Cannoli Cake 4 Recipe 435

Steps:

• Almonds, toasted and chopped, for decorating (To toast nuts, cook on a dry skillet on medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. You can also do this in the oven at 400 degrees, in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, for about 5-10 minutes, until golden and fragrant, stirring halfway through.) Mini chocolate chips, for decorating Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 (8 or 9 inch) round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Whisk the flours, baking powder and salt in a small bowl to combine and set aside. In a liquid measuring cup or mug place heat the milk and butter in the microwave until the butter is completely melted. Add vanilla, cover and set aside. Meanwhile, using a whisk attachment on a standing mizer or using a medium bowl and and hand mixer, whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form, adding 5 Tablespoons of sugar gradually. Set aside. Repeat with the egg yolks and the remaining 5 Tablespoons of sugar, until pale yellow and thick. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the egg yolks, being careful not to deflate the batter as much as possible. Sift the flour mixture over the folded eggs and gently fold in the flour also. When there are still some remaining streaks of flour, pour in the warm milk and butter by the side of the bowl. Continue gently folding until evenly distributed. Divide the batter in half, pouring into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Make a simple sugar: by heating the sugar and water in a small pot until sugar dissolves and add the chocolate liqueur. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile make the filling and frosting: In a standing mixer with a paddle attachment or using a hand mixer, cream the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Add the mascarpone cheese and vanilla. You can just fold in the mascarpone cheese with a rubber spatula, since it's soft enough or mix with the mixer just until combined, about 30 seconds. Set aside half of the mixture in a medium bowl. One part will be the filling and one part will be the frosting. Add 1 cup ricotta cheese to the first part. This is the filling. Set aside. For the frosting: whip the heavy cream with 1-2 Tablespoons of powdered sugar. (You can put the mixing bowl and the whisk attachment in the freezer to chill before adding the cold heavy cream to make whipped cream.) Gently fold in the whipped cream into the second part of the cream cheese/mascarpone cheese mixture. This will be the frosting. To assemble: Cut each cake in half horizontally. Using a serrated knife, make a small incision all around the outside of the cake. This will keep your knife on the same level as you are cutting across. Continue cutting deeper into the cake until you have cut all the way through. Simple and works perfectly every time. Using a pastry brush, brush the top and bottom of each layer with the chocolate liqueur syrup. (A trick when decorating cakes is to line the serving plate all around the edge with aluminum foil or wax paper, so that the edge of the cake is overlapping the aluminum foil by about 1/2 inch. This will catch all the drips and crumbs, leaving your serving plate neat and clean. When you're done decorating just carefully pull the aluminum foil out.) Top the cake with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese filling and repeat with the the other 2 cake layers. Use the frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake. You should have enough to pipe some shells or rosettes around the cake. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips around the border of the cake, and shaved some chocolate to decorate. Cup a handful of almonds in your palm with one hand and holding the cake with the other hand, slightly turn it, press the almonds all around the sides of the cake. Variations: You can use freshly squeezed orange juice and some zest in place of the simple syrup (water and sugar) to brush the cake layers with. You can use orange liqueur instead of the chocolate and also add some orange zest to the cake batter. You can also add fresh fruit to the cake in the filling and to decorate the top of the cake. You could also add mini chocolate chips to the filling in between two of the layers.

Steps:

