting the dessert recipe from our gourmet group gathering that my husband and I hosted this summer! I know, it took me long enough, but I needed a reason to recreate it to get some good photos and having friends over for dessert after dinner out was the perfect occasion.

The recipe is from Rozanne Gold who writes for a food magazine called Real Food which I find at my local grocery store.  I bought the Summer 2012 issue when I was looking for recipes for our party.  Ms. Gold gives credit for her adaptation to Arthur Schwartz' cookbook "Naples at Table: Cooking in Campania".

This is a dense, dark chocolate cake made with almond flour that I made myself in a food processor with blanched almonds (which means it's gluten free!). Ms. Gold's added touch is a hint of espresso and almond extract to boost the chocolate flavor. The crowning glory is a dollop of lemony, whipped mascarpone cheese for a delightful contrast of flavors and textures.

Torta Caprese with Lemon Mascarpone 

Adapted from Roseanne Gold for Real Food magazine

Printable Recipe

Serves 10-12

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
12 ounces blanched almonds
6 extra-large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon espresso powder
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
12-14 ounces mascarpone*
1 very large lemon

*Note:  We doubled the mascarpone recipe for 10 people

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place rack in bottom third of the oven. Using 1 tablespoon butter, butter bottom and sides of a 10-inch removable bottom cake pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper.

Melt the remaining butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth, stirring often.

Process the almonds in two batches, each with 2 tablespoons sugar, until very fine and powdery. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in espresso powder. Set aside.

Beat yolks until light and thick, about 3 minutes. Add ½ cup sugar and beat 2 minutes longer. Add the melted chocolate and the almond extract to the yolks. Stir well. Stir in the ground almonds until thoroughly mixed. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt and ¼ cup remaining sugar until very stiff. Add beaten whites to the batter in 2 batches until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake on a rack placed in the bottom third of the oven for 1 to 1-1/4 hours or until the cake is just firm. Cool and invert. Remove paper. Dust with 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar pushed through a sieve.

Lemon mascarpone: Beat mascarpone with 6 tablespoons confectioners sugar. Grate the lemon zest and add to mascarpone with 1 to 2 teaspoons lemon juice and a large pinch of salt. Refrigerate until about 1 hour before serving. Whip gently with a large fork and serve a large dollop with each slice of cake. (If the lemon mascarpone is too thick, you can add a teaspoon or so of milk or light cream and whip again.) 

RIP - Devil's Food White Out Cake (Dorie Greenspan)

If you want to mess with a devilishly good recipe for Halloween (or the upcoming holidays), this is such a delicious cake! Real chocolatey, devil's food cake and a fluffy, white, ghostly, marshmallow-like filling and frosting.  Topped with devils food cake crumbles, it will send shivers down your spine! We ate the entire cake at gourmet...may it rest in peace.  

I've have Dorie Greenspan's book Baking, From My Home to Yours for a few years and love it but I had never made the cake on the book's cover.  Luckily, I was assigned the recipe to make and bring to our gourmet group this past Saturday night.  I'm so glad I did, it will be a repeat here!   

This would be beautiful for Valentine's Day also with some candy hearts or red flower decorations!

Devil's Food White-Out Cake
Adapted from Baking, From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
and Shared on NPR
Printable Recipe

Makes makes 12 servings

For the cake

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature
1/2 cup boiling water
4 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped, or 2/3 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

For the filling and frosting

1/2 cup egg whites (about 4 large)
1 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-x-2-inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

TO MAKE THE CAKE: Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars and continue to beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate. When it is fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. At this point, the batter will be thick, like frosting. Still working on low speed, mix in the boiling water, which will thin the batter considerably. Switch to a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with the rubber spatula.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Don't worry if the tops have a few small cracks. Transfer the cake pans to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)

When you are ready to fill and frost the cake, inspect the layers. If the cakes have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. With the same knife, slice each layer horizontally in half. Set 3 layers aside and crumble the fourth layer; set the crumbs aside.

