Hello Bakers,
Here is the companion recipe to this week's, Ingredient Function Friday. You now have the last chocolate cake recipe you will ever need. It is an old Cordon Bleu recipe that thankfully was placed in the baking and pastry classes. I changed a few things - the original didn't have vanilla and I reduced the cocoa slightly but that's about it.
It is not French but a classic Åmerican cake and like the rice pudding recipe I posted a few weeks ago, it is one of those recipes that has been around for years. You do not need a mixer to make this but you can use your mixer if you have one.
Sifting is a good idea here. In the latest episode of Ingredient Function Friday I talked about sifting. If you did not see the episode, click on the video tab up top and it is right there, Episode 10.
One last thing and then you can read the recipe and start getting your ingredients and equipment together this recipe does need Dutch process cocoa. Some good brands are Droste, Valrhona and Cacao Barry, extra brute. Hershey's special dark cocoa will work too and it is available in most supermarkets.
And last last...I iced these with a Vanilla Bean Buttercream - that is not too sweet. The recipe is below.
Happy Baking!
Colette
Devil's Food Cake
Makes 1 10” cake or a 13"x9" pan or 18 medium sized cupcakes
Grease pan and line bottom with parchment paper, line 2, 12 cup muffin pans with liners
Preheat the oven 350 degrees
Equipment: Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or 1 medium sized mixing bowl and a whisk, scale, spatula
Ingredients:
- 4 ½ ounces, (128g) eggs
- 12 ounces, (340g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 1/2 ounces, (71g) Dutch process cocoa
- ? (12g) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10.5 ounces, (298g) all purpose flour
- 7 ounces, (198g) vegetable oil
- 7 ounces, (198g) buttermilk
- 8 ounces, (227g) brewed coffee
- Sift together the dry ingredients 2x. Set aside.
- In a mixer with the whisk attachment ribbon the eggs, sugar and vanilla together on medium speed until the mixture is light and well combined (about 2 minutes). Don't over mix. This can be done by hand as well.
- Whisk the oil, buttermilk and coffee and together. (It is ok if they separate a little).
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture to the ribboned eggs and sugar.
- It should go dry, wet, dry, wet and end with dry.
- Pour the batter into the pan – it will be quite loose.
- Bake the cake at 350 in a still oven.
Start checking in 30 minutes, (cupcakes take about 20) – the cake is done when a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
These cupcakes (or cake) freeze very well up to one month.
Not too sweet - VANILLA BEAN SWISS BUTTERCREAM
Equipment: Stand or hand held mixer fitted with whisk attachment, instant read thermometer, scale, whisk, spatula, piping bag and medium star tip to finish.
Ingredients
- 57 g egg whites
- 136g granulated sugar
- 227g unsalted butter, cut up and refrigerated, Take out the butter when you start cooking your sugar
- 8g vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- Fill a medium saucepan with 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of water and bring to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer.
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer tted with the whisk attachment and whisk to combine.
- Place the bowl over the simmering water.
- Whisk gently. Be careful, as the bowl will become hot quickly. Use a towel or oven mitt to steady the bowl.
- Every few minutes, check the temperature of the mixture. Once it reaches 145 F, remove it from the heat and place on the mixer, using the towel or oven mitt as the bowl can be very hot.
- Stand back a little as the mixture is hot. Turn on the mixer to medium speed and then up to high speed.
- Whip the mixture until it has cooled to room temperature. It will look thick and like marshmallow creme.
- Reduce the speed to medium-high. Throw in pieces of butter a few at a time. As the butter is incorporated, the mixture will resemble thick, fluffy mayonnaise.
- Remove the whisk and t the mixer with the paddle attachment.
- Add the vanilla bean paste. Mix until combined.
Buttercream can be stored at room temperature for 24 hours, refrigerated for up to ve days, or frozen for up to one month. Thaw frozen buttercream in the refrigerator. To reconstitute buttercream, mix it with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy and spreadable.