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In the Oven: Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake

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In honor of National Chocolate Pudding Day, we’re making Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake! Posting date is July 2.

Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake
 
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Yield: 9 to 12 servings
Ingredients
For the Hot Chocolate Pudding Cake
  • 3⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (105 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) well-shaken buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 ounces (1⁄2 stick/55 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 1⁄2 ounces (40 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
  • 1⁄3 cup (30 g) unsweetened dark cocoa powder, such as Valrhona
  • 3⁄4 cup (165 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Topping
  • 1⁄3 cup (65 g) granulated sugar
  • 1⁄3 cup (75 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (25 g) unsweetened dark cocoa powder, such as Valrhona
  • 1 1⁄4 cups (300 ml) boiling water
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 2 ounces (55 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped (about 1⁄3 cup)
For the Assembly
  • Vanilla ice cream (optional, but highly recommended)
Instructions
MAKE THE HOT CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly spray the sides and bottom of an 8-by-8-by-2-inch (20-by-20-by-5-cm) baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In another small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together the egg yolks, buttermilk, and oil. Set aside.
  4. Melt the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl placed over simmering water (double-boiler method, see page 19) set over low heat until almost completely melted. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is combined and completely melted. Remove it from the heat and continue whisking gently for about 1 minute to cool the mixture slightly. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and continue whisking until completely combined. Whisk in the buttermilk mixture until incorporated, then, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and set aside.
MAKE THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING
  1. In a medium bowl, stir together both sugars and the cocoa powder. You might need to use your fingers to rub the clumps of brown sugar into the rest of the mix.
  2. Stir the boiling water and instant espresso powder together in a small bowl.
  3. Sprinkle the chocolate chunks over the cake batter. Then sprinkle the sugar mixture over the chocolate chips and batter, covering it completely. Pour the hot espresso liquid evenly over the top of the sugar mixture. Bake the cake in the center of the oven until the cake looks set but still feels jiggly in the center, 35 to 40 minutes.
  4. Remove the cake from the oven and let it rest about 20 minutes, then slice and serve warm. Slices can be served upside down (with pudding on top), or serve each slice on a plate and spoon the pudding (the batter in the bottom of the pan) alongside the cake. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if you like.
Notes
How to store: Leftover cake can be stored in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic, for up to 3 days. To reheat, cook individual portions in the microwave for 20- to 30-second bursts, until warmed through.

 

In the Oven: Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcake Shakes

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Time to get out your blenders, bakers — Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes Shakes (or whatever cake/cupcake + ice cream combination strikes your fancy) are next up on the schedule. Posting date is June 4!

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cupcake Shakes
 
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Yield: Two mini (but rich) milk shakes
Ingredients
  • 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) very cold whole milk, plus more as needed
  • 3 cups (1 1⁄2 pints/710 ml) salty caramel ice cream (see Baked Note)
  • 2 frosted chocolate cupcakes (we suggest Red Wine Chocolate Cupcakes, page 117)
  • Whipped cream (see page 122)
  • Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
  1. Freeze two (4-ounce/120-ml) old-fashioned glasses for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Pour the milk into the blender. Add the ice cream and cupcakes and blend until thick and creamy, about 10 seconds. A good milk shake should be eaten with a spoon, so if it seems too thin, add a little more ice cream and blend again. Likewise, if the milk shake seems too thick, add a few more tablespoons of cold milk and blend again.
  3. Divide the shake between the two chilled glasses, top each with whipped cream, and sprinkles if you like, and serve immediately.

In the Oven: Tricolor Cake

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Next up, we’re making a almond sponge cake that’s based on the Italian red and green tricolor cookies. Feel free to use Springtime colors rather than red and green – posting date is March 26!

