Birthday Cake for Karen Sonnessa

[Guest guest]

Karen, Having an insatiable sweet tooth, I have severak cookbooks with nothing

but sweets! Maybe you could be more specific about what your daughter would

like before I inundate the list! I've collected most of them from various

sources on the web. Judy

 

 

* Exported from MasterCook *

 

Chocolate Phantasmagoria

 

Recipe By :Death by Chocolate by Marcel Desaulniers

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories :

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

HAZELNUT BUTTER

1 lb hazelnuts

4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unsalted butter -- softened

CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, broken in 1/2 oz

pieces

1 cup plus 1 teaspoon cake flour

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 4 T light brown sugar -- very tightly packed

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup sour cream

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

14 oz semisweet chocolate; broken in 1/2 oz

pieces

This is the ultimate chocolate cake

recipe. It is so rich and chocolaty that

it will make your toes curl. Enjoy!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Toast and skin the hazelnuts, then finely

chop them in a food processor fitted with

a metal blade. Add 4 tablespoons butter

and process until combined. Set aside.

Raise the oven temperature to 350 degrees

F.

Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half

of a double boiler over medium heat.

Place the unsweetened chocolate in the

top half of the double boiler. Tightly

cover the top with film wrap, heat for 4

to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir

until smooth.

Coat a 9- by 1-1/2 inch cake pan with 1

teaspoon butter. Flour the pan with 1

teaspoon flour, shaking out the excess.

Sift 1 cup flour, the cocoa, baking soda,

and salt onto wax paper.

Combine the brown sugar and 4 tablespoons

butter in the bowl of an electric mixer

fitted with a paddle. Beat on low for 2

minutes. Scrape down the sides of the

bowl, then beat on high for 1-1/2

minutes. Scrape again. Add 1 egg and beat

on high for 15 seconds, scrape again. Add

the remaining egg, beat on high for 15

seconds. Scrape one more time. Beat on

high for 2 minutes. Add the melted

chocolate and the vanilla and beat on low

for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl one

more time.

Heat 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small

saucepan. With the mixer on low, add a

third of the sifted flour and half the

sour cream and mix for another 30 seconds

before removing the bowl from the mixer.

Finish mixing with a rubber spatula.

Spread cake batter into evenly into

prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven

until a toothpick inserted in the center

of the cake comes out clean, 45 to 50

minutes. Cool cake in the pan for 15

minutes at room temperature. Turn out

onto a cooling rack and keep at room

temperature until needed.

For the granache: Heat the heavy cream, 2

tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons

butter in a 2-1/2 quart saucepan over

medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve

the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Place the semisweet chocolate in a

stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling

cream over the chocolate and allow to

stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth.

Keep at room temperature until ready to

use.

1 Slice cake horizontally into 3 equal layers.

Place a dab of ganache in the center of a

cake circle. Place the top layer of the

cake, cut side down, onto the circle,

gently pressing down on the cake so that

the ganache will hold it in place. Place

the center layer of the cake on a

separate cake circle. Also place the

bottom layer of the cake, cut side down

on a third cake circle. Evenly spread 3/4

cup of the ganache over the top and

center layers of the cake. Refrigerate

these layers for 20 minutes. Remove the 2

layers form the refrigerator and divide

and spread the hazelnut butter over the

ganache on both cake layers, spreading

evenly to the edges. Refrigerate for 20

minutes. slide the ganached center layer

onto the ganached top layer. Slide the

 

 

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Per serving: 3612 Calories (kcal); 356g Total Fat; (84% calories from fat); 57g

Protein; 89g Carbohydrate; 1084mg Cholesterol; 2702mg Sodium

Food Exchanges: 3 Grain(Starch); 4 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 68 1/2

Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

 

 

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0