Cookies, Cupcakes, and Cardio

Yes, Valentine’s day was last week, but I have been so busy with the early success of Jenn’s Custom Cakery.  A new website, with a photo gallery, order form, product listing, and of course a link back here to my blog is in the works.  I can’t wait!

On to the post . . . and away from the excuses!

My parent’s have been married for 33 years!  Their anniversary falls on February 1st . . . every year . . . duh.  The funny thing about this is that the only person who remembered was my younger brother!  Normally, he forgets everything and it’s me reminding him to call home.  Kudos Steve 🙂

To make it up to them, (even though they both forgot too, I felt guilty) I made them a Valentine’s Day Cake.  I’ve been dying to make a Tuxedo Cake, from a blog I follow (Annie Eat’s).

To give you a good idea of what goes into this chocolate, whipping cream and more chocolate creation, I have a step by step tutorial for you!   I used 3 heart shaped cakes, which proved to be WAY too small for the amount of batter the original recipe calls for (3- 9″ layer cake pans).  The math conversion proved to be too much work as well.

Tuxedo Cake

(from Annie’s Eats)

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups water
1 cup canola oil
4 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

See the big crater? That's why you use flour on your pans! I managed to make up for the mistake, and fill it in with frosting.

Directions:
To make the cake layers, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line three 9-inch round cake pans (or two 10-inch round cake pans) with parchment paper.  Butter and flour the inside edges of the pan, shaking out the excess flour.  (I did not do the flour step

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, water and canola oil; heat until the butter is melted.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and flour; whisk to blend.  Pour the melted butter mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk.  Add the baking soda, salt and vanilla to the bowl and whisk just until incorporated.  Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of each cake layer and invert onto a wire cooling rack.  Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting, at least 2 hours.

For the frosting:
4 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

To make the frosting, add the heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.  Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until thoroughly combined and stiff peaks form.

Here is where you cover up the “oops”.

To assemble the cake, place one cake layer on a cake platter and spread a layer of the whipped cream frosting over the top.  Top with a second cake layer, more frosting (and the third cake layer, if using).  Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake.  Refrigerate until the frosting has stabilized, at least 1 hour.

Slap that cream on, spread it out!

And again!

Until you get this!  YUM!  You could stop there, but don’t!  The best is yet to come.

For the chocolate topping:

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup light corn syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract

To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate in a medium bowl.  Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes.  Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogenous.  Blend in the corn syrup and vanilla.  Pour the glaze into a pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes.  (Do not let the glaze cool longer or it may become difficult to pour over the cake.)  Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that the top is covered and the glaze drips over the sides.

There is an important lesson to be learned at this stage!  Just because chocolate is a food group reserved for greatness, does not mean that you should go overboard pouring it on this cake.  Don’t make the same mistake that this chocoholic did!  I used ALL of the ganache that the much bigger than needed recipe called for.  I left it ended up without the beauty that you can see in the original post  . . . dark on white . . . hence the tuxedo effect!

Refrigerate the cake until the glaze is set and the whipped cream frosting is firm, at least 1 hour.  Slice with a long, sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between slices.

I should have stopped here!

Add some sugar roses . . .

And some sugar lilies . . .

And some sugar petunias!

Thank you Annie for making such a delicious cake and providing me with the inspiration to treat my parents!  My dad who “doesn’t like sweets” (H. E. L. L. O! how am I his child?) phoned me the next day to say it was “to die for”.  If you know my dad and his issues with “sweets” you know what high praise that is!