Tricolor Cake
 
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Yield: 1 8-inch (20-cm) three-layer cake • about 16 servings
Ingredients
For the Tricolor Cake
  • 3 cups (385 g) all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 12 ounces (3 sticks/340 g) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 6 large eggs
  • 14 ounces (395 g) or 2 (7-ounce/198-g) tubes almond paste, at room temperature and coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon almond extract
  • 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) whole milk Red and green food dyes or gels
For the Raspberry Filling
  • 1 cup (320 g) raspberry preserves
  • 2 tablespoons framboise liqueur (optional)
For the Ganache Crumb Coat
  • 12 ounces (340 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao)
  • 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons framboise liqueur (optional)
For the Dark Chocolate Glaze
  • 10 ounces (285 g) dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), chopped (a scant 2 cups)
  • 7 ounces (13⁄4 sticks/200 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
For Décor
  • Red and green sprinkles
Instructions
Make the tricolor cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter three 8-inch (20-cm) round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the parchment. Dust the parchment with our and knock out the excess.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed until each is just incorporated. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the almond paste and extract, and beat until combined. Again, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds.
  4. Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl in three parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl, then mix on low speed for a few more seconds.
  5. Transfer one-third of the batter to a separate bowl. Add 5 to 10 drops of green food dye and fold with a rubber spatula until fully and evenly incorporated and the desired color is achieved. Add 8 to 10 drops of red food dye to the remaining two-thirds of the batter in the mixing bowl and fold with a rubber spatula until fully and evenly incorporated and desired color is achieved. (The amount of food dye is entirely up to you; we enjoy paler, less radioactive red and green layers.)
  6. Divide the red batter equally into two of the prepared pans. Pour the green batter into the remaining prepared pan. Smooth the tops with an o set spatula. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack, remove the parchment, and let cool completely. Once all of the layers are cool to the touch, you can start to prepare the other components of the cake in the order described below.
Make the raspberry filling
  1. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together the raspberry preserves and framboise, if using, until the mixture is uniform, warmed through, and the framboise is absorbed completely into the preserves, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Make the ganache crumb coat
  1. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate and 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) cream and set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (double boiler method, see page 19). Stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Whisk in the framboise, if using. The glaze should be thick (not quite as thick as hot fudge, but thick enough to coat a cake; if it is too thin it will just run off the sides) in order to get a straight, evenly glazed cake. If the mixture is thin, place the mixture in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to thicken, stirring at least once or twice; if the mixture is too thick, add the remaining cream, a tablespoon at a time until workable.
Assemble the cake
  1. Place one red layer on an 8-inch (20-cm) cardboard round (or alternatively, place it on at plate, but know that you will have to transfer the entire cake from the plate to a wire rack to glaze it). Trim the top to create a at surface. Spread about 1⁄2 cup (155 g) of the preserve mixture into an even layer, leaving a 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) border around the edge. Place the green layer on top of the red layer, trim the top, and spread another 1⁄2 cup (155 g) of preserves into an even layer leaving a 1⁄4-inch (6-mm) border around the edge. With the remaining red layer, trim the top to create a smooth surface. Place the just-cut surface on top of the green layer so that the bottom of the red layer becomes the top of your cake. Refrigerate your cake for 5 minutes to set.
  2. Once the ganache is spreadable, cover the cake, using the ganache like a crumb coat, making sure to use the crumb coat to ll in edges, crevices, and the space between layers. Create as smooth a cake as possible. Refrigerate the cake for about 5 minutes.
Make the dark chocolate glaze
  1. Remove your crumb-coated cake from the refrigerator and smooth out any bumps with an o set spatula. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack set atop a cookie sheet or half sheet pan lined with parchment.
  2. In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (double-boiler method, see page 19) and stir with a rubber spatula until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.
  3. Working quickly, pour the glaze around the rim of the cake, allowing excess glaze to run down and coat the sides of the cake. Once you have covered the entire perimeter of the cake, work your way inward with the glaze until the entire top of the cake is covered. Do not worry if it looks like there is too much glaze in one spot—you can even out and scrape off excess once done pouring. After all of the glaze has been poured, use an offset spatula to smooth the top—pushing the excess glaze over the sides of the cake. Smooth the sides of the cake. Once the entire cake is completely covered in an even layer of chocolate glaze, decorate the border with sprinkles. Any leftover glaze that was caught by the cookie sheet can be gathered up and spooned into a piping bag and used to pipe a simple border along the bottom of the cake for a super-clean appearance. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator until set, about 60 minutes.
  4. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and allow it to warm up for about 10 minutes. Run a chef’s knife under hot water, dry it, and slice the cake with the warm knife. Serve immediately.
Notes
How to store: The cake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

 

In the Oven: The New Orleans

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Get your ice cream makers ready, it’s time to make an ice cream cake that celebrates the pralines of New Orleans, and Mardi Gras. Posting date is February 26. Go!

