The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (106 page)

4.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Remove the cake from the pan, and slice while still warm. Serve with strawberry compote.

strawberry compote

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

1½ pounds strawberries, stemmed and cut lengthwise into 6 segments

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1½ cups fresh orange juice, strained

1.
Combine the berries, Grand Marnier, and zest in a small bowl. Toss; let stand 30 minutes.

2.
Bring the juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat; reduce heat, and simmer until the liquid is reduced to ¼ cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool. Pour over the strawberries, and toss to combine.

belgian chocolate birthday cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH CAKE

Toast and peel the nuts for the cake and the garnish (recipe follows) at the same time. Bake the cake up to 3 days ahead; wrap well and keep at room temperature. The candied hazelnuts and chocolate curls can also be made 3 days ahead; store in airtight containers.

4 ounces hazelnuts

13
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tablespoons unsalted butter (1
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sticks), softened

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cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1
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cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

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cup boiling water

1¾ cups packed dark-brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

1
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cups buttermilk, at room temperature

2½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Ganache Glaze (Cakes)

Candied Hazelnuts and Chocolate Curls (recipe follows)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; rub to loosen the skins. Butter a 9 × 3-inch springform pan well; coat with cocoa, tapping out any excess.

2.
In a food processor, grind the nuts with the granulated sugar until fine but not pasty; transfer to a large bowl; stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.

3.
In a heatproof bowl, whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. (The mixture will thicken as it cools.)

4.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar on high until lightened and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time until well blended.

5.
Stir the buttermilk and vanilla into the cocoa mixture. Mixing on low, add half the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; when blended, pour in the cocoa mixture, and add the remaining dry mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan; smooth the top. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes; remove from the pan and cool completely. Place the cooled cake on a 9-inch cardboard round.

6.
Place half the ganache in a bowl; place in a larger bowl of ice water; whip with a balloon whisk until lighter in color and spreadable.

7.
Spread the whipped ganache smoothly on the top and sides of the cooled cake, and chill the cake. Gently stir the remaining ganache every 5 minutes until thickened and cool.

8.
Place the cake (still on the cardboard round) on a wire rack over a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Working with a small ladle, pour the ganache over the top of the cake, moving the ladle in a circular fashion while in contact with the cake, letting the ganache run down the sides. Scrape up the excess and reserve for another use. Let the cake stand at room temperature until set. Garnish with nuts and chocolate curls.

candied hazelnuts and chocolate curls

MAKES ENOUGH FOR ONE 9-INCH CAKE

2 cups hazelnuts

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, very finely chopped

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; rub to loosen the skins.

2.
Place the sugar and water in a medium heavy skillet. Stir with a fork over medium-high heat until dissolved; let boil undisturbed for 3 minutes. Add the nuts to the pan; stir with a wooden spoon until the caramel seizes around the nuts. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet; let cool completely.

3.
Once the nuts are cool, place half the chopped chocolate in a deep, medium-size stainless-steel bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water; stir until the chocolate is melted and hot. Add the remaining chocolate to the bowl; remove the bowl from the pan of water; let stand about 5 minutes, and then stir until smooth.

4.
Pour half the chocolate onto an inverted baking sheet; spread with a bench scraper until
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inch thick or slightly thinner (chocolate should be opaque on the surface). Let stand until just tacky. Hold the scraper at a 45-degree angle; scrape the chocolate off the surface. The curls can be stored in an airtight container layered with parchment at room temperature.

5.
While the chocolate sets, add the candied nuts to the remaining chocolate in the bowl, and stir until coated. Spread the nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let stand until set.

6.
Sift the cocoa powder on top of the dried nuts and toss to coat. Store in a resealable plastic bag for up to 1 week, until ready to use.

inside-out german chocolate torte

MAKES ONE 9-INCH TORTE

The chocolate glaze takes time to cool; have it ready before assembling the torte.

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Coconut-Pecan Filling (recipe follows)

Ganache Glaze (recipe follows)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch springform pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper, and butter the paper; set aside. Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, and set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted; set aside.

2.
Sift together the flour and salt; set aside. Place the sugar and eggs in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, and beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and chocolate mixture, and stir to combine. Add the dry ingredients, and stir to combine. Divide the batter between the 2 pans, using an offset spatula to distribute the batter evenly, and smooth the layers. Bake until the center is set, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack to cool completely before unmolding.