TO MAKE THE FILLING AND FROSTING: Put the egg whites in a clean, dry mixer bowl or in another large bowl. Have a candy thermometer at hand.

Put the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, cover the pan and boil for 3 minutes. Uncover and allow the syrup to boil until it reaches 242 degrees F on the candy thermometer. While the syrup is cooking, start beating the egg whites.

When the syrup is at about 235 degrees F, begin beating the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer. If the whites form firm, shiny peaks before the syrup reaches temperature, reduce the mixer speed to low and keep mixing the whites until the syrup catches up. With the mixer at medium speed, and standing back slightly, carefully pour in the hot syrup, pouring it between the beater(s) and the side of the bowl. Splatters are inevitable — don't try to scrape them into the whites, just carry on. Add the vanilla extract and keep beating the whites at medium speed until they reach room temperature, about 5 minutes. You should have a smooth, shiny, marshmallowy frosting. Although you could keep it in the fridge in a pinch, it's really better to use it right now.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Put a bottom layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a long metal icing spatula, cover the layer generously with frosting. Top with a second layer, cut side up, and frost it. Finish with the third layer, cut side down, and frost the sides and top of the cake. Don't worry about smoothing the frosting — it should be swirly. Now, cover the entire cake with the chocolate cake crumbs, gently pressing the crumbs into the filling with your fingers.

Refrigerate the cake for about 1 hour before serving. (If it's more convenient, you can chill the cake for 8 hours or more; cover it loosely and keep it away from foods with strong odors.)

SERVING: I think the cake is best at room temperature or just cool, but many people prefer it cold (the texture of the cake becomes fudgier after it has been refrigerated). No matter the temperature, the cake is so pretty it should be cut at the table, so bring it out on a platter and cut it into generous wedges using a serrated knife and a sawing motion.

STORING: The frosted cake can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; let it stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving, or longer if you have the time.

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Banana Bread with Walnuts, Figs and Chocolate

After a BAD summer cold, yesterday, I had my first (short-lived) burst of energy which was inspired by a HUGE bunch of over-ripe bananas sitting on the kitchen table. Note: Never send husband to buy bananas.

Normally, I like to add poppy seeds to my banana bread, but, in my weakened condition, I wanted to health-up the bread just a teense.  I had some dried Mission Figlets in the pantry, so decided to add a cup of diced figs to the batter.  Delicious! Think banana bread with the crunchy, seedy goodness of a Fig Newton.

For the last two mini loaves, I also threw in a handful of dark chocolate chips because I felt I deserved it.

My favorite banana bread recipe comes from my very old copy of Noteworthy  - A Collection of Recipes from the Ravinia Festival. For those of you who are not familiar with the Chicago area, (we live only 90 miles up the Lake Michigan shoreline from downtown Chicago), the Ravinia Festival is a month-long celebration of music and food in a park setting in Highland Park, Illinois. Part of the tradition and appeal is bringing your own picnic food which inspired this cookbook. As you can see, my book has been used so often over the years, it is now held together by strapping tape.  When I found a brand new copy at Half Price Books recently, I was thrilled! Beware - Noteworthy, Two is not nearly as good as the first book.

What could possibly add to all of this banana bread goodness?  Homemade butter!  I had bought a quart of heavy cream at Sam's last week to make whipping cream for ice cream sundaes when we had guests for dinner and I ended up barely using a third of it.  I had read about making butter from cream recently so did a quick search for instructions and found this wonderful and humorous tutorial. 

Since I had my stand mixer out anyway to make the banana bread - I was able to make 8 ounces of butter in no time at all. I was amazed at how easy it was and how good it tastes. I will never throw out unused cream again!

Banana Bread with Walnuts, Figs and Chocolate

Inspired by Noteworthy
Printable Recipe

Yields 1-2 standard-sized loaves or 4-6 mini loaves

¼ pound (1 stick) plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1-1/3 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
4 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups mashed bananas (6-7 small bananas)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried Mission Figlets, stem removed and diced
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter loaf pans or spray with nonstick cooking spray (I like Bakers Joy spray).

