Chile Chocolate Cake With Bourbon Chocolate Frosting Recipes

Steps:

• For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place a rack in the center of the oven.
• Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment or waxed paper.
• Lightly dust the sides of the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
• For best results, use a mixer with a wire whip attachment.
• Combine the flours, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa and beat on low speed until well mixed.
• In a medium saucepan, cook 1 cup of the water with the chili powder over medium heat until simmering.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
• Add the softened butter to the dry mixture and beat thoroughly on medium-low speed.
• The mixture should be grainy.
• Raise the speed to medium and gradually add the remaining cup of water and the buttermilk.
• Add the eggs on at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Slowly add the hot water/chile mixture and continue to beat just until well combined--be sure not to overbeat.
• Pour the mixture into the pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cake comes out clean.
• To cool, set the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Then turn the cakes out onto the rack, remove the paper from the bottom, and immediately reinvert so that the risen tops don't flatten.
• Let sit until completely cool before frosting.
• For the frosting, combine the butter and cocoa in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat.
• Stir in the buttermilk.
• Add the confectioners' sugar a little at a time, stirring with a wired whisk between additions.
• Stir in the bourbon and vanilla.
• The frosting should stiffen as it cools.
• When it has reached a spreadable consistency, assemble the cake.
• If necessary, trim the tops of the cakes so they are level.
• Place one of the cake layers onto a 9-inch round cardboard cake circle.
• Spread 1 cup of the chilled frosting over the cake layer.
• Sprinkle 1 cup of the chopped walnuts over the frosting.
• Place the second layer of the cake onto the frosted base.
• Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides of the cake.
• Finish the top of the cake by holding the spatula at a slight angle and making several strokes to smooth the top.
• To decorate the cake, press the remaining walnuts against the lower half of the side of the cake and on top of the cake.

Steps:

• Beat the butter and mayonnaise in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, on high until light and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly pour in the melted chocolate. Continue mixing on low speed until all of the chocolate is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Turn off the mixer and add 1 cup of the sugar. Mix on low to combine. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat until all of the sugar has been incorporated. Add the bourbon and salt and continue to beat until the frosting is smooth and lightens slightly in color, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 hours or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before using chilled frosting.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan: Cut a circle of parchment the size of the removable bottom of the pan. Fit the parchment circle into the bottom of the pan. Tear off an 18-inch length of aluminum foil. Center the pan over the sheet of foil and crumple and crimp the foil all around the sides of the pan. (The foil will prevent water from seeping into the pan during baking.) Set the pan aside.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the espresso, brown sugar and the cinnamon sticks to a simmer over very low heat. Simmer until the syrup is very fragrant, about 20 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted, and then stir in the cayenne pepper. Set aside.
• Pulse the chocolate in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a deep bowl. Pour in the warm coffee syrup and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the beaten eggs until completely blended.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in a large, deep, oven-proof skillet or a roasting pan and set on the oven rack. Pour in enough water to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until center is set and barely wiggles when you shake the pan gently, 50 to 60 minutes.
• Cool the cake to room temperature. Remove the foil and chill the cake in the pan at least 8 hours. Run a wet knife around the sides of the pan then pop the spring to release. Place a platter on top of the cake and flip over. Remove the bottom of the pan, and peel off the parchment. Serve with cinnamon ice cream and raspberries.

Steps:

• 1. Grease bottoms of 3 (8-inch) round cake pans; line with wax paper. Grease and flour wax paper and sides of pans; set pans aside.
• 2. Cook first 3 ingredients in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until butter melts and mixture is smooth; remove from heat, and let cool.
• 3. Beat buttermilk and next 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add butter mixture to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended. Combine sugar, flour, and salt; gradually add to buttermilk mixture, beating until blended. (Batter will be thin.) Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
• 4. Bake at 350° for 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. (Cake layers will appear thin.).
• 5. Spread about 1/2 cup Chocolate Ganache between each cake layer; spread remaining Chocolate Ganache on sides of cake. (Do not frost top of cake.) Chill cake 30 minutes. Pour warm Praline Frosting slowly over top of cake, spreading to edges. (Cover and let stand up to 24 hours, if desired.).
• 6. Pierce about 25 holes in top of cake using a wooden or metal skewer. Pour warm Bourbon Glaze over cake.
• Chocolate Ganache:.
• 1. Microwave chocolate morsels and cream in a glass bowl on MEDIUM (50% power) 2 to 3 minutes or until morsels are melted, stirring after 1 1/2 minutes; whisk until smooth. Gradually add butter, whisking until smooth. Cool about 35 minutes or until spreading consistency, whisking every 10 minutes.
• Praline Frosting:.
• 1. Bake pecans on a baking sheet at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring once.
• 2. Bring butter, brown sugar, and cream to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, stirring often; boil, stirring often, 1 minute. Remove from heat, and whisk in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add toasted pecans; stir gently 3 minutes or until frosting begins to cool and thicken slightly.
• Bourbon Glaze:.
• 1. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; stir in sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Remove skillet from heat, and stir in bourbon. Carefully ignite the fumes just above liquid mixture with a long match or long multipurpose lighter. Let stand until flames disappear.