Killer Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/170 degrees Celsius. Grease a 9-inch/23-centimeter round springform pan with butter and line with parchment paper, then set aside.
• Make the cake: Place butter, chocolate and hot coffee in a large heatproof bowl and mix well until everything is melted, combined and smooth. Whisk in sugar by hand until dissolved. Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again until thoroughly combined and smooth. Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a bowl and then whisk this into the melted chocolate mixture. The batter here is liquid, but don't think you have missed something; this is how it should be.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached. The top will form a crust and crack a little, but don't worry, this is expected. Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan, then set aside until completely cool.
• Make the chocolate ganache, if desired: Place chocolate pieces in a food processor, process until fine and set aside. Combine cream and corn syrup in a small pan and place over medium-high heat. As soon as bubbles begin to appear (just before it comes to a boil), remove from the heat. Get the food processor running again, with the chocolate still inside, and pour in the hot cream in a steady stream. Process for 10 seconds, then add butter. Continue to process until mixture is shiny and smooth. (You can also make the ganache by hand; just make sure the chocolate is chopped fairly finely before adding the cream mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until almost melted, then add the butter. Stir again until the ganache is smooth.)
• Use a rubber spatula to scrape the ganache into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, with the plastic actually touching the top of the ganache. Set aside until it has set to the consistency you want. If you want a thin layer to spread over the cake, it can be poured over while liquid so that you get an even, light and shiny coating. For a thicker ganache with a spreading consistency, leave it for about 2 hours at room temperature. (The ganache can be stored at room temperature, providing it's not too warm, for 3 days or kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. It can also be frozen, although it will lose a bit of its shine when defrosted.)
• Make the espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream, if desired: Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.
• Peel the parchment from the cake and discard. Transfer to a serving platter and spread the ganache, if using, on top of the cake. Slice into wedges, divide the cake among plates and, if using, spoon the mascarpone cream alongside. With or without icing, the cake will keep well for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container.

Steps:

• First of all, we need to make the base. Preheat the oven to 150C or 300F degrees.
• Melt the chocolate in the hot water bath. Brake the chocolate into smaller pieces, place into heatproof ball, add butter and place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Make sure the ball does not touch the water.
• To the melted chocolate and butter mixture add sugar, coffee and hot water. Mix well and stir until sugar dissolves. Remove from hot water bath and let it cool down for about 15 minute.
• Next add milk to the chocolate mixture. Milk must be cold as it should also lower the temperature of the mixture.
• Using a hand mixer whisk in eggs one at a time.
• Add sieved flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, salt and mix well either with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until combined.
• In the end add vegetable oil and vanilla.
• With a small piece of butter grease 20cm loose bottom cake tin. It should be a deep one as well - approximately 10cm deep as the cake will rise twice in size.
• Line the tin with parchment paper. Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake for 2 HOURS.
• When base is ready remove it from the oven, let it cool down so you can handle. Carefully remove from the tin and let it cool down completely.
• Now you can start preparing the ganache by melting the chocolate in hot water bath same way as described above just without the butter.
• When chocolate is fully melted remove from hot water bath to cool down (approx. 10min) and add double cream. Mix well until fully combined and glossy.
• Next step is to make mascarpone cream. Whip the double cream with icing sugar and lemon juice. Add mascarpone and mix well.
• Cut the base into 3 equal layers and spread mascarpone cream on two of the layers. (reserve a little bit of cream for later) Stuck them on top of each other finishing up with a layer with no mascarpone cream. "plaster" the gaps with remaining mascarpone cream so it looks neat and tidy.
• Pour the ganache on top of the cake and spread it evenly.
• When I am covering the cakes with ganache (or any other liquid-ish glazing) I put it onto oven rack so when the glazing is dripping off the sides it goes straight through without flooding the sides and leaving cake looking untidy. Just make sure you put foil or baking tray under the oven rack to catch all the excess ganache without making too much of a mess.
• Decorate the cake with fruits berries and/or chocolate garnishes.

Steps:

• Position oven rack in middle of oven; preheat oven to 350°.
• Butter a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the outside tightly with heavy-duty foil.
• Have a roasting pan ready, and put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.
• Make the crust: pulse the chocolate wafers in a food processor until finely ground.
• With the motor running, slowly add the butter, and process just until blended.
• Press mixture onto the bottom of the pan.
• Bake crust for 8-10 minutes, until it is set; let cool on a wire rack.
• Make the filling: melt the chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2 inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.
• Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer, beginning on low speed and increasing to med-high speed, in a medium deep bowl until light and fluffy.
• Add in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Beat in the salt.
• Beat in the chocolate mixture just until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Add in the sour cream and vanilla; beat until smooth, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
• Transfer the filling to the springform pan.
• Set the pan in the roasting pan, place it in the oven, and carefully pour in enough boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.
• Bake for 45 minutes, or until the center is almost set but still slightly jiggly; do not overbake--the cheesecake will firm as it cools.
• Remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the water bath for 15 minutes.
• Remove the springform pan from the water bath and let cool completely on a wire rack, then remove the foil and refrigerate the cheesecake, loosely covered, until thoroughly chilled, at least 12 hours, or overnight.
• To serve--let the cheesecake stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.
• Remove the pan sides, smooth the sides of the cheesecake with a table knife, and cut into wedges.

Steps:

• to make Killer Cake:.
• Preheat oven to 350*.Lightly grease and flour 13x9 baking pan.
• Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl with electric mixer on low to combine and then medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour cake and pour into prepared 13x9 pan. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and freeze immediately.
• DO NOT COOL FIRST!
• FROSTING:.
• In a large bowl, combine softened cream cheese with 1 cup powdered sugar and beat till well combined.
• Gradually add granulated sugar and 1 tsp vanilla.Mix well.
• Fold in 12 oz Cool Whip till well incorporated.
• Spread frosting on frozen cake and then sprinkle with 1 cup toasted, chopped pecans and 2 Hershey bars, chopped.
• Refrigerate, Be sure it is thawed before serving.