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add alternately with bananas to egg mixture. Fold in nuts, figs and chocolate chips, if using. Pour into prepared loaf pans and bake in 350 degree oven for 60-70 minutes, depending on the size of the pans you are using. My mini loaf pans only take about 40-45 minutes. If a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, they are done. Cool in pans 5 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Intense Chocolate Layer Cake for the Serious Chocolate Lover~

Today, I'm sharing another recipe from our big, birthday bash last weekend. Since all three of us who had birthdays each have our own favorite birthday cake, I decided the combo birthday party needed a not-playing-favorites, brand new recipe. (Keep in mind, I am an awful cake and cookie decorator! It is my so far, unsuccessful goal to one day change that).

I can't remember where I read the first mention of this recipe but thank goodness I did! Evidently, it's the most reviewed cake recipe on Epicurious.com with over 1400 reviews. I guess it's one of those love-it or hate-it recipes with the majority of those who have tried it being in the former rather than latter category.

 

After reading through almost 100 of the reviews, I gleaned some very useful information but not enough to prevent ending up without a couple of issues. As you can see, my cake is slightly lopsided and I allowed the ganache frosting to harden up a wee bit too much. Also, my cake layers must not have been totally done (even though my toothpick came out clean) since the cake fell slightly in the center and the cake settled to a fudge-y mass in he center, making my whipped cream/raspberry filling messy.

All of that being said, this was one of the most amazing, sensational, delicious chocolate cakes I have ever tasted!

The cake batter made too much for my 9" cake pans, so I made cupcakes with the rest of the batter and shared them with friends. The cupcakes turned out perfectly, probably because they were a little more well-baked.

 

The cake really doesn't need any ganache or frosting at all, it's that good. You could serve it plain, with some raspberry whipped cream or raspberry ice cream on the side.

Chocolate-Lovers Chocolate Layer Cake
Adapted from Epicurious
Printable Recipe

Serves 12 to 14

For cake layers:
3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee (I used decaf so we wouldn't lose any sleep!)
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs (the original recipe calls for only 3)
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

For ganache frosting:
1 pound fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

For Raspberry Whipped Cream Filling
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2/3 jar of good-quality raspberry preserves

2 10" or 9" cake pans

Preheat oven to 300°F. and grease pans with Crisco. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper and grease paper then dust pans with sifted cocoa powder. Tap out excess.

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl combine with hot coffee. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In another large bowl with an electric mixer beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored (about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes if using 10" pans, or about 50-55 minutes if using 9" pans.

Cool layers completely in pans on racks. If necessary, run a thin knife around edges of pans (you probably won't need to do this if you carefully greased and dusted the pans with cocoa) and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers are best made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature. This firms up the cake and makes it easier to handle.

Make frosting: Finely chop chocolate. In a 1 1/2- to 2-quart saucepan bring cream, sugar, and corn syrup to a boil over moderately low heat, whisking until sugar is dissolved. Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, whisking until chocolate is melted. Cut butter into pieces and add to frosting, whisking until smooth. Transfer frosting to a bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, until spreadable. I put my in the refrigerator until spreadable, checking on it every 10-15 minutes.

Make raspberry filling: With an electric mixer with the whipping attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the raspberry preserves.

Spread filling between cake layers up to 1/2 inch from sides. Spread chocolate ganache and over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days (we found the cake still tasted great after over 5 days!). Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

Lemon Tart with Chocolate Almond Crust

The recipe for my Lemon Tart with Chocolate Almond Crust is from the January 2003 issue of Food and Wine.  I didn't save the magazine but I did scan the recipe.

The chocolate almond crust is delicious with lemon! Two of my favorite dessert food groups :-)  This time, I chose not to use the lemon filling called for in this recipe but used a different favorite filling from my Very Lemon-y Tart recipe. 

