One of the things I made this past holiday season is a five layer Chocolate-Mocha Cake filled with Mocha Butter cream and crushed Amaretti Cookies, then drizzled with Chocolate Ganache! Whew, that's a long way to describe it! But to simplify its definition, all I can say...this is a "TOTALLY DECADENT CAKE!" No more, no less...
I wanted to bring a dessert for our Christmas dinner over at Barry's parents house, but I couldn't decide what to make until Barry's Dad suggested for me to make something with chocolate since everyone is our family loves anything with chocolate in it!
It's been awhile since I made a mocha chiffon cake (another favorite in my family), so I had a great idea of combining the two and made it into a layered cake! Then, adding Amaretti cookies with my Mocha Buttercream Icing gave it a great crunch and flavor! And OoooH, a chocolate ganache is way better than just a plain chocolate icing! I really wanted to serve this cake with fresh raspberries, but I went to two supermarkets on Christmas Eve and both places ran out of it. Out of season and the holidays made it very difficult for me to get a hold of those fresh raspberries, so I just ended up using some red and green sugar sprinkles as a decor. It still turned out great and everyone enjoyed my five layer-cake for Christmas! We had so much left-over that I gave some to Barry's Uncle who couldn't make it to dinner that day...
Ingredients:
Chocolate Chiffon Cake:
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup safflower oil or vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Mocha Chiffon Cake:
2 cups cake flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
3/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water + 2 Tbsp. instant coffee
1/4 cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
Mocha Buttercream Icing with Amaretti Cookies:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp of instant coffee
6 egg yolks
1/2 lb. butter
2 cups of Amaretti Cookies, crushed
Chocolate Ganache:
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoons cognac or brandy (optional)
Garnish (Optional):
Fresh Raspberries
Raspberry Sauce
Directions:
Chocolate Chiffon:
Separate the eggs, placing the whites in one bowl and the yolks in another. To the whites, add the extra egg white and then cover both bowls with plastic wrap. Bring them to room temperature for about 30 minutes before using.
Meanwhile sift together granulated white sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the oil, water, and vanilla extract.
In an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks for a minute or two on high speed. Turn the mixer on low speed and slowly pour the oil mixture into the egg yolks until very well combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated.
In a separate mixing bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. With a large rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold the egg whites into the batter just until blended. Do not over blend or else, it will deflate.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35-45 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Remove the cake from the pan by running a sharp knife around the inside of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert onto a wire rack.
Mocha Chiffon:
(Follow directions above)
Mix all dry ingredients, make a wheel in center the add egg yolks,oil and coffee. Beat well. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar, then add sugar little by little until stiff but not dry. Fold batter into the egg white mixture. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Mocha Icing with Amaretti Cookies:
Mix coffee with water, then boil water (with coffee mixture) and sugar until it is spine thread (until it reaches 240 degrees F with a candy thermometer). Meanwhile beat egg yolk until thick, pour syrup to egg yolk in this stream slowly while beating. Let it cool. Beat butter until creamy. Blend and beat in egg yolk mixture for at least 6 -10 minutes. Add crushed Amaretti Cookies.
Chocolate Ganache:
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a few minutes so the chocolate melts. Gently stir with a whisk until smooth. Add liqueur.
Assemble cake. Layer with mocha icing. Then drizzle ganache over the cake. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
Enjoy!
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