1. Editor’s tip: Bookmark this chart with the weights of common baking ingredients. For this recipe, buttercream serves as a filling for one layer and the frosting for the whole cake. Hrm, I could say that I was taking a 33 day blog hiatus to reflect on the last bit of my 33rd year, but the truth is that I haven’t been able to get much time to blog, catch up on twitter or tend to my website as much as I wanted in the past month! Here’s a few shots of the latest Sweet Element cakes that were made for a dual christening & 50th birthday party at La Prete’s in Belleville, NJ this past Sunday. The high … Here’s how to measure flour properly. After all, if you’re going to bake an over-the-top chocolate cake, you really want as much cocoa flavor as possible. Using the rounded end of a utensil or wooden spoon, at least 1/4 of an inch, poke holes into cake … Love to bake? So I wanted to celebrate this blogiversary with an AIP Chocolate Cake! this chocolate layer cake recipe right here, Nielsen-Massey’s Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract. The best part about this cake is that, while it looks over-the-top, it’s completely achievable for home bakers. Then, using an offset spatula, spread it outward to the very edge. This first cake was one of the most unique wedding cakes we’ve made. Grease under the parchment and on top.) To stack cake, place one layer chocolate side up on serving plate or cake board. Slowly pour the ganache in the center of the cake top. In a saucepan, heat the cream and sugar to a boil. Then carefully pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk until nice and smooth. The christening cake was based off the invitation to the party & was made up of yellow cake, filled with whipped cream, peaches & strawberries and frosted in vanilla buttercream. The decorative plate & polka dots on the side are all chocolate. Combined with the glossy ganache and rich buttercream, they make for a showstopping presentation. If the ganache is too thin and pools at the bottom of your dish, let it cool more. To bake, first prep three 9-inch cake pans—we’re loving our new nonstick Taste of Home cake pans. It’ll only take you one bite to recognize why this cake is a favorite in our Test Kitchen. Grab the ganache—it should be cool and spreadable—and smear about half onto this layer of cake. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the chocolate cake comes out clean. This next wedding cake is a perfect example of how beautiful a cake with real flowers can be ~ great for the bride on a budget! Spread 1⁄2 cup frosting over top. Calling all chocolate lovers, this cake boasts a deep chocolate flavor and color. It sounds like a lot of ingredients and a lot of trouble but it is very very easy to make. Once done, remove cake from oven and poke holes all in top with fork while still hot. Beat until just combined. You can get the full details on this chocolate layer cake recipe right here. If they are fairly domed, level them off with a serrated knife for neat, sharp layers. That’s where the remainder of the ganache comes in. Spoon the batter evenly into each ramekin. Flour, in particular, is easy to mismeasure. Make the Chocolate Glaze: Place the cake with rack inside a sheet pan (this … Decorate as desired. Careful not to over-bake. So, before the onslaught of July orders pulls me into the kitchen again, I thought I would share just a few of my favorite June cakes. If they look flat and even, you can start frosting right away. Click to mark this step as completed Recommended Recipes. This step develops the rich chocolate flavor. I always wonder how surprise clients react to their cakes, so as you might imagine, I love getting emails from clients with photos of happy cake recipients ~ especially when the cakes are a surprise! I adore the mini wire-rim glasses on the groom. Bake. Be sure to use a high-quality extract (not vanilla flavoring) here for the best possible flavor. Add the cream and sugar to a big mixing bowl and beat until light and fluffy—about 5 minutes. It’s the sort of bake that turns heads, especially at major celebrations for birthdays, anniversaries and engagements. Out of all of our impressive layer cake recipes, one of our Test Kitchen’s favorites is the appropriately named Special-Occasion Chocolate Cake. The cake was comprised of red velvet cake, filled with cream cheese frosting, frosted in vanilla buttercream and decorated in fondant with satin ribbon and fresh orchids. The bride & groom wanted to recreate their proposal story with their wedding cake, changing just a few details to make it special for their wedding day. First, place the chopped chocolate in a medium-size bowl—the smaller you chop the chocolate, the easier the melting process will be. It calls for ganache, too. Chances are you’re familiar with many of the techniques in this recipe. From shop phpottery. We don’t think that’ll be a problem with this cake! The consistency is dense and cakey. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. The cake was devil’s food cake, filled with banana cream filling and frosted in vanilla buttercream. The bride also secretly ordered a NYC subway map groom’s cake as a surprise for the groom. Flourless Chocolate Torte—The Go-To Dessert Recipe … A long offset spatula and a cake turntable really come in handy here—along with our other essential cake baking gear. This next offset square wedding cake for a wedding in Edison, NJ was a fun challenge to take on, especially as our first gig with Pure Ambiance Events! Next, it’s time to pull the batter together. 