Bon Appetit Desserts (27 page)

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let cake stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving.

Chocolate Cake with Caramel-Coconut-Almond Filling

This is a delicious version of the classic German chocolate cake. For tips on creating perfect caramel, see page 31.
12 servings

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 cup water

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or coffee powder

2¼ cups (packed) dark brown sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

1 cup thinly sliced almonds, toasted

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, divided

½ cup sour cream, divided

2 cups sliced almonds, toasted

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with waxed paper; butter paper. Combine chocolate, 1 cup water, and espresso powder in heavy small saucepan. Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat. Cool completely, stirring occasionally.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture alternately with sour cream in 3 additions each, beginning with dry ingredients. Divide batter among prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks. Remove waxed paper; cool completely.

FILLING:
Combine sugar and ¼ cup water in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Place pan over medium-low heat and stir until any caramel bits melt, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in coconut and almonds. Cool filling until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 45 minutes.

FROSTING:
Stir butter and chocolate in heavy small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Whisk in vanilla, then 1 cup powdered sugar and ¼ cup sour cream. Whisk in remaining 1 cup powdered sugar and ¼ cup sour cream.

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread half of filling evenly over, leaving ½-inch plain border. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining filling over, leaving ½-inch plain border. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. Press almonds onto sides of cake. Using small spatula, swirl frosting decoratively over top of cake.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; store at room temperature.

Black Pearl Layer Cake

This Asian-influenced creation is named after a popular chocolate truffle by Vosges Haut-Chocolat. The unexpected combination of wasabi and black sesame seeds that infuses the truffle also flavors this inspired cake. You’ll find wasabi powder and black sesame seeds in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets, at specialty foods stores, and at Asian and Indian markets.
10 to 12 servings

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon wasabi powder

2 tablespoons black sesame seeds

1 tablespoon corn syrup

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

⅓ cup matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2 cups boiling water

1 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

2¾ cups unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

2¼ cups sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground ginger

Additional black sesame seeds

BLACK PEARL GANACHE:
Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream, ginger, and wasabi to boil in small saucepan. Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth. Mix sesame seeds and corn syrup in small bowl to coat; stir into chocolate mixture. Let cool to lukewarm. Whisk in butter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight to set.

GINGER SYRUP:
Place 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour for flavors to blend. Strain syrup into small bowl. Chop ginger; place in another small bowl.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover ginger and syrup and chill.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper.

Whisk 2 cups boiling water, cocoa, and reserved chopped ginger in medium heatproof bowl to blend. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in another large bowl until fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING:
Using electric mixer, beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, vanilla, and ginger. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops off cakes to create flat surface. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on plate. Brush top with ⅓ cup ginger syrup. Spread half of ganache over. Top with second layer, cut side up. Brush with ⅓ cup syrup; spread remaining ganache over. Top with third cake layer. Brush with remaining syrup. Spread whipped cream frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle black sesame seeds over. Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cake with Cream Cheese and Butterfinger Frosting

The truffle-like filling for this decadent cake needs to chill overnight to thicken, so make it one day before you assemble the cake. Old-fashioned natural peanut butter is key to this recipe, so don’t use anything else. Since the old-fashioned variety tends to separate, be sure to stir it until well blended before using.
12 servings

2¼ cups heavy whipping cream

½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (do not exceed 61% cacao), chopped

½ cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter

2½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup old-fashioned (natural) chunky peanut butter

1 pound golden brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk

12 ounces Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups powdered sugar, divided

6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream

Butterfinger candy bars, coarsely chopped

Glazed peanuts

FILLING:
Bring cream and sugar to simmer in medium saucepan, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; let stand 1 minute. Whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in peanut butter. Chill uncovered overnight.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until blended. Beat in sugar. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared pans; smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 5 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

FROSTING:
Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1¼ cups sugar, butter, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk cream and remaining ¾ cup sugar in medium bowl until medium-firm peaks form. Fold cream mixture into cream cheese mixture in 3 additions; chill frosting until firm but spreadable, about 1 hour.