Bon Appetit Desserts (29 page)

Raspberry-Whipped Cream Truffle Cake

The framboise in the filling has a beautiful raspberry aroma and a nice kick, but the cake also tastes fine without it. You’ll find framboise at liquor stores and some specialty foods stores.
12 servings

1 cup heavy whipping cream

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, diced

2 tablespoons sugar

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

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 cups cake flour

⅔ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3 large eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1¼ cups buttermilk

1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons chilled heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

2 teaspoons framboise (clear raspberry brandy; optional)

¾ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed, drained

Additional fresh raspberries (optional)

GLAZE:
Combine cream, butter, and sugar in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until butter melts, sugar dissolves, and mixture comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla. Stir until chocolate melts and glaze is smooth. Let stand until thick enough to spread, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Before using, whisk over low heat just until spreadable.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with waxed paper; butter paper. Stir chocolate in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted. Remove from over water.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in melted chocolate and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk in 3 additions each. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off waxed paper. Cool cakes completely.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap and store at room temperature.

FILLING:
Using electric mixer, beat cream, powdered sugar, framboise (if using), and vanilla in large bowl until firm peaks form. Transfer 1½ cups whipped cream mixture to small bowl and chill. Fold raspberries into remaining whipped cream mixture for filling.

Using long serrated knife, cut each cake layer horizontally in half. Using large tart pan bottom as aid, transfer 1 layer to platter. Slide waxed paper strips under edges of cake. Spread ⅔ cup chocolate glaze over cake. Spread half of raspberry whipped cream over. Place second cake layer on work surface. Spread ⅔ cup glaze, then remaining raspberry cream over. Place atop first layer, using tart pan bottom as aid. Top with third cake layer, cut side down, pressing lightly to adhere (reserve fourth layer for another use). Smooth filling at edges of cake. Spread thin layer of glaze over sides of cake. Chill until glaze sets, about 10 minutes.

Spread remaining glaze over sides of cake. Spread or pipe reserved 1½ cups whipped cream mixture over top of cake. Garnish with additional berries, if desired. Gently pull waxed paper strips from under cake. Cover cake with cake dome; chill at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours.

Sour Cream Layer Cake with Pecan Brittle

With additions like sour cream and grated chocolate, a brown sugar frosting, and a simple crunchy pecan brittle, a box of cake mix is transformed into some-thing special. During the brittle-making process, the syrup will begin to harden immediately once it’s removed from the heat, so be sure to have the baking sheet prepared and a metal offset spatula or knife at the ready to spread the syrup.
10 to 12 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup water

⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar

¾ cup pecan halves, toasted, coarsely chopped

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 18.25-ounce box yellow cake mix

4 large eggs

1 cup sour cream

⅓ cup vegetable oil

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely grated

½ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons water

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

6 cups (about) powdered sugar, divided

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

PECAN BRITTLE:
Spray rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, ¼ cup water, and cream of tartar in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 9 minutes. Add pecans and swirl to blend. Pour out onto prepared baking sheet; spread evenly. Cool brittle completely. Cut 3 large pieces of brittle (each about 1½ inches). Cut remaining brittle into ⅓-inch pieces.

DO AHEAD:
Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1½-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line pan bottoms with waxed paper. Combine cake mix, eggs, sour cream, oil, vanilla, and almond extract in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until well blended, about 3 minutes; fold in grated chocolate. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until brown on top and 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. Peel off paper and cool completely.

FROSTING:
Combine brown sugar and 3 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Whisk in cream. Using electric mixer, beat 3 cups powdered sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in brown sugar mixture. Beat in enough remaining powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time, to form frosting that is thick enough to spread.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Sprinkle with ½ cup small brittle pieces; press into frosting. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Stand large brittle pieces in center of cake. Arrange smaller brittle pieces in 1-inch-wide border around top edge of cake.

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

Tres Leches Cake

Tres leches (
“three milks”) cake, popular in Mexico, gets its name from the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and heavy cream that soak the cake. Temperature is the key to soaking this cake perfectly: The cake should be completely cooled, but the milk syrup must be lukewarm when it’s drizzled and smoothed over each layer. The warmth of the syrup allows it to penetrate the cake thoroughly.
8 servings

1½ cups cake flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup canned evaporated milk

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

½ cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup canned sweetened condensed milk

¼ cup canned evaporated milk

1¾ cups chilled heavy whipping cream

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

3 1-pint containers strawberries, hulled, divided

1½-pint container blackberries

CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottom with parchment paper. Butter and flour parchment. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with evaporated milk in 3 additions each. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.

Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes longer. Turn cake out onto rack; remove parchment and cool completely.

CARAMEL MILK SYRUP:
Stir sugar and 2 tablespoons water in heavy small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Immediately whisk in cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk in sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Cool to lukewarm.

DO AHEAD:
Cake and caramel milk syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap cake airtight in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Cover and refrigerate milk syrup, then reheat to lukewarm before using.

Using long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally in half. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on cake plate. Drizzle ⅔ cup lukewarm caramel milk syrup over. Using small offset spatula, spread syrup to cover completely. Let stand 5 minutes.

FROSTING AND FILLING:
Whisk cream and vanilla in large bowl until medium peaks form. Spread 1 cup whipped cream mixture over syrup on cake layer. Top with second cake layer, cut side up. Drizzle remaining milk syrup over second layer, spreading with spatula to cover completely. Let stand 5 minutes. Spread remaining whipped cream over top and sides of cake. Decorate top of cake with half of strawberries and all blackberries.