Choc-Almond Cake w Coffee Buttercream
Source of Recipe
Godiva
List of Ingredients
Chocolate Almond Cake:
1 bar (1.5 ounces) Godiva Dark Chocolate, coarsely chopped
2 cups cake flour
2/3 cup unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup almond butter*
1 1/3 cups packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature
Coffee Buttercream:
3/4 cup freshly ground French roast coffee
1 1/3 cups water, divided
8 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bittersweet Ganache Filling:
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 bars (1.5 ounces each) Godiva Dark Chocolate, broken up
*Almond butter is available in gourmet shops and many supermarketsRecipe
Make the chocolate almond cake layers:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8x3-inch round cake pans and dust with flour. Tap out excess flour.
Place chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds more or until chocolate is softened. Stir until smooth.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter and almond butter in large bowl until fluffy, using electric mixer at medium speed. Add brown sugar and beat for 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate, vanilla and almond extract and beat for another 30 seconds.
On low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.
Bake 40 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and cool on wire racks. Wrap in plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature. The layers can be made a day ahead.
Make the coffee buttercream:
Place coffee in heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup water to a boil. Stir the boiling water into the coffee; let stand 7 to 10 minutes. With a fine wire-mesh strainer or cheesecloth, strain the coffee into a liquid measuring cup. You should have about 1/4 cup concentrated coffee.
Place egg yolks and coffee in large mixing bowl. Beat at medium-high speed for 5 to 7 minutes or until a ribbon falling off the beater remains on the surface of the yolk mixture for a few seconds. While the eggs are mixing, make the sugar syrup.
Combine sugar with the remaining water in small, heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar. Increase heat to medium-high and heat to a boil. Boil syrup until it reaches 234°F.
Carefully pour hot syrup into egg yolks, beating at medium speed. Continue to beat until mixture is cooled to room temperature. Gradually add butter, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time. The buttercream will look lumpy or curdled when half of the butter has been added, but it will smooth out at the end. Slowly beat in vanilla and salt. Increase speed to medium and beat buttercream until fluffy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Make the bittersweet ganache:
Heat cream in a small heavy saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove pan from heat. Whisk in chopped chocolate, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Let cool until ganache is thick enough to spread.
Assemble the cake:
Slice each cake into horizontal halves, making four layers in all. Spread 1/4 cup of the ganache on one layer. Top with 1/2 cup buttercream. Repeat with next 2 cake layers. Top with last cake layer. Spread top of cake with remaining ganache. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining buttercream, reserving 1/2 to 3/4 cup for piping decorations on cake. Garnish with chocolate covered espresso beans if desired.
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