My dear baby is growing up but stays true to the annual birthday cake request of chocolate cake with chocolate pudding and chocolate frosting. "Pretty Please, extra pudding!!!, mum," I had an idea to frost the cake in pudding but quickly abandoned the idea with the thought of skin forming over the entire cake! I researched on the Internet and came across a few recipes of the Brooklyn Blackout Cake, originally posted in a popular food magazine a few years ago. The history is that at Ebinger's bakery, closed for decades, in Brooklyn was the creator of this cake.They did frost their cake with pudding and coated with fine crumbs from leveling the cake but I wasn't brave enough to try that.
I decided I wanted 3 full layers not split layers loaded with pudding and frosted with a chocolate mousse frosting. I wanted a tall decadent cake to celebrate my sweet child's birthday.
I used Dorie Greenspan's Devils Food Chocolate cake recipe but substitute your favorite chocolate cake recipe. I have at least three go to recipes depending on the ingredients in the fridge (Nigella Lawson has good recipe as does Ina Garten and my mom's famous chocolate cake recipe).
Devils Food Chocolate Cake
"Baking from My Home to Your"
by Dorie Greenspan
I increased the recipe by half to add an additional layer those measurements are in {parentheses}
1 1/3 cups flour {2 cups flour}
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder {1 cup cocoa}
3/4 teaspoon baking soda {1 1/4}
1/2 teaspoon baking powder {3/4}
1/2 teaspoon salt {3/4}
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) butter at room temperature {15 Tbl - 2 sticks minus 1 Tbl}
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar {3/4}
1/2 cup sugar {3/4}
3 large eggs at room temperature {4 1/2 eggs - I whisked an egg and weighed then took half - this can be done visually or just using a smaller egg}
1 teaspoon of vanilla {1 1/2 teaspoons}
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled {3 ounces}
1/2 cup of buttermilk at room temperature {3/4 cup}
1/2 cup boiling water {3/4 cup}
4 ounces of semi sweet, milk or dark chocolate finely chopped {6 ounces}
Preheat oven to 350 F
Butter, line bottom with parchment, butter parchment and flour three 8" round pans shaking off excess. Or if you use the original recipe 2 9" inch rounds. Put kettle on to boil.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in separate bowl.
In stand mixer with paddle, cream butter. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition for 1 minute. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate. Reduce to low speed and add the dry ingredients (3 additions) alternating with the buttermilk (2 additions). Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down as needed and beat until dry ingredients disappear. Batter will be thick like frosting. With mixer on low add the boiling water which will thin the batter. Fold in chopped chocolate with a rubber spatula.
I decided I wanted 3 full layers not split layers loaded with pudding and frosted with a chocolate mousse frosting. I wanted a tall decadent cake to celebrate my sweet child's birthday.
I used Dorie Greenspan's Devils Food Chocolate cake recipe but substitute your favorite chocolate cake recipe. I have at least three go to recipes depending on the ingredients in the fridge (Nigella Lawson has good recipe as does Ina Garten and my mom's famous chocolate cake recipe).
Devils Food Chocolate Cake
"Baking from My Home to Your"
by Dorie Greenspan
I increased the recipe by half to add an additional layer those measurements are in {parentheses}
1 1/3 cups flour {2 cups flour}
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder {1 cup cocoa}
3/4 teaspoon baking soda {1 1/4}
1/2 teaspoon baking powder {3/4}
1/2 teaspoon salt {3/4}
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) butter at room temperature {15 Tbl - 2 sticks minus 1 Tbl}
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar {3/4}
1/2 cup sugar {3/4}
3 large eggs at room temperature {4 1/2 eggs - I whisked an egg and weighed then took half - this can be done visually or just using a smaller egg}
1 teaspoon of vanilla {1 1/2 teaspoons}
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate melted and cooled {3 ounces}
1/2 cup of buttermilk at room temperature {3/4 cup}
1/2 cup boiling water {3/4 cup}
4 ounces of semi sweet, milk or dark chocolate finely chopped {6 ounces}
Preheat oven to 350 F
Butter, line bottom with parchment, butter parchment and flour three 8" round pans shaking off excess. Or if you use the original recipe 2 9" inch rounds. Put kettle on to boil.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in separate bowl.
In stand mixer with paddle, cream butter. Add the sugars and beat for 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition for 1 minute. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate. Reduce to low speed and add the dry ingredients (3 additions) alternating with the buttermilk (2 additions). Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Scrape down as needed and beat until dry ingredients disappear. Batter will be thick like frosting. With mixer on low add the boiling water which will thin the batter. Fold in chopped chocolate with a rubber spatula.
Divide between pans, leveling off and bake 25 to 30 minutes until knife in center comes out clean.
Chocolate Pudding
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
3 1/2 cups whole milk
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolks in a 3-quart heavy saucepan until combined well, then add milk in a stream, whisking. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking, 1 minute .
Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolates, butter, and vanilla. Spoon into serving containers of your choice. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap.
Chocolate Mousse Frosting
from Joy of Cooking
Whisk together in a medium heatproof stainless bowl:
2 large eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup of milk or strong coffee
1/8 teaspoon salt
Set bowl in a large skilled of simmering water and heat, stirring constantly until thermometer reaches 160F
I put all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat slowly whisking constantly to 160F and the sieve out any unwanted bits.
Stir in:
4 ounces of bittersweet or unsweetened finely chopped chocolate {taste your chocolate}
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
Set the large bowl over an ice bath and beat on high until frosting holds a shape. (I made a bain marie to fit under the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer).
Assembling the Cake
Level the cake layers saving the crumbs
Spread pudding onto layer to with next layer then frost entire cake. Apply crumbs to the outside and top of cake.
Chocolate Pudding
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large egg yolks
3 1/2 cups whole milk
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and yolks in a 3-quart heavy saucepan until combined well, then add milk in a stream, whisking. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and simmer, whisking, 1 minute .
Force filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then whisk in chocolates, butter, and vanilla. Spoon into serving containers of your choice. Cover surface of filling with plastic wrap.
Chocolate Mousse Frosting
from Joy of Cooking
Whisk together in a medium heatproof stainless bowl:
2 large eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup of milk or strong coffee
1/8 teaspoon salt
Set bowl in a large skilled of simmering water and heat, stirring constantly until thermometer reaches 160F
I put all the ingredients in a heavy bottomed saucepan and heat slowly whisking constantly to 160F and the sieve out any unwanted bits.
Stir in:
4 ounces of bittersweet or unsweetened finely chopped chocolate {taste your chocolate}
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
Set the large bowl over an ice bath and beat on high until frosting holds a shape. (I made a bain marie to fit under the bowl of my Kitchenaid mixer).
Assembling the Cake
Level the cake layers saving the crumbs
Spread pudding onto layer to with next layer then frost entire cake. Apply crumbs to the outside and top of cake.
1 comment:
This cake is making my stomach growl it looks so good.
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