Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (16 page)

When the icing begins to thicken remove it from the ice water and stir/beat briskly with a rubber or wooden spatula until it becomes smooth and thick enough to spread—or about like a very heavy mayonnaise. It should take only a few seconds or maybe a minute or so of stirring/beating. If the icing remains too soft return it to the ice water briefly, then remove and stir/beat again.

When the icing is thick enough, quickly spread it about ⅓ inch thick over the cake on the plate. Cover with the second layer, placing it right side up (both flat sides meet in the middle), pour the remaining icing over the cake, and with a long, narrow metal spatula spread it over the top and sides of the cake. If you wish, form large swirls on the top, using the spatula to indent the icing from the outer rim toward the center in a rather abstract daisy shape.

Remove the wax paper strips by pulling each one toward a narrow end.

Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake

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This is a very impressive three-layer cake.

It looks like a county-fair prizewinner, or a glorious finale to a family get-together, or like “happiness” to a bunch of kids. It is a fine-grained sweet chocolate cake filled and covered with chocolate whipped cream. The cake may be made early in the day for that night, or it may be frozen, but the whipped cream should be put on the day it is served (at least several hours before serving).

6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate morsels

¼ cup water or prepared coffee

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

I teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

6 ounces (1½ sticks) sweet butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1¾ cups granulated sugar

3 eggs (graded large or extra-large)

1 cup buttermilk

Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round layer-cake pans. Line the bottoms with baking pan liner paper cut to fit. Butter the paper and dust lightly with fine, dry bread crumbs; invert the pans over a piece of paper and tap them lightly to shake out excess crumbs. Set the pans aside.

Place the chocolate and water or coffee in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat and cover until the chocolate is partially melted. Then uncover and stir until completely melted and smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside uncovered to cool.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter. Add the vanilla and then the sugar and beat to mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula and beating until well mixed after each addition. (The mixture might look curdled—O.K.) Add the melted chocolate and stir until smooth. On low speed gradually add the sifted dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk in two additions. Scrape the bowl with the spatula and beat only until smooth after each addition.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.

Place one pan on one rack and two on the other rack; do not place one directly above another.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick gently inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and dry—the layer or layers on the upper rack will probably bake in less time than the layer or layers on the bottom rack, and a layer near the back might bake in less time than one near the front. So test each one carefully and do not overbake.

Let the layers stand in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes. Then with a small, sharp knife carefully cut around the sides to release. (During baking the layers will have formed a slight crust on the tops and when you cut around the sides some of that crust will flake off. It’s O.K., just work near the sink where you won’t mind a few crumbs.) Cover each pan with a rack, invert pan and rack, remove the pan and the paper lining, cover with another rack and invert again, leaving the layers right side up. Let stand until completely cool. (These layers have a tendency to stick to the racks as they cool; after about 5 minutes cover each layer with a rack and invert only to release the bottom of the cake from the rack and then replace it right side up.)

Prepare a flat cake plate by placing four strips of wax paper around the outer edges.

Handle the layers gently—they are fragile. A safety precaution is to chill them in the freezer until they are firm before handling them.

Place one layer upside down on the plate, checking to be sure that the wax papers touch the cake all around. If you have a cake-decorating turntable or a lazy Susan, place the cake plate on it.

Prepare the following Chocolate Whipped Cream.

CHOCOLATE WHIPPED CREAM

6 ounces (1 cup) semisweet chocolate morsels

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoons water

Pinch of salt

2 cups heavy cream

Optional: 1½ teaspoons dry powdered (not granular) instant coffee or espresso

Place the chocolate, honey, water, and salt in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Cover until partially melted, then uncover and stir until completely melted and very smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler and set aside uncovered to cool to room temperature. Stir occasionally while the chocolate cools, and test the temperature often by dropping a bit of the chocolate on the inside of your wrist. (It must be completely cool—if the chocolate is warm it will deflate the whipped cream.) The chocolate mixture will thicken slightly as it cools.

In the small bowl of an electric mixer or in a large mixing bowl (the bowl and beaters should be chilled if the room is warm) add the optional powdered coffee to the cream and beat or whisk until the cream holds a definite shape.

Very gradually fold some of the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate—about three large spoonfuls, one at a time. That will thin the chocolate slightly. When the chocolate is thin enough to be folded into the whipped cream, transfer both mixtures to a large bowl and fold them together only until incorporated.

