Chocolate Layer Cake with Ganache

Holy moly geez o pete, if you’re a chocolate lover this cake is definitely for you.  Even if you’re not a chocolate lover THIS CAKE IS FOR YOU.  I know this may sound crazy, but I am really not a fan of chocolate but let me tell you what, this is one cake that I can bury my face in and eat til its gone.  I actually got this recipe from Bailey’s Prime Plus for the short time I was a pastry chef there.  The cake is so moist and decadent, every bite is a mouthful of heaven.  I definitely think the secret is the coffee, it really brings out the richness of the cocoa and paired with the silky chocolate mousse nestled in between the cake layers…honestly, what could be better?  I also added a ganache topping and spiked it with brandy because I am firm believer that liqours and dessert should always go together, it just kicks it up a notch.  🙂

Ingredients for Chocolate Cake:

• 1 3/4 cup All-Purpose flour
• 2 cup sugar
• 1/2 c cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup coffee

Preheat the oven to 350F.

For the chocolate cake, mix all of the dry ingredients together so they are evenly distributed.  Add the wet ingredients one at a time as listed, until full incorporated.  This ensures the batter comes out nice and smooth. Take a springfoam pan like the one pictured below or a standard 9-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.  Pour the batter about 3/4 of the way, leaving room for the cake to rise when baking.  Place in the oven for 35 minutes, you can check the doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle, if it comes out clean it is ready.  Allow to cool and place in the freezer.  (This makes the cake easier to cut)

 

Ingredients for Chocolate Mousse:

• 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoon sugar
• 4 large egg whites (room temperature)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (cold)
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate mousse, place the chocolate chips and butter in a double boiler as pictured below.  Simply heat water in a large pot at medium heat and place a mixing bowl over it.  This helps you melt the chocolate and butter without burning it.  Be cautious of letting the water boil, it could potentially get inside the bowl with the chocolate and butter and that is a BIG no-no. Once melted and mixed thoroughly, set aside and cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until they are firm and hold peaks and add the sugar.  Be careful not to over whip the egg whites, they should be shiny and smooth, not chunky.  Also make sure the bowl you are whipping your egg whites in is dry and contains no water or any liquid — this ensures that your whites will form peaks or else you’ll be whipping until your arm falls off with no results.

Mix the melted chocolate with your egg whites in a folding motion — you do not want to over mix or you will flatten your egg whites and that will make your mousse “goopy”. Whip the cream and when partially stiff add the vanilla.  Once it is thick fold it into chocolate egg white mixture.  Set aside.

Ingredients for Chocolate Ganache:

• 8 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon brandy

For the Chocolate Ganace, heat the cream and butter in medium sauce pan at medium heat.  Add the brandy once the cream begins to bubble and pour over chocolate chips.  Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

Take the cake out from the freezer.  If you are using a spring foam pan fill it with the chocolate mousse to the top and place it back into the freezer.

If you are using the standard 9 inch pan flip it upside down onto a flat surface with parchment paper.  If you have a torch, torch the sides and bottom of the pan, this will release the cake from the pan.  If you do not own a torch, take a paring knife along the edges of the pan and firmly tap the pan upside down, the cake should pop out.    Then cut the cake in half horizontally — the easiest way to do this is to trace where you want to cut first around the edges of the cake and then cut into it the rest of the way.  I use to just cut it without tracing and ended up with uneven, unhappy cake pieces.

Another reason why you place the cakes in the freezer is so that the ganache frosting comes out nice and shiny.  If the cake is warm, the icing comes out dull.  Place one of the cake halves onto a wire rack and spread the top with chocolate mousse and place the other half on top. It is important that the cake is on a wire rack so the ganache can drip through.   Carefully pour the ganache ontop of the cake, starting from the center and allowing it to drip down the sides.

You can garnish the cake however you like, I chose to use raspberry and some left over cream cheese frosting from the cupcakes I made last weekend.  Please excuse my poor decorative icing skills hahaha :)!

 

Ginger Ice Cream Shaved Ice with Tapioca and Fresh Fruit

I kind of came up with this recipe on a whim, I had found GINGER ICE CREAM at the grocery store and was ecstatic about it! This dessert originates from Asia.  Shaved ice consists of ice shavings and is usually topped with various types of sweet beans, jellies, or fruit and drizzled with sugar syrup and condensed milk.  It probably sounds pretty strange for ones who’ve never tried it, but it’s a smorgasbord of different textures and flavors which is why this is one of my favorite desserts.

For this recipe I put shaved ice in the bottom with a scoop of ginger ice cream and topped it with tapioca, fresh raspberries, watermelon and mandarin oranges.  I also placed a small dollop of coconut milk on top as a substitute for condensed milk, it really brought the flavors of the ginger and fruit together. In every spoon full you get the crunch of the ice, the chewiness of the tapioca, then the creaminess of the ice cream and the wonderful flavors of the fruit — see? Smorgasbord 🙂

Ingredients for Shaved Ice:

• 1 cup ice cubes, crushed or shaved
• 1 pint Hagen Daaz Ginger Ice Cream
• 1/4 cup tapioca, boiled
• 1/4 cup fresh watermelon, cubed
• 1 can canned mandarin oranges
• 1 pint red raspberries
• 4 tablespoons coconut milk
• honey to taste

For the shaved ice, place the crushed or shaved ice at the bottom of the bowl.  Top with a scoop of ginger ice cream.  Garnish with fresh fruit and tapioca and finish with a spoonful of coconut milk.  You can drizzle the top with honey if you would like to add more sweetness!

For those of you who are wondering, Tapioca is a starch that is extracted from a plant called Cassava Root.  You can find tapioca at the Asian market.  I bought ones that have been pre-cooked and they come out just the same as the dried tapioca (it saves you a lot of time and effort).  For the precooked tapioca all you have to do is boil water and allow the tapioca to cook for 5 minutes.  They become soft and have a gummy-bear like consistency.