New Orleans Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Cake:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine butter, cocoa and water in a saucepan.
• Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat until the mixture is smooth and butter has melted; remove from heat and cool.
• Combine the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla; beat on medium speed with a mixer until smooth.
• Combine the butter mixture and buttermilk mixture; beat until well blended.
• Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl; mix well.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the buttermilk mixture; beat until blended.
• The batter should be thin.
• Spray three 8" round cake pans with cooking spray and line them with wax paper.
• Pour the batter evenly into the pans and bake at 350 degrees for 22-24 minutes or until cake tests for doneness.
• Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.
• To assemble the cake:.
• Spread 1/2 c ganache between the cake layers; spread the remainder on the sides of the cake and chill for 30 minutes.
• Slowly pour the frosting over the center of the cake.
• Spread it to the edges of the cake, allowing some frosting to run down the sides.
• Chocolate Ganache:.
• Microwave the chocolate and cream in a glass bowl for 2-3 minutes, or until the chocolate is melted; whisk until smooth.
• Gradually add the butter, whisking until smooth and melted.
• Cool, whisking often, until spreading consistency, about 15-20 minutes.
• Praline Frosting:.
• Combine the butter, brown sugar and whipping cream in a 2 quart saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring often.
• Boil 1 min; remove from heat and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Add the pecans and stir gently for 2-5 minutes, or until the frosting begins to cool and thicken slightly.
• Pour immediately over the cake.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1/2 cup sugar, butter, milk, egg yolks, salt, lemon zest, nutmeg and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough (dough will be sticky)., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. , Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 16x10-in. rectangle. Combine cinnamon and remaining sugar; sprinkle over dough to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet; pinch ends together to form a ring. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Brush with egg., Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. For glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and enough water to achieve desired consistency. Spread over cake. Sprinkle with colored sugars.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease 3 9-inch cake pans.
• Beat whites of 4 eggs in a glass or metal bowl until foamy. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the tip of the peak formed by the egg whites should curl over slightly. Set aside. Reserve egg yolks in a small bowl. Sift together cake flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.
• Beat 3/4 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add reserved egg yolks one at a time, allowing each yolk to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Pour in cake flour mixture alternately with 1 cup milk, mixing until just incorporated. Stir lemon juice and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract into batter.
• Whisk beaten egg whites a few times; use a whisk or rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg white mixture into the batter to lighten it. Fold in remaining egg whites, mixing just until combined. Pour batter into prepared pans and spread evenly over bottom.
• Bake in preheated oven until cake is light golden brown and just pulling from the sides of the pan, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks to cool completely.
• To make custard: combine 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup flour, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup cocoa powder in a saucepan and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining 1/2 cup sugar into 4 beaten eggs. Pour 4 cups whole milk into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat and gradually pour hot milk mixture into egg mixture, whisking constantly. Add chopped chocolate and stir until chocolate melts.
• Return custard to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Transfer custard to a bowl and allow to cool.
• To make buttercream: place 1 cup softened butter in a mixing bowl. Gradually beat in 3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar. Beat in 1 cup sifted cocoa powder. Mix in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to make a smooth frosting. If the frosting is too stiff, add a tablespoon of hot water or as needed, drizzling it very slowly, and mix well until desired consistency is reached.
• To make ganache: place chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan until very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate chips. Let stand for 3 minutes, then whisk, scraping sides and bottom of the bowl, until smooth. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature, cover, and set aside. Ganache should be spreadable and not firm.
• To assemble cake: using a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each cake layer in half horizontally. Cover cake plate with strips of parchment paper or foil for easier clean up. Put a dab of buttercream in the center of the plate to keep cake from shifting. Set a cake half on the plate.
• Spread custard filling onto cake layer, taking care not to spread it too close to the edge (weight of the cake layers will cause it to spread out). Gently lay another cake round on top of the first and repeat with another custard layer. Repeat with remaining layers and custard, topping custard with the last cake layer. Chill cake for 30 minutes to allow it to firm up.
• Frost top and sides of cake with chocolate buttercream. Chill for 30 minutes, to firm and set.
• Spread frosted cake with ganache. Remove parchment strips or aluminum foil from cake plate. Store cake in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan melt the butter over moderately low heat, stir in the espresso, sugar, zest, orange extract and Grand Marnier, and transfer the mixture to a bowl.
• In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water melt the semisweet chocolate and the unsweetened chocolate, stirring occasionally.
• Stir the chocolates into the butter mixture and add the eggs, stirring until the mixture is just combined.
• Line the bottom of a buttered 9-inch cake pan, 2 inches deep, with parchment paper and butter the paper.
• Spoon the batter into the pan, put the pan in a baking dish, and add enough hot water to the dish to reach halfway up the side of the pan.
• Bake the cake in the middle of a preheated 350-degree oven for 1 hour.
• Remove the cake from the water bath and let it cool on a rack, and chill it, covered loosely, for 3 hours.
• Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan and dip the bottom of the pan in hot water for 3 seconds.
• Invert a platter over the pan, invert the cake with a sharp rap onto the platter, and cut it with a sharp knife dipped in hot water, cleaning the knife before cutting each slice.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. In a small bowl, combine graham crumbs with melted shortening. Stir together until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in chocolate pieces and walnuts; set aside.
• Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle crumb mixture over batter evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan.