Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cake Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a sheet pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment or waxed paper.
• Sift together the 3 cups sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and blend briefly.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add the hot water, mixing at low speed just until combined. The batter will be quite thin.
• Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay) and the center feels firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Chill, covered, until ready to cut the cake.
• Meanwhile, make the caramel: Pour the 1 1/4 cups sugar into the center of a deep saucepan. Carefully pour the water around the walls of the pan, trying not to splash any sugar onto the walls. Do not stir; gently draw your finger twice through the center of the sugar, making a cross, to moisten it. Over high heat, bring to a full boil and cook without stirring, swirling the pan occasionally to even out the color, until medium caramel in color, 5 to 10 minutes. Immediately turn off the heat and use a wooden spoon to slowly and carefully stir in the cream (it will bubble up and may splatter). Stir in the macadamia and coconut. Set aside.
• When ready to serve, cut rounds of the chilled cake with a biscuit or cookie cutter, 2 to 3 inches in diameter. If the cake seems to be sticking, dip your cutter in cocoa powder between cuts.
• If the sauce has cooled, rewarm it over low heat (or in a microwave) until softened. Place a cake on each plate, and drizzle with caramel sauce. Place another round of cake on top and drizzle lightly with more caramel sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place 12 cupcake liners into a cupcake pan.
• In a medium bowl, cream the white sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, pudding mix and baking powder. Then add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Pour in the buttermilk and stir until the batter is smooth. Stir in the mashed banana. Pour or spoon the batter into the cupcake liners in the cupcake pan. Bake until the cake springs back to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Test cake doneness approximately 15 minutes into baking time. Cool.
• To assemble: Frost the cooled cupcakes with the Buttercream Frosting. Roll the cupcake tops and sides in the macadamia nuts.
• Slowly combine the butter into the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. After well incorporated, add white chocolate and vanilla. Whip well until light and fluffy.

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line bottom of a buttered 9-by-2 inch round cake or springform pan with a round of wax paper and butter paper. Dust pan with flour, knocking out excess.
• In a bowl with an electric mixer cream butter with 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Onto a sheet of wax paper sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir flour into butter mixture alternately with milk in batches, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in vanilla and blend batter until just combined well.
• In another bowl with clean beaters beat egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/3 cup sugar gradually and beat meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Stir one fourth meringue into batter to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly.
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake in middle of oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until cake begins to pull away from side of pan and a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 10 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool completely. Cake may be made 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature, tightly wrapped.
• Make filling:
• In a dry heavy skillet cook 1/3 cup sugar over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Cook, stirring with a fork, until melted completely and a light caramel. Add macadamia nuts and cook, stirring, until nuts are coated well and caramel is deep golden. Pour praline onto a sheet of foil and cool completely. Break praline into pieces and in a food processor grind fine. (Do not purée to a paste.)
• In a small saucepan whisk together remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, egg yolks, milk, and cornstarch. Bring pastry cream to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, and cook over low heat, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. Whisk in vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to a bowl and chill until cold, its surface covered with plastic wrap. (Pastry cream will be very stiff.)
• In a bowl beat heavy cream until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk pastry cream to loosen and whisk in praline. Fold in whipped cream and chill while making frosting.
• Make frosting:
• In a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water whisk together frosting ingredients until mixture is warm and sugar is dissolved. With a portable electric mixer on high beat frosting 6 to 7 minutes, or until thick and fluffy. Remove bowl from heat and beat frosting until cooled slightly.
• Assemble cake:
• With a long serrated knife cut cake horizontally into 3 layers. Spread filling between layers on a cake plate and spread cake with frosting. Coat cake with coconut. Cake may be made 6 hours ahead and chilled, covered loosely. Garnish cake with macadamia nuts.

Steps:

• Combine milk, sugar, egg yolks, butter, cocoa and vanilla in a saucepan.
• Cook on medium heat until thick, approximately 12 minutes. Stir constantly.
• Remove from heat, and add coconut and macadamia nuts. Continue to stir until cool and thick enough to spread on your cake.
• This frosting will cover a 9x13 inch rectangular cake or a two 8 inch layer round cake or 24 cupcakes.