À la Sandy

Today is the day we celebrate my husband’s entrance into the world – the day the world became a better place… Don’t get me started, or I’ll be blubbering all over my blog!

One thing I can tell you about my man (that won’t make me cry) is that he loves chocolate.  When we go for ice cream, he orders 2 scoops of chocolate, or a chocolate milk shake. When we “diner dine,” he always orders a piece of chocolate cake (as long as it’s not refrigerated.)  He also loves comfort food!  On Father’s Day or his birthday, I’ll ask “what do you want me to make for you? – anything at all”….he ALWAYS opts for “meatloaf, mashed potatoes and creamed corn” – and a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting!

I make one for him every year, but this birthday, I’m making his cake with a chocolate ganache icing and a cream cheese frosting in the middle.  I have very limited cake decorating skills and “frosting” with ganache is EASY and a fool-proof way to present an elegant looking cake – that doesn’t look like a second-grader’s science experiment gone awry!

I call this – “My hubby’s Chocolate Birthday Cake, with Cream Cheese Frosting, Chocolate Ganache Icing, topped with Chocolate Truffles, served with Creme Anglaise”

Gee, I hope he likes it!!!

Chocolate Cake

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken in pieces
1 1/2 cups hot, strong coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Grease and flour 2 8-inch round cake pans.

Combine the chocolate in a large bowl with hot coffee.  Allow it to stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Into a separate large bowl, sift the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.  In a standing mixer, (or bowl with an hand-held mixer), beat the eggs until somewhat thickened.

Gradually add the oil, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, and mix well. Add the sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth – about 1 minute.

Pour even amounts of the batter  in the prepared pans and bake on middle rack of the oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted, comes out clean

Remove the pans from the oven and cool them completely on a wire cooling rack.

Invert the cakes onto racks. Make sure they are completely cooled before frosting and if you’re covering with Ganache, refrigerate them for about two hours prior, so they are well chilled.  This will prevent the  ganache from becoming “dull.”

Cream Cheese Frosting Filling

1/2 stick softened butter
1 cups powdered (Confectioner’s) sugar
1 8 oz packages softened Philly cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract

On medium-high speed, mix the butter and cream cheese. Beat in the Vanilla extract. Slowly sift in the powdered sugar and continue to mix until fluffy.

Ganache

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon dark rum

Place the chocolate pieces in a large, stainless steel bowl.  In a medium sized saucepan, heat the cream and butter, over medium heat,  just until it starts to boil.  Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow it to stand for 5 minutes. Whisk it until smooth gradually adding the rum.

Truffles

For the truffles, I used the leftover ganache – ganache is made with the same ingredients.  After glazing the cake, just put the leftover ganache in the fridge for an hour or so, until it’s chilled.  With a spoon or melon baller, scoop out small balls of the chocolate and roll into small balls – then dip in the topping.  I used coconut, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and chopped nuts

Creme Anglaise

1 cup half and half
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 egg yolks
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon dark rum

In a saucepan, over medium heat, warm the half and half and split vanilla bean – just to a boil.  Remove it from the heat and with a sharp knife, scrape the inside of the bean into the half and half – removing as much as you can. Return the vanilla bean back to the “creme.”

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar.  Gradually add the egg mixture to the half and half and return it to medium low heat on the stove and cook until it’s somewhat thick – about 3-5 minutes.   Remove and strain the “angalise” into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before use.

Assembly

Place the first cake layer on a wire rack (I like to line foil under it to catch the dripping ganache).  Frost the top ONLY with the Cream Cheese frosting and place the second cake layer on top.

Spread a thin layer of ganache over top and sides of cake to “seal” in crumbs.  Chill the cake for 15 minutes. Spread remaining ganache evenly over top and sides of cake.  Top with Truffles!

Serve each slice with the Creme Anglaise

Cheers and Happy Birthday, Baby!!!