Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate Ganache, and Turtle Cheese Cake

Today, at work, a coworker and I had an Iron Chef challenge. We were each to create a cake of our choice to bring in for all to enjoy, and all those who enjoyed would grade each cake on three categories... Presentation, creativity, and Taste.
Karen made a wonderful cheese cake with milk chocolate drizzle, caramel, and nuts... it was a hit, and was eaten very quickly. I decided on a triple layer devil's food cake, with chocolate ganache and fondant decorations on the top.


I have to say that the entire challenge was so much fun. Karen and I are both avid bakers and it was wonderful to see what we both came up with for the challenge, and they were both so delicious! At the end of the day there were many happy faces around the workplace, and I think the votes were too close to call in either direction... So I declare a tie and call both cakes winners!!!











Recipe

Devil's Food Cake

1 1/2 C Butter
3/4 C Cocoa Powder
3/4 C Hot Water
3/4 C Sour Cream
3 C Cake Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 1/4 C Sugar
4 L Eggs
1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract

*Whisk Cocoa with hot water until smooth.
Add in Sour Cream and let cool
*Sift together Flour, Baking Soda, and Salt.
*Beat Butter and Sugar until light and fluffy,
add Eggs, one at a time, then Vanilla. Next
add in Flour mixture alternating with Cocoa
mixture, beginning and ending with Flour.
*Divide batter between 2 9"X2" round pans
and bake at 350 for 45 to 50 min.

Chocolate Ganache

4C Heavy Cream
2 Lbs Semi Sweet Chocolate
1/4C Corn Syrup
1/4 tsp Salt

*Boil Cream and remove from heat
*Add chocolate, swirl, then whisk
*Add Corn Syrup, and Salt


** After Ganache cools whip 1/2 of the batch
on med util it forms soft peaks, 5-7min
** Use whipped Ganache between cake layers
and as a crumb coat
**Pour remaining Ganache over cake and smooth

I chilled the cake before adding the Fondant decorations

Pomegranate Lokum / Turkish Delight

I have tried making Lokum, unsuccessfully, several times this summer. In trying a few different recipes this one seemed the best, though I will try one other that a friends family made when she was a child. Eugene and I sat down Sunday night to make this batch, and I finished it up on Monday afternoon. It came out just as I remember it to be in candy shops, such a lovely texture. The Pomegranate was a terrific choice to flavor it with, and we will most likely try Pineapple and dessicated Coconut in the next batch. Wouldn't it be great to serve Lokum with some fruit and chocolate fondue at a dinner party? I think I must give it a try when I'm done making the pineapple version.

Recipe


4C Sugar
4 1/2C Water(or juice)
2tsp Lemon Juice
1 1/4C Corn Starch
1 tbsp Cream of Tartar
1 1/2 Tbsp Rose Water(for water Version)


*Dissolve Sugar, 1 1/2C Juice, and Lemon
on medium, simmer until it reaches 240
*Combine 1C Corn Starch, Cream of Tartar,
and 3C Juice on med heat until thick
*Mix Juice and Corn Starch batches, and
simmer for 1 hour
*Place in an oiled pan overnight
then cut into squares and roll in
1C Confectioners Sugar with
1/4C Cornstarch

Concord Grape and Rosemary Sorbet

One thing I look foreward to every September is the arrival of the concord grape to market baskets. I knew I had to make something with them, and my first impulse was to pair the grapes with rosemary in a sorbet. In making this sorbet I actually split the batch in two. I added rosemary to one and left the other with the unspoiled grape flavor. After sampling both I found the rosemary-grape combo much nicer, it seemed to cut the sharp aftertaste of the grape and make for a more interesting flavor. For this Sorbet, use the simple sorbet recipes listed previously. I used a 4" rosemary branch for the half batch, and it was just perfect.

Green Tea Gelato and Black Sesame Cookie

A friend of mine introduced me to the combination of Green Tea and Black Sesame Gelato's together, and I loved them. I decided to make them together, however I thought that the crunch of a cookie would be a nice texture for the Black Sesame. I'm sure you could also switch it up and make a Green Tea cookie with Black Sesame Gelato.... I'd eat it either way!



Recipe

For the Gelato simply use the previous recipe posted, substituting the pistachio's with 5tsp of green tea powder.

Cookie

7oz Black Sesame Seeds
2 3/4C Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
1/2tsp Baking Soda
1/4tsp Salt
3/4LB Butter
1 1/2C Sugar
2 Eggs
1tsp Vanilla


*Fry Sesame Seeds 3-5 min until fragrant. Set aside 1/2c
and coarsely grind remainder
*Mix Flour, Baking Powder & Soda, and Salt
whisk in ground Sesame Seeds
*Mix Butter and Sugar, add Eggs and Vanilla, then drys
*Make 1" balls, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with
Seeds
*Bake @ 350 for 15-20 min

Chinese Moon Cakes with Lotus / Red Bean Paste

This is the recipe for the final, and successful, Moon Cake attempt.
Makes 8 small Cakes

Recipe


100g Flour
30g Peanut Oil
65g Golden Syrup
1/2tsp Alkaline Water (lye water)
Red Bean / Lotus Seed Paste

*Double boil Oil, Syrup, and Water until combined
let it cool
*When Oil mixture is just warm mix in flour
let dough rest, covered, for 30-45min
*Knead some Peanut oil into the desired
Paste. you want it to be slightly softer
than playdough
*Separate dough into 8 balls
*Roll out one ball, place 1-1 1/2 tsp
of Paste in the centre
*Wrap dough around paste and
gently push into mold, the idea
is to have the dough quite thin
*Using a hard surface, knock the
mold on each side, then knock the
Cake out
*Place on a baking sheet and bake
for 8 min at 325
*Cool oven to 200 then bake again
for 25-30 min
*Allow Cakes to cool, then place in
a container for 1-2 days to allow for
"the returning of the oil", this is when
the cakes regain their soft texture

** Alkaline Water can be found next to the sesame oil in most asian grocery stores, as can the pastes which are usually in the refridgerated section

The Chinese Autumn Festival is happening next month and you will always find Moon Cakes there. I made these ones last night.... although they look nice, the recipe wasn't the best, they came out quite hard on the outside.... I will source out another recipe and give it another go when I return from Portland.

This is Part 2 of the Moon Cake baking..... these ones are a combination of two doughs. They are very flaky and yummy, however they don't look so great. They puffed up during baking and don't look like the mould. Oh well... I'll keep looking for more recipes.

This is the third, fourth, and fifth attempts. I used yet another dough, this looking the consistency of marzipan. Here I tried a different thickness for each, as well as adjusting baking times. They all still managed to come out too hard or under cooked. In the end I believe that Moon Cakes are not my Forte. I would love to master them for the Mid Autumn Festival next month and for my friends birthday, but will let the task rest for now. If anyone knows of good recipe that results in an authentic Moon Cake please let me know.

Here is the sixth attempt at the moon cake. I confessed to my friend Elliot that I was trying to make Moon Cakes for him for his birthday, and the trouble I encountered with them. Elliot picked up his phone and immediately called his uncle who just so happens to make these yummy treats for a living!!! (I just love synchronicity) After a lengthy call and a few little notes I believe I have been given a couple of secrets that make these cakes possible. I have posted a pic here of this last attempt. You will notice the colour difference compared to the previous attempts, these look almost identical to the cakes you find in chinatown.