The New Orleans
 
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Yield: 1 8-inch (20-cm) round cake • about 16 servings
Ingredients
For the Classic Pralines (20 ounces/560 g)
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (220 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons corn syrup
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1⁄2 cups (150 g) pecans, toasted (see page 19) and roughly chopped
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Sweet and Salty Caramel Sauce (about 11⁄3 cups/315 ml)
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
  • 1⁄2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
  • 1⁄4 cup (55 g) sour cream
For the Brown Sugar Praline Ice Cream (about 3 pints/1.4 L)
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 21⁄2 cups (600 ml) heavy cream
  • 3⁄4 cup (180 ml) milk
  • 1 cup (220 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) Sweet and Salty Caramel Sauce (see opposite page) or your favorite store-bought caramel
  • 3⁄4 cup (75 g) crushed Classic Pralines (see opposite page, or you can substitute store-bought)
For the Graham Cracker Layers
  • 15 (5-by-21⁄4-inch/12-by- 5.5-cm) graham crackers
  • 4 ounces (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Assembly
  • 3⁄4 cup (75 g) toasted pecans, chopped
Instructions
MAKE THE CLASSIC PRALINES
  1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium saucepan, combine both sugars, the heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt. Stir the mixture gently and continuously with a wooden spoon over low heat until the sugar dissolves; avoid splashing the sides of the pan. Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring, and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan (the candy thermometer should be suspended in the liquid and should not touch the bottom of the pan). Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue cooking the mixture until it reaches the soft-ball stage (235°F to 238°F / 112°C to 114°C), 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Remove the pan from the stove and stir vigorously for 2 minutes to release excess heat. Stir in the pecans, butter, and vanilla and continue stirring for 2 more minutes. Using a spoon or a small ice-cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop the mixture by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets and allow the pralines to cool to room temperature.
  4. Once cooled, place approximately 5 ounces (140 g) of the pralines in a large zip-tight plastic bag and crush with a rolling pin, or alternatively, chop into small chunks with a chef’s knife. The crushed pralines should equal about 3⁄4 cup. Set this amount aside for the ice cream. (The remaining pralines [15 ounces/420 g] make excellent gifts and snacks. We like to crush all of the pralines and use the praline powder for ice cream and cake décor.) The pralines can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
MAKE THE SWEET AND SALTY CARAMEL SAUCE
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar and corn syrup with 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) water. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves, avoiding splashing any of it up on the sides of the pan. Increase the heat to high and cook, without stirring, over high heat until the mixture is dark amber, just shy of 350°F (175°C) on a candy thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes (keep a close eye on it, as it goes from golden brown to black very quickly). Remove from the heat and slowly add the cream (be careful, as it will bubble up) and then the fleur de sel. Whisk in the sour cream. Let cool completely.
  2. Set aside 1⁄4 cup (60 mg) of the sauce for the ice cream; excess sauce can be used to decorate the finished cake or reserved for another use. The caramel sauce can be made, covered tightly, and refrigerated up to 3 days ahead. Allow to come to room temperature before adding to the ice cream.
MAKE THE BROWN SUGAR PRALINE ICE CREAM
  1. Place the egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl and set aside.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the cream, milk, brown sugar, butter,
  3. and salt. Slowly bring the mixture to a full simmer (but do not let it boil), and remove from the heat. 3 Whisk the egg yolks until just combined, then slowly stream in half of the hot cream mixture while whisking constantly. Transfer the egg mixture back to the saucepan containing the other half of the hot cream mixture. Heat the custard over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 175°F/80°C on an instant-read thermometer). 4 Remove from the heat and strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Whisk in the vanilla, and let the custard cool to room temperature. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto
  4. the surface of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for 4 hours.
  5. Pour the custard into an ice-cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s directions. About 2 minutes before the ice cream is done churning, stream in the caramel sauce, followed by the crushed pralines. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container and place in the freezer to completely firm up (about 3 hours) before assembling the cake. If you make the ice cream ahead of time (it will last in the freezer for up to 5 days; place a piece of parchment on top of the ice cream
  6. to prevent freezer burn), allow it to thaw until it is workable before assembling the cake.
MAKE THE GRAHAM CRACKER LAYERS
  1. Just prior to assembling the cake (not ahead of time), place the graham crackers in a large zip- tight plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin to create about 2 cups (230 g) of graham cracker crumbs.
  2. In a large bowl, stir to combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and granulated sugar together. Set aside.
ASSEMBLE THE ICE CREAM CAKE
  1. Lightly spray the sides and bottom of an 8-inch (20-cm) springform pan with cooking spray. (You can use a 9-inch/23-cm round springform instead, though the 8-inch/20-cm will give the cake a little more height and visual air.)
  2. Press one-third of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan in an even layer, then place in the freezer for 10 minutes. Place the ice cream in a mixing bowl and stir with a spatula to make it workable. Scoop one-third of the ice cream over the graham mixture and smooth with an offset spatula to create an even layer. Add another third of the graham mixture over the ice cream and press it into an even layer with your hands. Place the cake and remaining ice cream in the freezer for 45 minutes. Remove the cake and the bowl of ice cream from the freezer and add another third of the ice cream, smoothing the top. Add the remaining graham mixture and press it into an even layer with your hands. Return the cake and ice cream to the freezer for another 45 minutes. Remove the cake and bowl of ice cream from the freezer and top the graham layer with the remaining ice cream. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze until completely hardened, at least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight.
  3. To serve, remove the cake from the freezer. Run hot water over the blade of a paring knife, dry it off, then run it between the cake and the sides of the pan. Release the sides of the pan and place the cake on a serving platter. Sprinkle the top of the cake with a handful of pecans and gently press the remaining pecans onto the sides of the cake. Again, use a hot knife to run between the bottom of the springform pan and the cake. Gently push or lift the cake o the springform bottom and set it back down on the serving platter. Slice and serve immediately with an extra drizzle of caramel, if you like.
Notes
How to store: If you have leftovers, cover the cake with foil and freeze for up to 1 week.