3.
Place 1 layer on a 9-inch cardboard cake round. Spread filling over the layer, and invert the second layer onto the top, leaving the smooth side up. Press down gently on the top layer to evenly distribute the filling to the edges. Using a metal spatula, smooth the filling flush with the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to glaze.

4.
Carefully transfer the torte off the cardboard round onto a wire rack set over a baking pan. Pour enough ganache glaze over the cake to fully coat it, shaking the pan gently to help spread the ganache, if necessary. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. The ganache in the pan may be melted and strained through a fine sieve and added back to the glaze.

5.
Pour the remaining glaze over the torte, allowing excess to drip off the sides. If the top is not smooth, gently shake the pan or run an offset spatula quickly over the surface. Allow to set at least 30 minutes before serving. Carefully slide the cake off the wire rack and onto a serving platter.

coconut-pecan filling

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS; ENOUGH FOR ONE 9-INCH TORTE

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 large egg yolks

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1½ cups finely chopped pecans

1.
Place the milk, butter, and vanilla in a medium saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and combined.

2.
Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl, and, whisking constantly, add some of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks until combined. Whisk the mixture back into the saucepan, and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.

3.
Remove from heat, and stir in the coconut and pecans. Cool completely, and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use, up to 2 days.

ganache glaze

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS

This ganache thickens as it sits. The ganache used for the Inside-Out German Chocolate Torte and in step 7 of the Belgian Chocolate Birthday Cake (Cakes) should be pourable but thick enough to fully coat the cakes.

1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate

2½ cups heavy cream

1.
Chop the chocolate finely using a serrated knife; place in a large heatproof bowl.

2.
Bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat; pour directly over the chopped chocolate. Allow to sit 10 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir the chocolate and cream until well combined and smooth. Let sit at room temperature until cooled and just thickened, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes but up to 1 hour, depending on the temperature of the room.

raspberry-filled layer cake

MAKES ONE 8-INCH 4-LAYER CAKE

The fluffy exterior of this cake conceals a delicious pink filling, made simply by combining some of the frosting with raspberry jam.

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pans and wire racks

3 cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for the pans

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups sugar

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

4 large egg whites

Seven-Minute Frosting (Basics)

1 cup raspberry jam

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 8 × 2-inch professional round cake pans, and line the bottom with parchment rounds. Butter the parchment; dust the pans with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside.

2.
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl, and set aside. Beat the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until it is creamy. Add the sugar to the butter in a steady stream, and continue beating until the butter is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk and vanilla in 3 additions, starting and finishing with the dry; be careful not to overmix. Set the batter aside.

3.
In a medium metal bowl or clean bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites just until stiff peaks form. Fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter until combined. Fold in the remaining whites in 2 batches. Divide the batter between the prepared pans, and smooth the tops with a metal spatula.

4.
Bake until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center, about 30 minutes. Let the pans cool 15 minutes on a wire rack before unmolding. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula or paring knife, and invert onto the greased wire racks. To prevent the layers from splitting, invert again so the tops are up. Cool completely before assembling the cake or wrapping airtight to freeze cake for later.

5.
If the cakes are not level, use a serrated knife to trim the tops off. Carefully slice each cake horizontally into 2 equal layers. (You will have 4 layers.) Place one-third of the frosting in a bowl, and fold in the raspberry jam.

6.
To assemble, place 1 sliced layer on an 8-inch cardboard cake round. Spread the top with ¼ inch raspberry frosting. Repeat with the remaining layers and remaining raspberry frosting, placing the final layer bottom side up. Lightly coat the assembled cake with a thin layer of white frosting to protect against crumbs in the frosting. Finish with the remaining frosting. Serve immediately, or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

caramel cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH LAYER CAKE

This cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan and rack

4½ cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for the pan

2 tablespoons baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

1½ cups milk

1½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract

2¼ cups sugar

7 large egg whites

Caramel Frosting (recipe follows)

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter two 9 × 2-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper; butter the parchment and sides of the pan; dust with flour, tapping out excess. Set aside. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In another bowl, combine the milk and vanilla, and set aside.