Deep Dark Chocolate (12 page)

¹
/
₃
cup buttermilk, at room temperature

Powdered sugar for dusting(optional)

TO MAKE THE WHIPPED CREAM:
At least 6 hours before serving, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the cream, nibs, sugar, and salt and bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain the cream through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the nibs. Cover and refrigerate the cream for at least 5 hours or up to 2 days. When ready to use, whip the chilled cream until soft peaks form.

TO MAKE THE GINGERBREAD:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter and flour (or dust with cocoa) a 9-inch round cake pan. Place the chocolate and ½ cup butter in a large heatproof bowl and set in a wide pan or skillet of hot water. Set aside for 5 minutes, stirring 4 or 5 times, and let the chocolate melt completely. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth and cools slightly.

In a medium bowl, whisk the 1½ cups flour, the sugar, cocoa, allspice, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Stir in the minced ginger until coated and evenly distributed. Add the brown sugar and honey to the bowl containing the cooled chocolate mixture and stir until blended. Add the beaten egg and mix until blended. Mix in the buttermilk, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary. Add the dry ingredients in several additions and beat until just blended and smooth. Do not overmix.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Gently rotate the pan to settle and level the batter. Bake until the gingerbread is springy to the touch and a tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 40 minutes. Let the gingerbread cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Gently loosen the edges with a thin knife before inverting it onto the rack. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. Serve warm with a good portion of the whipped cream.

Lamington Cakes

makes
24 small (2-inch) cakes

THESE INDIVIDUAL COCONUT-CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKES,
laced with raspberry, are one of my favorite desserts. Every bite offers a tantalizing combination of flavors and textures. Similar to large petit fours—but much better—they are ideal for parties or for any celebration where cake is in order (which covers just about every occasion). Lamingtons take a bit of planning and should be assembled the day before you serve them so the flavors have time to meld.

Are you wondering what, or who, is a Lamington? These small cakes were supposedly named after Baron Lamington, a popular governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. Some think the word was slang for the homburg hat he liked to wear. Today, Lamington Cakes are still popular as an Australian afternoon teacake.

Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the pan

¾ cup water

2 ounces premium unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 teaspoon instant coffee, decaffeinated or regular

1½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup premium unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup raspberry jam, strained to remove seeds, divided

Glaze

¾ cup hot water

½ cup premium unsweetened cocoa powder

3 to 3½ cups unsweetened, shredded dried coconut such as Bob’s Red Mill

TO MAKE THE CAKE:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch straight-sided metal baking pan. To make removing the finished cake easy, line the pan lengthwise with a 17-by-8-inch sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil (shiny side up) and use the overhang as handles.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the 1 cup butter, the water, chocolate, and instant coffee and cook, stirring, until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Gradually whisk the lukewarm chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients until smooth. Beat in the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla until blended and smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as necessary.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Gently tap the pan several times on a counter to settle the batter. Bake until the cake is springy to the touch and a tester inserted in the center comes out just clean or with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Using the parchment handles, lift the cake from the pan and place on a work surface. Cut the cake into quarters, place on a large baking sheet lined with waxed paper, and freeze for 1 hour. Remove 1 cake quarter from the freezer. Using a serrated bread knife, stand the cake on edge and cut in half widthwise. Lay the 2 halves side by side, cut side up, and spread one half with ¼ cup of the raspberry jam. Using a stiff spatula, place the other half on top and return it to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 cake quarters. Freeze the 4 quarters for 2 to 3 hours longer.

Remove the cakes from the freezer. Using the serrated bread knife, trim away any rough edges. Cut each quarter into 6 squares and place them back on the tray. Return to the freezer while you make the glaze.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE:
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the powdered sugar, hot water, cocoa, and butter. Heat, stirring, until the mixture is blended and smooth.

TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKES:
Place the saucepan containing the glaze on a clean counter top. Arrange the pan of cakes on one side of the saucepan, a bowl containing 3 cups of the coconut in front of the saucepan, and, on the other side, 2 wire racks set on another baking sheet. Holding each cake on a fork, dip it into the glaze, draining any excess back into the saucepan. Using the fork, roll the cake in the coconut to coat. Place the finished cake on a rack and repeat with the remaining cakes, replenishing the coconut as needed. Use an inverted shallow roasting pan to cover the cakes until serving time. These cakes taste best when allowed to rest 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

Wedding Cupcakes with Wedding-Party Frostings

makes
12 cupcakes

FOR BETTER OR FOR BEST, AT YOUR NEXT WEDDING, SKIP
the high-rise, frou-frou fondant cake and go for tiers of delicious, dark chocolate cupcakes decorated with an array of great-tasting frostings. This is a cake your guests will actually eat and remember…plus, there’ll be no fighting over the largest slice.

A note on the party cups called for in this recipe, and a word of praise for Cheryl Porro: Cheryl is a software engineer by day and the author of
www.cupcakeblog.com
. I came upon her Web site and was immediately taken by her cupcake liners, which she explains are Wilton’s standard-size “Nut & Party” cups. Check them out in Sources or on Cheryl’s site. They’re nifty.