It's a delicious blast of lemon flavor with the zest and juice of 5 lemons!  I made one large tart to take to the party later and one little tart for my husband and I to enjoy the next two days. I made another half recipe of the lemon filling and it was just the right amount for one large and one small tart.

This tart can be garnished so many ways, with shaved chocolate as suggested in the recipe or as I'm planning on serving it as you see it above with a dollop of fresh, whipped cream and also some kiwi fruit sliced in the shape of footballs ;)

Lemon Tart with Chocolate Almond Crust
Adapted from the January, 2003 issue of Food & Wine Magazine
Printable Recipe

Makes one 11-inch tart and one 7-inch tart. You could also use the extra chocolate pastry to make about 12 rolled cookies.

CHOCOLATE PASTRY

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour (I finely ground 3-oz of blanched almonds)
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg

LEMON CURD (for the above tart I used this lemon filling recipe instead of the one shown here)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
8 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
Bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE PASTRY: In a food processor, combine the all-purpose flour, almond flour, sugar, cocoa and salt; pulse to blend. Add the butter; pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg; process until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic, flatten into a disk and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter an 11-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the pastry out to a 14-inch round 1/4 inch thick. Fit the pastry into the tart pan. Run the rolling pin across the rim of the pan to cut off any overhanging dough. Patch any tears in the pastry with scraps. Line the pastry with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the crust is nearly dry. Remove the foil and bake the crust for 15 minutes longer, or until firm. Let cool. Lower the oven temperature to 300°.

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE LEMON CURD: Set a fine sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the sugar with the lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring until the sugar dissolves. In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the whole egg and the remaining 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of sugar. Whisk half of the hot lemon syrup into the egg mixture; add the mixture to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until the curd just comes to a boil, about 3 minutes; it should be the consistency of sour cream. Strain the curd through the fine sieve and let cool to room temperature, then whisk in the softened butter until the curd is light and fluffy.

Pour the curd into the crust and bake for 20 minutes, or just until set. Cool the tart on a wire rack, then refrigerate until chilled. Unmold the tart and garnish it with chocolate shavings. Transfer the tart to a large plate and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The baked tart can be refrigerated overnight.

Chocolate Pecan Tassies

The cookie machine was running full-speed yesterday! Not only did I made my family's all-time favorite Candy Cane Cookies but I also made another cookie that has been around for years - Pecan Tassies.

Having recently seen David Lebovitz' post on Chocolate Pecan Pie, I decided to add some chopped dark chocolate to the bottom of my tassie cups! It was a great idea (giving self pat on back) and they taste wonderful!

I broke out the imported Danish butter than I had been saving for my holiday baking.

Packed in Denmark at the Dairy :) Loved that!

While I was baking, I watched my most favorite version of Dickens' Christmas Carol, Scrooge with Albert Finney. I love the story and the music.

 
Thank You Very Much! The song was nominated for an Academy Award that year for Best Original Song.  If you've never seen it - I highly recommend it to you!

This my favorite Tiny Tim of them all. I cry every time I watch the ending of this movie.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, My Dears :)

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Chocolate Pecan Tassies
Printable Recipe

Makes 2 dozen (You will want to double this recipe - believe me!)

3 oz cream cheese (I use the lower-fat Neufchatel cheese), softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons softened butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate

In a stand mixer, blend softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in flour until blended. Remove dough and cover with plastic wrap and chill for about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325F.

Shape dough into 2 dozen, 1-inch balls. Place in un-greased mini-muffin tins and press evenly against bottom and sides of pan. If you have a handy, dandy, tamper tool, it will simplify that task!

Filling:

Beat together eggs, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of softened butter, vanilla and salt just until smooth. Place a small amount of chopped, dark chocolate on the bottom of each dough cup. Add half of pecans over the chocolate and add egg mixture to the top. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until filling is set. Cool before removing from pans.