BITYMI TV presents:
Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel Caramel Filling
. The recipe is posted after the jump along with PART 4.
Having done four videos about this one cake, I must say I was extremely disappointed with how the cake turned out. I think, as I mentioned in the fourth installment, that the cake would be fantastic without the fleur de sel. I have noted in red on the recipe after the jump where exactly the salt should be omitted. :
PART 1:
PART 2:
PART 3:
PART 4:
Chocolate Cake with Fleur de Sel Caramel Filling
Via Bon Appetit Magazine , September / 2008
From: Vanilla Bake Shop
By: Amy Berman, Sherry Yard
Ingredients
CARAMEL FILLING
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup water
* 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
* 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, diced
* 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
* Large pinch of fine fleur de sel* (just use kosher salt here instead. No need to go spend money on Fleur de Sel) plus additional for assembly
GANACHE FILLING AND FROSTING
* 1 1/2 pounds bittersweet chocolate, chopped
* 3 cups heavy whipping cream
CAKE
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup whole milk
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
* 1 cup hot water
* 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee
* 1 1/4 cups almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
Preparation
CARAMEL FILLING
*
Stir sugar, 1/4 cup water, and corn syrup in deep
medium saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to
medium; cover pan and cook 4 minutes. Uncover; increase heat to high.
Boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber, occasionally brushing
down pan sides with wet pastry brush, about 6 minutes. Remove from
heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble). Whisk in butter, then crème
fraîche, lemon juice, and pinch of fleur de sel. Cool completely. DO
AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room
temperature before using.
GANACHE FILLING AND FROSTING
*
Place chocolate in large bowl. Bring cream to simmer
in medium saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate; let soften 1 minute.
Whisk until chocolate is smooth. Cool, then cover and chill overnight.
DO AHEAD Ganache can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. Bring to room
temperature before using.
CAKE
*
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line
bottom of each with parchment paper; butter paper and dust pan with
flour.
*
Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking
powder, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Add milk, eggs, and
melted butter. Using electric mixer, beat at low speed until blended.
Increase speed and beat 2 minutes. Stir 1 cup hot water and espresso
powder in small bowl to dissolve. Add to batter; beat until blended
(batter will be thin). Divide batter between pans (about 3 cups each).
*
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about
32 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Cut around cakes;
turn out onto racks. Peel off parchment and cool completely.
*
Using long serrated knife, cut each cake horizontally in half.
Place 1 layer on platter; spread with 1/2 cup room-temperature ganache.
Spoon 3/4 cup ganache into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch plain round
tip. Pipe ring of ganache around edge of layer. Spread 1/4 cup
room-temperature caramel filling evenly inside ring. Sprinkle caramel
with large pinch of fleur de sel (STOP! Do not do this! This will ruin the cake! It will taste like a salt lick!), then 1 tablespoon almonds. Top with
second cake layer, ganache, ganache ring, caramel filling, fleur de
sel (SEE NOTE ABOVE), and almonds. Repeat with third cake layer. Top with fourth cake
layer, cut side down. Spread remaining ganache over top and sides of
cake. Press remaining almonds onto sides. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days
ahead. Cover with cake dome and chill. Let cake stand at room
temperature 1 hour.
*A type of sea salt; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.
Comments