Spicy Flourless Chocolate Cake

Well, it’s almost February. So it’s almost Valentine’s Day which means I have an excuse to decorate this cake in pink and marshmallows and sprinkles. Underneath all the glitz this cake happens to be very, very dark and chocolatey with the warm heat of cinnamon and cayenne pepper. The spicy ganache and the mascarpone cream perfectly complement the cake.

Ingredients: Cake

2 and 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

3/4 cup unsalted butter

5 large eggs, cold

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Spicy Ganache

9 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mascarpone Whipped Cream

8 ounces mascarpone cheese

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe: Cake

Preheat the oven to 300F. Grease a 9″ round springform pan and line it with parchment paper. Dust with cocoa powder.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium metal bowl set in a skillet of simmering water, stirring until smooth.

Remove bowl from heat and let cool slightly.

Combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and water. Beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is very foamy, pale in color, and doubled in volume, about 2 minutes.

Gradually pour in the chocolate mixture. Increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until well blended, about 30 seconds.

Add the cocoa powder and mix on medium low just until blended, about 30 seconds.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a pick inserted in the center comes out looking wet with small gooey clumps, about 40 minutes. Don’t overcook. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 min.

If necessary, gently push the edges down with your fingertips until the layer is even. Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake.

Cover the cake pan with a wire rack and invert. Remove the pan and parchment and let the cake cool completely. The cake may look cinched in around its sides, which is fine.

Transfer to a cake plate. Cover and refrigerate the cake until it’s very cold, at least overnight.

Spicy Ganache

Put chopped chocolate into a medium bowl.

In a saucepan bring the cream and spices to a simmer then pour over the chocolate.

Let stand for a minute before whisking until smooth.

Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Beat all ingredients together on medium-high speed until thick but fluffy.

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Glazed Almond Cupcakes

Ohmigod. I cannot believe how perfect these cupcakes are. These cupcakes are fancy cupcakes, like, wedding worthy cupcakes. They have the moistest golden almond cake you will ever have (seriously) and are topped with a rich dark chocolate ganache. Perfection.

Ingredients: Almond Cupcakes (the tiniest bit adapted from here), makes 18

1 and 1/3 cups granulated sugar

7 ounces almond paste

1 cup all-purpose flour, divided and spooned in and leveled

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cubed

1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

6 large eggs, at room temperature

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

1 and 1/3 cups chocolate chunks

1 cup heavy cream

Recipe: Almond Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line 1 1/2 cupcake tins with liners.

In a food processor, grind the sugar, almond paste, and 1/4 cup of flour until the mixture resembles sand.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining 3/4 cup of flour, baking powder, and salt.

To the almond mixture add the butter and the vanilla and almond extracts, then process until the batter is smooth and creamy.

Add the eggs one at a time, processing a little in between. After you add all the eggs, the mixture might look curdled- that’s okay.

Transfer the batter to a bowl and mix in half of the flour mixture Stir in the other half until the dry ingredients are just incorporated.

Spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake tins and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is a deep golden brown.

Let cool before dipping in the ganache.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

Put the chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside.

Pour cream into a small saucepan over medium heat. When the cream comes to a simmer pour over the chocolate and whisk until smooth.

Let sit the ganache for 20 minutes before dipping the cupcakes unto it.

 

 

Enjoy!

Coffee Cake

This is the fluffiest, moistest, and easily the most delicious coffee cake I have ever made (or eaten.) It has the best crunchy brown sugar topping and underneath a super awesome cinnamon sugar layer. All I can say is- make this now!

Ingredients: Crumb Topping (adapted from here)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup pecans, toasted

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed

Cinnamon Swirl

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cake

1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

8 ounces full-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons buttery vanilla bakery emulsion

Recipe: Crumb Topping

In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt until combined.

Add the pecans and pulse until they are finely chopped and incorporated.

Add the butter and pulse until mixture looks like coarse sand.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cinnamon Swirl

Mix ingredients together.

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Cream the butter until smooth. Add sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy, about three minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl as needed.

Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat just until incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients in three additions, scraping down the bowl before each addition and beating only until each addition is just incorporated.

Pour cake batter into the prepared pan. Use an offset spatula to spread batter evenly in pan. Top with cinnamon swirl mixture. Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the top of the batter. (Yes, there’s a lot of crumb topping, but that’s what makes it so good!)

Bake in the center of the oven for one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

Enjoy!