Rose's Heavenly Cakes (75 page)

Special Equipment

Two 6 by 2-inch cake pans and two 9 by 2-inch cake pans, encircled with cake strips (for silicone strips, see
Cake Strips
), bottoms coated with shortening, then topped with parchment rounds. (Leave the sides uncoated to prevent the tops of the cakes from shrinking inward.)

For two 12 by 2-inch pans

Special Equipment

Two 12 by 2-inch cake pans, encircled with cake strips, bottoms coated with shortening, then topped with parchment rounds. (Leave the sides uncoated to prevent the tops of the cakes from shrinking inward.)

Preheat the Oven

Twenty minutes or more before baking, set the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C.

Mix the Cocoa and Liquid Ingredients

In the bowl of a stand mixer, by hand, whisk the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation and cool the mixture to room temperature, about 1 hour. To speed cooling, place it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature before proceeding.

Add the oil and yolks to the mixer bowl. Attach the whisk beater. Starting on low speed, gradually raise the speed to medium. Beat for about 1 minute, or until smooth and shiny, and resembling a buttercream. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla for a few seconds.

Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Make the Batters

Add half of the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture. Starting on low speed, beat until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. The mixture will be very thick. On low speed, add the egg whites. Gradually raise the speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes. The batter will now be like a thick soup. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pans.

For the 6- and 9-inch layers, begin by pouring the batter into the 6-inch pans to fill one-quarter full (7 ounces/200 grams in each pan). Scrape the rest into the 9-inch pans, which should be almost one-third full (19.5 ounces/552 grams in each pan).

For the 12-inch layers, divide the batter between the two pans. They will be about one-third full (35.2 ounces/1,000 grams for each pan).

Bake the Cakes

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for the 6-inch layers, 25 to 35 minutes for the 9-inch layers, and 30 to 40 minutes for the 12-inch layers, or until the cakes spring back when pressed lightly in the centers and a wooden toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. During baking, the batter will not rise until just before the last 10 minutes of baking, at which point it will rise to the top of the pans and lower just before the very end of baking.

To prevent the collapse of their delicate foam structure, while still hot, the cakes must be unmolded as soon as they are baked. Have ready a small metal spatula and wire racks that have been coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray.

Unmold and Cool the Cakes

Immediately run a metal spatula between the sides of the pans and the cakes, pressing firmly against the sides of the pans, and invert the cakes onto the wire racks. Remove the parchment and immediately reinvert them onto a second set of wire racks to cool top side up. The cakes will be about 1½ inches high. When cool, remove the top crusts by scraping them with a serrated knife.

While the cakes are cooling, make the milk chocolate ganache syrup.

Make the Milk Chocolate Ganache Syrup

In a food processor, process the chocolate until very fine.

In a 4-cup microwavable cup with a spout (or in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often), scald the milk.

With the motor of the food processor running, pour the milk through the feed tube in a steady stream and process until smooth. Scrape the chocolate syrup into a bowl and stir in the vanilla. Divide the syrup for the 9- and 6-inch layers into two batches: 1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons/11 fluid ounces/13.4 ounces/380 grams for the 9-inch layers and the remaining ½ cup/4 fluid ounces/4.9 ounces/140 grams for the 6-inch layers. Apply the hot syrup to the cakes.

Apply the Syrup

Set the cakes on sheet pans top sides up and, with a wooden skewer, poke holes all over the top. Brush half the syrup onto the cakes, applying more toward the edges. Invert one layer of each size onto a flat surface, such as a cardboard round covered tightly with plastic wrap, coated lightly with nonstick cooking spray; you will need to slide the layer off onto the second layer of the same size. Invert each remaining layer onto a cardboard round of the same size. Poke holes all over and brush with the remaining syrup, brushing a little onto the sides of the cakes. Allow the cake layers to sit for at least 1 hour to firm up and for the syrup to penetrate before frosting.

Make in 2 batches (one for the 6- and 9-inch layers and one for the 12-inch layers).

Make the Dark Ganache Undercoat

In a food processor, process the chocolate until very fine.

In a 4-cup microwavable measure (or in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring often), scald the cream (heat it to the boiling point; small bubbles will form around the periphery).

With the motor of the food processor running, pour the cream through the feed tube in a steady stream. Process for a few seconds until smooth. Pulse in the vanilla. Scrape the ganache into a glass bowl and allow it to cool for 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the mixture to cool for several hours, until it reaches frosting consistency. (There is no need to wash the food processor between batches; just wipe it out.)

If not using the ganache the same day, store it at 70° to 80°F/21° to 26°C so that it remains spreadable. If it becomes colder and too stiff, reheat it with few-seconds bursts in the microwave or in a double boiler. Be sure to stir gently with a silicone spatula so as not to incorporate air and lighten the color. The undercoat keeps for 3 days at room temperature, for 3 weeks refrigerated, and for 6 months frozen.

Compose the Cake

Frost the cake with either the dark ganache undercoat or the
White Chocolate—Vanilla Bean Buttercream
. You will need 12 to 14 cups. See the introduction beginning with
Preparing the Layers for Frosting
for filling, frosting, and composing a wedding cake.

Apply the Undercoat

The ganache undercoat needs to be as smooth and even as possible because the lacquer glaze, if using, will reveal every imperfection beneath it. When applying the ganache, first do a crumb coating or layer that on the sides doesn't go quite to the edge of the cardboard round.

Apply a thin coat to the top, starting at the edge and working toward the center. Use the ganache shortly after it is made or reheat it very briefly so that it goes on easily without compressing the center of the cake layer. Refrigerate the cake layers for about 1 hour and then apply another coat.

Use a heated straightedge knife to create a flat top and smooth sides with a slight bevel for the edge. To heat the knife, run it under hot water and shake off the excess droplets.

After frosting the layers with the ganache undercoat, refrigerate them until very firm, a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Be sure that the refrigerator is odor free as chocolate absorbs aromas very readily. The undercoated layers can be stored for up to 5 days refrigerated and for up to 3 months frozen. If frozen, remove them to the refrigerator 12 to 24 hours before glazing.

Make the Dark Chocolate Lacquer Glaze

Have ready a fine-mesh strainer suspended over a medium metal bowl.

In another medium bowl, pour in the ¾ cup of cold water and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Stir to moisten and soften the gelatin and allow it to sit for a minimum of 5 minutes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation and set aside.

In a medium heavy saucepan, whisk together the sugar and 1 cup of water over medium heat. Stir constantly with the whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the pan from the heat and, with the whisk, gently stir in the corn syrup and then the cocoa until smooth, making sure to reach into the corners of the pan. The mixture will be glossy. Using a silicone spatula, stir in the heavy cream.

Return the pan to medium heat and, stirring constantly, bring the mixture to the boiling point (190°F/88°C). Bubbles will just start to form around the edges. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the mixture into the medium metal bowl. Cool slightly, for about 15 minutes. (It will take a lot longer if using a glass bowl.) An instant-read thermometer should register 122° to 140°F/50° to 60°C. With the silicone spatula, stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved completely and no longer streaky.