Use this to spread between the layers and over the top and sides of the cake, placing all the layers upside down—the layers of filling should not be too thick, make them about ⅓ to ½ inch thick, leaving enough for a generous topping. Before placing the cream on the top and sides of the cake, brush away any loose crumbs on the plate.

The top and sides may be spread smoothly or shaped into swirls and/or peaks.

The cake is so big and beautiful that it really does not need any decoration. However, if you wish, it lends itself to any of the chocolate decorations (see pages 262 through 267). The easiest, and it is attractive, is to sprinkle shaved chocolate generously over the top of the cake.

Remove the wax paper strips by gently pulling each one out toward a narrow end.

Refrigerate for several hours or all day; the whipped cream will thicken and stiffen slightly with refrigeration.

Use a large, sharp knife to serve.

Old-Fashioned Fudge Cake

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An old recipe for a large two-layer cake—dark-colored, light-textured, and delicate, with a thick layer of bittersweet chocolate filling and icing that stays soft and creamy. This is a delicious cake, and easy. So easy, in fact, that after I recommended the recipe to a young girl as her first experience in cake baking, she not only proudly brought me a slice, but has started making it for friends and relatives. She is eleven years old.

3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate

1¾ cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ pound (1 stick) sweet butter

1½ cups granulated sugar

2 eggs (graded large or extra-large)

2 tablespoons plus 1½ teaspoons white vinegar (see Note)

1 cup milk

Adjust rack to center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round layer-cake pans, line the bottoms with baking-pan liner paper or wax paper cut to fit, butter the paper, dust with flour, then invert over a piece of paper and tap lightly to shake out excess. Set aside.

Place the chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Cover until partially melted, then uncover and stir until completely melted. Remove from the hot water and set aside, uncovered, to cool slightly.

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat to mix well. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until the egg is thoroughly incorporated after each addition. Mix in the vinegar. The mixture will look curdled—it is O.K. Add the melted chocolate and beat only until smooth.

On low speed add the sifted dry ingredients in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat only until smooth after each addition.

Place half of the mixture in each prepared pan and smooth the tops.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the layers begin to come away from the sides of the pans and the tops spring back when lightly pressed with a fingertip.

Remove from the oven and, with a small, sharp knife, cut around the insides of the pans to release. Then let the layers stand in the pans for 5 minutes.

Cover each layer with a rack, invert, remove the pan, peel off the paper lining, cover with another rack and invert again, leaving the layer right side up to cool.

Prepare a large, flat cake plate by lining the sides with four strips of wax paper. Place one layer upside down on the plate, checking to be sure that the papers touch the layer all around. If you have a cake-decorating turntable or a lazy Susan, place the plate on it. Prepare the icing.

WHIPPED CHOCOLATE ICING

6 ounces (6 squares) unsweetened chocolate

¼ pound (1 stick) sweet butter

2¼ cups confectioners sugar

2 eggs (graded large or extra-large)

3 tablespoons hot water

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Place the chocolate and the butter in the top of a small double boiler over hot water on moderate heat. Cover until partially melted, then uncover and stir until completely melted.

Meanwhile, place all the remaining ingredients in the small bowl of an electric mixer. Beat briefly only to mix. Set the small bowl in a large bowl and fill the empty space left in the large bowl with ice and water, filling to about three-quarters the depth of the large bowl. (If you are using an electric mixer on a stand, use the large mixer bowl for the ice and water but adjust the stand for “small bowl.”)

Add the melted chocolate and butter, and beat until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove both bowls (together) from the mixer. With a rubber spatula stir the icing over the ice and water until it thickens to the consistency of thick mayonnaise.

Spread a scant third of it about ¼ inch thick over the bottom layer of cake. Cover with the other layer, placing it right side up (both bottoms meet in the
middle). Spread the sides and the top with the remaining icing. It may either be spread smoothly with a long, narrow metal spatula, or it may be formed into swirls.

Remove the strips of wax paper by gently pulling each one out toward a narrow end.

NOTE
:
Although I told an eleven-year-old to do the following when measuring the vinegar, it is advisable for everyone. I do it myself. Pour it out into a small cup first, then scoop it out with the measuring spoon. If you pour a clear liquid into a measuring spoon held over the mixing bowl, it is easily possible to splash in more than you mean to.

F.B.I. Chocolate Layer Cake

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