Well it's my turn to host this week and I'm going to make this short and sweet because I am borrowing my Aunt Gayla's computer (thank you by the way). I do have pictures I will add when I get our internet up and running.
I chose Chocolate Blackout Cake for this week's recipe and you can find it on page 303 on America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. I chose this recipe because it has been my husband's birthday this week and he really enjoyed it. :D
Chocolate Blackout Cake
Serves 8-10
Be sure to give the pudding and the cake enough time to cool or you'll end up with runny pudding and gummy cake.
PUDDING
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup whole milk
6 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
CAKE
3/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus extra dusting
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons 91 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup strong brewed coffee, room temp
1 cup buttermilk, room temp
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. FOR THE PUDDING: Whisk the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium saucepan and slowly whisk in the half-and-half and milk. Bring the mix to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chocolate and cook, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute. Off the heat, stir in the vanilla. Transfer the pudding to a large bowl and press plastic wrap directly on the surface. Refrigerate the pudding until cold, about 4 hours.
2. FOR THE CAKE: Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease two 8 inch cake pans, then dust with cocoa powder and line the bottoms with parchment paper (see page 2810. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.
3. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 3/4 coup of the cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off the heat whisk in the coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in the flour mixture until no streaks remain. (The batter will be very loose)
4. Give the batter a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and gently tap the pans on the counter to settle the batter. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30-35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking.
5. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a small knife around the edge of the pans then flip them out onto a wire rack. Peel off the parchment paper, flip the cakes right side up and let cool completely before filling and frosting, about 2 hours.
6. Line the edges of a cake platter with strips of parchment paper to keep the platter clean while you assemble the cake. Slice each cake into two even layers using a long serrated knife (see page 287). Following the photo, crumble one of the cake layers into medium-sized crumbs.
7. Place one of the cake layers on the platter. Spread 1 cup of the pudding over the cake right to the edges. top with a second cake layer and spread with another 1 cup pudding. Place the remaining cake layer on top and press lightly to adhere. Frost the cake with the remaining pudding. Sprinkle the cake crumbs evenly over the top and press them onto the sides of cake. Remove the parchment strips from the platter before serving.
I really enjoyed making this cake even though it gave me some fits. But I got through it and it made me excited to start baking again :D If you tried this and loved it I'm glad. If you didn't like it - I'm sorry :( I hope you enjoy it though if you decide to make it.
Happy Baking!
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