• FOR THE CAKE: Begin early in day or day ahead to make Cannoli Cake.
• Preheat oven to 375°F In small bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form; gradually sprinkle in 1/2 cup sugar, beating until sugar completely dissolves and whites stand in stiff peaks.
• In large bowl, using same beaters and with mixer at low speed, beat egg yolks, flour, baking powder, salt, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 Tablespoons water until blended. With rubber spatula, gently fold beaten egg whites into egg-yolk mixture, one-third at a time.
• Spoon batter into UNGREASED 10 inch by 3 inch springform pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until cake is golden and top springs back when lightly touched.
• Invert cake in pan on wire rack; cool completely in pan.
• FOR BRUSHING CAKE LAYERS: From oranges, grate 2 teaspoons peel (use the rest of peel for the filling) and squeeze 1/3 cup juice (IF NOT USING LIQUEUR, INCREASE JUICE TO 1/2 CUP). Stir liqueur into 1/3 cup juice; set aside.
• FOR THE FILLING: In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat ricotta, cream cheese, rest of the grated orange peel, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup semisweet-chocolate mini pieces.
• With metal spatula, loosen cake from edge of pan; remove pan side. Loosen cake from pan bottom; remove pan bottom. With serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 2 layers. Brush orange-juice mixture evenly over cut side of both layers.
• Place bottom cake layer, cut-side up, on cake plate. Spoon ricotta-cheese filling on center of cake layer. Spread some filling out to edge, leaving a center rounded to achieve a dome effect.
• Cut a small wedge out of remaining cake layer; and gently rest cake layer over filling. (Cutting wedge will allow cake layer to bend, without cracking, to fit over dome shape.).
• PREPARE VANILLA-CREAM FROSTING: In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat 3 Tablespoons margarine or butter, softened, 3 Tablespoons milk, 1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth, adding more milk if necessary until mixture has an easy spreading consistency. In large bowl, using same beaters and with mixer at medium speed, beat 2 cups heavy or whipping cream until stiff peaks form; fold confectioners'-sugar mixture into whipped cream. Spread over top and down side of cake.
• In a heavy small saucepan over low heat, heat remaining 1/3 cup mini pieces, stirring frequently, until melted and smooth.
• Into waxed-paper cone, spoon melted chocolate. (Or, use small decorating bag with small writing tube.) With chocolate, make feather design.
• Refrigerate cake until filling is firm for easier cutting, about 3 hours.
• TO MAKE WAXED-PAPER CONE: Cut square of waxed paper; fold in half into triangle. Lay triangle on flat surface so wide side is at top. Fold left-hand corner down to center point. Take right-hand corner; wrap it completely around folded left-hand corner, forming cone. Both corners meet at center point of original triangle. Fold in these ends twice to hold together. Fill cone two thirds full; fold top over.
• MAKING FEATHER DESIGN: Piping circles on Cake: Using paper cone with tip cup to make 1/8 inch diameter hole, pipe melted chocolate on top of cake in concentric circles, starting in center and moving to edge of cake. Start with small circle in the middle of cake and go around each circle to the edge. This should be 6 circles.
• Drawing spokes towards center: Before chocolate hardens, quickly with tip of toothpick or small knife, draw lines in spoke fashion, about 1 1/2 inches apart around edge of cake; alternate direction of each spoke, first from edge to center of cake, then from center to edge.
• Completing feather design: Continue around top of cake, alternating direction of each spoke to make attractive feather design. 16 servings.
• The Good Housekeeping Book of Desserts.

Steps:

• Bake two 8-inch round cakes according to the package directions. Cool completely. Cut a parchment sheet into four 3-by-12-inch strips and set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine the butter, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on the lowest speed until the sugar is incorporated into the butter. Add the vanilla, increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on medium high, add the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the frosting is smooth and spreadable.
• To make the filling, remove 2 cups of the frosting and place in a medium bowl. Add the cinnamon and mini chocolate chips and stir until combined. Reserve remaining frosting.
• Using a serrated knife, trim the top of each cake to make level and straight. Line the edges of a cake stand with the parchment strips (to keep it clean when you frost and glaze the cake with chocolate). Place one cake in the center of the cake stand. Using a small offset spatula, spread the chocolate filling evenly over the top of the cake. Top with the second cake.
• With a large offset spatula, spread 3/4 cup of the reserved frosting in a thin layer on the top and sides of the cake. This is called a crumb coat. Place the cake in the freezer until the frosting is set, about 30 minutes.
• Once chilled, remove the cake from the freezer and spread with all but 1/2 cup of the remaining frosting. Smooth the sides and top of the cake using the offset spatula or a bench scraper. Return to the freezer for another 30 minutes to set the frosting.
• Meanwhile, make the ganache by placing the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until hot but not boiling. Pour over the chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth and glossy.
• Remove the cake from the freezer and pour the ganache over the top. Use the back of a spoon to completely cover the top, allowing some of the chocolate to spill over the sides in a drip pattern.
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a medium star tip. Pipe rosettes on the chocolate around the top edge of the cake, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. Place one end of a cannoli on each rosette, so the opposite ends meet in the center of the cake. Remove the parchment strips from beneath the cake and serve.

Steps:

• GRATE the orange peel; set aside. Peel or cut away any remaining white membrane from outside of orange; discard. Separate orange into sections. Cut 3 of the sections into quarters; set aside for later use. Cover and refrigerate remaining orange sections for snacking or other use. Beat cheeses, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add the orange peel and chocolate; mix well. Gently stir in 2 cups of the whipped topping.
• SPREAD 2 cups of the cheese mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Top with layers of 30 of the wafers and half of the remaining cheese mixture; repeat layers of wafers and cheese mixture. Top with remaining whipped topping; cover.
• REFRIGERATE 4 hours. Top with the quartered orange sections and remaining 5 wafers. Cut dessert into 24 pieces to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.