2. (Here’s how!) Sure can! Place second layer on top, again with chocolate side up. Grease under the … Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes, remove from the pan and cool completely. Download this Free Photo about A glass plate with a chocolate cake and pinecones, and discover more than 7 Million Professional Stock Photos on Freepik Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. The cakes inside the basketball & football were made up of chocolate cake, filled with peanut butter mousse & frosted in chocolate buttercream, and the baseball was made of rice krispy treats frosted in chocolate buttercream. We delivered this tropical cake to the stunning Le Club Avenue in Long Branch, NJ. If it’s too thick, pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it reaches the right consistency. When finished, this cake is absolutely ready to be the centerpiece of any celebration. You can store extras on the counter for a day or two or pop it in the fridge. At home, you'll find her working on embroidery and other crafts. Both cakes were delivered to the beautiful Round Hill House in Washingtonville, NY. When you slice into it, you reveal bits of almond, silky ganache and creamy frosting. Also, consider weighing your ingredients. Keeping in the Guinness theme, the cake was our Guinness Chocolate Cake, filled and frosted with Guinness buttercream and decorated in fondant. The ganache glaze on top is so easy to make and is so pretty garnished with fresh fruit. And last but not least, we made this chocolate plate Chicago Blackhawks birthday cake as a surprise for a huge Blackhawks fan in Hoboken, NJ. Got cake leftovers? Requested at a lot of large get-togethers and birthdays. Cool cake for 15 minutes. Then place either a sheet of parchment paper or a cake board (purchase a 12-pack here) smack on top and begin assembling your layers. Once the cocoa is bloomed, move on to a fairly standard cake baking procedure. A last minute order, I was so happy I was able to fit this order into the books! When it comes to special-occasion desserts, one bake is king: a gorgeous layer cake. https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/easiest-chocolate-birthday-cake For a minute it might look like the ganache will never come together, but just keep whisking! You can either grease the pans or line them with parchment. To frost, smear a dab of frosting on your turntable or cake plate and center the first layer. If you feel the frosting is too thick, add a splash of milk, a tablespoon at a time. Alternately add the dry ingredients and bloomed cocoa to the creamed mixture—starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Prepare and bake cake mix according to package directions in a 9x13 pan. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Overbeating the mix here can lead to a chewy or tough cake. With carob for … Cover it tightly in plastic wrap or pack in an airtight container and freeze. The subway cake was a devil’s food cake, filled with peanut butter mousse, frosted in vanilla buttercream and decorated in fondant. Best Layer Cake EVER – Baking Instructions: Pour chocolate cake batter into two, non-stick, greased 9-inch pans. Put all these methods together and you can create this showstopper. You can also try tiling them around the sides of the cake … This cake is exceptionally decadent—just the thing you want at your next big party. Editor’s tip: While you can certainly use parchment, a cake board makes it easier to transport your bake between surfaces. The top decoration was all chocolate and the inscription was in fondant. Cool the cakes in their pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. This recipe is thicker and richer than any other chocolate torte cake you’ll try, and it has a subtle almond flavor that makes it truly special. Mini Chocolate Cake is a small cake that serves two made in a 6" round cake pan. Simply use a bowl in place of the third cake pan and set it aside while the first two layers bake. First, check out your cake layers. Wondering if you can freeze the leftover cake? Place into a piping … Then pop the pans onto your oven’s middle rack and bake at 350ºF for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean—a great way to judge doneness for this kind of cake. We love to rest them up against truffles on top of the cake, but they're also lovely when perched on top of frosting or whipped cream rosettes. The mountain & barn cakes were comprised of red velvet cake, filled with cream cheese frosting, frosted in vanilla buttercream and decorated in a combination of fondant, modeling chocolate & gumpaste. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto a rack and allow the cake to cool completely before glazing. And it tastes great. It’s unusual that I actually get to see my clients’ reactions at weddings as I usually set up before they get into the room, but in this particular case, when the bride slipped and mentioned that there was a surprise groom’s cake waiting in the ballroom, the groom just HAD to see the cake before the reception! You can read our complete guide to American buttercream right here. Editor’s tip: Only have two cake pans? This cake combines moist chocolate cake layers with fluffy chocolate buttercream and a rich chocolate ganache—all topped with sliced almonds. The manzanita branches were made of modeling chocolate and the orchids and delphiniums were handmade of gumpaste. Fill with desired icing. Place this in the center of oven and bake for one hour and twenty minutes. Lisa is an associate editor at Taste of Home where she gets to embrace her passion for baking. Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. The initial request for the first 50th birthday cake was to incorporate the NY Knicks, Giants & Yankees with a beach theme, which inspired the design below. Chocolate Brush Strokes can be used to decorate cakes, tarts, or cupcakes. This special-occasion bake doesn’t stop at cake and frosting. It should drip down the sides beautifully. I love this inspiration photo that shows the pumpkin proposal that the groom arranged to be seen from the top of a mountain hike with his bride-to-be! Beating these ingredients extremely well will make for the fluffiest cake. If you want to give it a test run, pour a bit of ganache over an overturned mug or bowl and see how it flows down the side. Preparation. Subscribe to the Bakeable newsletter and join our baking community on Facebook where you’ll find recipes, tips and challenges. I couldn’t think of a better way to showcase both city & country than with these two cakes! The easiest way to do this is by weight; however, you can also divide your batter fairly evenly by distributing the batter cup by cup (or quarter cup once you’ve neared the bottom of your bowl) between the three pans. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Pour chocolate cake batter into two, non-stick, greased 9-inch pans. Beat all the frosting ingredients together until smooth, adding milk as needed. 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